The Chaplain - Fort Laramie (08-26-56)

Original Air Date: August 26, 1956
Host: Andrew Rhynes
Show: Fort Laramie
Phone: (707) 98 OTRDW (6-8739)

Stars:
• Raymond Burr (Captain Lee Quince)
• Vic Perrin (Sgt. Goerss)
• Jack Moyles (Major Daggett)
• Harry Bartel (Lt. Siberts)

Special Guests:
• Parley Baer
• Paul Dubov
• Lawrence Dobkin

Writers:
• Kathleen Hite

Producer:
• Norman Macdonnell

Music:
• Amerigo Moreno

Exit music from: Roundup on the Prairie by Aaron Kenny https://bit.ly/3kTj0kK

Episode Transcript

(00:13):
Welcome to the old time radio Westerns. I'm your host Andrew Ryans, and
let's get into this episode. Thisepisode is gonna be for Larmie. Original
dates August twenty six, nineteen fiftysix, and the title is The Chaplain.
Hope you enjoy and again thanks forlistening. Fort Laramie. Fort Laramie,

(01:19):
starring Raymond Byrd as Captain lee Quince, Specially transcribed tales of the dark
and tragic ground of the wild Frontier, the saga of fighting men who rode
the rim of Empire, and thedramatic story of Lee Quince, Captain of
Cavalry. Captain, Oh, Sergeantthese man or ancient surgeon's call Atkin Chapman,

(02:00):
Furnace, Harrison, Holt Hook Corner, Madison, Miller Shaw Right,
hold it, sergeant, it's readinglike a roll call of B Company.
It's close to that, sir.How many total? Twenty six? Yesterday
it was eighteen. That's right,sir. This keeps up. We won't
have a man answering fatigue call orguard mountain another couple of days. What's

(02:23):
the matter with Bee Company, Sergeant? I don't know, sir. You
asked the men. I figure that'sa job for the post surgeon. Yeah,
I'll be interested in the hospital reports. All right, that's all,
sergeant, Yes, sir, SergeantGars, yes, sir, is your

(02:46):
name on that list by any chance? No, sir, are you ailen?
No, sir? You sure,yes, sir, I'm sure,
all right, sergeant, that's all. Yes. F Company fourteen men on

(03:28):
surgeon's call. D Company nineteen,B Company twenty six. At this rate,
we can hold tomorrow morning's drill onthe hospital grounds. So he's gotten
most of the garrison over there,all right. B Company seems to be
suffering the most, Captain, anyexplanations, not till I see the surgeon's
report. I went over to thehospital right after fatigue call. Major Trucks

(03:51):
was too busy to talk, hesaid. In a couple of hours he'd
know something. M fifty nine men'sbeginning to look like an epidemic. Maybe
you have some reservation about it.Well, depends on what you call an
epidemic, an epidemic of real sicknessanyway, real sickness. I'm saying maybe
they're just bored, And I'm sayingif they are, it's a hard sickness

(04:14):
to cure them. You cure boredomwith activity, Captain, lots of it.
Different activity made you dag it?What do you mean? Well,
take b company. We haven't beenoff the garrison for nearly two months.
The days are all alike. Themen do the same things the same way,
day after day. Army life dependson routine, Captain, because it's
the most efficient way to organize men. That's right. When that efficiency begins

(04:40):
to break down to your stick tothe routine just because it's the army way,
of course. Not well, that'swhat I mean by different activity.
Well, let's look at our routine, captain. First call for rebels at
five twenty, relie five thirty,breakfast call five forty, first call for
drill six ten, drill sick fifteento seven fifteen, recall from drill and

(05:02):
surgeons call fatag call and he changesso far we might make some in fatigue
call. If they don't clean upthe post, then when would they do
it? They clean the post forfour hours before dinner and three hours before
supper. That's a lot of reddenup. Yeah it is, but we'relieving
some of the men. Isn't theanswer? They could change off bendle can
always use some help at the sawmill. And the chaplain's an awful busy man

(05:27):
tending the post garden by himself mostof the time. It's something to think
about. Of course, we don'tknow yet if we're battling an epidemic of
boredom. No, oh, wedon't. You're going over to the hospital.
Yeah, I thought I would tellMajor Trucks. I know he's been
busy, but he hasn't filed hisreceipts of canned good shipments from the east

