AN INTERESTING CHARACTER

The Lone Ranger was a family favorite, at least for the kids of the family, for many years both on the radio and on television. There were movies as well. January 30, 1933 was the first time Americans heard “Hi Yo Silver, Away!” roar across the airwaves from their living room radios. It was probably pretty exciting imagining this masked hero going about saving the west on his stallion Silver with his sidekick Tonto. By the way, Tonto means stupid in Spanish so it is unfortunate that the name was chosen. In some countries the name was changed to Toro or something else. Tonto didn’t appear until the twelfth episode on February 25. He stayed on the radio until 1949 and then went on to television that lasted until 1957. The most well known actor playing the Lone Range was Clayton Moore and Tonto was Jay Silverheels. The Lone Ranger and Tonto lived by a creed, which read like this:

I believe...

· that to have a friend, a man must be one.

· that all men are created equal and that everyone has within himself the power to make this a better world.

· that God put the firewood there, but that every man must gather and light it himself.

· in being prepared physically, mentally, and morally to fight when necessary for that which is right.

· that a man should make the most of what equipment he has.

· that 'this government of the people, by the people, and for the people' shall live always.

· that men should live by the rule of what is best for the greatest number.

· that sooner or later...somewhere...somehow...we must settle with the world and make payment for what we have taken.

· that all things change but truth, and that truth alone, lives on forever.

· in my Creator, my country, my fellow man.^[1]

These two really tried to live by these rules on and off the camera; it was important to them to be role models for children. Don’t forget about the world famous horse that the Lone Ranger road, Silver. There is a story about him called the legend of Silver in which Lone’s trusty old chestnut horse called Dusty, got killed by a bad guy and a wild horse named Silver needed to be saved because an angry buffalo was trying to kill him; Lone saved him of course and the rest is history. Anyway the Lone Ranger character has become an enduring icon of American culture. [2] Reruns of the Lone Ranger aired for 61 years.

[1][2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lone_Ranger 5/21/2011