1988 Democratic National Convention : Bentsen Sr., 94: a Firm Grip on Fruits of Labor

McALLEN, Tex. —  Lloyd Bentsen Sr., a radar detector on the dashboard of his Buick, pulled up to the electronic gate of his large home.

Attached to the gate was a warning sign: “Never mind the dog. Beware of owner”--a gift from his son.

Lloyd Jr., the senior senator from Texas named last week to be Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis’ running mate, sent the sign several months ago, after he heard how his father got the drop on three armed men caught stealing a carload of fruit from one of the citrus groves that surround the elder Bentsen’s home. Not bad for a man of 94.

“All of the sudden, I had that gun in my hand and I told them what they were going to do with that fruit,” said Bentsen Sr. Namely, unload the car.

Lloyd Bentsen Jr. once said of his father: “His idea of gun control is a steady hand.”

A Self-Made Empire

The incident was vintage Bentsen Sr., a man whose name is virtually synonymous with the rich Rio Grande Valley. The elder Bentsen, who moved here with his family more than 70 years ago, has carved out an empire with sweat and a tough head for business that substituted for a formal education.

He is a millionaire many times over and owns 42,000 acres--though, by his reckoning, he has bought and sold more than 250,000 acres in the Valley over the years. He would rather work cattle than play golf, and even at his advanced age, he begins his day before sun-up.

Those who know the Bentsens, junior and senior, see definite similarities.

“There’s a lot of that old man in him,” said John Mobley, who was Bentsen’s campaign chairman when he was elected to the Senate seat for the first time in 1970. “You can see it in (Lloyd Jr.’s) competitiveness, his persistence.”

Rattlesnake Hunter’s Tale

Bentsen Sr. can tell a story. Such as the one about roping a 64-pound rattlesnake and throwing it into the back of his pickup. He roped it instead of shooting it, he said, because he didn’t want the snake to start spoiling before he could skin it.

On Bentsen’s wall is a plaque that reads: “Age is a matter of mind. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” On the opposite wall are pictures of his children along with autographed photos of the great and powerful.

“It’s not smart people who make money, but people who have courage,” he said. “You can hear the same old story--’I could have done so and so. I could have done this. I could have done that.’ ”

His wife, Dolly, whom he met during World War I, died some time back, and now the elder Bentsen is liquidating assets. He plans to have all the land sold within five years, to prevent squabbling within the family after he dies. With money instead of land everyone, including son Lloyd, will get an equal share of his millions.

After all the years Lloyd Jr. was in private business, the father balked when the son said he wanted to run for Senate in 1970. He also didn’t think his son was going to be chosen to run with Dukakis. He believed the choice would be Sen. John Glenn of Ohio. The elder Bentsen called last week to say he would be sending some fresh mangoes and grapefruits to Washington, but his son said not to bother, because they were going to leave town on a short vacation.

Later, Bentsen Sr. got a call from his son. Send the fruit, he said. They weren’t going anywhere. Dukakis had called him about a job.