671 - H.L. Hunt - Part One

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds Episode 671: H.L. Hunt - Part One Release Date: February 18, 2025

Introduction to the Episode

In Episode 671 of The Dollop, titled "H.L. Hunt - Part One," comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds delve into the intriguing and tumultuous life of Harold Lafayette Hunt Jr., better known as H.L. Hunt. This episode, part of a three-part series, explores Hunt’s rise from humble beginnings to becoming one of America's most influential oil magnates.

Early Life and Family Dynamics (00:03:08 - 00:12:00)

The story begins on February 17, 1889, in Carson Township, Illinois, where Harold Lafayette Hunt Jr. is born into a large family as the youngest of eight children. His father, Hash Hunt, a former Confederate soldier, struggles with alcoholism and a strained relationship with his family. Dave humorously narrates, “Hash wandered around drunk, cursing at his wife and kids, especially June, who he seemed to resent more than anyone” ([00:04:29]).

June, H.L.'s older brother, stands out with his exceptional intelligence, developed through early reading and a photographic memory. This intellectual prowess creates jealousy and tension within the family, particularly between June and Hash. Gareth adds levity to the narrative, quipping, “You have eight kids, you have to pick one to pin it on," ([00:05:20]) highlighting the competitive sibling dynamics.

June’s Escapades and Education (00:12:00 - 00:25:40)

At the age of 12, June begins running away from home, a behavior that deeply worries his mother, Ella Rose. Despite Ella's pleas, Hash remains indifferent, prioritizing his burgeoning banking business over family concerns. June's academic talents flourish as he attends Valparaiso College in Indiana, where he excels in subjects like Latin, zoology, and rhetoric. Dave notes, “He was a great student, able to put away cash by playing his classmates in poker” ([00:21:48]).

After a year of collegiate success, June returns home upon his brother Leonard’s illness. The family's cooperation is minimal, with Hash showing little support, leading to Leonard’s untimely death from tuberculosis. Following Leonard's death, Hash also succumbs to cancer, leaving June with an inheritance of $5,000 ([00:25:35]). This inheritance becomes the foundation for June's future endeavors.

Transformation into H.L. Hunt (00:25:40 - 00:57:00)

June decides to leave behind his nomadic lifestyle, adopting the name H.L. Hunt to distance himself from his troubled past. He purchases land in Arkansas, only to face immediate setbacks when heavy rains flood his farm, destroying his initial investment. Undeterred, Hunt leverages his gambling skills to recover financially, becoming a regular at local poker games and honing his reputation as a shrewd gambler.

Hunt's personal life becomes complicated as he marries his sister-in-law, Linda, after failing to win over Linda's sister, Maddie. This decision strains his marriage, as Linda grows increasingly frustrated with his continued gambling and absenteeism. Dave humorously encapsulates Hunt's marital woes: “He wants to keep Lyda and keep cranking out babies with her, but that's all he wants from her, essentially,” ([00:58:36]).

As World War I erupts, Hunt capitalizes on the soaring price of cotton and oil, investing heavily in land speculation and oil drilling. His ventures bring him immense wealth but further alienate him from his family. Despite his financial success, Hunt's personal relationships suffer, leading to constant tension at home.

Rise to Wealth and Power (00:57:00 - 01:27:00)

By 1921, Hunt has established himself firmly in the oil industry, forming two oil companies: H.L. Hunt Incorporated and Tenable Oil Company. His aggressive business tactics and relentless pursuit of wealth earn him a reputation as both a genius and a ruthless businessman. Dave encapsulates Hunt's dual nature: “He’s turning it around. He’s selling at a higher price. He’s just making money,” ([00:46:02]) highlighting Hunt's shrewdness in navigating the volatile oil market.

Hunt's personal life continues to unravel as he juggles multiple marriages and relationships, further distancing himself from his family. His wife, Lyda, becomes increasingly resentful of his absence and obsession with wealth accumulation, leading to familial discord and emotional estrangement.

Notable Quotes

• Dave Anthony: “Hash wandered around drunk, cursing at his wife and kids, especially June, who he seemed to resent more than anyone.” ([00:04:29])
• Gareth Reynolds: “You have eight kids, you have to pick one to pin it on.” ([00:05:20])
• Dave Anthony: “He was a great student, able to put away cash by playing his classmates in poker.” ([00:21:48])
• Dave Anthony: “He’s turning it around. He’s selling at a higher price. He’s just making money.” ([00:46:02])
• Gareth Reynolds: “You got to just make sure they understand their state based. They can't be coming to your other state.” ([00:33:55]) – Reflecting on Hunt’s deceitful personal life.

Conclusion of Part One

As the episode concludes, Hunt’s insatiable drive for wealth leads him to establish significant oil enterprises, setting the stage for his future dominance in the industry. However, his personal life remains in shambles, marked by broken relationships and familial tension. The hosts leave listeners anticipating the continuation of Hunt's story, promising further exploration of his rise to power and the eventual consequences of his relentless ambition.

Closing Remarks

Part One of this three-part series provides a comprehensive look into the early life and transformation of H.L. Hunt, blending historical facts with the hosts' signature humor and insightful commentary. Dave and Gareth effectively portray Hunt's complex character, highlighting the interplay between his business acumen and personal failings.

Stay tuned for Part Two, where Dave and Gareth will continue to unravel the life of H.L. Hunt, delving deeper into his business ventures, personal relationships, and the legacy he left behind.

Sources Mentioned:

• Britney Con Brown’s research on H.L. Hunt
• "Kingdom the Story of the Hunt Family of Texas" by Jerome Tussel
• "Texas Rich the Hunt Dynasty from the early oil days to the Silver Crash" by Harry Hunt
• "Harry Hurt Articles the Hunt Brothers how two billionaires"
• "H.L. Hunt's long goodbye in Texas Monthly" by Bill Porterfield

Follow The Dollop: For more detailed explorations of American history through humor and storytelling, subscribe to The Dollop on your favorite podcast platform.

Transcript

[Dave Anthony]

We're going on tour. And this is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's been a while.

[Dave Anthony]

March 2025 is when our tour is happening. First of all, we're going to Tempe, Arizona, maybe our favorite city of all time.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's the best.

[Dave Anthony]

That is on March 16th. And then we go to Albuquerque, New Mexico, maybe our favorite city ever, we've ever gone to. That's on March 17th. And then we go to Oklahoma City.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Which is our fav. We often say that it's our number one.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, it's our number one. The best city I've ever been to. That's on March 18th. On March 19th, we're going to be in Tulsa, Oklahoma, our favorite city, without question. And then we head to Dallas, Texas, on March 20th. Our favorite city. There's never been a better city than better.

[Gareth Reynolds]

If you don't like it, you're a Dallas hole.

[Dave Anthony]

Thank you. And then we go to Houston, Texas, on March 21. City, which is by far the best city. And then we end our tour in Austin, Texas, on March 22 at the Cap City Comedy Club. It's the best in the entire world.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Number one city in the world.

[Dave Anthony]

You can get tickets@dollop podcast.com tour. You're listening to the Dollop. This is an American history podcast where each week I, Dave Anthony, read a story from American history to a teat.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Gareth Reynolds, who has no idea what the topic is going to be.

[Dave Anthony]

No, you don't.

[Gareth Reynolds]

About. I do know one thing.

[Dave Anthony]

What's that?

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's a three parter.

[Dave Anthony]

It is a three parter.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'll tell you what intrigued me.

[Dave Anthony]

Has it intrigued you?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. I brought some champagne.

[Dave Anthony]

I'll tell you what happened. I didn't put it in here.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What? So peel back the curtain, babe.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, this is. This was going to be a Texas show because we're having a light tour coming up. Podcast.com squarespace and so we're going to Texas. And I had always wanted to do this subject, and so I sent it off to one of our lovely researchers who was like, who? Britney Cohen Brown.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And she let me see if I can find this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We're in the new studio.

[Dave Anthony]

She sent back.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Celebrate.

[Dave Anthony]

Are we really doing champagne?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

All right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You want any?

[Dave Anthony]

Sh. I'll take a swig.

[Gareth Reynolds]

There you go. You're clean, right?

[Dave Anthony]

Just the. I just got the. What do you call them? The source.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, Mouth and mouth sores. Open source.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You like that?

