Seeing the Lone Ranger – without his mask
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, we were all thrilled by the television antics of the Lone Ranger, his magnificent stallion Silver and his faithful Indian companion Tonto. Galloping across the western plains, the Lone Ranger fought for justice and apprehended (weekly) the bad guys. But no one ever saw the Lone Ranger without his white suit and matching mask.
Well, almost no one.
In the early 1960s, I was working as the animal husbandman at the North Central Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Minnesota in Grand Rapids, Minn. The local Itasca County Fair had hired the Lone Ranger (played by Clayton Moore of Minneapolis' to appear at the fair with Silver and be the star attraction.
But there was a problem. There was no way that the famous horse could be housed in a stall at the fairgrounds without being petted, rubbed and handled by the kids (and some adults' in town. Since it was known that we had an unused beautiful brick horse barn on our campus, I was contacted to see if we could house the two white stallions. A backup horse was needed in case of emergencies and the younger horse was in training to become the replacement Silver if that day would ever come.
It was all arranged, and on the given day two horses arrived with their wrangler and were securely bedded down in fresh straw in our horse barn. Another gentleman was present. He didn't say much and was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, a pair of Bermuda shorts, loose sandals and sunglasses. I was introduced to Clayton Moore, the Long Ranger, without his mask.
The next day the fairground show proceeded without a hitch.
The magnificent Silver (the largest horse I had ever seen in my life) with the Lone Ranger dressed in white, reared at the end of the grandstand and with a hearty "Hi-Ho Silver, Away" galloped around the arena.
What a thrilling event, and I got the biggest thrill of all. Sometimes it is the little things of life that stick with you forever.
Dukelow is a guest columnist. He lives on Spring Creek Road.