Cows and Cribs

Originally Aired: June 4, 1961 Gunsmoke #478, "Cows and Cribs," Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester Proudfoot set out to bring Ed Thorpe, his wife, and their baby to Dodge City after Doc Adams reports the family has spotted fever. On the way, they encounter Joe and Mrs. Nadler, struggling homesteaders on the verge of starvation. Joe has been forced to butcher a branded calf, and his wife desperately hoes barren ground with no seed to plant. Matt notices Joe's callous attitude toward his childless wife and their sick neighbors, but Mrs. Nadler's gentle nature and concern for the Thorpe baby moves him. The situation turns tragic when the Thorpes both die during the journey, leaving their infant orphaned. Ma Smalley takes charge of the baby, and Mrs. Nadler hopes to adopt the child, but she and Joe need help establishing their homestead first. When Matt discovers Joe spending money on expensive boots instead of seed for his wife's garden, he gives the self-centered husband an ultimatum that will determine whether the Nadlers deserve custody of the orphaned child.