Billionaire Delighted in Outrageous Events (PB Post-Times) 1-7-78By SHEILA TRYK
Special to The Rost
Howard Hughes provided my in-
troduction to John D. MacArthur.
Not that the elusive Hughes was
ever aware that he had.
Hughes was missing and it was
rumored that he was hiding out in
the Bahamas — or maybe the Colon-
nades Beach Hotel, owned by his
friend MacArthur. So I journeyed to
Singer Island.
The idea must have tickled Mac-
Arthur — I was invited to sit at his
table in the hotel dining room. (I
didn't realize the significance of that
act then — how men had been wait-
ing for three days to see him.)
"Hughes? Hell, no, he's not here, s
MacArthur said. "At least I don't
think so. . . "
He puffed the inevitable cigarette,
chuckled, blurted, and suggested we
fly together over to Nassau to look
for Hughes.
"Even if we don't find him, it will
be a nice vacation," he said, watch-
ing for my reaction. "Or won't that
cheapskate paper spring l6ose for
the trip?"
"Oh I don't think so, " I said hasti-
ly.
"Well, we'll go in my plane," he
said, watching me through a cloud
of smoke, and doubtlessly enjoying
my squirming.
"My husband would object, " I
said.
"Don't tell him," said MacArthur
with a grin.
"But I'm a Scots Presbyterian, " I
said, my final folly.
"Great!" he explained. "So am I!"
Of course, we didn't go. (` `Why
didn't you?" demanded the city edi-
tor. Anything for a story.)
John MacArthur, — I'll miss him.
They said he was ruthless, foul-
mouthed, uncaring, the last of the
robber barons. But to reporters
whom he favored, he was a constant
source of stories, outrageous quotes
and humor. And to me he was never
other than old-fashioned, courtly and
cooperative, a professed believer in
Ood, co atry. and free enterprise.
MacArthur once said he didn't
blame Howard Hughes for becoming
a recluse. "As soon as he lets him-
self be seen in public they'll slap
him with a subpoena and he'll have
to waste all his time in court-
rooms." But John MacArthur was
no recluse himself.
He took too much zest in living,
enjoyed people and power, loved the
humor of live.
At first he was astounded when I
said I wanted to do a story on him.
"You're thinking of my brother,
Ch a~li e, " he said. "Nobody would be
interested in reading about me."
Charlie, the brilliant newspaper-
man and playwright, was closest to
him in age. And when he was still
quite young, MacArthur also went to
work on a newspaper -- "to help
keep an eye on Charlie" who had a
well-known weakness for the bottle.
"But I was never a newspaper-
man," MacArthur said. He was
wrong . His news sense was phenom-
enal, and had he not gone into the
billionaire business, he'd have been
a top rep_ orter or publicity man.
With a famous and successful
young brother and older brother,
who were already rich and success-
ful, MacArthur was something of a
failure in his own eyes as well as
those of his family,
"It took me 40 years to turn my
first profi.t," he told me once.
A major article on John D. Mac-
Arthur? He couldn't believe anyone
would be interested.
"I was always Charlie's brother,"
he said.
Perhaps this diffident image of
himself accounted for the unpreten-
tious life he led. For many years he
lived in a small, simple house in
Palm Beach Gardens.
Walt Disney came there one time
to visit, to discuss his plans for Dis-
ney World.
"Walt realized he'd made a mis-
take in planning to build near Orlan-
do. It's too damn cold. I told him
that in the first place, but he hadn't
listened," MacArthur said with a
snort.
So Disney had decided to look at
land west of. the Palm Beaches ---
MacArthur' s .land, of course. One
apocryphal story has MacArthur and
Disney skinn=dipping in the canal
during the informal meeting. (It's.
probably true -- it would be like
MacArthur to prove that Palm
Beach County had a better climate
than the Orlando area.)
The part MacArthur liked to recall
was that when they got back home,
the toilet was stopped up. He and
Disney got a snake and plunger to
try to fix it
"There was. Walt Disney, discuss-
ing, millions of real estate — up to
his elbows irj y toilet" MacArthur
said gleefully.
Sheila Tryke former Post
reporter and now editor of the
New Mexican magazines prob-
ably knew John D,, MacArthur
better than any newspaper re-
porter® The following is some of
her remembrances about the
colorful billionaire.
