Little Orphan Annie 36-xx-xx (1067) Telegram For Mr Silo

Summary

Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Little Orphan Annie 36-xx-xx (1067) Telegram for Mr Silo
Date: September 4, 2025
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio

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Episode Overview

This episode features an original broadcast of Little Orphan Annie, set after a series of dramatic events: a bridge collapse, unresolved mysteries, and a sudden telegram that sets the stage for a new adventure. Listeners are transported to the peaceful country setting of the Silo farm, where Annie and her friends reflect on recent happenings and receive startling news that promises more excitement ahead.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reflecting on the Aftermath of the Bridge Collapse

[02:44–07:06]

• Annie, Joe, and Mr. Silo sit on the porch, enjoying the return of sunny weather after days of rain.

• The group processes the recent collapse of the new bridge, built with shoddy materials by Flint Wright and Red Hogan, who disappeared in the flood.

• Mr. Silo shares his perspective on justice and conscience:

  "They broke the law. And you can't break laws and get away with it. Nobody ever did and nobody ever will. If the police don't get you, their own conscience will..."
  — Mr. Silo, [04:15]

• The conversation turns philosophical, with Mr. Silo emphasizing the importance of always following one’s conscience.

  "There's a little voice inside us all that sometimes says, careful. Think a minute. Is what you're doing exactly right. And when you hear that voice, it's you stop and think."
  — Mr. Silo, [05:14]

2. Thoughts on Riches and Loss

[05:42–07:06]

• The group ponders the financial ruin of Luke Poole, whose investment in the bridge ended in disaster.

• Mr. Silo notes that "having too much money" can be as problematic as losing it, reflecting on how wealth changed Luke’s character over the years.

  "Maybe now you'll get back your self respect and be rich in other things besides money. Yep. I reckon this thing, hard as it may seem to fool at the time, will really do him a lot of good in the long run."
  — Mr. Silo, [06:09]

3. Quiet Country Life and Family Warmth

[07:06–09:20]

• Mrs. Silo joins with armfuls of flowers, bringing warmth and “color” to the home.

• Playful exchanges between Mr. and Mrs. Silo highlight domestic harmony and nostalgia for the past, with mentions of robin eggs and a cherished blue dress.

  "If I were a millionaire, which I ain't... I'd send you a big bouquet of flowers all winter long."
  — Mr. Silo, [07:34]

  "Those little robin eggs are so pretty and blue. Remember, Pa, that dress I had way back in..."
  — Mrs. Silo, [08:39]

4. News from Walter Bloom and the Telegram

[09:20–13:00]

• Walter Bloom arrives, first sharing updates on the collapsed bridge: the builders are still missing, the town has investigated, and a new, more trustworthy company will rebuild.

• Walter brings a telegram for Mr. Silo, nearly forgetting to deliver it amidst the conversation.

  "Oh, say, that reminds me. I didn't come just to give you this news, Mr. Salo... The telegram."
  — Walter, [11:25]

5. The Dramatic Telegram and Setup for New Adventure

[12:14–13:00]

• Mr. Silo, unable to read without his glasses, asks Annie to read the telegram aloud, creating suspense.

• The telegram reads:

  "If you ever love me, Byron, come to me at Fair Haven on the Mississippi river at once. Am in deep trouble."
  — Annie (reading), [12:22]

• The message is signed by "Jed," revealed to be Mr. Silo's long-lost brother, not seen in 20 years.

• The family is left in suspense about what lies ahead.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Conscience and Justice:
  "If the police don't get you, their own conscience will. And I have heard say there's no bigger punisher than a man's own conscience."
  — Mr. Silo, [04:15]

• Kindness as Moral Compass:
  "Anybody who has real feeling of kindness and a thought to the people around him just ain't gonna do any wrong."
  — Mr. Silo, [05:28]

• On Wealth and Character:
  "Having too much money... one of them maybe is having too much money."
  — Mr. Silo, [06:00]

• Rural Domestic Bliss:
  "Flowers in the house...make it homey somehow. Put color in it. And life."
  — Mrs. Silo, [07:25]