[Dave Anthony]

No, that was a little bubbly.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

So Brittany Cone Brown. I send it off to her, and she sends back I was like, you know, it doesn't have to be that long. And then she says back, enough con. Enough content for three episodes. And it's. I don't want to cut. I read the whole thing. I'm like, I literally don't want to cut a word. So I was like, we'll just do this in studio, and I'll come up with another episode.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So that's good research for you, too, because you say some. You've had some situations where you're like, what's going on?

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, no, I've had some sent to me, and I'm just like, well, that's not helpful.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

So Brittany did an amazing job. So I'm just, you know, reading this straight.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

February 17, 1889. Year of our Lord, J Town.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wrong.

[Dave Anthony]

Who? People don't know. The kids love him. He is rad. And a lot of people need to listen to the rad words of J Town. You know, there's a lot of stuff in the Bible about longboarding and surfing and just doing all the rad. Excellent.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, the.

[Dave Anthony]

What verse it's in. It's an excellent 2432. Harold Lafayette Hunt Jr. Was born in Carson Township, Illinois, to Harold Harold's son, Lafayette Hunt senior, who was known as Hash.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The dad's known as Hash. Okay. Hash Hunt.

[Dave Anthony]

Hash.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I've done that at the Waffle House.

[Dave Anthony]

And also Ella. Ella Rose. So she's known by the nickname June.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

Sorry. He was. He was known by the nickname June.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wait, who?

[Dave Anthony]

Hunt.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hunt.

[Dave Anthony]

The kid for Junior. So they called him June.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So we've got Hash Hunt, and they've got Harold Hunt.

[Dave Anthony]

Is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's June.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. He's the youngest of eight kids.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

Hash is a former Confederate soldier.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And by the. For those new listeners, Dave and I are. Have always been on the side of the south when it comes to that.

[Dave Anthony]

Big fans so and so moved north during the Civil War to escape the ravages that the war had on his farm.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

He was eventually accepted by his northern neighbors, who even elected him sheriff.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, wow.

[Dave Anthony]

This position often kept Hash away from home during the week.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

I don't really understand, but sure. Yep. So maybe in town and they live further away from town.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Seems strange.

[Dave Anthony]

Yep.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Was he a sheriff of their town.

[Dave Anthony]

That they lived in or maybe the county?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Interesting.

[Dave Anthony]

When he was home, Hash wandered around drunk, cursing at his wife and kids, especially June, who he seemed to resent more than anyone.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, when you have eight, you have to pick one.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Pin it on.

[Dave Anthony]

Be the smallest.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Pick, pick. Oh, and he was the youngest, so.

[Dave Anthony]

He'S going to be the worst.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Runtime brunt.

[Dave Anthony]

So this was partially due to the intense closeness June shared with his mother, Ella Rose.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's healthy for a father to have jealousy about the relationship between a wife and. And child.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Look, you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You. You are supposed to be loved by both, and they're supposed to kind of keep those feelings separate.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. It's best if the mom and son don't get along. And dad gets along with both.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, I. I'm a little more progressive. They can get along, but, you know, not better than me. And I got to be the most liked. And I'm noticing if there's, like, conversations going on, you know, cut it out.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm the best.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Respect the best.

[Dave Anthony]

Yep.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You know, stop.

[Dave Anthony]

I have no arguments.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. I mean, it's just this way. I want it. I'm the man.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

All right.

[Dave Anthony]

Take it easy. Just calm down. The point was made. Now it's getting weird.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm the man in charge. I'm a man. I'm a man.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I am the man.

[Dave Anthony]

No, I got it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You like that roof, everybody?

[Dave Anthony]

No one likes the roof.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, it's mine. Okay, negative.

[Dave Anthony]

Look, no, I'm just saying we're not doing this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm not. I'm just. I'm just being demonstrative.

[Dave Anthony]

Bad debt.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Stop talking to the kids so much, lady.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay. I didn't know I was a lady, but.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, no, I mean, I'm just. You're.

[Dave Anthony]

I thought I was a kid.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, you're my bro. No, you're my bro. I'm just kind of commiserating with you about, you know, what's.

[Dave Anthony]

I need to know who I am before you're Dave.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, we're just talking. I'm just telling you. In my house. I thought in my house. I guess a lot of people don't know. I have. I have 10 kids. And if I come home and the wife is talking to the younger.

[Dave Anthony]

Name.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The wife's name.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

G. Huh? And if I come home and Gal is Godot, I'm not gonna. Don't dox her. That's fair. But. But she's a wonder. And. And if she is talking to any of the kids, that's just. I demand respect. Two things I want when I come home. Respect and portions of food.

[Dave Anthony]

Can I move on? Because I don't want to do this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. We're real early. You should probably get into it. And people probably turn it up.

[Dave Anthony]

One episode that made his father's irritation boil over was when Hash came home unannounced and saw his wife nursing 7 year old June.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh man, now I really do have a line. Now. I really. That is not.

[Dave Anthony]

I have a friend who.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh boy.

[Dave Anthony]

Was nurse, you know, because it's a. It's a. It's called leche something. But it's like a thing where people like go long. Yeah, you go long, like to keep the connection or whatever.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And so is it connection? I thought it was. I thought the physiological argument would be more like the bones are so dense.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, I mean, I'm sure there's a lot of reasons for it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, it's like calcium based, whatever it is. It's like if it's talking, no more sucking.

[Dave Anthony]

So she kept him going to like six. And then recently, like, I don't know, a couple years ago, kids are now, you know, late teenagers. And she was like, yes. That was weird, right? I was like, yeah, that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Was she the one who was doing it?

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Like, yeah. That's never really, really uncomfortable for everybody, dude.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, that's you that. You h. That. That's heroin. That's tit heroin. You don't like, show people that you like, do that privately in the room? Yeah, yeah. I, when I was a kid, I used to call boobs pillows. Go ahead.

[Dave Anthony]

I still do. So he comes in, sees seven year old June getting a little bit of TT milk and he explodes at them, demanding that that's absolutely never going to happen again. And it doesn't. But June now is scared of his father and he hates him, basically.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Strange.

[Dave Anthony]

So while June has a close relationship with most of his siblings, especially his favorite brother Leonard, June's June's oldest brother, James is his dad's enforcer and he's always degrading and bullying June.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is what you want, the hierarchy.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, you do.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I like that. His hierarchy is age based. Fully oldest, best, youngest, worst.

[Dave Anthony]

Right. James was especially angry once June became known in the area as a sort of boy genius, even though he didn't go to school.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, by the way, that's an argument for nursing past.

[Dave Anthony]

Thank you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Three, two.

[Dave Anthony]

That's why he let him suck it. Yeah, that's the term, I think. So. June learned to read at a very young age. He was tutored by his mother and as soon as his sisters would come home from school, he'd take their. Their primers, I guess, their books, whatever this Australian nonsense is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Primers and Australian. What do you mean?

[Dave Anthony]

This is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, we're starting In Australia.

[Dave Anthony]

I think. I think she's Australian. I might be wrong. I might be wrong. No, no, no. The person who wrote it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, oh, oh, oh. She wrote. I thought this was a term of the time.

[Dave Anthony]

No, I think it could be a term of the time.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Probably primary school books.

[Dave Anthony]

Pretty sure she's Australian.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, but primary school would be what they would say there for. For sure. And so they primaries, they primers.

[Dave Anthony]

Primas.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They did the primers.

[Dave Anthony]

He would take the books and just read them on his own. Right. Like a weirdo. My opposite, he is a math whiz. And he became known for his incredible memory.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So, like you, it's tit based. I do have a good memory. Ask me what year this story takes place.

[Dave Anthony]

What year does the story take place?

[Gareth Reynolds]

1887. No, it's cutting.

[Dave Anthony]

He beat his older siblings in car games very easily. He was able to recall the cards had been played and what cards would most likely come up on each turn. So he's got almost a photographic memory.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

For.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's like an argument for breast milk.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. A few years later, 12 year old June began running away from home for a few nights at a time, as we all do.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yep.

[Dave Anthony]

Every night he spent away from home was terrifying for Ella Rose, who pleaded with Hash to do something about these little trips. But Hash refused to do anything. He doesn't care.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. He wants him gone.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. He's. They cheated.

[Dave Anthony]

Little smarty pants. Tit sucker.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, you get it.

[Dave Anthony]

Hash was busy with the new bank he had opened up, especially since one of his sons had opened up another blank in town to compete with him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What this is the banking era of this time is so nuts. It's like, it's ador. It's adorable.

