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.