Can We Talk 2

Death Valley Days

         Death Valley Days was a TV show in the 50's. I've heard of it, but have never seen it, as best as I can recall, even in reruns, until recently. I have actually enjoyed it. It's in black and white, only half an hour. It's introduced and ended by "the old ranger", who gives a little background and draws a moralistic conclusion. There are no regular characters on the show, but a lot of famous TV stars or movie stars make appearances in the short tales.

         They are, of course, about California. Each show begins and ends simply, without fanfare or big music. The twenty mule teams hauling borax out of Death Valley are shown. This is a phenomenon worth explaining. Borax was one of many rich resources blessing California. Hauling it out, required a lot of power. Horses wore out too fast and needed to be rested frequently and watered. Mules can withstand the physical strain for longer periods of time without stopping or thirsting. The weight of a wagon of borax required 20 mules to share the burden. By the 20th century, Borateem, a brand name cleaning product, used the logo of the 20 mule team.

         One episode featured San Francisco and its development. It kept a chronological record of the gold rush, 1849, the crime wave and fires for easy looting, starting in 49 and going on once or twice a year until vigilante law corrected the situation. Already in 1849 the government was corrupt, and gangs prevailed. This is consistent with what I have read. By 1870, there was Nob Hill with its successful businessmen, former prostitutes and gamblers who had come up in the world, as well as retired miners and lawyers and importers, along with the proper and educated people from the East. (From what I've read, Chinatown and the Barbary Coast were in full swing, but that wasn't covered in this show.) I enjoy watching the progression and knowing what was going on at the same time in some other part of the country or world. It gives me the big picture.

         On another episode, a cute but supposedly true, story about some kids was used to illustrate the story of the Pelton water wheel. Mr. Pelton had failed at many jobs, including mining, but he had become a millwright and liked to tinker and invent things. He wanted to make operating a foot pedal sewing machine easier for his land lady and used his water wheel to speed things up for her. From there, he kept working on the idea and revolutionized mills and mines with his huge machines and waterwheels. His first patent was in 1850.

         This is probably my favorite kind of western. You actually can learn things and put westerns in perspective with the history of the world.