Old Time Radio Westerns

Episode: A Land Office Business | Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (10-02-53)

Host: Andrew Rhynes
Date: September 13, 2025

Episode Overview

In this restored episode of Wild Bill Hickok, lawmen Wild Bill and his ever-colorful deputy Jingles ride into Bear Valley, where a gold strike has landed the town in a “land office business.” The marshal duo investigates suspicious dealings around the gold claims, centering on the shady Bull Carson and the so-called Ajax Mining Company. With a blend of humor, action, and classic Western justice, they unravel an extortion scheme threatening local prospectors.

Key Discussion Points & Storyline

1. Gold Strike Sparks Trouble in Bear Valley

• Setting the Scene: Bear Valley is overrun with eager miners and their families following a gold strike. Bill and Jingles note both honest folks and less savory types (gamblers, robbers) pouring in.
  • Jingles: “A little bit of that yellow stuff sure brings them running. I reckon there are folks that never had much and they see a chance to get rich in a hurry.” (04:12)
  • Bill: “But some of these folks have plenty already, partner. Like gamblers, gunslicks and just plain robbery. Gold strike brings them all.” (04:20)

2. Suspicious Claims at the Land Office

• Charlie Lyon, the land agent, flags that most claims are being bought up by the Ajax Mining Company—but he suspects foul play.
  • Charlie: “Out of them 20 claims, at least 15 of them has turned over half of their rights to whatever gold they find... Looks like the Ajax Mining Company bought up most of them.” (06:25–06:37)
  • But Charlie reveals: “Ajax Mining Company... it ain’t no big company. It’s Bull Carson and his ornery bunch of coyotes.” (06:51)

3. Bullying & Strong-Arm Tactics

• Bull Carson brazenly confronts the lawmen at the land office and makes threats.

  • Bull Carson: “You and Hickok start poking your noses into my business, you’ll wind up with them noses flattened all over your face.” (08:00)
  • Wild Bill: "You're pretty touchy, aren't you, Bull, for a man supposed to be running an honest business?" (08:10)

• A fight erupts—Carson tries to seize the claim papers, leading to a classic Western brawl with Bill coming out on top.

  • Charlie Lyon: “If there’s anything you want to say to him, Bill, just tell me and I’ll tell Bull about it when he wakes up.” (12:35)

4. Miners Under Threat

• Bill and Jingles learn from prospector “Red” O’Brien about a campaign of intimidation: miners refusing to sign over their claims are being shot at, some killed.
  • Red: “Sign the papers giving him half the gold you find or be shot in the back sometime at your work... Four, maybe five of them. Two of them dead.” (14:15–14:24)
  • Red agrees to help Bill and Jingles set a trap.

5. The Midnight Ambush

• Under cover of darkness, Bill and Jingles await Carson’s next move. The “hoot of an owl” turns out to be a signal for Carson’s gang to launch a sneak attack.

  • Wild Bill: “I don’t think there are any owls at all, Jingles. Sounds like signals to me... From Carson’s gang, the trick Indians use when they’re sneaking up on somebody.” (16:45–16:52)

• In the ensuing gunfight, Wild Bill and Jingles fight off the attackers—Red wounds one of Carson’s men, who is then taken prisoner.

6. Breaking the Scheme

• The captured henchman spills the truth: Carson and his gang have been terrorizing miners, forcing them to sign phony contracts and claiming the profits.

• Bill hatches a plan to publicly challenge the legality of the Ajax contracts to bait Carson.

  • Wild Bill: “All I want you to do, Charlie, is to spread the news among the miners that those contracts... are not legal.” (23:56–24:22)
  • Charlie Lyon: (after consulting the law book) “Them contracts ain't legal!” (26:11)

7. The Showdown and Justice Served

• Carson, furious over the rumor campaign, storms the land office to threaten Charlie. Bill and Jingles ambush him and catch Bull confessing to murder and intimidation.

  • Charlie Lyon: “You threatening me?”
  • Bull Carson: “I sure am... You go ahead and record them claims and contracts and keep your mouth shut, or I’ll fill you full of lead just like I did them prospectors.” (27:17–27:27)
  • Jingles: “Yeah, you ran into somebody you can't scare this time.” (27:50)

• Resolution: Bull Carson is arrested. The miners are freed from the fraudulent contracts, and peace is restored.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Jingles’ comic relief:

  • “Oh, I loves how I have now and then. But mostly I just don’t bother because I’m usually too tired.” (Charlie Lyon, 05:58, famous for rarely finishing sentences)
  • “You’re doggone right. The law’s here, keeping an eye on anybody that thinks somebody can get away with swindling anybody out of anything, anytime, anywhere yet.” (Jingles, 07:44)

• Classic Western Justice:

  • “You won’t kill anybody, Bull. Your killing days are over.” (Wild Bill, 27:48)
  • “You ever get out of prison? Just remember you outlaws who gotta watch out for two people here in the West, and that’s Wild Bill Hickok and Jingles.” (Charlie Lyon & Jingles, 28:00)

Memorable Segments and Timestamps

• Bear Valley gold rush and cast intros: (04:00–05:20)
• Land office confrontation with Bull Carson: (07:20–09:00)
• Revelation of intimidation and murder: (13:53–15:00)
• Gunfight in the dark canyon: (16:13–19:31)
• Law book scene – Ajax contracts declared illegal: (25:16–26:14)
• Final confrontation and Carson’s confession: (26:47–28:00)

Episode Tone & Style

• Treasure-hunt excitement, period slang, and comic banter, especially from Jingles.
• Straightforward, “tough but fair” justice from Wild Bill.
• Plenty of old-school Western atmosphere: shootouts, scheming villains, good-hearted prospectors, and a strong sense of law enforcement in a lawless land.

Final Thoughts

This episode delivers a tight, classic tale of justice on the frontier, blending suspense, humor, and moral clarity. The interplay between Wild Bill, Jingles, and the eccentric Charlie Lyon adds charm to the procedural drama, and the quick resolution is satisfying for fans of vintage Westerns.

For collectors or listeners new to Old Time Radio, “A Land Office Business” is a quintessential Hickok episode—complete with a gold rush backdrop, memorable villains, heroics under fire, and a hearty dose of Western camaraderie.