Lum Becomes Proud Owner of Silver Mine

Originally Aired: August 27, 1935 In Lum & Abner #182, "Lum Becomes Proud Owner of Silver Mine," Lum takes his newfound position as president and general manager of the Great Western Sterling Silver Company very seriously—perhaps too seriously. After the stockholders vote to oust Squire Skimp and install Lum in his place, with Squire graciously handing over his shares to give Lum controlling interest, Lum becomes consumed with his own importance. When Abner arrives to collect him for their grocery store delivery route, Lum announces he's far too busy with mining business to bother with such mundane matters as weighing potatoes and slicing cheese. Abner finds himself in a predicament as Lum insists he can't risk having million-dollar ideas bounced out of his head by truck bumps or interrupted by customers wanting a dime's worth of cheese. The two partners attempt to work out a solution involving Grandpappy Spears as replacement help, but they quickly tie themselves in knots trying to figure out how to pay him without either partner bearing an unfair burden. Their convoluted reasoning about splitting grocery payments and stockholder assessments reveals the comedic chaos that erupts when Lum's newfound executive status collides with the practical realities of running their humble store.