The Signal from Santa Clarita, California (2024)

NEWHALL SIGNAL AND SAUGUS ENTERPRISE WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE'S STATEWIDE FARM RANCH NEWS AGENTS COPYRIGHT WILLIAM -MACLEOD To Halt Slaughter of Cattle A temporary restraining order preventing State veterinarians fom slaughtering or branding cattle in Merced county has been granted by United States District Judge Cos-grave following filing of a suit by a large group of dairy owners challenging the constitutionality of the tuberculosis eradication program. Hearing was tentatively set at Fresno on June 17 before a three-judge statutory court. SYNOPSIS Ruth Chiswick of ranch, obsessed by fear of danger to her outspoken father, Lee, from a band of lawless rustlers headed by Sherm Howard, decides to save him by eloping with young Lou Howard, Sherm's son, and comes to the town of Tail Holt to meet him. While in Yell Sanger's store, a crook-nosed stranger enters, sizes up the situation, and when a drunken cowboy, Jim Pender. Tides in and starts shooting, protects Ruth, while Lou Howard hides.

Disgusted with Lou's cowardice, Ruth calls off the elopement, and sends the stranger for her father at the gambling house across the street. There the stranger, calling himself Jeff Gray, meets Morgan Norris, a killer. Curly Connor, Kansas, Mile High, Sid Hunt, and other rustlers, and Sherm Howard. Lee Chiswick enters, with his foreman, Dan Brand, and tells Sherm Howard of his orders to shoot rustlers at sight. Jeff Gray returns to Ruth and coldly reassures her of her father's safety.

At supper, Ruth introduces Jeff to her father and Brand, and in Sanger's store later she speaks cordially to Curly Connor. Coming out of the store, they are greeted by sudden gunplay, Lee is wounded, and Jeff Gray appears with a smoking revolver. Two days later, Ruth tells her father of her projected elopement and her disillusionment. Later, Ruth meets Jeff Gray, whom she thinks tried to kill her father. When he tries to hold her bridle, Ruth accidentally presses the trigger of her gun, and wounds Jeff.

She takes him to Pat Sorley'g camp. Talking over the shooting with Sorley, Ruth is credulous of Jeff's story of shooting at the assassin rather than at her father, and later pleads with Lee to listen to him. When Lee arrives at Pat Sorley's camp, he finds only a note to Pat from Jeff. Meanwhile, Jeff rides into Tail Holt and sends word to Sherm Howard he wants to see him. Curly ripped out an angry oath.

"If you hurt Miss Ruth" Smoothly Howard interrupted. "Let us hear the story, Curly. Mr. Gray sent for us to tell it, don't you reckon?" "Go ahead, Sorreltop." Norris laughed derisively. "We'll believe every word you say." Gray told the of his adventures, in the territory, with careful editorial elisions.

They heard it to a finish. "That Chiswick girl is a tough proposition," Howard said, shaking his head gravely. "She'll come to a bad end, like enough." "Nothing of the kind," retorted Curly hotly. "She's a mighty nice little lady." hot-tempered, but with the making of a fine woman in her," Gray concurred. "She's sure a wampas cat," Norris cut in, his slurred voice a sneer.

"Leave the girl out of this," Curly snapped. "Mr. Norris only meant she is a little lively," Gray explained. "I can tell him what I meant, fellow, without any help from you," Norris blustered. "And I didn't bring her name into it.

She was in the fairy tale this bird has been giving us." Ignoring Norris, the crook-nosed man spoke to Howard. "I don't claim to be so law-abiding myself. Maybe I left some place in a hurry. Maybe I didn't. Thought it wasn't good manners to ask a stranger portant in Texas.

Arizona sure ought to give him the glad hand." "The name is Gray in Arizona," corrected the cronosed man. "Worth two thousand on the hoof or as meat, I reckon down San-tone way," Norris continued. "The other guys who helped rob the train only rate at five hundred apiece. But Mr. Doke he's an honest-to-God Jesse James." Gray ignored the jeer.