[Dave Anthony]

It is adorable.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's like, it's like when you first. It's like when you hear like, like the first, like record where you're like, oh, wow, that's crazy. Where we got to. But they're like, this is awesome.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Like the first banks were just like. A guy was like, you open a.

[Dave Anthony]

Bank, I'm going to open a bank.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You swear to God that this is real.

[Dave Anthony]

All you got to do is go, hey, we're open. I'll take your money. How fucking hard is that?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, it's basically now. So there was someone who commented on something about. I don't even remember what we were talking about, but they were like, wait, why is Chase bank bad? Like, I don't even remember what I think we were. Oh, it was, it was the episode with Francesca. And I think I was saying. I was saying how frustrating my credit union is. And it is like, you know, because I wanted to leave Chase Bank. If you don't know the Chase Bank, Chase banks, what they did to me.

[Dave Anthony]

So my bank got bought by Chase, and then so I closed my Chase accounts. But there's a vendor that keeps sending money, even though I've told a million times to not send to your Chase account. And they just keep sending there. So Chase just keeps opening the account. Again.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Closing a Chase account is like shutting your Facebook down. You're like, what? Like, I just go to the office and plead. You're like, what the worst.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay, so. So anyway, son, if your son opens a bank to compete with you in town, you have bad relationships with your children.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure, sure.

[Dave Anthony]

June loved life on the road, and he likes sleeping rough. And once he turned 16, he decided to start living the life of a hobo.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hobo by choice.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Now, hobo, just the of the time the term hobo was. Were. Fine using hobo.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. But, yeah, back then, it was. It was a lifestyle, nomadic lifestyle type guy, you know? Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I guess. There weren't box cars, were there? Box cars?

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, sure. Of course, you know, history is what you're talking about.

[Gareth Reynolds]

History is a magical ride.

[Dave Anthony]

He packed up a few belongings and took to the road in the spring of 1905, hopping on a Westward Bound train.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Boxcar.

[Dave Anthony]

Judah grown into a tall and muscular boy who excelled in manual labor.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Nice. The American dream.

[Dave Anthony]

He worked for railroads. He was repairing tracks. He herded sheep, he harvested olives, and he cut down giant trees and logging cans.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Everything in there was like. You snuck in the olive part. Strange one.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Olive. That was a big thing. Go head to America and pick olives.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Strange.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Eventually ends up in San Francisco, and he checks into a cheap hotel and went out to find some fun. As you do in San Francisco.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Absolutely.

[Dave Anthony]

He ends up spending the night with a sex worker who took a liking to him and warned him that the hotel he was staying in was known for shanghaiing guests.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, Shanghai. Now, why don't you read? Was that not where they would just.

[Dave Anthony]

Take you and make you work on.

[Gareth Reynolds]

A ship and throw you on a boat?

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, right.

[Dave Anthony]

Often they get you drunk, but sometimes they just come and beat you up and.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right, right. Yeah, right. I. I guess from the hotel is a wild one.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, they get girls to drug their drinks, and then. Then they take them. So, you know, they're in the hotel, but they're also, you know, there had.

[Gareth Reynolds]

To be Some people. Like, I was saying this to someone yesterday, like, when you. Like back in the day when you used to black out, like, the way you'd try to, like, play it off the next day. Like, you'd be like, I remember that.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You know, like, you'd be like, there had to be some people who woke up on a ship and were trying to just be like, h. Yeah. Like, the way they were piecing it together were just where I wanted to be. Yeah. Like, they were just like, hey, cool. Hey. How did. I'm glad I'm here. What. What were the. When did I sort of start doing this again?

[Dave Anthony]

You around after you had, like, your eighth shot. You were like, I want to be a whaler.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That makes sense.

[Dave Anthony]

Kill a whale.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You just got.

[Dave Anthony]

Yell at him. Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. That's definitely something that was on my.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, man. My list. I really. Where are we going?

[Dave Anthony]

We are going to Argentina.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So this is like. I thought it was maybe a day thing.

[Dave Anthony]

No, it's like. It's like a year.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is a year on the Boto.

[Dave Anthony]

That's right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I guess that one ex. Who. Who did. Who was the guy who I talked to when we said we were doing this again? Because I'm just sort of like. I actually had a life.

[Dave Anthony]

I was kind of signed up.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

You talked to the. The whaling company CEO. He was there. Y. You kept saying.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I think I knew it was a year. Yeah, maybe I did. Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

All right. That's dope. And, hey, man, that's crazy. So we're getting whales.

[Dave Anthony]

Yep.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay. Oh, I was supposed to have coffee with a friend today.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, you know what will wake you up is I need you to go clean the buckets of. And pee. Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

All right.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, how far? Oh, dude, that. That is, man.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

A year. Yeah. Oh, dude, that's crazy. I had a hotel room.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, now you don't. I mean, you got a room, sort of. You be s on the deck a lot. You'll be sleeping on the deck.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, man.

[Dave Anthony]

You got an area. You got a plank. I guess you call it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Lay down. Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

All right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, that's cool.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. All right. Good talk.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

So this sex worker warns him. He gets out. He runs the hotel, and he gets his stuff, and he checks into a different hotel. And that night, the later that night or the next day or whatever, the sex worker told him that at 6am that morning, like, two hours after he left the hotel, they all got rounded up and put on a Ship for Alaska. So he works on farms on the outskirts of the city for a few months until a friend convinces him to go to Nevada and try out for a semi pro baseball team.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't think I have a great grasp of history. This era is full of things where I'm like, well, there's a lot going on. He's moving quick.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, he is moving quick.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, so now he's going to play baseball.

[Dave Anthony]

Maybe he had never played baseball, but he's gonna.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, he's big.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It'd be great to shanghai people into baseball. Wait, what? You're a Yankee.

[Dave Anthony]

So he goes to the tryouts, and he doesn't do well because he's never played baseball.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That matters.

[Dave Anthony]

I guess he's still glad he went, though. You know, the experience. On April 18, 1906, while June was away from San Francisco at the tryouts, the city had a. The massive San Francisco earthquake. So he's away, and the hotel he's living in just completely collapsed. And so now he's had two close misses. Right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

The Shanghai, the fire or the earthquake.

[Dave Anthony]

And he decides California is not the place for him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's kind of where I'm at.

[Dave Anthony]

And he heads east. He begins working in a logging camp in Arizona. It's filled with mostly white workers, but is close to a logging camp that employs Mexicans.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And after work was done, he and his friends liked to visit the Mexican camp and watch them play a card game that June had never seen before.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Huh.

[Dave Anthony]

And one evening, he asked if he'd join in. And they're like, yeah, yeah, jump on in. So starts to play. And remember, he has, like, the photographic memory, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, he's a card counter.

[Dave Anthony]

So he. He won hand after hand. And the pile on the money at the pilot table, we call this game uno. The pile of money on the table. It's just getting bigger and bigger. You know, the one that he's won. And everyone starts to get upset.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure. That happens.

[Dave Anthony]

And his friends are like, maybe. Maybe we should leave. Like, maybe we should get out of here. But he refuses to go until he has made $4,000, which is $100,000.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Holy.

[Dave Anthony]

In today's money.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Jesus Christ.

[Dave Anthony]

And then when he backs away from the table, no one's happy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right.

[Dave Anthony]

And he just casually leaves the camp and then just breaks into a run.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

Whistle out. And then you go, Speedy Gonzalez.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right.

[Dave Anthony]

He's afraid. Yeah, I'm very. Yep.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Racist.

[Dave Anthony]

He's afraid they're going to murder him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right. So that he's racist everyone. I'M I'm doing. Gonna do that a lot more, by the way.

[Dave Anthony]

So then he starts walking back to his own camp, and then he's like, wait, they could also kill me because I have 4,000.

[Gareth Reynolds]

$4,000? Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

So he just sleeps in the woods and then he skips out the next day.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't hate the decision.

[Dave Anthony]

I don't either. I would absolutely sleep in the woods.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. I'd put the money in my butt and I would be like, that's. Be careful.

[Dave Anthony]

So he just. He just bails this morning, jumps on a train, and he heads to North Dakota, where he gets. He gets a job harvesting wheat.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This when the 1906 job economy is thrashing the current one.

[Dave Anthony]

I mean. Yeah, it's weird. You can just go anywhere and get.