(05:49):
for a month now. He's holdingup our paperwork, can goods, fruit,
some vegetables, salt fish. You'vebeen getting any fruit or vege?
Wusdeed? No hope. But we'rebeing built for it. Apparently it's been
sent here. That's Major Truck's department. You just tell them I need receipts,
all right, Major a morning chaplain, morning, Captain Quinns. Looks

(06:33):
like you need to pick morning shovel. We need rain worse. I don't
think the Lord means for me tohave a garden. Sometimes garden chaplain and
potatoes anyway, as hardy as theyare, they don't grow well in hard
pan. The Major was talking aboutputting garden detail and fatigue. Cole gause,

(06:56):
you could use some help. Hespoke of it just this morning,
just a few minut minutes ago.I thought you could use a hand,
a hand, just a few minutesago. I put my shovel aside,
looked up and said aloud, letthine hand help me, for I have
chosen thy precepts. I don't knowyour belief, Captain, but mine rests

(07:18):
strongly on the power of prayer.Well, no, this help, Chaplain,
it wouldn't be altogether unselfish. Oh, no, help is all together
unselfish. We were thinking them inmight spark a little to garden detail.
A lot of them come from farms. I've watched them come over here to
the hospital from drill. Some ofthem just boys and their teams, shuffling

(07:42):
along like sick old men. Iwonder if gardening is the answer. Man,
I'm hoping Major Trucks is finding thatout right now. Have have any
of them complained to you, Chaplain? Complained? They're not sick, if
they're just tired. If they gota bellet full of the army, they'd

(08:03):
be likely to tell you some ofthe mood. Well, it would help
if we knew, Captain, themen who seek me out know that their
conversations are held in highest confidence.Well, I'm not asking you to break
faith with him, chaplain, butthis sickness, whatever it is, is

(08:24):
growing. You'd think it's a moraleproblem. I've seen it happen. It's
as effective as typhoid for making menuseless. If it gets a hold,
I can promise you this, Captain. I won't give you any names,
but if I get more than myshare of men telling me they've got a
bellet full, as you say,I'll see the major hears about it.

(08:46):
You'll be seeing the sick later andpraying for him. Yeah, luck with
your potato patch, Thank you,captain. That's right, man. Put

(09:18):
them as close together as you can. We need as many cots as we
can get in the carridor you gotan emergency on your hands. Major trucks.
I've got a twelve bed ward andfifty nine patients. Captain, you
had time to figure what it isthat's lands so many men low. I'm
not through examining them all so far. It could be fifty nine separate ailments

(09:41):
or two or one. Anything Ican do, you can get me a
bigger hospital. The ward's full.I'm using the dining room, the isolation
rooms in the orderly room. NowI can set up cots. You got
plenty so far. The Major knowsabout this, does he? He knows
there's fifty nine men on surgeons goal. What does he say? Hey,
he's waiting for your report. He'sgot a long wait coming. Mentioned some

(10:05):
other paperwork, receipts for can goodsjust out here this morning for shipments we've
had in five weeks, fruit,vegetables, salt, fish not unpacked yet,
hasn't been time? Must have beensome shipments that didn't get through.
Major says, he's been built forover a month now. It's happened before,
trains and stages. Sometimes they're waylaid. Captain, you've got some
time, lots of time. Let'sgo over to the storage room. Unpack

(10:28):
that can goods so I can handleit. No need, you're leaving the
men. Might be nothing more importantfor me to do right now than unpack
that food. We need help,though, all right, I'll round up
what I can and meet you atthe storage room. Well, no label

(10:58):
on this batch? What art didthese cans come from? Sergeant? Sergeant?
I don't know, sir, anyway of finding out. I'm just
on the loading crate, Sir,I ain't paying any mind of labels.
Open this can for me, Sergeant. You tired too, Kim open it.

(11:24):
I'll get it, Gorse. Icouldn't seem to hold it fast.
Yeah, I'll try it again.You're gorse. Wait a minute, courser,
you sick. I'm tired, maybesick and tired out of him.

