The Prairie Prattler Vol. 3, No. 3, August - October 1945

Note: The war is over.

For your convenience, an attempt has been made to transcribe any pages which are almost illegible in places. Otherwise, notes have been made after each page to draw attention to notable statements or mention of fans who appear in different issues and photographs of the Martha Retsch collection or John Fullerton collection.

Notes page 2

Now that the war is over, please let's not relax in buying BONDS AND STAMPS, as it will help to get everyone home sooner.

HATS OFF TO THE PIONEERS a poem by "Tex”:

If you like poems that never rhyme
And are nothing but a waste of time
Just come along and lend your ears
While I tell about the Pioneers.

Now when these boys begin to sing
Your troubles melt like snow in spring;
And happiness seems near at hand
Instead of in some far-off land.

These well-known favorites, you see
have glorified the West to me.
They make the cowboy's life a dream
Six swell boys fit in this scheme.

So now I think I'll have you meet
Those buckaroos who can't be beat.
I'm happy to present each one
The Sons of the Pioneers, one by one.

If you like music soft and low
Or ragtime swing or dosie doe
You'll find none better to reign or rule
Than HUGHEY FARR, the Fiddlin' Fool.

And next we come to brother KARL
That Pioneer with the Texas drawl
The guitar champ, known far and near
To young and old, a treat to hear.

A poet and dreamer, we all agree
He knows the West from A to Z
The Lochinvar of the hills and plains
BOB NOLAN belongs to the open range.

And now a truly western son
One whose songs our praise has won.
He wrote and sang his way to fame
VERN "TIM" SPENCER is the name.

A golden voice to bring you song
We are thankful KEN has come along
To harmonize with Tim and Bob
CARSON sure does one grand job.

"Bring on the Food" is his favorite theme
SHUG FISHER'S the cook, and so it seems
Food and "Shug" go hand in hand,
His cookin's the pride of this hungry cowhand.

So there you have the very best
That entertain from East to West.
In closing let us give three cheers
To the SONS OF THE PIONEERS.

Notes page 3

Terry Sevigny spent a vacation at the Cimarron Ranch.

Maybe some of you have wondered why Roy DeWitt's name has a star before it on the Honor Roll. I'm sorry to say that Roy died in a German prison camp. I know that quite a few of you members were pen pals with Roy. I was one and I sure miss his letters. (Martha)

ON TOUR

As far as news about the Pioneers goes for this time, guess the best thing would be to give you the comments of various members who have had the pleasure of seeing and talking to them during September and October when they were touring throughout Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware and various points in the East.

Helen Schmuck was about one of the first members to see them when they played the Valley View Park in York, PA.

Eileen Bushman saw the boys both at York, PA, and again in Dover, Delaware. She had the opportunity to meet Hugh Farr's wife, Rosita. She and Shug had a regular gab session as the two of them knew so many other radio and movie entertainers.

Elda Paul seems to have had a grand time visiting with the boys, too. She traveled about 60 miles to see them at Indian Echo Cave (in PA).

Dorothy Guth saw the Pioneers at the Lyric Theater and thought they were swell.

Viola Haas had her first meeting with the Pioneers near Lebanon, PA. Her second meeting was in Reading. She's still talking about how swell the group is.

Kathryn Wisser and Eleanor Schmoyr came in from Allentown to Reading. They had met the boys in Allentown before.

Grace M. Laird had hamburgers with Tim, Karl and Shug at a grove about 12 miles from Reading. Then she nicely played hostess to Emma and me when the gang hit Reading for a two-day stand.

Reading really went all out in advertising the boys. Seems that their newspapers had been on strike and one of the first things we saw upon arriving there was a trolley car with a large double sign advertising the appearance of the boys. This car ran on every line in the city.

Terry Sevigny really had luck in seeing the Sons. She saw them in Holyoke, Springfield and Hartford - five days in all. She said they treated her swell and she was sorry to see them leave.

DOIN'S OF THE SONS

Starting about the 15th of September, and continuing through until the 30th of October, the Pioneers have been appearing at various cities and towns here in the east.

They had to fly back from St. Joseph, MO, in order to be back at Republic to start a new movie the 1st of November. Sorry, but as yet the movie hasn't a name. [Home on the Range] However, it's going to have a new cowboy star - Monte Hale, and it's to be made in two colors.

A lot of you have been writing asking why Hugh Farr wasn't in “Sunset in El Dorado” and it's because of an operation he underwent at the time the picture was in production. As far as I know, he will not be in the new movie with Monte because he and his wife were driving back to the coast while the rest of the boys flew.

Maybe some of you heard the announcement that was given out by Jimmy Fiddler that the boys would play at Carnegie Hall. I asked about this and at the present time things are at a standstill concerning this subject. I sure do hope they get the chance as it will prove they've reached the top rung of the ladder of fame.

Deuce Spriggins, who played bass for the Sons for nearly a year, has left them and formed a band of his own. Also, I've heard the report that he's been married - to Carolina Cotton, formerly of the Hollywood Barn Dance.