• Arrival of Suspense:
  "If you ever love me, Byron, come to me at Fair Haven on the Mississippi river at once. Am in deep trouble."
  — Annie (reading telegram), [12:22]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:12] — Theme song introduction: Little Orphan Annie
• [01:00–02:44] — Brief recap of previous events; Ovaltine sponsorship
• [02:44–05:03] — Porch conversation, reflecting on justice and the bridge
• [05:03–07:06] — Philosophizing about money, conscience, and character
• [07:06–09:20] — Mrs. Silo’s entrance, flowers, and warm family talk
• [09:20–11:25] — Walter Bloom brings news about the bridge and town
• [11:25–13:00] — Delivery and reading of the mysterious telegram
• [13:00–14:11] — Cliffhanger, Ovaltine promo, and anticipation for the next episode

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Tone and Language

The tone is warm, folksy, and filled with Midwest rural wisdom. Dialogue is peppered with colloquialisms (“shucks,” “sleeping lizards”), affectionate family banter, and clear moral lessons. The cliffhanger ending leaves the listener eager for the next development, in classic radio drama style.

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Transcript

[A]

Who's that little chatterbox the one with pretty auburn locks? Whom do you see? It's Little Orphan Annie she and Sandy make a pair they never seem to have a care Cute, cute little she this little Orphan Annie Bright eyes, cheeks a rosy glow There's a store of healthiness handy My size Always on the go if you want to know our excess Sandy always wears a sunny smile now wouldn't it be worth the while if you could be like Little orphan Annie?

[B]

It's 5:45 now, and time to hear Orphan Annie's newest adventure on the Mississippi River. And here's something I've talked about with Orphan Annie's old friends before. But if you're a new radio friend of hers, it's something you ought to know about, too. Have you ever noticed how most of the foods that everybody says are good for you usually don't taste so very good? And yet if you don't eat them, your mother scolds you. But that's where you're going to get a real surprise when you drink Ovaltine. Yes, sir, it's one of the few foods I know of that's good for you and tastes simply great, too. Believe me, nobody will ever have to scold you to make you drink anything as good as Ovaltine. Why, it's even better than having a chocolate soda right in your own home when you want it. But don't forget, that's only half of the story about Ovaltine. Besides tasting good, it's mighty good for you, too. Every cupful you drink gives you important nourishment. Lots of minerals and vitamins and things to help make you healthy and husky and strong and keep you going with good old Orphan Annie pep. So if you haven't tried Ovaltine, ask your mother to get you a can at her drug or grocery store right away. And then you'll be getting something that's not only good for you, but tastes good, too. And that's a mighty hard combination to beat, isn't it? Just you try it and see. And now let's see what's happening to Annie. Last time, remember, the new bridge with its rotten cement collapsed in the river flood just as Flint Wright and Red Hogan, its builders, were trying to cross it. They were carried away in the flood and haven't been seen since. But here it is the next day. Now the warm May sun is shining on the silo farm and Mr. Silo, Annie and Joe are sitting on the back porch. Here's Joe talking.

[C]

Shugs, that sun sure feels good, doesn't It.

[D]

You bet it does, Joe.

[E]

Yep. Seems mighty good to have old Rock out on the porch again. Be able to sit in it for a while without half freezing to death. Guess that there old Rhode Island Red likes the sun as much as we do.

[C]

Shocks. I don't blame him. After all that rain we had for so many days. This blue sky is enough to make anybody grow.

[F]

Look at him.

[C]

He's got his old head pointed right up toward the sun.

[E]

Feel almost good enough to grow myself. I hate any kind of unfinished business, whether it's a field half plowed or a crop of hay half cut. And now that all this mix up of the bank robbery and the bridge is finished, I feel a whole lot better.

[D]

Do you suppose it is finished, Mr. Silo?

[E]

The way that bridge went down, Annie. Collapsing like that house that was built on the sands and the Bible Looked pretty finished to me.

[D]

I know, but do you think that Mr. Flint.

[E]

Well, we saw him fall with a bridge. They were right in the middle of it when that rotten cement crumbled away. And the river was mighty deep and swift with all that flood. Looks to me like they just got natural justice. Besides the robberies. We know now that all three of them were cheating on that cement. And in the end, it was their own cheatin that finished them.

[C]

They might have swum ashore though, Mr. Silo, in the dark.

[E]

Yeah, they might, Joe.

[D]

It landed farther down on the bank. It was so dark we wouldn't have been able to see them.

[E]

They'd have to be mighty good swimmers to do it in that turn. And even if they did, you see, they can't get away. Not really away ever. They broke the law. And you can't break laws and get away with it. Nobody ever did and nobody ever will. If the police don't get you, their own conscience will. And I have heard say there's no bigger punisher than a man's own conscience. And if a man ain't got much conscience, as few nowadays don't seem to have, well, then there's a higher law than those man made. And sometime or other this higher law, which is God's law, has to be answered to. So you see, there's just no escape ever for those that do wrong. Here I am gabbing away like an old parrot. Just the same, what I told you is true.