(11:45):
I'm going back to my quarters.Captain, I just can't Why not,
Major trop What do to him?All right? You got to tremble and
said he was going back to hisquarters. And he walked right into a
stack of crates. Yeah, let'shave a look. Made you mad?

(12:07):
You he breathing. His pulse isvery slow. You talked to him just
before this happened. He said hewas tired. I knew that he's been
dragging for the past week. Yoursdon't drag major trucks list. There's something
real wrong with him. I gotme in just like an upstairs in the

(12:28):
ward, played out exhausted. Hecouldn't lift a tin can. Besides being
so tired. Did he seem changedact different? You mean? I like
he didn't care yes, so insolent, insubordinate even for him. Yeah,
Weaver Nelson take massage and up tothe isolation room. Tell my olderly to

(12:52):
see he's comfortable. Captain, comeon outside of minim. No, what
about yours? If I told youthat whole shipment of canned foods. But
that seemed like an answer, BobGors, No, it wouldn't you.
You can't be talking about food poisoning. No one's eating any of that canned
food, not food poisoning. Wecan handle that, Captain. The men

(13:16):
up there in the hospital, sixtyof them now with Sergeant Gorse. Some
of them got pain, some haven't, Some are bleeding, some aren't.
A few of them are complaining oftheir teeth, and some of them,
like Gorse, aren't complaining. They'rejust sitting or laying and staring straight ahead.

(13:37):
I was willing to call it boredom. Made a big speech to Major
Daggett about changing their routine, liftingtheir morale, maybe helping the chaplain with
his garden. I wish they werebored. I'd give anything if they were.
Captain, I'm scared of that.Oh, you'll find out what it

(13:58):
is, you always, I knowwhat it is. All those men with
different complaints, they all have thesame thing in different stages. It's scurvy.
Yeah, I've been afraid of it. That's why I requisitioned the canned

(14:20):
fruit and vegetables. They'd have helpedif we could use them. Scurvy being
what it is, a deficiency disease, it's just about the easiest thing in
the world a cure. All yougot to do is feed the patient's plenty
of fresh fruit and vegetam. Nowlook at the chaplain's garden potatoes, and
not many of them. That's thetrouble with the high Plains. Short seasons,
too much rain, too little,too cold in winter, too hot

(14:41):
in summer. I'm in major.If we can't get them the right food,
they'll die. Captain, there won'tbe a thing we can do but
let them, replied from Fort Fetterman, Captain regret no fresh vegetables or fruit

(15:15):
here. Sending patrol to ranches inarea. Not hopeful. Federman's too close.
We can't raise vegetables. They can't. Who else are you a telegraph
Lieutenant? Fort Sanders Camp Brown,Fort Bridger. Camp Brown's over in the
wind River Range bridges. At leastone hundred miles further. Well, Sir,

(15:35):
Major Daggetts said to try them alltoo far away. I know that's
sure you do, mister Sibert,But I'll keep trying, how will,
sir. And any words you get, no matter where it's from, don't
turn any of it down, yes, Captain, Yeah, sir. I've

(15:58):
read a lot about scurvy, whatcauses it, what cures it. It
can be cured with the right food. The British Navy practically wiped it out
as long ago as seventeen ninety five, so there is hope, Captain wiped
it out, how, mister Cyberts. Lime juice, yeah, lime juice,

(16:18):
yes, sir. They made ita regulation. Each man was served
a specific quantity of lime juice eachday, and the threat of scurvy the
ship crews just vanished. Mister Cybert'slimes are kind of hard to come by
in the high plains. Well,I just thought if you knew there was
hope, you'd feel better about.Thanks, Captain. I'm not the one

(16:40):
to worry about I know, sir, But but but thanks Lutenant. And
if you hear about any lines,even as far away as Fort Bridger,
and don't turn them down. Thelast two settlers have spoken of a huckster,

(17:14):
Captain, of a man who's beenthrough here selling eggs and fresh vegetes
about five days ago, chaplain,he could be anywhere by now. The
last settler said five days, theone before said six. We're getting closer
to him. You still praying,gentleman. Of course you're long on hope.