"Like to correct you on one point, Mr. Norris. Two thousand on the hoof. Not a cent if shipped down in a coffin." He thought it just as well to stress this, to avoid being shot in the back. "That's right," Norris assented.

"I didn't read it careful. Well, Mr. Doke Gray, I mean it's a pleasure to meet up with a famous man like you." "This is private information," the fugitive said. "I don't expect the word passed around among yore friends. I'm lying low for a while, you understand." "It still isn't clear to me what you were doing in the Sweet Spring valley," Curly insisted.

"Or why you wanted to kill Lee Chiswick." Gray "I was in the Sweet Spring valley because. I had to get out of Tail Holt in a' hurry on account of Curly Connor, making a target out of me," he told the black-haired man cheerfully. "Me, I was going somewhere in a hurry, and I happened to land in the country. About yore other question I never have wanted to kill Chiswick. "You just shot at him for practice," Curly suggested.

"I didn't shoot at him." Gray let his cold eyes rest on Norris. "I reckon that's not information to yore friends." "Meaning me?" asked Norris, his eyes slitted. "Meaning only that this has been talked over among you. Someone took a crack at Chiswick. Whoever it was, I could just see his figure in the alley, and I ripped loose at him." "Why?" asked Howard.

"Had you any chips in the game?" "I've asked myself why often enough since," Gray replied, shaking his head, "pamflno why. Nar'y chip, Mr. Howard. But I had just been supper with him as his guest," and I reckon my notion must have been to see he got a fair break." "But that isn't yore notion any longer, Mr. Gray?" Howard queried lightly.

"I'm not drawing a pay-check to be his bodyguard," Gray drawled. "Is it straight goods what he says, Sherm?" Curly demanded. "I reckon so, Curly. One of the boys got impatient and cut loose at Chiswick." "Who?" "I don't know who. ilm telling you only what I've heardLH'i right," Norris "This busted leg of his.

Do we have to take it on faith?" "It needs some attention." the wounded man replied. "Is there a doc in town?" "No, doc, but Sherm here is almost as good." "Fine. Would you mind- looking at it, Mr. Howard?" Gray asked. Howard examined, washed, and dressed the wound.

There could be no doubt it was authentic. After he had finished taking care of it, the fat man gave a decision. "No objection to your staying htTMx Gr ayThis Gomrnuaity-doesn't aim to be hard on a man in trouble. Of course, if Lee Chiswick finds out you are here, as he is liable to do, it will be up to you to look out for yourself." Gray said he would try to do that. Tony Flores, one of the vaqueros, rode in to the big house with word Sell adv.

I Three I Lengths. I No. li Mln. RAINEWNU SERYICE that there had been another raid on LC stock. "How do you know?" Lee Chiswick demanded.

"Ran across the tracks of a bunch being driven up Box canyon," the Mexican said. "New tracks?" "I'd say not more than a day old, senor." "Sure they were driven that they weren't strays?" asked Dan Brand. Tony explained that five or six shod horses had followed the cattle. "Too late to catch the thieves or pick up the stolen stock," Brand mourned. "Maybe not." Lee gave curt orders.

"Arm yourselves, boys. We'll, take off after them. Ruth, help Frank rustle grub for us enough for two-three days. Bob, get Pat and Buck Conrad. Cut across andneet us at the mouth of Box canyon.

Tel) them' to bring rifles as well as six-guns. Be there inside of an hour." Ruth gathered all the food she had cooked, had Nelly grind two packages of coffee, chose a side of bacon, added flour and corn meal, as well as salt, and sugar. The food she put in gunnysacks. Her brother roped a pack-horse and put on a crossbuck. With a lash rope he threw a diamond hitch expertly over the supplies.

