Lum & Abner: Classic Small-Town Comedy

Squire Returns for Trial With New Business Venture

Originally Aired: September 27, 1935
In Lum & Abner #205, "Squire Returns for Trial With New Business Venture," tension fills the air as Lum awaits the return of Squire Skimp, the smooth-talking promoter whose fraudulent mining stock scheme has landed Lum in legal hot water. With his trial looming next week, Lum's only hope for acquittal is to produce Squire as evidence. When Constable Abner returns from the county seat with the prisoner, Lum and Grandpappy Spears are shocked to discover that Abner has allowed Squire to stop at his own house unguarded. Lum immediately assumes the worst, certain that the notorious conman has escaped out the back door.
Despite Lum's fury and Grandpappy's skepticism, Abner insists that Squire came willingly and even claims to be innocent of any wrongdoing. The wily Squire maintains that the mine is legitimate and blames Lum's mismanagement for the troubles. As Lum steams over Squire badmouthing him behind his back, he prepares for a confrontation when Squire arrives at his door, determined to make the silver-tongued promoter admit his guilt.

Tulsa Police Arrest Squire

Originally Aired: September 26, 1935
Lum & Abner #204, "Tulsa Police Arrest Squire,"
Lum faces a potential penitentiary sentence for violating the Blue Sky Law after selling worthless stock in Squire Skimp's fraudulent silver mine. Despite having paid back all the stockholders with his own money, Lum is still technically guilty of selling fraudulent stock. His only hope for acquittal rests on apprehending Squire Skimp, who has fled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and bringing him back to Pine Ridge to testify that he was the true instigator of the scheme. Dick Huddleston has contacted the Tulsa police chief for help locating Squire, and he encourages Lum to hire a lawyer, suggesting young Tom Parker, the son of W.L. Parker.
At Dick's store, Lum struggles with worry and self-pity as his trial approaches. Dick delivers an impassioned speech about the dangers of feeling sorry for oneself, urging Lum not to give up. Dick reminds him that he even invested two hundred and fifty dollars in the mine himself, which proves he believed the stock was legitimate. With federal court convening the following week, time is running short to locate Squire and mount a proper defense.

Will Lum Will Skip Out On His Bail

Originally Aired: September 25, 1935
In Lum & Abner #203, "Will Lum Will Skip Out On His Bail," Lum faces serious legal trouble for violating the Blue Sky Law through his involvement in Squire Skimp's fraudulent silver mine stock scheme. His only hope of clearing himself is to produce the Squire in time for his trial, but there's a problem: Squire has skipped town to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Lum's bondsmen, particularly Uncle Henry Lunsford, refuse to let him leave Pine Ridge to retrieve him. With Grandpappy Spears looking on, the men realize they're stuck between a rock and a hard place. If Lum can't bring back the Squire, he's facing ten to fifteen years in prison.
A solution emerges when Grandpappy suggests that Abner, as the town constable, should be the one to travel to Tulsa and bring Squire back. Lum eagerly draws up an arrest warrant, and Abner initially agrees to the plan, ready to slap handcuffs on the fugitive. However, when Abner calls his wife Elizabeth to pack his belongings for the trip, he encounters an unexpected obstacle that threatens to derail their entire scheme.

Abner Helps Lum Pack for Trip to Tulsa

Originally Aired: September 24, 1935
In Lum & Abner #202, "Abner Helps Lum Pack for Trip to Tulsa," Lum faces possible conviction for violating the Blue Sky Law after being duped into a fake silver mine scheme. His only hope for acquittal is to track down the elusive Squire Skimp, the shady promoter who's now hiding out in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As Lum prepares for his trip, his well-meaning partner Abner takes charge of the packing, stuffing Lum's valise with everything from six months' worth of clothes to a heavy overcoat in the middle of warm weather.
The packing session turns comical when Abner reveals his grand plan for Lum to travel in disguise, complete with fake whiskers made from old settee stuffing. Despite Lum's protests that he's trying to catch Squire, not hide from him, Abner remains convinced his disguise is brilliant, having successfully fooled his own wife Elizabeth that morning, though it cost him two ricks of chopped wood to prove he was a "tramp." As the two friends bicker over unnecessary items and Abner's increasingly ridiculous suggestions, the urgent mission to bring Squire back before trial takes a backseat to their trademark comic misunderstandings.

Discussing Detective Methods

Originally Aired: September 23, 1935
In Lum & Abner #201, "Discussing Detective Methods," Lum faces a desperate situation after learning that paying back all the silver mine stockholders has only made him look more guilty of violating the Blue Sky Law. His only hope for acquittal lies in tracking down Squire Skimp, the man who actually promoted the fraudulent mining company, and bringing him back to Pine Ridge before the trial. When Abner stops by after his morning route on the rolling grocery store, he brings along his old constable manual on detective work, convinced he has found the perfect solution to Lum's problems.
Abner enthusiastically suggests that Lum disguise himself to catch the Squire, peppering his friend with increasingly absurd ideas pulled from the detective book. He proposes everything from dressing up as an Indian or Santa Claus to borrowing Uncle Henry Lunsford's bear costume from a masquerade party. Lum grows increasingly exasperated with each ridiculous suggestion, pointing out the obvious flaws in Abner's logic, but his well-meaning friend remains undeterred, flipping through the manual to find inspiration for the perfect disguise to help catch Squire Skimp.

