(Photo caption: — Gossip columnist Hedda Hopper visited silent cowboy star William S. Hart 70 years ago today. She recalled an interesting story about Two-Gun Bill. He had been working for one picture company, primarily, he said, because of a horse who belonged to the company. Fritz the wonder horse could do just about everything but talk and Hart fell in love with the creature. But, the studio wouldn’t sell it to him. Finally, Hart agreed to forego his salary of $46,000 — a rather staggering figure in the early 20th century — in exchange for the horse. But after the picture was finished, the company wouldn’t give Hart the pony and stole him. Hart found out where they were keeping Fritz and just like in one of his Westerns, he stole the horse back. He called the head of the studio and threatened that he’d settle the matter “with six-guns next time,” should they try the stunt again. Fritz lived to a ripe old age of 31 and is buried on the Hart Ranch in Newhall.)
Oh.
And a shameless plug: Best you DO NOT FORGET to visit the City o’ SClarita’s Cowboy Fest last weekend of this month at, where else, Melody Ranch. I’ll be there, in the turban and sunglasses, trying to not shake hands. It’s not that I’ve caught anything. I’m just historically antisocial.
When you DO visit the Cowboy Fest and you’re buying tickets beforehand, be sure to ask for your big John Boston 60 Percent Discount. Call 259-CITY or Google SCV Cowboy Fest.
Cowboy business aside, howdy!
With the miracle of time-traveling, we can avoid some of our visitor friends this morning and ease back to less-crowded climes.
This morning, we’ll tell you an interesting story about how Bill Hart got his pony, Fritz. While we’re hosting a conservative albeit fun Cowboy Poetry & Music fest, 40 years back, some out-of-towners were planning a Woodstock West at Vasquez Rocks. There’s two-headed chicken on our path this Sunday morn, plus — well. Plus a lot of stuff. Swing that right leg over the saddle, stick those toes in the stirrups, force those heels down and let’s all look like we know what we’re doing…
WAY, WAY BACK WHEN —
— Back on March 30, 1880, Ignacio del Valle died. Had he but survived, he could have walked around town today with everyone wishing him a, “Happy 121st birthday, Iggie!”
— After being closed for 17 years because no one was sending any mail to Castaic and no one was getting any, the Castaic Post Office reopened on April 3rd, 1917, in Sam Parson’s general store.
APRIL 7th, 1921 —
— An old relative of mine by marriage and pioneer citizen of Newhall passed away on this date. Alexander Hume, grandfather of Walt Wayman, died. He had homesteaded in the valley in the 1880s and was one of the charter members of the Presbyterian Church.
— The local movers and shakers of town were debating on an improvement to Downtown Newhall. Sometimes, visitors to the village noted they didn’t know where the heck they were. The businessmen and women got together to debate whether they should kick in for a big electric sign which said, “NEWHALL.” Eventually, they’d get it. History is certainly circular. A few years after being encouraged by Southern California Edison to use electricity, SCE urged locals to turn off the juice at night — there wasn’t enough to go around.
APRIL 7th, 1931 —
— Locals came up with a plan for a new high school a full 14 years before it became realized. The group pointed out there was part of Newhall Elementary that wasn’t being used. The only problem was cutting through the yard-thick red tape of the L.A. Unified School District. They were the ruling body back then. Eventually, in 1945, when Hart High opened its doors, the first students would hold their classes at Newhall Elementary in some temporary army barracks. In 1931, there were 112 local students attending San Fernando High. Estimates figured that another 25 percent would attend if there were a local campus.
— While utilities are going through the roof today, the Southern California Gas Co. issued an 11-percent reduction for the Little Santa Clara River Valley. The cuts were introduced after consistent pestering by a contingent from the local Kiwanis and Masonic Lodge.