"Bring your slickers," the boss snapped. "No war-sacks. We're traveling light. You won't be sitting on your spurs any this trip. Got to hot-foot it over a cold trail." At the entrance Box canyorr Lee found Sorley, Conrad, and his son Bob waiting for them.

Sorley was sniffing over the ground like a dog looking for a scent. The old man was an expert trailer. He had been a scout in the army during the Geronimo campaigns. The cattleman turned his horse over to Frank and strode forward to join Pat. "What d'you find?" he asked.

"About half a dozen of 'em with a bunch of young stuff" traveling lickety-split," Sorley said. "They're in one hell of a hurry. Here's a big long-stepping horse with outsize shoes. This one has a broken hnof. You'll be pleased to know, Lee, that the lying scut who calls himself Jeff Gray is with them.

Must have d-den right over from the line-camp." "Sure?" "Unless he has loaned his roan to someone else. I made it my business to take particular notice of that animal whjle he was at the line-camp. The blacksfnith who shod that roan was either short of-time or nails. There's a nail shy in the shoe on the left front hoof. Take a look at this track." Lee Chiswick studied the footmark.

"Here it is again. Begorry, I'd swear to that on a stack of Bibles. Gray's roan made it." "Hmpl We've got him at last so he can't lie out of it. He's one of the Tail Holt rustling gang." Chis-wick's salient jaw set. "I knew he was a bad hombre first minute I clapped eyes on him," Brand said.

Lee drew Frank to one side "Son," we're following a cold trail. Look at those clouds. It's going to rain tonight, and all tracks will be blotted out. Might as well hunt a needle in a haystack as these scoundrels, I want you to go to Tail Holt and keep your eyes open. There will be a lot of whispered talk among the rustlers there, but you wontjiear, anyx)IJbat, What I'd like to know is who is in town find who isn't.

Find out who has been away. Notice who drops in. If two or three come together, check up on that. I'm pretty sure Sherm Howard is back of these raids on our stock, though of courJt-he doesn't do any night-riding himlf." (TO BE sheep on tfie moors of Scotland and elsewhere in the British isles varies considerably in type. For example, there are long-haired, short-haired, and bearded border collies.

The long-haired is the most popular. Here in America the biggest advancement in making the breed better has been during the last ten or twelve years. The source of most of the promotion of the breed- has come from New England, where in New England that the first Amer ican sheep dog trails for the breed were held. Transferring Allegiance With the exception' of the Unrted States and Great Britain, says Collier's Weekly, nearly every country in the world refuses to recognize the right of a citizen or subject to transfer his allegiance to another nation. They maintain that every" man is subject to recall to his native land for military service, even when he has been a naturalized cit zen of another country for yer To Plant Soy Beans Planting of 5000 acres of soy beans between McFarland and Fresno will start immediately, according to Fred W.

Webb, vice-president of the Soy Products Company. Plantings in Tulare county will be made near Lindsay, Farmersville, Packwood, Dinuba, Seville and Vi-. salia, There will be from fifty to seventy-five experimental plantings, ranging from a few. acres to 100 acres. One eighty-acre tract will be near Visalia.

Tomato Market Poor Growers of canning tomatoes saw a prospect of getting a market for only about 60 per cent as many tomatoes as they sold canners last year. Canners Reported to State officials they planned to contract for production on about 45,341 acres. Last year they had 76,730 acres under contract. That was a new high record, and led to a pack of some 13,000,000 cases of tomato products in this State alone a pack worth around $33,000,000 after adding costs of packing to the $6,250,000 paid for the tomatoes. A heavy stock of this record pack is still on hand, possibly 3,000,000 cases.

A few packers have enough left to make them consider keeping tanneries idler- Indications from reports to the California Crop Reporting Service are that output of some 49,120 acres will be packed. Contracts covered 23,444 acres and contract intentions are indicated for 20,000 odd acres more. The pur chases from non-contracted acreage will probably be the smallest since the industry attained major status. Producers got around $13.50 a ton for tomatoes last season. This year they will have to take considerably less.