[Gareth Reynolds]

A job anywhere you go. Cool. I'll do that.

[Dave Anthony]

It was there that another man suggested that he go to college with all the money that he has. Instead of spending his life on the.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Road, he's just meeting people. People who are seeding his life for him.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You should go to college.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay. So he does. He enrolls in Valparaiso.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Val Kilmer University.

[Dave Anthony]

College in Indiana, which is known as the poor man's Harvard.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

So he's 17. He starts studying there, taking classes like Latin, zoology and rhetoric, which is a good class.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm taking zoology and rhetoric.

[Dave Anthony]

He's a great student. He's able to put away even more cash by playing his classmates in poker.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

But then he starts to miss his family. He hasn't seen him in years.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

So a year after he starts. He leaves school and goes back home. And Ella Rose is obviously thrilled. It's her baby boy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

She probably takes that titty out.

[Dave Anthony]

Let me start.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Jump back on it.

[Dave Anthony]

Get on it. He's happy to see his favorite brother. Leonard is also there, but he had an attack at tuberculosis, so that's why he came home. Leonard.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, Leonard did.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay. Hash and June mainly stay of each other. They stay out of each other's way at this point. They're kind of living together, but they're not sure. Yeah. It's not great, right? The brothers.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You wouldn't get it.

[Dave Anthony]

It's like us.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's like you and your dad.

[Dave Anthony]

He's dead.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I know. But when he. On his last. I do know he's dead. Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

How?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, you told me. When I texted you the day I said, I'm really sorry, you said, why?

[Dave Anthony]

Why did you do it?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I didn't do anything.

[Dave Anthony]

That's what I.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You think? Because I Had breakfast with your dad that day and it was a wet breakfast that I did something.

[Dave Anthony]

There's a lot of stuff adding up.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This idea, this is crazy. I'm not even going to get into this. Yeah, because it just feeds these online conspiracies and you're a father killer. I. I loved your dad more than you. And I spent a great day with him. On his last day, he wore his weird little cult outfit and called.

[Dave Anthony]

What was his cult outfit?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, that group he was in, Native.

[Dave Anthony]

Sons of the Golden West.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, he wore. So the brother, I mean, he does a full blown alcoholic and he's just like, this is a good group.

[Dave Anthony]

It was because it was a drinking group. I mean, they raised money for charity, but most of the time they just.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Spent a drinking everybody, they probably were saying, hide into the charity.

[Dave Anthony]

So the brothers help out on the farm and in Hash's bank through the winter. So they're splitting time and then they set off on the road again together in the spring of 1907. Who does? Him and Leonard.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, so Leonard, BTB.

[Dave Anthony]

BTB beat TB. Yeah. Yeah. He's back. So June and Leonard, they're. They're going around the country, they're following the harvests for work. But then he still. He still has it, so he. He has to go back home again. Like, it flares up, I think, bro.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Imagine like kicking it with someone for a while. He's like, I got soft tb. Like coughing in a box cart. Imagine you and me next. If one of us got tv, that would be the last time the other one would see that.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, absolutely. So they part ways and June gets a telegram at the Canadian logging camp that he's working in. And it's like, come home. Leonard's dead.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh.

[Dave Anthony]

So he didn't make it. So he hustles back to try to make it for the funeral, and he plans to get back out on the road after the funeral. Hash starts to complain of horrible stomach pains when he's there and he starts losing weight. Hash is a big guy, starts losing weight and he can't really run his farm and the bank the way he used to. So June ends up being forced to stick around and help.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And then a year after Leonard's funeral, Hash dies of cancer.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And he leaves June inherence of $5,000 cash, which is about 166, 6005. So that's. He's got some money now.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Worth it. Worth it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, I mean, you know. Your dad left your bag.

[Dave Anthony]

He left me. Well, his his girlfriend was like, do you want his bike?

[Gareth Reynolds]

What kind of bike? Schwinn.

[Dave Anthony]

Shitty ten speed Schwinn. Okay. It wasn't a Schwinn.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's a Schwinn.

[Dave Anthony]

It might have been a Schwinn.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Actually.

[Dave Anthony]

I said no, because I have a better bike and I don't know if there's whiskey in it. He also left us silver. Yeah. Bag of quarters.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

It's turned out to be worth 35, but he thought it was.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, yeah, but in today's money, thousands. That's $38. Yeah. Oh, sorry. Today's one is $30.

[Dave Anthony]

His father and brother dead. The business is now parceled off to his other brothers and sisters. There's not much keeping him there.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

So he decides to get back out on the road, but not as a hobo. This time. He's gonna un. Hobo.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He really didn't. Hobo. Sounds like a vagabond or.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, it is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

It's like you're out there living on the.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, it's just like a gig. It's the gig economy.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. You're. You're. It's a worker. Right. So you're just moving around.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Right.

[Dave Anthony]

But now he's gonna de. Hobo.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

As a Kurt. As a kid, he'd hurt his dad.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Nobo.

[Dave Anthony]

He's gonna nobo it. Yeah. As a kid, he heard his dad would rant about how he should never have left the South.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The thing there, a lot of them.

[Dave Anthony]

Say, and there's a lot of fertile cotton in Arkansas. You could get rich as a farmer. So June decides to go and find out if that's true.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

Now he sheds his nickname for another one and starts now going by HL okay, because that's his name, Right. He's Harold Lewishius or whatever it is. Sure. Look at.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, I don't give a. Yeah, you do. No, I don't care.

[Dave Anthony]

Haroldson Lafayette Hunt.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't care.

[Dave Anthony]

So he's Now.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'd rather not knowing you be on the place where you wanted to be.

[Dave Anthony]

So he's now H.L. do you want to know what that stands for?

[Gareth Reynolds]

If you go back again, I will beat your.

[Dave Anthony]

I'll look it up. It's Harold Lafayette.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, I remember Junior.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, I was just making sure I heard you. So he's going by HL Instead of June.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Are you the.

[Dave Anthony]

June was for Junior.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm gonna.

[Dave Anthony]

Lafayette Junior.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm genuinely mad.

[Dave Anthony]

So he goes to Lake Village, Arkansas, and the locals. Not really a big fan of a northerner coming to settle on.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But he's not.

[Dave Anthony]

He is a northerner. His dad was a southerner, but he's a northerner.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay?

[Dave Anthony]

And then I want, you know, these carpet bagging northern bastards who defeated them to come down, take the land.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I tell you, when I moved to Idaho for that one year, I put the American flag outside of my place that I was renting. I would too, because I was like, come on now.

[Dave Anthony]

So if you move to the south, you do what?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I wouldn't do that. I feel like an American flag is okay. You know what I do? I do the American flag with like the 12 stars. I'd be like, hey, I'm not all the way there. I just put a Kid Rock flag out I. This truck I saw today, the like, look, Trump and Vance, they're in. They're in office. Yeah, we can deflag the truck.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, let it go.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We're good.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, you guys, you know what I mean?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Like, I would think that with a bumper sticker that stuck around for four years too long, the idea of. Of driving a truck with more with five flags.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, you're an idiot.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What are you doing?

[Dave Anthony]

No, nobody.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Who, like, we get it.

[Dave Anthony]

Who the fuck likes politician as any. Any politics?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, it's like, imagine wearing the same hat and shirt for a band. You'd be like, bro, we get it.

[Dave Anthony]

Yes. But triumph went away a long time ago. Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And then. And then you're like, if you're. I mean, if you had a truck that was like Metallica and a flag that was like Metallica, Another flag was like, ride the lightning. Everyone who loved you would be like, dude, yeah, get over it.

[Dave Anthony]

Take it easy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Chill.

[Dave Anthony]

It's a band. The Dollop is brought to you by Mint Mobile, which is mobile. It tastes like mint. I'm pretty sure Gareth read the copy. Look, I like keeping my money where I can see it, unfortunately.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Like a restaurant where you put all your dollars on the wall.

[Dave Anthony]

Unfortunately, traditional big wireless carriers, they want to keep my money too, which is not great. So after years of basically overpaying for wireless, I finally was done with it. I couldn't take it anymore. The fees are insane. And then free perks that you end up paying more for. They're like, hey, do you want this streaming service for free? And it ends up being more. So I switched to Mint Mobile. That's what I did. I'm a Mint Mobile guy. It's great. It's way cheaper. It's like insanely cheaper. That's how you know you're getting ripped off. Is one of the other companies giving you equal value for hundreds of dollars more?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes.