[C]

Gosh, I'm glad I haven't done anything wrong.

[E]

Don't, Joe, ever. Then you'll never come to grief and you'll know what's right or wrong in your own heart and your Own soul. There's a little voice inside us all that sometimes says, careful. Think a minute. Is what you're doing exactly right. And when you hear that voice, it's you stop and think.

[D]

I see what you mean, Mr. Silo.

[E]

Sure you do, Annie. You're a good girl. You always will be. Cause you got kindness, that's the thing. Anybody who has real feeling of kindness and a thought to the people around him just ain't gonna do any wrong.

[C]

Shucks, I was just thinking of Luke Poole. He's the one who's gonna lose on this bridge. Cause he bought up all the stock.

[E]

Yeah, Joe, I've been feeling a little sorry for Luke.

[D]

Sleeping lizards. I guess he'll just about lose everything now. Cause he said he'd put every penny he had in that bridge.

[E]

Yeah, but there's lots worse things than being without money. Any. And one of them maybe is having too much money.

[D]

What do you mean, Mr. Silo?

[E]

Well, take Luke Poole. He's been what most folks call a successful man. He made a lot of money from his store. Maybe a little too much money. I was talking to a fellow who knew Luke when he was young. Said Luke used to be just like all of us then. Pleasant of fellows you'd want to meet. But the money he made went to his head. He got greedy. He wanted more money. Maybe now you'll get back your self respect and be rich in other things besides money. Yep. I reckon this thing, hard as it may seem to fool at the time, will really do him a lot of good in the long run. And that's the way you have to look at his life. The long run of it. Cause it's a long life. And a good one if you make it good. And here I am, philosophir. And again I swore. Maybe I better get me a job as a preacher instead of working a farm.

[C]

Here comes Mrs. Siloam.

[E]

Well, I've been out in the garden. Looks of him.

[D]

Look at those pretty flowers she has.

[F]

Yes, look at them, Annie. Aren't they beautiful? I never saw such a spring for flowers, Paul.

[E]

Mighty handsome.

[F]

Look, Annie, Daffodils and twins. Tulips and hyacinths.

[D]

They're swell, Mrs. Hilo.

[F]

I always like flowers in the house. They make it homey somehow. Put color in it. And life. I guess all us women like flowers, Ma.

[E]

If I were a millionaire, which I ain't.

[F]

Are you telling me, Pa?

[E]

Well, if I were, which I still ain't, I'd send you a big bouquet of flowers all winter long.

[F]

Oh, Pa will go on with you. Spring weather's going to your head.

[E]

Not at all, Ma. Not at all.

[F]

Pa, you're just getting too nice for words today.

[E]

Well, maybe you're right. Must be the summer coming on, Ma, and the sunshine. And them birds are nesting up there in the corner of the barn.

[F]

Mercy me. There are birds up there?

[D]

They're robins, Mrs. Silo.

[E]

Good.

[F]

There's no bird to me quite as pretty as a robin. I love to see the young ones with the their speckled base around, hunting for worms. And remind me, Byron, to shut up the cat when those young ones hatch out.

[E]

Don't believe I'll have to remind you of it, Ma. Reckon you remember it yourself when a time comes. Last time, last spring, when you had nests here, all you did with yourself was to watch them young birds. If I hadn't known better, I'd have thought you were the mother instead of the robin.

[F]

Well, birds are birds and cats are cats. But I just can't bear to see anything hurt needlessly. Those little robin eggs are so pretty and blue. Remember, Pa, that dress I had way back in? Well, I just can't remember the date. But it was a robin's egg blue. And it had little ruffles and pleats in the skirt and Remember it, Ma.

[E]

Why, I've always carried a picture around in my mind of how pretty you were in that dress.

[F]

There you go again. Land sakes, Byron. Looks to me as if you were having an attack of spring fever. Well, Pa, I don't know what to expect with all your flattery.

[C]

See, there's a car turning in the driveway.

[E]

There is. It's Walter Bloom. It can't miss that there old ark of his.

[D]

Hello, Walter.

[E]

Hello. Come on up here on the porch, Walter, and join us. I'm coming, Mr. Salo. Yeah.

[G]

You look like a real summer's day, Ms. Salo, holding all them flowers.