Prices under contracts negotiated last fall range from $11 a ton roadside in the coastal counties and $11.50 delivered at canneries in the Sacramento area tq $12 roadside in Southern California. Grape Growers and Vintners Agree Vintners and grape growers have expressed approval of the California grape and wine industry's program for disposing of an expected crop surplus during next Fall's harvest season. At a meeting held recently, those attending heard a thorough discussion of the proposed State marketing agreement, advertising and trade promotion campaigns for the wine industry and the stipulated surplus control of winery stocks. J. V.

Bare of Lodi, chairman of the Wine Institute's committee of twenty-seven, sponsors of the meeting, gave definite assurance that the program will be carried through following a favorable response of the industry leaders. Wine industry members will attend a hearing in San Francisco on June 1st, presided over by the State department of agriculture director, A. B. Brock, on the marketing order and advertising and ageing program. June 16th has teen set as the tentative date for a hearing before the federal trade commission in San Francisco on the matter of placing the industry under the federal Fair Trade Practices Act.

Prodaxrthra wf Milk Fat Increases The State department of agriculture disclosed that the value of milk fat produced in California in 1937 totaled $81,510,000, compared with $74,595,000 the previous jar. The production decline was gjihan 1 per cent. Other trends in the State's huge dairying industry are: An increase in manufacture of California butter and a decline in butter receipts from other "states. An increase of 2,800,817 gallons in the consumption of market milk. Butter manufacture advanced 852,457 pounds over the 1936 mark to total pounds.

Cheese production from all varieties of whole milk and part skim registered a gain of 6.11 per cent, or a total of 17,171,277 pounds. Californians ate more ice cream last year. Total production of the commodity amounted to gallons, or 3.40 per cent more than the 1936 consumption. Farm Income for 1937 The bureau of agricultural economics estimated the gross farm income in 1937 at $10,003,000,000 the highest since 1929. The gross income, included cash receipts from the sale of farm products and the value of products retained for consumption on the farm.

The bureau previously estimated the cash farm income at $8,521,000,000. This eluded $367,000,000 -in government benefit payments compared with those of $287,000,000 in 1936, when the eross income was $9,317,000,000. about his past. "You can't catch a mule without an ear of corn, Mr. Gray," the big "No objections to you staying here, Mr.

Gray." mart said. "If I get you right, you are asking our help. Before we give it we have a right to know all about you." "Fine, for you," the cornered man replied. "But how about me? How do I know some fox won't write a letter and have me dragged back to to some place I don't want to go?" Howard looked affronted. "If a man throws in with us, we don't betray him." "Ts that A nrnmisp?" Ciraxr acVaA MH.VV., looking to the others for confirma tion: "Y'betcha, if we're satisfied with yore story," Curly said.

"If," Norris accented, with an ugly laugh. Reluctantly Gray drew from his pocket the Still slumped in his chair, the big-shouldered fat man read it carefully. "So you're. Clint Doke," he said. Gray did not admit this in words.

"Draw yore own conclusions," he told Howard. "Lemme have a look at it," Curly said impatiently. He read aloud: "'Height five foot ten, age twenty-nine, weight about 158 pounds, crook nose, light red hair, gray eyes, scar on back of left hand. Will probably fight desperately before being tak-en. Curly lifted his eyes and grinned at Gray.

"Certainly reads like it might be you, unless you've got a twin brother the spittin' image of you, even to the scar on yore hand." Norris reached for the poster. "The picture is sure ugly as galva- nized sin," he sneered, HRuijl looks a heap, like this guy, I'll say CHAPTER IV Continued 7 He pulled on his boots and swiftly examined his revolver. That the weapon rested lightly in its holster so that there would be no hindrance to a quick draw he made sure. This invasion in force might or might not mean trouble. Curly had probably come with a chip on his shoulder.