[Dave Anthony]

So it's 15 bucks a month when you sign up for the three month plan. 45 bucks altogether and then that's it. And it works great. The data works great. Driving around, phone sounds great. Texting everything you want in a phone. It works.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes.

[Dave Anthony]

Which is how it should be.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes.

[Dave Anthony]

So look, what we're saying is say goodbye to your overpriced wireless insane nightmare. Monthly bills.

[Gareth Reynolds]

If you're going to call the build, use Mint Mobile. It's cheaper to say goodbye.

[Dave Anthony]

So all plans come with high speed data and unlimited talk and text delivered on the nation's largest 5G network. You can use your own phone with any Mint Mobile plan. You just switch your phone number over, get to keep your phone number, same number, ditch the crazy prices. You get three months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month. So if you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop [e-mail] dollop that's mintmobile.com dollop upfront payment of $45 plus 3 month 5 gigabyte plan required equivalent of $15 a month. New customer offer for first 3 months only. Then full price plans, options available, taxes and fees extra. C Mint Mobile for details.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Gareth. We are also brought to you by Squarespace.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh our babes.

[Dave Anthony]

The dollar.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh our babes.

[Dave Anthony]

Sponsored by. Brought to you by. Loved by Squarespace. We are big fans. We've been working with Squarespace for several decades.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What are your timelines?

[Dave Anthony]

They've been babysitting my child since he was.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We love Squarespace. We've been working with Squarespace for a while for good reason. Because they make your life really easy.

[Dave Anthony]

They do.

[Gareth Reynolds]

If you want to have a website, if you want to have a business, this is the place to go. We recommend it because we use it.

[Dave Anthony]

We were one time we tried another company and we didn't like it. It was supposed to be as good. Wasn't.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Sucked.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

So we're back to Squarespace. We got all of our web pages are with Squarespace.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yep.

[Dave Anthony]

Every single 1. All 7 or 9.

[Gareth Reynolds]

13 web pages associated with the show. It's very confusing.

[Dave Anthony]

So look, you can have custom merch, you need to sell merch. You can create a passive income stream, engages with your audience, scales to your brand. You can design your products and production and inventory, shipping, all handled for you. You save time, you save money. It's very easy. You can have an asset library. You can upload and organize and access all your content just from one place. And then they have a new asset library, and you can manage all your files from one central hub and use them across the Squarespace platform. Squarespace platform.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, we. And if you want to see what it looks like, go to the dollop podcast.com and check out our tour schedule.

[Dave Anthony]

And Gareth video collection is a big thing. I know Gareth's doing that. He has a lot of feet content.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Foot stuff.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, foot stuff that he's doing. You can host video content. You can organize your video library and showcase your content on beautiful video pages and then sell access to your videos with member areas, which you have. Foot of the month, I think. Is that one of the things.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Foot of the month. Toe time.

[Dave Anthony]

Toe time.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Heal it or keel it.

[Dave Anthony]

You still doing Tickles Hour?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Tickles Hour Soul expansion.

[Dave Anthony]

Get in the mud. He's got a whole. There's a lot of video foot stuff going on.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Piggies and me.

[Dave Anthony]

Piggies and me piggies and meat piggies and me. The whole piggies.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yep. I eat ham with my feet.

[Dave Anthony]

Yep. So it's good. Head over to squarespace.com for a free trial and when you're ready to Launch, go to squarespace.comdaw to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Yeah, so. So they're still better about the Civil War. It's 40 years ago, the Civil War, but they're still. They still want to punish northerners.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's shocking that they didn't get over that.

[Dave Anthony]

They're still not.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What.

[Dave Anthony]

But now they're winning. They got the chance to get even with HL okay. He's 22, and he sees his 40 acre farm for sale, and he asks people in town for information on the land.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, that land there's real fertile. You're gonna want to buy that lamb.

[Dave Anthony]

You want to get that and just start.

[Gareth Reynolds]

There's not salt water underneath that there. That a topsoil there? Hl I'd buy that as fast as you can grab it up. Or someone else is gonna. Probably a local who knows what they're doing.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay. So get over there as fast as you can.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, it's close to a levy, and so HL is like, well, is it prone to flooding?

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, no, that levy's there because the levy is one of the best levies we've ever had in town.

[Dave Anthony]

They said, hey, top dollar. It's a great place for growing cotton. Perfect. It hasn't flooded in 35 years.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And believe us, it's as secure as it can be. We call that land. Q Tip. You're going to get so much cotton out of me.

[Dave Anthony]

So he buys it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's.

[Dave Anthony]

And he sets about restoring the farmhouse and planted his first crop, cotton. Two weeks later, the rains came and water over spills the levy and his farm is totally flooded. He lost everything that he put into that year's crop.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You think the cotton would just absorb that.

[Dave Anthony]

Right. And then all the locals laugh at him when he went to town, which.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Really is like so shitty because it's obviously not a failure of his ability, it's a failure of his. Him being able to like.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, they're. Yeah. And they're acting like they can't believe that it's bad luck that the first flood in 35 years happened.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We're all absolutely. That's crazy.

[Dave Anthony]

Wow. Wow. We all went, wow.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, we. And the part of the thing is, we was just telling you that this was good, and then now you go there and that happens to you.

[Dave Anthony]

Wow.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But we were saying if it keeps on raining, the levee's going to break.

[Dave Anthony]

So his land's underwater for three months. And while it's underwater, he notices that the adjoining farm is dry. So he decides to put all of his savings and he borrows some money from the bank into buying that land.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

He adds. He adds 960 acres to the 40 he already owns.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh.

[Dave Anthony]

So he went big.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow.

[Dave Anthony]

Now he's one of the biggest landowners in the area. You want to. With me?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, I'll show you.

[Dave Anthony]

So he plants a huge corn crop on his new land.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

Very optimistic. The weather has turned drier and conditions are perfect for growing. Okay, so all looks good.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

But before it's time to harvest, the cut worms come and they.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What?

[Dave Anthony]

Cut worms?

[Gareth Reynolds]

What are they?

[Dave Anthony]

I don't know, but they eat all the corn. It sounds like they cut. Sounds like they cut the. Like, it's like a worm with a saw.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's kind of like a caterpillar. Really?

[Dave Anthony]

Is it?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't know.

[Dave Anthony]

It might be a caterpillar. It sounds caterpillary.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, it's like. Well, they, they're, they're cutters. Like, if you see a worm on something, like, that's good news.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, it depends what kind of worm. I think there's bad worms.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, it's not a bad worm.

[Dave Anthony]

It's a bad word.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Nah, you ain't got a bad worm.

[Dave Anthony]

What about the ones that are in the pinworm, the one that's in your butt?

[Gareth Reynolds]

You Want those? That means you can plant. That's how you know your soil is good. You want those?

[Dave Anthony]

I don't think you want those at all.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I actually had pinworms and I threw them in my garden.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And then they were in the soil.

[Dave Anthony]

You were right. A cut worm is a caterpillar stage of various brown or tan moths.

[Gareth Reynolds]

There we go.

[Dave Anthony]

You know, because you're the. You're the. You're the David Attenborough of the podcast.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They call it the cutter worm. But what it really is is a caterpillar. Please, God, stop. Stop destroying everything.

[Dave Anthony]

And then they cut to the. They cut to him. They went.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And these little guys got quite an appetite. He's as full as he can be, but he could stuff a little bit more inside of himself. Next to him are some soil pinworms I've thrown in. Hello.

[Dave Anthony]

I'm in a butt.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Pinworms have come from me, but they're great for nurturing soils.

[Dave Anthony]

So they eat all the corn. He's upset, obviously.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Now he's lost his money. He owes the bank money he could only think of. There's only one way.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Happy for the cut worms. For a minute, they were like, this has been.

[Dave Anthony]

They had the best time.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Thank you.

[Dave Anthony]

So there's only one way to get money back.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Cards.

[Dave Anthony]

Yep. He heads to the Planters Club where he can find the best poker players in the area.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay. He should go for the. He should find a place with the worst ones.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Because pretty quickly he finds out that he's not going to make a killing off these expert, veteran players as he had to. As he. Like the. The guys at the logging camp, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Just totally different animal.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

But he still does well.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And he gambled until every. I imagine a lot of those guys had the same, like, card counting skills, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Probably. Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

So he gambled until he'd made enough money to pay back back the bank and a little bit more.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay. So good.