(17:36):
A don't you said? You callit hope, Captain, My word
is faith. But the word doesn'tmatter. I'm long on it yet I've
built my life on it. Anothersettler head, and a fortunate settler too.
That stream is life to him.Lodge full crick. It's a better

(17:57):
day, captain. I don't takeyour word for that, No, even
for a realist. It's a betterday. We sent two sacks onions back
to Port Laramie this morning. Wedidn't do that yesterday, all right,
chaplain, it's a better day.Patroll. Oh afternoon, mister, afternoon

(18:23):
to you soldiers. We're down fromPort Laramie looking for fresh fruit vegetables.
Oh you got a good bit oflooking ahead of your soldier got potatoes.
We got potatoes too. I hadsome corn, but then you know,
my woman took sick and taring forher. The corn went bad, dried
out. It makes a good firethough, the dry corn. I've been

(18:45):
using it to cook with saving thelogs. I oh for a winter.
You know it's coldest shin up herein the winters. I don't lay in
dry logs now. My woman willjust freeze this winter. She's in the
cabin, your wife. You knowshe ain't moved out of that cabin there
in more than a month. Well, would you mind if I went in
to see her? See you somekind of doctor. This is our chaplain

(19:08):
post chaplain and for Laramie chaplain.That's like a parson, like a parson.
Miss Well, she's a god fearedwoman. You know you'll find that
book there's right to side the bed, and it just might ease her some
talking to a parson. There's time, captain, you know what you have
to do, Chaplain Garbel Jenkins thepatrol down to the stream. Well,

(19:37):
one of the horses while we stopped. Just a pity you didn't come through
here. A couple of days ago, Soldier the huckster come through. I
don't know as he had any fruit, but he had himself a big load
of vegetable. Yeah, we've beenhearing about it. If i'd hadn't the
price, i'd have stocked up forthe woman and me. But you,
oh, they come high, theycome to headn's out they Yeah, he
said he was bound for Cheyenne.Maybe they can meet his price in town.

(20:03):
That a way, but it's toosteep for a nest. See.
I had my eye and some oldstocks. He hadn't. It was going
to seed, there was, andI figured for planting, you know.
But he just wasn't a mind totrade nothing. He said he'd let him
spoil before he cut his price.Oh, you're trying to trade, but
that is Oh he wouldn't hear tothat. No, sir, I was
willing to trade himself. Say he'sold. You you got thirst? I

(20:30):
mean the real first Yeah, yeah, that parson, he's going to be
a while. You come along withme. Keep it in the cellar.
You know now that my woman don'tuse it for store and what she puts
up. What are you talking about, mister? Oh you'll see. You'll
see here now I just keep itright back here. So mind your feet.

(20:57):
There's a sod step or two,and it's pitch dark. Whereas once
we get there. Dark sure don'tmatter. Damp down here kind of musty.
Oh, it's all right. Youain't got a complaint in the world,
no where. See what we're lookingfor. You don't have to see

(21:23):
help yourself. So je, whatis that corn whiskey? Corn whiskey?
I don't have the patience for that. I told you anyways, I had
to burn mc corn. No,sir, this is hard sight here here
Nah, no, no, youdrinking? I mean to. It's just

(21:44):
more neighborly. If you take aswig first, go on and get on
with it. I'm dry as abone. I'm not too keen. I'm
hard sat him. Oh you're thinkingabout the other man. Well now I'm
sold this here, little jug.This wouldn't make the round to the hot
day like this? All right?That hits a spot on it. That's

(22:18):
your vinegar read. Oh I callthat right. Pick you in my way
of thinking. Here, give methat jug. I got a better feeling
for it. Mm hmmm. Ohthat's smooth. Yeah, that's smooth.

(22:45):
Swigger at now and again, justmake a man forget his lot in life.
Wait a minute, how much ofthat you got, mister? Who?