Received a letter from Pat Brady just recently and he's now in Seeshaupt, Germany. He's hoping that the day will soon come when he'll be back with the boys. According to the way he figures, he expects to be home by the first of the year. We all hope you are, too, Pat. Pat also has organized an eight piece swing band. Oh yes, mustn't forget to congratulate Pat on his promotion - as he's a Technician, Fifth Grade now. For those of you who have been asking for his address, here 'tis:

T/5 R. E. "Pat" Brady, 39719084
2nd Spec Service Co
APO 403, c/o Postmaster
New York City, New York.

Haven't' hear much about Lloyd but as far as I know, he's still overseas. Guess he'll be home soon. We're sure waiting for the day when the old "Pioneer" group will be back together. Lloyd also has a swing band.

Notes page 4

CLUB STATIONERY

Many of you members have been writing in asking about club stationery. I now have some on hand, and if you're interested in it, the price is 1 1/2 cents per sheet or envelope, plus 15 cents postage and handling. If you wish to order any, please do so immediately as there's only a limited supply.

HOLLYWOOD SON-SHINE (by Virginia Gallick, still in California on holiday)

My birthday was celebrated by going to the Western Palisades. There I danced to Deuce Spriggins' and Hank Penny's bands. You all remember Deuce, he was one of the Sons of the Pioneers. Now he has left the group to form his own band and believe me, he has a swell group. Not only does Deuce sing but he has his wife, Carolina Cotton, as a singer (and she also plays the bass fiddle.) Tex Atchison, who holds the title of the best left-handed fiddle player in the country, is the featured singer. Deuce has a trio called "The Plainsmen" who can do a good job of close harmony.

A TRIP (by Emma Hackett)

Well, Marty [Martha Retsch] and I just got back from seeing our own Sons of the Pioneers in Reading, PA. We were met at the Reading bus station by another Pioneer fan, Grace Laird. Marty called Tim up and he told us to meet him and the boys backstage at 2:15 for a little chat before the show

The show went on at 2:30 and through the courtesy of Mr. Keeney, the manager of the Rajah Theater, we had box seats for all of the shows, and we sure appreciated it a lot.

First thing you would like to know, I guess, is the songs they sang. The program was started by the group doing part of "Tumbling Tumbleweeds". The group did "Cimarron", then Bob took the lead on "Timber Trail" which is one of Tim's popular western songs. Hugh and Karl Farr did a swell piece of work with one of their own compositions, "Farr Away Blues". Tim took the lead on "Columbus Stockade Blues" accompanied by Hugh with his fiddle and Karl with his gallopin' guitar. Of course, Shug then came in with "I Want My Rib" and that really had everyone laughing. The trio then sang "Stars and Stripes on Iwo Jima Isle" with Tim doing the soloing. Ken sang two numbers "Along the Navajo Trail" and as an encore "Honey, I'm in Love with You," doing a swell job on both. Bob took the lead on two of his own popular western songs - "Cool Water" and "Happy Cowboy." Hugh and Karl stepped up the program with one of their lively little ditties called "Cajon Stomp." Hugh and Bob sang "You Must Come In at the Door" and they closed the program by singing "El Rancho Grande" with Ken doing the solo work.

Now to mention some of the acts put on between the numbers. The first act is where Shug says he kissed every girl, sixteen or over, married or single, that bought a ticket for the show. Bob asked the girls to raise their hands if they had not been kissed and Shug goes down into the audience and kisses a couple. That's where Marty and I came into the act.

The next thing was Shug reciting "Mary Had a Little Lamb" with Bob helping supply the laughs. It was one of the funniest acts I have ever seen. Shug, Ken and Bob then got the yarn going about each owing the other two dollars. Bob owed Shug two dollars, he gave him one and owed him one. Then Shug gives the same dollar to Ken, etc. Finally Bob gets the dollar back and by that time everyone is laughing, including themselves.

Last, but not least, comes the great love scene between Bob and Shug. Bob was supposed to be Roy Rogers making love to Shug who played Dale Evans. It was really good! Boy, were the boys' faces red, too. Bob did the announcing for the program and did a swell job of it.

After the first show, Marty, Grace and I went to lunch with Hugh Farr and his wife, Rosita. Both were interesting to talk to. We chatted till it was time to go back to the theater. After the second show, we went to Grace's house for our scrap books to show the boys. After the third show, Hugh and Karl Farr, Tim Spencer, Grace Laird, Marty and I went to dinner. We had a very good dinner then sat and talked for awhile as the three boys looked at our scrapbooks. Tim and Karl left early for the theater, so Hugh, Marty, Grace and I went back for the last show. After the last show, we went backstage to say goodbye to the boys. Hugh walked us down to the car stop and then we departed for Grace's home. This was the first time I had seen the boys and it was really a pleasure to meet them, or, as Karl Farr would say, "I'm proud to do business with them"