[Dave Anthony]

And from the. Then on, every Saturday, he was at the main poker table at the Planters Club. And during the week, he stayed in Lake Village making money by beating locals at cards and checkers.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right? Checkers. Great.

[Dave Anthony]

Checkers is a. If you have a. If you have a photographic man.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Checker counting. Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Checker counting is mixed.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Very handy.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Around this time, HL meets a very pretty girl in town named Matty Bunker.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

He's gonna. Bunker. You know what I mean?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Don't understand.

[Dave Anthony]

He pursued her for months, but while she was attracted to him, she continued to play hard to get on the advice of her father, who wasn't sure he trusted the Yankee gambler. He's right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's good advice.

[Dave Anthony]

It is good advice.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That is good advice.

[Dave Anthony]

Eventually, Hl gets tired of waiting for Maddie, and he decides to marry her sister, a schoolteacher named Linda.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's called the Stop Making me wait.

[Dave Anthony]

Which one is not as pretty?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Bang. Honestly, that is quite a power move. Boy, you're really playing hard to get. Is it working? I married your sister yesterday. Wait, what? Yeah. Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

She's not as pretty or as young as Maddie.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Who's saying that?

[Dave Anthony]

Well, I don't know. The guy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Whoever wrote this down was like, she's a six.

[Dave Anthony]

She. She ain't no. She ain't no Maddie.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Maddie was hot. Her sister was a five, but she'd give it up.

[Dave Anthony]

I'm going for your ugly sister.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Boom.

[Dave Anthony]

So she's not as young, but she's. She's also getting too old to play her to get. You know, she's hitting.

[Gareth Reynolds]

She's getting close to that last year, but it hurt my hip.

[Dave Anthony]

She's in the off it stage.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

Of courtship.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's where you want to get them.

[Dave Anthony]

Yep.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Quitters.

[Dave Anthony]

I'm looking for a woman with low standards.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm looking for a quitter.

[Dave Anthony]

You ready to give up yet, ugly one? In 1914, like the limping gazelle.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That'll be an easy 1.

[Dave Anthony]

In 1914, two wonderful thing happened. Two wonderful things happened in Hl's life. He marries Lita. Lida. L Y D A Lida. Lita. L Y L Y D A Lida, I would say. Is that a name? Lida?

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is eight. I mean, this is a long time ago.

[Dave Anthony]

So he marries Lyda. The levy does not overflow, and he makes a profit from his cotton crop.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

Big year.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

There was some more.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What about the corn part? Well, still cut worms.

[Dave Anthony]

I think he just planted cotton this time.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And then World War.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, yeah. That's probably how he got over the cut worms. Because the cut worms were probably cotton. The. The cut worms despise cotton, which is why they won't eat that. H els made another wise decision.

[Dave Anthony]

And.

[Gareth Reynolds]

His sister put out quite quickly. She's one of the quickest to put out on planet Earth.

[Dave Anthony]

Me, Hl, me.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't. I don't think I should be watching this anymore.

[Dave Anthony]

Why is that all fake?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I was watching the cowards.

[Dave Anthony]

Oh, it's good.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But, oh, gosh, there's an old English guy I'd rather not see. This. Oh, gosh, he's lost. I'm watching the insertion. I, I Someone move me, please. Have me moved. Oh, gosh.

[Dave Anthony]

Oh, God.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't want to watch him do this. Oh, gosh. Oh, gosh. Why am I facing from back?

[Dave Anthony]

The old man is winking.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't want to watch his ball slap into her anymore. Please, no. Oh, Jesus Christ. Oh, gosh. Oh, it was like watching a cut worm.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. I don't know. Yeah, that was a classic bit. Or people turn it off.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, those. We'll find out. David Attenborough watching, like, porn is a great one.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And it seems like this school teacher's a bit too old for him, but their stepmother had another idea for the boy that can be a great David Attenborough watching porn. And she's decided to go reverse cowgirl. That's something that he's just not going to be able to manage.

[Dave Anthony]

What do you think that 15 minutes into your act, when are you gonna do that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

By the way? That is so hacky that it would murder.

[Dave Anthony]

Oh, kill you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Got you guys ever wonder what David Attenborough watching porn is like? Oh, gosh. This realtor doesn't seem to understand that she doesn't have to do that to close the offer.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay, so World War II breaks out. The price of cotton shoots up.

[Gareth Reynolds]

World War II.

[Dave Anthony]

World War I. Sorry. The price of cotton shoots up for. To make uniforms and stuff. And HL has been selling it at $30 a bail, but now it's $600 a bill.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So he's enjoying capitalism, War profiteering. Yeah. Right.

[Dave Anthony]

Farmland where one could grow cotton also spikes in price. And HL begins gambling and land speculation. So he's buying up land with cash.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Here we go. This has been. It's been dicey, but now I think I know which way we're going.

[Dave Anthony]

He's turning it around. He's selling a higher price. So he's just making. He's making money.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

In addition to land speculation, he gets involved in buying future contracts for cotton. His profits climb as the price of cotton. So he's just rolling and. Yeah, so he's the profits of war. Yeah, it's a piece of. So he's doing well. And not only is he raking in money, but. Lida Lita, what were you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Lida.

[Dave Anthony]

Lida. Lida gave birth to a healthy daughter, Margaret. I don't want to see this in 1915.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And a son. Haroldson, Lafayette Hunt. Okay, what's the third one? The third? It's just the third.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, yeah. Right. Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

His. His name was. The nickname was Hassi.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

Two years later, so 1915. Girl. 1917, boy. Okay, so they're happy. Happy little family. Although Lyta doesn't like that. HL keeps gambling at the Planters Club when he said he'd stop gambling when they got married, but he keeps stop.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, he's got shitloads of money. It's.

[Dave Anthony]

It's immoral.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, that's what it is.

[Dave Anthony]

So when the US joined World War I, HL was safe from the draft.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Because he's a farmer and rich as.

[Dave Anthony]

He'S 28 at that point. So he stays home and keeps profiting from the war. As, you know, as the price of cotton and land go up, he teams up with other men to buy huge tracks of land in the Louisiana Delta. And this business brings them to New Orleans a lot.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

Oh, and so he's speculating by day and playing with the nation's best poker players at night in different clubs and brothels. He once wins $10,000 in a single evening.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So, like 200 grand.

[Dave Anthony]

And he begins to leave Lydia, Margaret, and Hassi alone for longer and longer stretches.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Lida.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, Lida. HS luck starts to run out in 1920. A piece the price of land takes a pretty quick downward turn.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay?

[Dave Anthony]

At first, he keeps buying up as much land as he can, convincing it's just a dip in the market, but it's not. And soon he's stuck with 15,000 acres of useless land that he cannot sell.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Crypto. Okay?

[Dave Anthony]

And he owes the banks a lot of money, okay? So he's frantic, and he sells entire stock of cotton, convinced that the price of cotton would also fall with the land.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It blows up.

[Dave Anthony]

And he also tries to take advantage of this by taking a short position on cotton futures. But those are terrible moves because the problem of the price of cotton just keeps going up. So he loses everything, right? His cash is gone.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow.

[Dave Anthony]

The banks repossess the land he was trying to sell.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow.

[Dave Anthony]

Lydia. Lyda is furious with him. She was just like, why can't you just be happy with what we have? Why you keep gambling and speculating?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, imagine. 10. Did you hear that Rogan argument about musk?

[Dave Anthony]

My God.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Where he was like, dude, he has $400 billion. Like, he doesn't need any more money.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. So he doesn't need.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wouldn't that make sense at 100 million or 100 billion or 200 billion?

[Dave Anthony]

How do you not just go? Okay, Joe, so he should have been done at 10, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, 10 billion. Then that's. What.

[Dave Anthony]

Where's your argument?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes, Where. What is the line for this? Trust me, he doesn't need any more money.

[Dave Anthony]

He's. He's the smartest guy, but you're just jealous.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

All right. Blow.

[Gareth Reynolds]

By the way, I'm available to do the.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, we can be on.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We would love to.

[Dave Anthony]

That's one of the greatest things ever, is that he used to follow me.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He stopped.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, I told the mayor. I. I tweeted out the Marin story.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, you did?

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. If you don't. If I haven't said this, I probably have, but we.