(23:06):
Yeah, that kind of crows on. You don'tus you know what,
It's gonna make you feel better onceyou come out of the coffin. No,
I want to know how much yougot. Oh, I got a
good bit of it. I makethis up every year, whether there's need
or not. I do my woman. Now, you just can't understand how

(23:26):
there's no crocks around. Praisebe.I got it put up in pickle barrels
and all sizes, jugs up anddown. I'll buy it from you,
all of it, at a fairprice. Well, now we could use
the money, all of it.Yeah, I'll buy it all and give

(23:48):
you back two jugs their praisebee soldier. I had done a sight of praying,
but I never figured are you downthere? I'm coming right up,
chaplin. Well, mister well,I don't see how I can rightly refuse.
You'll pay for what you give meback. You said a prize.
I'll talk to you later. Iwas looking for you down at the stream,

(24:15):
captain. Our prayers have been answeredall along the stream, both sides
or wild berries, raspberries, currents, blackberries, all kinds. Of course,
the men are picking him. Now. We'll take back all we can
carry. And I'm selecting some strongyoung bushes to transplant along the North Platte.
You're very pleased, drank shot.I'm more hysterical than anything. And

(24:38):
that good woman in the cabin says, the Indians on the shy In Agency
grow asparagus and rhuebarb like it wasbuffalo grass. Captain, have you been
drinking? I sure I have chaplainvinegar? Vinegar? Well, the settler
calls it hard sadder, and maybeit was once, but it's sure pure

(25:02):
vinegar now vinegar right. Major Truckssaid vinegar could be a help in arresting
the tide of scurvy. They did, I'm buying all is that, Liz
got You're certain it's vinegar, becauseif it isn't, I'd have to search
my soul. Chapin, take myword it's vinegar, and look on it.

(25:26):
This way, God moves in amysterious way his wonders to perform.
Yes, yes, captain, Ibelieve I will that you, Captain,

(25:56):
What does it look like a stackof crates? Yeah? You still playing
at being a sick man, Gors. It's a good laugh. Beats being
a first sergeant. B Company canstill use one anytime you want to give
up your act here and come back. I ain't coming back. He's a

(26:17):
first sergeant this time, Captain.I've been doing a lot of dreaming about
that. Oh we might break downa stripe or two, seeing you probably
couldn't handle the work anyway. Youjust keep talking, captain, I'll keep
dreaming. You'll see I'm coming back. At least a major, maybe even
a colonel, gonna take over thepost now, I no, no,

(26:37):
just be company, just for aday or two, long enough to get
a captain busted out. I nevercounted on your gratitude. Now we gotta
get a captain for bee company whodon't go around foisting vinegar on a sick
man in the name a hard cider. You're talking out of a fever.
I'm gonna tell major trucks to keepyou here if it isn't too hard,

(26:59):
and the rest of the war,Oh man, go back to your dreamy.
Yeah, thanks, you get well. One day we'll we'll go back
and thank that Sadler. Fort Laramieis produced and directed by Norman McDonald and

(27:41):
stars Raymond Burr as Lee Quinns,Captain of Cavalry, with Vic Perrin as
Sergeant Gorse. The script was speciallywritten for Fort Laramie by Kathleen Hyte,
with son patterns by Bill James andTom Henley. Musical supervision by A.
Marigo Marino featured in the cast whereParley Bear, Paul du Boff and Lawrence
Dobkin. Jack Moyles is Major Daggettand Harry Bartel is Lieutenant Cybert's company tension

(28:27):
dismiss Next week another Transcribe story ofthe Northwest Frontier and the troopers who fought
under Lee Quents Captain of Cavalry.Handicap workers are good workers with proper retraining.

(28:57):
Their job records compare favorably on theaverage with able bodied men and women
on the same jobs. The governmentis currently retraining increasing numbers of handicapped workers.
An industry must be ready to absorbthem. For information on the program,
right the Veterans Administration, Washington,twenty five DC. That's the Veterans
Administration, Washington, twenty five DC. This has been a CDs Radio of

(29:22):
public service message. This has beena presentation of OTR Westerns dot Com and

(30:44):
we hope you enjoyed. Please takesome time to like and rate our shows
in your favorite podcast application. Followus on Facebook by going to otr Westerns
dot com slash Facebook. Join inthe conversation by going to otr Westerns dot
com slash discord and if we couldlistend to us an email podcast at otr
westerns dot com. This episode's copyrightunder the attribution non Commercial Sharelight copyright.

(31:07):
For more information, go to otrWesterns dot com slash copyright, Have it
Right Day, and again, thanksfor listening.