OK Solberg: 00:00

I wanna again welcome you to The 405 Coffee Break. How you doing out there? Get your cup of coffee, glass iced tea, or bottled water beverage of your choice. Let's see what's happening.

OK Solberg: 00:09

Spring wheat $6.07 a pound. 550lb steer calf like I reported yesterday. A few of them are moving down at PAYS in Billing, $5 and a nickel. A 100lb fat lamb in Billings $2.93 to $2.95 a pound. But guys, there's more, much more.

OK Solberg: 00:31

I have to admit. Oh, yes. I have to admit. Paul Harvey was my teacher. You know, guys, Paul Harvey was my role model. Let's just say Paul Harvey was my hero.

OK Solberg: 00:44

His words, his pauses, why? His exuberance was worthy of admiration. So Paul Harvey was a teacher of mine and well, so was doctor Seuss. On the May 15 in the jungle of Newell, in the heat of the day and the cool of the pool, he was splashing, enjoying the jungle's great joys when Horton the elephant heard a small noise. I don't care who you are.

OK Solberg: 01:12

That's good. I never got as good as either one, but you know what they say, a student should never exceed their teacher and ability. You know what though? I haven't had a Paul Harvey story for a long, long time. So you know what they say. Today's the day.

OK Solberg: 01:32

But 1st, a bible verse. Proverbs 31:8-9 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. Again, great verse, Proverbs 31 verses eight and nine.

OK Solberg: 01:59

Let's hear a story about defending the rights of the poor and needy spoken by Paul Harvey himself, and I quote. All the firemen at the Station #1 on East Broadway knew Skinny. He was 13 and slender and shy as his nickname suggested, and his constant companion, and his only friend as far as anyone could tell, well, was a big old springy haired Airedale dog. That dog followed Skinny everywhere.

OK Solberg: 02:36

Would have followed him to school had the boy not begun bringing him to the firehouse where the pooch slept all day until his young master returned for him each afternoon. Oh, the fireman liked Skinny, sort of felt sorry for him. Teased and bullied as he was by the other boys, the meaner ones even called him little girl.

OK Solberg: 03:05

Skinny just didn't fit in with the youngsters his age. He had a paper route that was nice. He read a lot of books in his spare time, but otherwise, Skinny was just plain lonesome, except as I say for that devoted Airedale dog. Now it's one autumn morning. Skinny came by the firehouse to leave his dog for the school day when one of the firemen noticed the boy's lip was gashed and bleeding, and one of his eyes was dark purple.

OK Solberg: 03:40

Skinny, obviously ashamed, tried to hurry off, but this fireman, nobody remembers his name, said, hey, Skinny, come here. The youngster reluctantly obeyed. Who did this to you? The fireman asked. Skinny explained that this one bully in particular always taunted him, called him little girl, always said, how come you wear pants instead of a dress?

OK Solberg: 04:09

But this morning, Skinny had not managed to outrun his tormentor. And at that point in his story, Skinny began to cry. Oh, you know, the fireman placed a brawny hand on the boy's shoulder and he said, do you know what I used to be? I used to be a boxer, a professional too, pretty good in my day. And what I think you need is a few pointers on how to stand up for yourself.

OK Solberg: 04:41

Well, that afternoon after school, Skinny returned to the firehouse for his 1st boxing lesson, the 1st of several. And when next the bully chased him down, Skinny turned and stood his ground.

OK Solberg: 05:00

The 2 boys fought to a draw that day. More important than mere victory, what skinny one for himself was the respect of his schoolmates. And so it began. You never knew before, scared, scrawny schoolboy, reborn in a Glendale, California firehouse in the autumn of 1920. The youngsters whose feminine name sounded like a girl, Marion, had inspired that hated nickname little girl.

OK Solberg: 05:37

But now I think you'll never forget the Glendale firefighter who you might say created the man the world knows and the firemen of fire station one at 315 East Broadway created something else, a more respectful nickname for their young friend. You see the Airedale dog, The dog the boy dropped off at the firehouse each day.

OK Solberg: 06:03

His name was little Duke. And so to encourage self confidence in little Duke's master, the fireman began calling the boy instead of skinny, Big Duke.

OK Solberg: 06:18

They began calling him Big Duke and that nickname stuck for the rest of his life even after the shy skinny youngster Marion Michael Morrison, even after he became the 2 fisted ultimately tough screen legend you know as John Wayne. Only now, you know the rest of the story. End of quote. Good stuff. Paul Harvey was great.

OK Solberg: 06:48

So until next time. As you go out there, remember now. Don't be bitter.