[Gareth Reynolds]

When we.

[Dave Anthony]

When I was riding on Marin, we were gonna have Rogan on, and. And he. And the guys writing the script went through his old, like, interviews and stuff to take out things he said. So it would be like, his opinions in the script and literally taking actual things he said and put them in the script so that he'd like it. And then he got the script and he was like, why are you making me look like a fucking idiot?

[Gareth Reynolds]

He got all mad, which is. Which is incriminating. However, I will say there are things I've said on this show that people. That people will be like. And I'm like, what? I'm like, no, I didn't. Oh, yeah, you were like. You said. I was like, that's tough.

[Dave Anthony]

Benjamin Harrison.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Benjamin Harrison. Benjamin Franklin.

[Dave Anthony]

Franklin.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Well, that one is like that one. I know. I said, I'll never forget saying that one. And someone every two days reminds me I said that one.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Okay. So. So to get out of this financial hole they're in, HL says he wants to move to El Dorado, Arkansas, where he hears that there's an oil boom going on.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And Lydia. Oh, now I'm Lida. Lida. Lida resists. Her family, everyone, you know, they're all in Lake Village. They're her sources for support and, you know, whatever. When he's gone, right. If she moves there, he. He goes away. And then she's just alone. Yep. Also, HL doesn't know anything about oil. Like, he's just like, oil. Like, he has no fucking clue. So they come to an agreement that he would go to El Dorado and if things look good, he would send for her and the kids.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay?

[Dave Anthony]

So he has to borrow. He has no money. He has to borrow $50 to go.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow.

[Dave Anthony]

And he arrives in el Dorado in March 1921, and the town is so full of men hoping to strike it rich that hotels make money by not only renting rooms, but renting out chairs and bits of floor in the lobby for people to sleep on. Oh, so you're not good. You're not gonna make any money. Like, if everyone's doing it, you're not gonna make any money.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What is. What's. What's a chair cost for that?

[Dave Anthony]

700 for a chair? Yeah, it's fine. But that's like your. It's like a room, like you live there.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What's that area floor over there that's open? What is that gonna be?

[Dave Anthony]

That is $800 because the floor is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

More than the chair, because you get.

[Dave Anthony]

To lay down on that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

How much to sleep under the desk here? What if I stood up in that corner there? What would that cost?

[Dave Anthony]

Oh, that's 300.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's getting closer.

[Dave Anthony]

Look at anybody.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What if I. What if I would just sort of put my head on the curb where your property line starts outside a little bit?

[Dave Anthony]

That's $200.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's pretty appealing.

[Dave Anthony]

There's ants.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Is there. Is there breakfast included?

[Dave Anthony]

No, no, breakf that. The. They throw the. The chamber pots out on me.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Jesus Christ. Trying to think what's worse.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Trying to think of a lower. How much to sleep in the outhouse or the toilet?

[Dave Anthony]

The plug. Yeah. You got to clean it, and then you can. You can stay there for free, but you got to clean it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'll do the ants. Curb.

[Dave Anthony]

So to make some quick cash, HL goes up to the owners of one of the hotels, and he says, I'll set up a poker game and cut you in on the profits. So the owner agrees, and he starts running a successful poker game. And then it. It gets so popular that he moves it out of the hotel and sets up his own game in a pool hall, keeping all the profit for himself.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And he advertises his game as the most honest in El Dorado.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

So after three months, one of the men in his poker game is out of money and has to give HL the lease to an acre of land instead of cash.

[Gareth Reynolds]

There, we get it. Get a get go are going Oil.

[Dave Anthony]

HL Is very excited that he finally has some land to drill on. But now he needs to raise 10,000 for the drilling equipment.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That should not be hard.

[Dave Anthony]

No. He decides to run back to Lake Village to convince the locals to foot the bill. So he's going to talk the locals into.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, what is the pitch that will.

[Dave Anthony]

We'll strike it rich.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Light is thrilled to see him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No honey.

[Dave Anthony]

But disappointed when he just. As soon as he gets the money. He takes off.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Oh, good. I thought something else was going to happen.

[Dave Anthony]

Everyone wants to be a part of the oil boom at this point.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right.

[Dave Anthony]

Oil's like the thing y. So HL goes back to El Dorado. He's got his drilling equipment. He starts to drill. And sure enough, after a few weeks, a huge geyser of oil spurts up.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Huge.

[Dave Anthony]

He is obviously thrilled.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes.

[Dave Anthony]

But then the gush slows down and sputters and stops.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh.

[Dave Anthony]

Because neighboring oil wells all around HLS are producing gallons upon gallons of oil. So there's oil there. He just wasn't invested in a powerful enough rig. He needs to be able to get the oil out faster so it doesn't stop up. So back to the gambling dens. All summary gambles. Doesn't really visit his family until he has enough money for a better rig. And then he buys another acre of land. And this time when he strikes oil, it keeps flowing.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

So when his investors heard about the well, they hand him more cash for a second well.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And this one produces. And so now HL has two wells. They're bringing up 10,000 barrels of oil a day.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God. That's crazy.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. And now he wants a third.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh.

[Dave Anthony]

Easy to get investors, obviously, because he's hit two, and pretty soon he has three oil wells. Gushing oil. It's time for him to send for his family. Right. Because he said if I. Yeah, if he hits it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yep.

[Dave Anthony]

So now Lyta, Margaret and Hassi join him in El Dorado.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

He's now incredibly rich.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

This time with oil money. And it shows no sign of slowing down. But he's not happy to just enjoy the wealth with his family. So after Lyda gives birth to their third kid, Caroline, HL starts going out on the road more to establish new oil wells around the area and even starting a casino.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

He'd walk around in a white suit.

[Gareth Reynolds]

With a cigar, which is the law.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

If you're an oil man, you gotta.

[Dave Anthony]

Wear a white suit.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You have to be kfc.

[Dave Anthony]

Yep. So he's got on a white suit and he's smoking a cigar. And he would give tips to less experienced gamblers. He also gets a reputation.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, he's got a photographic. Just remember every card you see. Remember every card.

[Dave Anthony]

He also gets a reputation for not not only a great gambler and honest, but a man who has an eye for the ladies other than the wife lady.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

So she's begging him to spend more time at home.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right.

[Dave Anthony]

And he's pulling away more.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right.

[Dave Anthony]

He. He's not in love with her anymore.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right.

[Dave Anthony]

And he wants to have.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's a good thing he had that.

[Dave Anthony]

Third kid, but he wants her to have his children, as many kids as possible.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No. Well. Well, okay. I'll. I'll jump in. I think it's you. The ideal role is to have one for squirting the kids out and then one for, you know, your pleasure. Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

I mean, squirting is a. It's not a great term.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well. But I mean, we have to be clinical about this sort of stuff.

[Dave Anthony]

I don't think that's clinical. You know what I mean?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Here, let me do it for you. Like this. It's important to have one that will squirt out the babies and another who will do doggy.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, that's good.

[Gareth Reynolds]

See?

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Get one for the Hummer.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Get one for the Hummer and one for the summer, as I've always said.

[Dave Anthony]

So he wants to keep Lyta and keep cranking out babies with her, but that's all he wants from her, essentially, which is great.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Obviously. Disgraceful. And what is her awareness of this arrangement?

[Dave Anthony]

Interesting. Well, let me just say first that he thinks he has a genius gene and the world has to have as many copies of him as possible. If you can imagine somebody in having.

[Gareth Reynolds]

13 kids because they just feel like we're. There's a population issue in this country or the world. So, you know, the idea is that you have to. You really just have to put as many kids as you can out as possible. I work in me names.

[Dave Anthony]

So he gives. He gives light of the best of everything. And he gets her pregnant regularly. And he feels like that's his job. Like he's done his job with her. He doesn't need to do anything else. So what ends up happening is his kids really don't know him that much. Like, he's never there.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, it's an issue.

[Dave Anthony]

And things get worse between Lyta and HL when their fourth child, who is also named Lida X. Oh. Is born but then dies a month later.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

From asphyxiation when one of her siblings played with the gas jets in their house.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The gas jets? What are gas jets?

[Dave Anthony]

Gas jets. Like you. It's gas, like. But.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, so one of them just turned the gas on? Yeah, it just, like, started gas. So she get. So one of them gassed her sister.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. You kill yourself? Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Through gas.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

Sorry, I gotta respond to the boy. So the kid dies, and now she's very upset. Lyra he's not there. She's got a dead child. She sinks into depression. He's getting sick of family life. Just in the little, little time he goes there.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, that's amazing.

