Lum & Abner: Classic Small-Town Comedy

Squire Goes to Arizona to Sell Silver Mine

Originally Aired: August 20, 1935
In Lum & Abner #177, "Squire Goes to Arizona to Sell Silver Mine," Lum and Abner face mounting obstacles as they attempt to launch their new traveling store on wheels. After loading merchandise yesterday, the duo discovers the rear end is too heavy, causing the front wheels to lift completely off the ground. They're forced to haul everything back to Caleb Weehunt's blacksmith shop for modifications. At Dick Huddleston's store, Grandpappy Spears and Dick discuss the problematic venture, agreeing the body was built far too large and unwieldy for country roads.
The troubles continue to pile up when Lum arrives with news that someone has stolen spark plugs from the engine overnight. Rather than cutting down the oversized body as planned, they've added a third set of wheels using old cultivator parts from Caleb's shop, creating an awkward six-wheeled contraption. Dick warns that the mismatched wheels won't work properly, but Lum remains hopeful. Meanwhile, Abner and Cedric are still trying to get the engine running, and Grandpappy anxiously awaits news about whether their venture will succeed enough to offer him employment.

Cedric Loads Merchandise into the Store

Originally Aired: August 19, 1935
In Lum & Abner #176, "Cedric Loads Merchandise into the Store," Lum and Abner prepare to launch their innovative rolling grocery store after finally extracting it from Caleb Wheel's blacksmith shop. The store on wheels, built too large to fit through the shop door, made its dramatic exit when Abner accidentally crashed it through the side wall. Now at the rear of Dick Huddleston's store, Lum, Abner, and their helper Cedric load merchandise onto their mobile venture. Dick generously offers his feed room as storage space for their extra inventory, helping the partners manage the logistical challenges of their ambitious enterprise.
As preparations continue, Lum and Abner take to the party line telephone to announce their inaugural run and remind listeners about their naming contest. They're disappointed by the low response rate and urge their friends not to overthink the contest, suggesting simple names like "the speed wagon" or "store at your door." With Cedric hauling sacks of feed and the shelves stocked, the partners face the challenge of explaining their unusual twenty-four-foot-long contraption to the community, where the front of the store sits on the back of an automobile.

Abner Gets the Rolling Store out of the Blacksmith

Originally Aired: August 16, 1935
In Lum & Abner #175, "Abner Gets the Rolling Store out of the Blacksmith," the partners face a peculiar predicament when they discover their new rolling store can't be extracted from Caleb Weehunt's blacksmith shop. The local blacksmith has completed construction of their store on wheels, but he built the entire contraption inside his shop without considering how to get it out. When Lum and Abner arrive to claim their new business venture, they find only Caleb's son Cedric working at the anvil, as Caleb himself is home napping and insisting the delivery problem isn't his responsibility.
Desperate to open for business before a shipment of groceries arrives that evening, Lum telephones Caleb to negotiate a solution. The blacksmith suggests tearing down his shop and having them build him a new one, which Lum suspects is a scheme Caleb has wanted for fifteen years. Various impractical ideas emerge, from lifting the store through the roof with a block and tackle to digging an elaborate tunnel underneath the building. With time running out and their rolling store trapped inside, the partners must find a way to free their new business venture without breaking the bank or demolishing the entire blacksmith shop.

Inspecting the New Rolling Grocery Store

Originally Aired: August 15, 1935
In Lum & Abner #174, "Inspecting the New Rolling Grocery Store," excitement builds as Lum and Abner arrive at Caleb Weehunt's blacksmith shop to inspect their brand-new mobile store. However, their anticipation turns to frustration when they find the shop locked, with a sign indicating Caleb and his son Cedric have gone to dinner. As the partners wait impatiently in the hot sun, Abner grows increasingly agitated trying to calculate exactly when the hour will be up, leading to his typical confusion and Lum's exasperation. The two press their faces against the dirty window to catch a glimpse of their new venture, with Abner getting his face covered in black grime in the process.
When Dick and Grandpap arrive as invited guests, the group peers through the window together, marveling at the size of the new rolling store complete with a back porch. The men discuss the possibilities and potential pitfalls of their mobile venture, from breaking down on mountaintops to getting stuck in creeks. When Cedric finally arrives with the keys, a new concern emerges: Abner has never actually driven the vehicle before, despite having a store built on it.

Squire Wants a Third Interest in the Store

Originally Aired: August 14, 1935
In Lum & Abner #173, "Squire Wants a Third Interest in the Store,"
Lum and Abner eagerly await the completion of their ambitious new business venture: a store on wheels being built by local blacksmith Caleb Weehunt. The massive mobile store, measuring fourteen feet wide and twenty-four feet long, has the whole town buzzing with excitement. When Lum stops by Abner's house, where Grandpappy Spears is visiting, he brings letters from listeners across the country submitting names for their traveling grocery store contest. Grandpappy expresses concerns about the vehicle's enormous size, warning it will take up the whole road and cause complaints, but Lum and Abner remain enthusiastic. They even discuss making another party line announcement to remind folks to send in their contest entries.
The partners' excitement is momentarily interrupted when Squire Skimp arrives with news. He mentions visiting the blacksmith shop to inspect their new store and acknowledges it's a good idea if properly handled. The conversation shifts to another venture—a silver mine—and Squire begins to reveal he's received a letter from a man named Worthington, setting up what promises to be an interesting proposition.