— Then there’s the other kind of gas — or, gasoline. During a local gas war, prices fluctuated between 9 and 14 cents a gallon. Can you imagine lassoing a citizen from 1931 and bringing him back to 2011 and show up a $4.09 gallon of petrol? Among a few other things…
— Drunk driving was a bit pricier offense 80 years back. Lou Garcia was arrested, tried and convicted. He had to spend 90 days in jail and pay a $200 fine. In 1931 money, you could buy a new house in Saugus for $600. So, extrapolating that to modern times, a drunk-driving arrest would cost you about $80,000 today. Actually, the way the local CHP has been trying to single-handedly balance the state budget, maybe the math isn’t so far off…
APRIL 7th, 1941 —
— Gossip columnist Hedda Hopper visited silent cowboy star William S. Hart 70 years ago today. She recalled an interesting story about Two-Gun Bill. He had been working for one picture company, primarily, he said, because of a horse who belonged to the company. Fritz the wonder horse could do just about everything but talk and Hart fell in love with the creature. But, the studio wouldn’t sell it to him. Finally, Hart agreed to forego his salary of $46,000 — a rather staggering figure in the early 20th century — in exchange for the horse. But after the picture was finished, the company wouldn’t give Hart the pony and stole him. Hart found out where they were keeping Fritz and just like in one of his Westerns, he stole the horse back. He called the head of the studio and threatened that he’d settle the matter “with six-guns next time,” should they try the stunt again. Fritz lived to a ripe old age of 31 and is buried on the Hart Ranch in Newhall.
— It’s tough being in an accident when you’re the only doctor in town. Our beloved physician, Sarah Murray, was returning from Glendale where she had been visiting one of her patients. On the way home, her car went out of control, hit a tree and flipped twice. Dr. Murray suffered two broken ribs and severe bruises. She was rushed back to the Glendale hospital, where her patient was recuperating.
— Yet more rain pelted the valley, making it the wettest season since we started keeping records in 1876. The rain gauge bubbled over 42.53 inches with a storm on this date, with more following.
— Elderberry Brunt of Sand Canyon saw his 15 minutes of fame vanish before it was realized. One of Brunt’s hens had given birth to a two-headed chicken, which he had raised to adulthood. Brunt was going to sell it to Ripley’s Believe it or Not. One night, coyotes broke into his coop and devoured a couple of his several hundred chickens. Of course, they made off with the two-headed one. Which gives me opportunity to use one of my favorite phrases: “Mangy ki-yotes.”
APRIL 7th, 1950 — This is going to be on the Final. I was born.
APRIL 7th, 1951 —
— Teachers in the Hart District were happy. They all received raises of between $700-$900. That’d be a year. Not a month.
APRIL 7th, 1961 —
— The Formerly Mighty Signal wrote an editorial about Easter. They were pro.
APRIL 7th, 1971 —
— Folks were asking: “Will Agua Dulce become the Woodstock of the West?” A music promoter planned to stage a Rock for Pot concert on a 200-acre ranch near Vasquez Rocks. The local Agua Dulce Civic Association said, “I don’t think so” and successfully blocked the event. Promoter Bill Smart, said he wanted to bring in 300,000 people for the epic concert and charge $6.50 a head, no pun intended. Smart wanted to get all the folks to sign his legalize marijuana measure.
— Don’t anyone tell Jim Ventress this, but 40 years ago, the SCV Boys Club (no “Girls” in the title yet) had to let go of their director, Ted Snoddy. It wasn’t because of his name. The club was having financial difficulty and couldn’t meet Ted’s $10,000 a year salary. Today, I think Jimmy takes down maybe three or four million. A month.
— Little Master’s College, which used to be called Los Angeles Baptist College, has had more than their fair share of pro basketball players. Most of us know Mike Penberthy, who currently plays for the Lakers. Thirty years back, senior LABC forward Harry Taylor signed with the Dallas Chaparral of the old ABA, joining, I believe, three other Placerita Canyon stars who turned pro.
—Hart Park, which had been closed for two months after the Feb. ’71 quake, reopened.
APRIL 7th, 1981 —
— The Hart District entered its 10th year of bilingual education. Back in the 1970s, there were only a few students enrolled in the then-four schools who spoke little or no English. By 1981, there were 100. In 2001, there were 1,275. I’m guessing there’s more today who speak just Spanish, not to mention other tongues.
— Speaking of English as a second language, Newhall supe Mike McGrath had a couple of kids at Newhall Elementary who spoke not a lick of the Queen’s English. Attempts to communicate in Español didn’t help, either. The two young boys were from Czechoslovakia.
— Thirty years ago yesterday, a former actor-turned-energy spokesman who had spoken at the Hart High Auditorium in the 1960s was shot. John Hinckley attempted the assassination of U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
— My pal and mentor, Scott Newhall, was at it again. He penned one of his famous front page editorials on this date, entitled: “Was Great-Grandma A Babylonian Harlot?” It was about gynecology. Kinda.
Thanks for the company, dear saddlepals. See you next Thursday (where my birthday is still celebrated in certain Latin American nations) with another exciting Time Ranger adventure here and only here under the soothing glow of The West Ranch Beacon. Until then, vayan con Dios, amigos!
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