Land For The Railroad

Originally Aired: August 31, 1938The Lone Ranger #873, "Land For The Railroad,"Old Zeke Hackett, once a prosperous cattle rancher, has fallen on hard times. Now reduced to owning only Cedar Valley and a small strip of land, he watches helplessly as his remaining cattle die from poisoned water holes. His neighbor Duke Bradley arrives with a suspiciously low offer of two thousand dollars for the valley, claiming underground seepage has contaminated the springs. Despite Zeke's fierce suspicions that Duke is somehow responsible for the poisoning and his wife Martha's reluctance to sell so cheaply, the desperate couple has little choice but to accept Bradley's offer.Meanwhile, the Lone Ranger and Tonto encounter a railroad surveying crew led by Jerry Duncan. The masked rider reveals his knowledge that the railroad plans to extend westward through Cedar Valley to Hinsdale, information he learned from superintendent Stanley. As Jerry grows suspicious of how much the Lone Ranger knows about the railroad's confidential plans, it becomes clear that someone stands to profit enormously if they can acquire land cheaply before news of the railroad's route becomes public. The Lone Ranger takes special interest in ensuring the railroad passes through Cedar Valley, hinting at a connection between Duke Bradley's land grab and the mysterious poisoned water.