He had the largest cylinder company for propane tanks in the world. Now he’s got 50 companies all over the world, but I went to see him in 1981. Our gorilla’s here at Columbus Zoo. I’m gonna flash forward here in a second if I could, ’cause you asked me… Read More
I just came up with all kinds of things. Easter egg hunt, whatever it was, you know, they had, they drew a little tuition. They did those kinds of things. I didn’t go say, “Hey, I’m sorry, I’m building this. “I need $50,000.” With Mr. McConnell, let me tell Mr. Read More
You know what I’ve done all my life?… Read More
Fundraising is very difficult for me, but you know how we built the, been here 35 years, right?… Read More
You could ask anybody that works for me, not one time. I have the last six months because I’m now getting older. I now know what I’m trying to do is to whatever I have left. And we all can’t take anything with us, but you know, let me let… Read More
Some people, zoo people find it easy. I never one time in my first 30 years here, just put 29, 28, 29, 28 years. I never asked for one dime. I went to a man named Mr. McConnell, who owns the Blue Jackets. Who’s a very giving person. He’s gone… Read More
“You’ll lose a lot more money in life now. “You really will, it’s taught you a lesson. “You’ve lost it.” I had to call Bill Chase up. I’ve already named him Crumb. I was, I named my baby elephant Crumb. My wife will tell you, she started crying. Car never… Read More
They were, you and I both know that. So good lesson learned. Now, you were getting animals for zoo, you mentioned you were talking to different people to try and get the money. Read More
How, was fundraising a natural thing for you?… Read More
No Difficult. That’s the hardest thing in my life. Even today at the Columbus Zoo. Read More
“It grows big, don’t you understand? Don’t you get it, Jack?… Read More
“What you gonna do with the elephant?” “I know Knoxville zoo me.” “The Knoxville Zoo, “they can’t even take care of old diamond. “I know the guy who’s on the board of this thing. “Are you crazy? It’s not coming here.” And when my dad tells me those things, I… Read More
“You know what, Jack?… Read More
I go, God help me, did to myself and my brother just took off, he just walked away. Read More
“Where’s your brother go?” “I don’t know.” “What is that? My God, what is that thing?… Read More
“You got some 5,000 pound bull coming in here?” Quote, I said, “No, dad, you won’t believe this. “You’re not gonna believe it. “I got a baby elephant coming in two weeks. “I’ve already paid for it.” My dad looked at me and I never, he never, it’s the first… Read More
Got big old, big old beams, put this thing in there. I had my dad came back two days early. And this is the truth, My dad was 6’6″, played football at Vanderbilt. He said, “How’s everything’s going, you boys are good?” He’d always walk around the farm. He goes… Read More
They may not admit it, but I’ll admit it. Yes, I had some pets. I had a pet lion, I told you. The chimpanzee, I had all kinds of things. I mean, look at my book. You’ll see what it listed for. Read More
What was a lion? $300, $400?… Read More
I don’t know. Elephants were $4,000. I did get an elephant. You know that, I ordered it from Bill Chase, by the way. I used it in my book, I ordered the elephant. My dad went out of town. We had a barn there for our cows and cattle. He… Read More