[Dave Anthony]

And he's always looking for the next big thing. So he decides he has to do something on his own again.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And he builds, really drilling on land and then drilling the wife. And he's just like, these are two angles.

[Dave Anthony]

So he builds a huge new house in a really nice area of town for Lyda and the kids. And then.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Isn't it beautiful, Lyda? It's got seven rooms, six bathrooms, and I'll never be here.

[Dave Anthony]

And this is the Porkin Room.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And this room you go to every once, every nine months. When I come to finish.

[Dave Anthony]

When I come to come.

[Gareth Reynolds]

When I come to come.

[Dave Anthony]

So he goes to light up, and he tells her he wants to take her on a second honeymoon.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is like some army hammer to New York City. Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And she's thrilled, obviously.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

And he seems to want to spend time with her, Right. So they drop the kids off with their family, and they take the tramp to New York City, and he makes sure she has the best time. And they go to fancy restaurants and they see.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm very worried about the end of this.

[Dave Anthony]

Broadway musicals. They like the Broadway musicals so much that he's like, I'm gonna write some. I'm gonna write some musicals.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is classic.

[Dave Anthony]

She's so happy to be there. Her husband's back. And then they get back to El Dorado, and Hl goes to Lida and says, look, I. I want to go away for a while, and I'm going to Florida. I don't know how long I'll be there. I'm going to check out. There's a real estate boom going on. She's pregnant because.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, they sell Guys and dolls.

[Dave Anthony]

She's shocked because they just did this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sick. We just had the best time. Well, we had the best time because I knew that I'd be leaving at. Don't you understand? Part of what made it delightful was that I was going to be done.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. And he's like, I'm going to Florida without you. And the. You stay here, you stay pregnant.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Stay pregnant while I'm gone.

[Dave Anthony]

The best way you're pregnant is not near me.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, I'm allergic to you when you're in that phase.

[Dave Anthony]

He's pretty firm about this. He's like, I showed you a great time in New York. I got you a new beautiful house that's all you could ever want. And he's like, I'll bring the family over if this is a good business thing that works out. And then a week later he leaves. Okay, that's just. That's how it's got to be. So the real estate. There is a real estate boom in Florida. New cities like Fort Lauderdale and Miami and Orlando are popping up. There's a lot of pretty canals and beautiful suburbs. Sure lands being sold like crazy, often without people even seeing it. So he goes to Tampa and starts looking for land to buy. And at one real estate, one real estate office, he sees this beautiful woman. And he introduces himself as Major Franklin Hunt.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What Major?

[Dave Anthony]

He used the. He used the name Franklin when he was picking up women.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Why Major?

[Dave Anthony]

Which just sounds better.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You let to do that.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Stolen valor.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, is it like major or what?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, I don't know.

[Dave Anthony]

Salvation Army.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Can I do that?

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Major Gareth. How are you? Yeah, that's right.

[Dave Anthony]

So the woman's name is Frenaya. Thai. Frania. Frania.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't know. How do you spell it?

[Dave Anthony]

F, R, A, N, I, A. Fran.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Frania.

[Dave Anthony]

Frania. And they, you know, they start talking and she takes him to look at some property and then they start dating.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And he doesn't how real estate is supposed to work.

[Dave Anthony]

He doesn't reveal the Frania that he has the wife and kids.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right. Noel. It'll be a big turn off.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, you don't want that. And he feels like he has. It's a new lease on life down here. Like it's all. It's like starting over.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right. He doesn't have a Florida wife.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So it's different.

[Dave Anthony]

And he starts making a look of lucrative real estate deals. She's giving him insider knowledge of the the area.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, he's insider.

[Dave Anthony]

And they fall in love.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Great.

[Dave Anthony]

And he's incredibly happy. H.L. is happy, Dave.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's a great story for him. It's just the other part that's. It's that nagging reality back there that's nagging.

[Dave Anthony]

Shortly after they start dating, he proposes. She accepts. She is so happy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They gotta be. Why do this to yourself? There's emails I won't reply to. And I'm like, buddy, I am losing my men. Just starting a second marriage.

[Dave Anthony]

They're married in November 1925. They go on a six week honeymoon along the coast of Florida. Light is like, how great is this?

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's great. Obviously. I'm so happy.

[Dave Anthony]

Are you against love?

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, I'm not. But I do not believe in Pollinating two flowers at the same time.

[Dave Anthony]

After their. After the honeymoon, however, disaster strikes Florida. A huge hurricane tears through major cities, killing hundreds of people and making 50,000 homeless. There's yachts in the middle of downtown Miami.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, beautiful.

[Dave Anthony]

Seeing the real estate market in shambles, HL heads back to El Dorado. Which tells Franny. Frania that he'll call for her when he's all set up.

[Gareth Reynolds]

See, this is what you got to do. You've got to leave. You got to just make sure they understand their state based.

[Dave Anthony]

That's right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They can't be coming to your other state. Yeah, yeah. Then you can have a few.

[Dave Anthony]

Also Light is about to give birth.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, yeah, I got to get back for that.

[Dave Anthony]

And so he.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, yeah, I came back for the squirting.

[Dave Anthony]

HL comes home to his family, but they're not that welcoming for some reason.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, Dave, you know how they are.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, emotional.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, they're, they're very like, they're touchy, they're sensitive.

[Dave Anthony]

She's obviously incredibly pregnant. She's still upset that he just bailed after their second honeymoon.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Why?

[Dave Anthony]

His 10 year old daughter Margaret resents him. And because he's absent all the time. Eight year old Hassie, who looks exactly like him, basically a stranger. He's brilliant. Has he? But a lot of people whisper there's something odd about him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And then three year old Caroline, she's the only one, she's the only likes she's happy to see.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

So Lydia, Lydia has their fifth baby, Nelson Bunker Hunt called Bunker after fort.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

I don't know. I don't know what it's after.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Bunker.

[Dave Anthony]

So that's February 1926. A few weeks later, 37 year old HL sets Frania up in a home 60 miles away in Shreveport, Louisiana.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh.

[Dave Anthony]

Using the name Franklin Hunt.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh my God.

[Dave Anthony]

Now both families are settled and he turns his attention back to business.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I. You really had like you, you do have to have a. A up mind. Oh, total this off.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, yeah. This is psychopathic.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's up to be like, all right, they're settled now back to work. Hopefully they don't meet.

[Dave Anthony]

So now he forms the two oil companies. H.L. hunt Incorporated and the Tenable Oil Company.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I like that he's got, you know, he's like one for each wife.

[Dave Anthony]

And that is the end of part one. Wow. Part one of, of three parts.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, okay. Well, we're set. No, I'm like, the setup is good. An oilman.

[Dave Anthony]

Should we just go right into the next one?

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, let's pee.

[Dave Anthony]

We're gonna pee.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We'll pee and then we'll. Then we'll come back on each other. Yep. Patreon.

[Dave Anthony]

Oh, I should do the sources.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Do that. I'll go. I'll go get the pee ready for you.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay. That's weird.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Open that mouse.

[Dave Anthony]

As I said before, this is written by Britney Con Brown. Kingdom the Story of the Hunt Family of Texas by Jerome Tussel. Texas Rich the Hunt Dynasty from the early oil days to the Silver Crash. Oops. By Harry Hunt. Harry Hurt Articles the Hunt Brothers how two billionaires. I don't want to say that doesn't happen yet. H.L. hunt's long goodbye in Texas Monthly by Bill Porterfield. Nelson Bunn. I can't read that one yet. Yeah, okay. Those come later.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hey, dollop fans. I know you love the dollop. You love listening to the dollop. Do you want to watch the dollop? You're like, gareth, what are you talking about? By the way, it's not Gary, it's Gareth. Well, we have partnered with Lakeside Animation and we are starting to animate some of our episodes. So if you want to go watch a five parter animation, which is actually like a 22 minute episode or 30 minute episode, I can't remember, of the rube, you can go to LakeSide Animation on YouTube and watch a really awesome animation of the rube. It. It really genuinely kicks ass and we're very proud of it. And the more you share it, the more you give it to people, the more you follow Lakeside, all that stuff, the better chance we have of making a lot more of them. We're already making a second one, so go there and watch the rube.