Preparing to Build Rolling Grocery Store

Originally Aired: August 12, 1935
In Lum & Abner #171, "Preparing to Build Rolling Grocery Store," Lum and Abner forge ahead with their ambitious new business venture after losing their beloved Jot 'Em Down Store to Snake Hogan. Unable to raise the money to buy back their original establishment, the partners devise an innovative solution: they'll build a complete general store on the chassis of Abner's twelve-cylinder automobile, creating Pine Ridge's first rolling grocery that will make house-to-house calls. Lum arrives at Abner's home with exciting news that he's struck a deal with Caleb Weehunt to construct the mobile store by trading away the sedan body for the new storefront structure.
As the partners review Caleb's blueprints, the practical challenges of their unconventional enterprise become apparent. Abner struggles to understand the plans, raising concerns about rain protection and questioning why customers must enter through the back door. Lum explains the layout will mirror their old store, complete with shelves, a refrigerator, and even a peaked roof with shingles and a stove pipe. With three hundred and fifty dollars to stock their merchandise, the optimistic duo believes they've stumbled upon the best business idea yet.

Snake Hogan Won’t Sell the Jot ’em Down Store

Originally Aired: August 9, 1935
In Lum & Abner #170, "Snake Hogan Won't Sell the Jot 'em Down Store," Abner has squandered the entire $2,000 he received from selling the Jot 'em Down Store, with nothing left but a troublesome secondhand automobile. Having hit rock bottom, he and Lum decide to pool their meager resources and return to their partnership in the store business. They approach Snake Hogan, who now owns their former establishment, and he agrees to sell it back for $1,500 with a thousand dollars down payment.
The problem is money. Lum has only $350 from his commissions selling shares in Squire's silver mine, and Abner is completely broke. Abner spends a frustrating day at the county seat trying to sell his twelve-cylinder automobile, hoping to raise the remaining cash, but no one will make him an offer. Dick Huddleston suggests they try trading the car directly to Snake as part of the down payment. With renewed hope, Lum telephones Snake to propose this new arrangement, but when honesty gets the better of him and he admits they simply cannot raise the cash any other way, the deal appears to hang in the balance.

Lum & Abner Tired of High Society

Originally Aired: August 8, 1935
In Lum & Abner #169, "Lum & Abner Tired of High Society," the citizens of Pine Ridge are wrestling with newfound wealth and mounting suspicions. Abner has sold his Jot 'Em Down store for $2,000 and is living the high life with a secondhand automobile and chauffeur, parading around town as his version of a socialite. Meanwhile, Cedric Wehunt visits Lum seeking information about the Great Western Sterling Silver Company, in which he and other townspeople have invested their hard-earned money. Cedric is confused about dividends and concerned about getting his cash back, while Lum tries to explain that no profits will come until they actually start mining silver.
The situation takes a darker turn when Dick Diggs arrives with troubling news. He's investigated the mysterious Mr. Worthington, who recently offered a million dollars for the silver mine, and discovered that the license plates on Worthington's car were stolen. Dick warns Lum that something suspicious is afoot and urges him to stop selling stock to friends who are mortgaging their homes to invest, lest they lose everything they have.

Who Are Dixie-Belle & Mary-Jane

Originally Aired: August 7, 1935
In Lum & Abner #168, "Who Are Dixie-Belle & Mary-Jane," trouble is brewing in Pine Ridge as Abner's sudden transformation into a high-society big spender takes a potentially scandalous turn. After selling his store for $2,000, Abner has been tearing around town in a big secondhand automobile with a chauffeur, gambling on horse races, and living it up at nightclubs. Now his worried wife Elizabeth calls Lum at Dick Huddleston's store with disturbing news: Abner has been calling out the names "Dixie-Belle" and "Mary-Jane" in his sleep. Could the former country storekeeper actually be involved with other women?
Lum tries to reassure Elizabeth that it's probably just Abner's unconscious mind at work, but he and Dick agree to have a serious talk with their friend about his reckless behavior. However, when Abner breezes into the store full of energy and immediately phones Grandpappy Spears to invite him on a trip to see "Dixie-Belle and Mary-Jane," Lum and Dick are left stunned. The evidence seems damning, and Lum can hardly believe what he's hearing.

Dick Huddleston Skeptical About Silver Mine

Originally Aired: August 6, 1935
In Lum & Abner #167, "Dick Huddleston Skeptical About Silver Mine," excitement over the silver mine reaches a fever pitch in Pine Ridge after a supposed wealthy mine operator named Mr. Worthington offers Squire a million dollars for the property. With the offer rejected, citizens are mortgaging their farms and selling off possessions to buy more stock, and Lum is making a fortune in commissions. However, Dick Huddleston remains unconvinced about the legitimacy of the whole operation and decides to do some investigating of his own.
Dick notices suspicious details about the mysterious Mr. Worthington, including contradictions in his story and the fact that he supposedly drove from Arizona with Oklahoma license plates on his car. Despite Dick's warnings and observations, Lum remains blissfully confident in the mine's prospects, having already invested three hundred dollars of his own money. When Dick finally convinces Lum to at least put his commission check in the bank instead of buying more stock, it marks a small victory for caution in a town caught up in mining fever.