Norris was a killer of the worst kind. On the other hand, Sherman Howard had the reputation of doing his fighting by proxy. He might have brought Morg merely as a defensive precaution. Jeff hoped, if they did not open up with a blast of guns, to talk them out of any thought of vengeance. It would not be easy now, not with Curly all hot to rub him out.

In his throat there beat the pulse of excitement that always accompanied deadly danger. His fingers trembled. A knock on the door sounded. Gray's nervousness vanished instantly. He said, "Come in," his drawling voice cool as ice-water.

CHAPTER Their host maneuvered Norris to a rocking chair, Howartr to a straight-backed one. Curley he seated at the foot of the bed. Gray stood in a shadowy corner farthest from the window. He. was giving himself the best chance possible.

Of the three visitors, Norris was probably the most dangerous gunman, and a rocking-chair is not the most advantageous spot for swift and accurate shooting. "A little crowded in here, gents," Gray said lightly. "Hope you don't mind sitting on the bed, Mr. Connor. I'm short of chairs." "Suits me," Curly answered.

Gray nodded, turned his attention to the big man. "I hated to trouble you to come here, Mr. Howard," he said apologetically, "but I have a busted leg that interferes with walking." "I didn't mind coming. I wasn't busy." Howard's leaden opaque eyes never lifted from the stranger. "Just reached town and I thought I'd better see you," Gray men- tioned Slumped in the chair, the gross weight of the man overflowing, Howard reminded Gray of a prize hog.

Howard said nothing. He waited for the situation to develop. The man had a capacity for effective silence. "Figuring I might want to stay around Tail Holt awhile," Gray went on easily. "It's a free country." Howard's voice was suave.

"For some folks," Norris added with an insolent laugh. Gray smiled. "My idea, too, Mr. Norris. I want to find out.

if I'm one of those folks." "Last time I saw you that roan was foggin it outa town fast," Norris taunted. "You looked like you had hurry-up business anywhere but here, Mr. Gray, if that's what you call yoreself." "1 changed my mind," Gray said. "Why?" Howard asked bluntly." "Got a busted leg. Shot up the -ethef-day "In front of the Golden Nugget?" Norris inquired, fsuspicion in his cold gray eyes.

"No. Out on the range." "While you were gunning for Lee," Curly charged. "No." "That so?" Norris snarled. "Who did it? How come you out "Talk fast, fellow," Curly ordered harshly. "Miss Ruth Chiswick did it." Gray did not look at Curly.

His stonewall gaze was on the killer Norris. "I was there on personal business of my own." Early Roman Writers Classified Their Dogs as Watch, Sheep, Hunting Breeds Without doubt one of the earliest uses of a dog was to help herd the stock of his master. Early references to dogs confirm this. When you examine the works of Roman writers, observes an authority in the Chicago Tribune, youfind that they divided dogs into three classifications, watchdogs, sheep dogs, and hunting dogs. It is quite likely that the conquering Romans brought these dogs into England.

The Bible also gives us a sidelight there are quite aew of the dogs on the early use of dogs for' herdbeing usedohsea7ms7Tf was ing, as in the book of Job we read Job's reference to "those whose fathers I would have disdained to have. set with dogs of my flocks." Since dogs have helped for many centuries to tend, the flocks of their masters a practice that prevailed in many countries it isn't surprising that today we still have a rather large number of working breeds with herding instincts and a real working background. The Belgian sheep dog, Bouvier des Flandres, collie, Old English sheep dog, and others are in this group; The border collie found herding that. I knew all the timehe was from Texas." "Says you and these three other fellows are wanted for robbing the Texas and Southern Curly mentioned. "Where are the other guys?" "On the dodge, down in the Texas brush country." "How come you not to stay there?" "The Rangers were after me special," Gray explained.

"I figured I had better light out." Norris looked at the poster, his 'ip curled. "Mr. Doke is real im- 1.