Dick Huddleston Talks to Judge of Lum’s Case

Originally Aired: September 20, 1935
In Lum & Abner #200, "Dick Huddleston Talks to Judge of Lum's Case," the consequences of the silver mine stock scandal continue to weigh heavily on Pine Ridge. Lum Edwards faces charges for violating the Blue Sky Law after selling stock in the fraudulent Great Western Sterling Silver Company, a scheme orchestrated by the now-vanished Squire Skimp. Desperate to clear his name, Lum borrows money from the Mount Idy bank, putting up his interest in the rolling grocery store as collateral, and systematically repays every stockholder, including his partner Abner. He collects the stock certificates back, hoping to eliminate evidence against him.
Meanwhile, Dick Huddleston has secretly traveled to the county seat to speak with the judge on Lum's behalf, trying to get the charges dropped now that all investors have been reimbursed. As Abner and Dick discuss the situation at the store, they worry about the potential ten-year prison sentence Lum faces if convicted. The situation grows even more poignant when Lum reveals he and Evelyn had planned to marry at Christmas, but he now feels he cannot ask her to marry a man so deeply in debt and facing the loss of everything he owns.

Lum Sells All of his Possessions

Originally Aired: September 19, 1935
In Lum & Abner #199, "Lum Sells All of his Possessions," panic grips Pine Ridge when Lum mysteriously vanishes after being released from jail on a $5,000 bond. Having been arrested by federal authorities for violating the Blue Sky Law by selling fraudulent stock in the Great Western Sterling Silver Company, Lum now faces serious criminal charges. When Abner searches everywhere for his partner and discovers Lum's house empty, his livestock gone, and most tellingly, his prized steeple clock missing, the worst seems confirmed. The bondsmen, including Abner and the cantankerous Grandpappy Spears, fear they'll be stuck paying the entire bond if Lum has indeed jumped bail.
While Dick Huddleston tries to defend Lum's character, insisting he would never abandon his friends, the evidence mounts against him. The townsfolk grow increasingly bitter, with many stockholders blaming Lum for their losses, despite the fact that he was merely working for Squire Skimp and genuinely believed in the investment. As Cedric Weehunt arrives at the store mysteriously offering to sell a milk cow and claiming to be in the cattle business, the question remains whether Lum has truly fled or if something else is afoot.

Raising $5000 Bail Money

Originally Aired: September 18, 1935
Lum & Abner #198, "Raising $5000 Bail Money,"
Lum finds himself locked in the Pine Ridge jail after being arrested by Mr. Donahue, a Department of Justice representative, for violating the Blue Sky Law by selling fraudulent stock in the Great Western Sterling Silver Company. Abner has been trying to raise the $5000 bond needed to secure Lum's release, but the townsfolk aren't moving quickly enough for Lum's liking. When Lum tries to motivate Abner by invoking the old saying that "tomorrow never comes," he inadvertently creates total confusion.
What starts as simple advice quickly spirals into an absurd philosophical debate about the nature of time. Abner becomes genuinely convinced that Lum is claiming tomorrow will literally never arrive, leading him to panic about all the repenting he needs to do, including coming clean about trading a blind horse to Eli Wilkins. As the conversation grows more tangled, Abner begins to suspect that Lum has suffered a head injury and starts testing his mental faculties, much to Lum's bewilderment. When Dick Huddleston arrives to potentially sign the bond, Abner's concern for Lum's supposed confusion threatens to derail the whole arrangement.

Speech on Honesty at School

Originally Aired: September 17, 1935
In Lum & Abner #197, "Speech on Honesty at School," excitement buzzes through Pine Ridge after a mysterious stranger named Mr. Donahue purchases stock in Lum's Great Western Sterling Silver Mining Company. The stockholders are convinced that Donahue, who flashed a large roll of bills and bought shares without asking questions, must have inside information about the mine's potential. Meanwhile, Lum has been strutting around town in his Sunday suit—ostensibly because of his position as company president, though Abner suspects it has more to do with schoolteacher Evelina's return to Pine Ridge.
As school opening day approaches, Lum reveals that Evelina has asked him to deliver a speech to the students. When he pulls out a tablet full of notes and begins reading his address about the "harp strings of memory" and "bright and shiny faces," both Abner and Dick Huddleston quickly recognize it as the same tired speech Lum has recycled for the past ten years. Despite Lum's protests that it's brand new, his friends aren't fooled by his windy oratory one bit.

First Day of School

Originally Aired: September 16, 1935
In Lum & Abner #196, "First Day of School," Lum finds himself in hot water with the stockholders of the Great Western Sterling Silver Company. Since schoolteacher Evelina Schultz has returned to Pine Ridge, Lum has been neglecting his duties as president and general manager of the mine to pursue his courtship with her. Down at Dick Huddleston's store, Grandpappy Spears voices his frustration about the investment, which has left many townspeople in financial trouble. The situation looks grim: Squire Skimp sold the stock, pocketed three thousand dollars, and left town, leaving Lum holding all the responsibility but no money to operate the mine.
Hope arrives when Dick mentions that a well-dressed stranger has been looking for the manager of the silver mine. Grandpappy and the others speculate that he might be interested in buying the mine, which could help recover their lost investments. Lum, carrying his stock certificates with him at all times, expresses eagerness to make a deal, though he plans to negotiate rather than accept the first offer. The question remains whether this mysterious visitor will provide the solution to their financial troubles.