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Disney died not long after — and
the changed plans for Disney World
were never put into operation.
Later, the MacArthurs had to
move to protect their privacy and to
get more help. But MacArthul,
wasn't a mansion kind of person,
and his solution was typical. He
bought a hotel.
"This way I can get the help and
privacy I need, and not worry abo-ait
the servant problem" he explained.
When double-knit polyesters first
came on the market, MacArthur be-
"You ought to see it, he sed..gan
sporting some new slacks.
"Got 'em free, " he said proudly,
"C'monwe'll take a run out there
I y ,
when I admired them. "I own the
factory . "
now.
I was commiitted before I realize.eld
His typical garb was a sport shirt
that Burt Reynolds was not goingwith
and slacks. And as he ambled
us. He was going to meet Dinah
through the hotel, no one would hav
Shore. And I couldnt back out.e
spotted him as one of the richest
You drive," said MacArthur,
men in America.
handing me the keys to a 300 foot
Once, he said, a guest stopped hip
long Cadillac. He did the navigating.
"Down
in the hall and asked him to change
this road. Turn here. Why
a lightbulb.
you going so slow?" I pointed out
"I said I'd call the maintenance
'Oh .
the speed limit.
"Oh, I never pay attention to
department. And she said, I
thought you the maintenance
that," he said with a chuckle. "Thfn,
'were
man!"
cops stop me and say 'Now now, m y,
Every now and then my phone
MacArthur, you know you aren't
would ring in. the newsroom and J1,
supposed to go 60 in a 30 mile zone.
would be MacArthur.
That's all."
"There's a little story here you
"You're the billionaire, not me," I
might be interested in. . he'd be-
told him. I stayed with the spud
�eed
gin. Of course I was interested. He
limit.
Then suddenly we were at the lit -
always knew a story when he saw
tle airfield, and I was being told to,
one.
Often it was a show business per-
park . beside a small private plane
sonality who had come to town " and
with pilot waiting. I was horrified.
"A
was staying in the Bob Hope Suite at
plane? I get sick in planes . .
the hotel. (This two-story showplace
MacArthur looked hurt. He
had an enormous shower with jets of
water coming from all angles at the
thought I wanted to see his ranch.
bather --beside a huge uncurtained
The ranch was on the other side of
window with a view of the ocean. "I
Lake Okeechobee. How else would
think Reubin Askew was too scared
we get there?
I got on the plane.
and modest to take a shower there,".
said.MacArthur in disgust.)
"Is that some of my land?" Mae-
Perhaps because of Charlie's life
Arthur asked. "Let's have a look."
in the heady world of the theaters
The plane banked sickeningly,
and movies, MacArthur was eternal-
swerving close to the smoky area.
ly fascinated by show business per-
My stomach went the other way.
sonalities — even minor ones.
Fortunately- the pilot had a bag.
But he knew a lot of the big ones,
Unfortunately, he wasn't qui*...e Bast
too.
enough.
"Want to have lunch with Bob
MacArthur searched for Kleenex
Hope? Maybe he'll give you an inter-
and looked angry. He patted me on
view, if I asked him," he said. Of
the"shoulder,
course I did! I shot out to the hotel.
I hope its not the company, he
%I
'"
"How about Lee Trevino?" he
said hestitantly.
asked —and once again I was on the
He was one of a kind — and in -
way!
tensely human. He loved and re -
"Burt Reynolds is here — but he.
speeted his wife, and spoke proudly
doesn't like your paper. No one has
of her business acumen -- but he
ever written a word about him and
couldn't remember how many
he's. a hometown boy.
grandchildren he had or what their
"We're under new ownership
names were. He could shrug off a
now," I said hastily. Burt Reynolds'
business deal that might have netted
Wow!
him a million, but he'd never offer- Z4,
"Maybe we can change his mind,"
cigarette to anyone. He could spot a
said MacArthur.
phony in a second, but would be
So there I was having lunch with
awed by a second-rate movie star.
MacArthur and Burt Reynolds.' (Be
Miss him? You bet I will. I
still my heart!)
haven't seen him in years, but I'll
MacArthur began discussing
miss his funny notes, I'll miss know -
"his
ranch -'-not the one that took up
ing he's there, still giving 'em
most of the southeast corner of Colo-
still chortliag that he'd. fooled the
rado, but the one in Florida.
damn doctors one more thee.
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