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.