[F]

Like them, Walter?

[G]

They're right pretty. Always like flowers. Gonna raise some myself this year, I am. Some of those nasty Urshams or whatever you call them.

[E]

Nasturtiums.

[A]

Walter.

[G]

Yeah, that's it. Plant them along the back fence I did. So they'll grow up along the wire.

[E]

Good. Very water. It's a good sign when folks like flowers. Well, set yourself down.

[G]

Don't know if I got time to set myself down, Mr. Silo. I come out to tell you.

[C]

Tell us some news about Mr. Flint.

[G]

Well, ain't no news about him, I guess. I was just talking to the marshal. He's been searching along the river but he ain't found no trace of it.

[D]

Jumped from grasshoppers. Then maybe he got away.

[G]

Don't reckon he did, Annie. Leastwise not from the looks of that bridge. The whole town's been down there today to see the ruins. It sure did fall, just like that town in the Bible. What's his name?

[E]

Babylon.

[G]

Yeah, that's it. Babylon fell before the persians, just like Mr. Flint's bridge fell before this year flood. But say it. I have got some news for you.

[F]

Why what, Walter?

[G]

Well, there's going to be another bridge built right on that same spot. Yes, sir. There's a new company taking it over. A good company this time and they're going to build another bridge. So we'll still have a good cut off and saving distance to Sunfield.

[E]

That's fine new bridge. I knew one would go there if the right men got behind it.

[G]

Well, I guess they're the right men this time. Cause from all I hear, it ain't gonna be no stock selling business they're building this year. New bridge with their own money.

[E]

Glad you brought me this news. Water makes me feel better about the whole thing. When progress comes, I like to see it go ahead and get places. Not just stop where somebody left us off.

[G]

Oh, say, that reminds me. I didn't come just to give you this news, Mr. Sallow. No, sir. And if I hadn't thought of it, I might have just gone clean off without even leaving it.

[F]

Leaving what, Walter?

[G]

The telegram.

[E]

Telegram? Sure.

[F]

Telegram for who?

[G]

For Mr. Silo. My goodness. And here I was forgetting it all the time. The operator at the station asked me special as long as I was going this way if I wouldn't deliver it and I said, sure, Walter, if you.

[E]

Got a telegram from me, give it to me.

[G]

Why course, of course. Here it is, Mr. Solo. Sorry, was forgetting.

[E]

Sakes, it's been so long since I had telegram one of these year yellow envelopes. I was scared to open it.

[F]

For mercy sakes, Pa, don't sit there holding it in your hands. You're keeping us all in suspense. Get it open.

[E]

All right, Bo.

[G]

All right there.

[E]

Here, Annie, you read it. I ain't got my glasses anyhow.

[D]

All right. Leaping lizards.

[F]

Annie? Yeah?

[C]

What does it say?

[D]

It says, if you ever love me, Byron, come to me at Fair Haven on the Mississippi river at once. Am in deep trouble.

[E]

Go on, Annie, go on.

[D]

That's all, Mr. Silo. That's all it says.

[E]

Oh, one item says it must be signed. Who signed it, Annie?

[D]

It signed Jed. Jed Silo.

[E]

Jed, my Brother. My brother, whom I haven't seen in 20 years.

[B]

Well, Mr. Silo's brother, whom he hasn't.

[E]

Seen in 20 years.

[B]

Is this mysterious telegram going to make a difference in the lives of all our friends? Everything was so peaceful there on the farm today. But now with this telegram coming, I have a feeling that things are going to happen and happen fast. And you can certainly see there are exciting days ahead for Annie. And you can bet she'll have a grand time through it all. Yes, sir. When there's anything exciting to be done, there's just nothing that can stop our Annie. And I guess that's why so many boys and girls want to know how they can be like her. Husky and healthy and ready for whatever happens. Well, I'll tell you. One of the best ways to start is to drink Ovaltine every single day, with meals. And in between meals, too. All those important minerals and vitamins and things contained in every cupful of Ovaltine may help to give you real Orphan Annie pep. Then you feel so good and have so much extra energy, you can do most everything you have to do, just as Annie can. So you'd better ask your mother to get you a can of Ovaltine at the drug or grocery store right away so you can start right in with a big, delicious cup full for dinner this very night. And be sure and be here tomorrow, right on time, to see if that strange telegram is going to lead Annie and Joel into a great new adventure. Till tomorrow at off and Annie time.

[E]

Then goodbye.

[F]

It.