Abner Peabody, Norris Goff, runs the Jot 'Em Down general store in Pine Ridge, Arkansas. One day, while tuning in to the radio, he hears Chester Marshall, Alan Mowbray, the head of the Civilian Aid on the War Effort Board, appeal for ideas that could help improve life during wartime. Motivated by the call, Abner decides to set up a small chemistry lab in his basement and quickly develops a new, improved formula for manufacturing synthetic rubber. His partner Lum Edwards, Chester Lauck, believes they should take their breakthrough to Washington, D.C. to present it to Marshall. Lum’s enthusiasm is matched by Abner’s steady curiosity, and the two men set off on an ambitious journey that will push them from a rural store into the heart of the nation’s capital.
In Washington, the duo finds lodging to be a surprising hurdle. An unknown man they meet in a park offers to help, but the place he provides turns out to be the very bedroom displayed in a department store window. After the morning chaos, they reconnect with an old friend, Robert Blevins, Roger Clark, a newspaper columnist who invites them to stay at his house and helps arrange a meeting with Marshall. The line to see the powerful official snakes through busy streets, and Abner and Lum quickly discover that their plainspoken ideas have captured public imagination. Marshall’s secretary, Jane Nestor, Mildred Coles, keeps an eye on the growing spectacle, while Abner and Lum roam the city and soak in its sights, gaining a reputation as practical, down-to-earth consultants.
Back on the park bench, Lum’s quick wit and plainspoken counsel draw crowds and turn the pair into makeshift advisers to anyone who asks. He offers simple but pointed guidance to a senator and to a congressman about drought, soil health, and the migration of people from small towns to big cities, illustrating the power of practical science when paired with everyday common sense. Word of their success travels fast, and before long Marshall himself arrives at the bench with a plan for a formal press event to showcase their discovery. The mood shifts to excitement as a headline moment approaches, but chaos erupts during the press conference when a statue crashes down onto Abner, knocking him unconscious and robbing him of most of his memory and recall of the rubber formula. The public doubtfully questions whether any genuine formula exists, and Marshall finds his own reputation called into question as he faces pressure to deliver results within a tight deadline.
Determined to prove their work, Marshall agrees to bring Abner and Lum back to Pine Ridge so that they can reconstruct the moment of inspiration in a familiar, honest setting. It is there, in the comforts and quirks of home, that Abner’s memory begins to flicker back to life. A second blow to the head, a familiar jolt, and the missing details come rushing back—the very formula that had guided their breakthrough. With the memory restored, the trio returns to Washington to face the consequences and to demonstrate the tangible value of their invention. The country applauds their ingenuity, and both Lum and Abner are recognized for their service, appointed heads of a special committee on farming problems, and Marshall’s public standing is restored.
Alongside the main arc, the story threads in a touch of small-town warmth through the support of family and friends. Aunt Charity Speers, Sarah Padden, offers a steadying presence, grounding the adventures in a community that values practical wisdom and friendly encouragement. The tale closes on a hopeful note: the pair’s practical innovations and unpretentious charm have helped the war effort, reshaping perceptions of scientific work and showing how ingenuity, when paired with perseverance, can turn everyday life into a large-scale triumph.
