1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,159 Speaker 1: of these amazing tales are right there on display, just 5 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: On Christmas Eve of two thousand and nine, Gurgile Barkie 7 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: was looking desperately for a way to keep his three 8 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: year old daughter entertained. There was lots of work to 9 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: do to ensure a magical Christmas morning, and Barkie was 10 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 1: eager to get his daughter to settle down. Like many families, 11 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: Barkie's household had run through all the usual Christmas movies. 12 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: Barkie flipped across dozens of television channels, all playing this 13 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: same three holiday films, until he finally came across one 14 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 1: plane something different. One channel had just begun playing the 15 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety nine movie Stuart Little. Not very festive, but 16 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: at least it was something Barkie's daughter hadn't seen, and 17 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: just as he was about to return to his Christmas 18 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: morning preparations, his daughter asked him to sit and watch 19 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 1: it with her. Barkie fought off a groan fine he 20 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: would watch this ten year old movie featuring a talking 21 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,839 Speaker 1: mouse instead of attending to his growing to do list. 22 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 2: It was Christmas, after all. 23 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 1: When Barkiy agreed to spend this time with his daughter, 24 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: he had no way of knowing that he would be 25 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 1: rewarded with the best Christmas gift he could have ever 26 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,639 Speaker 1: asked for, not quality family time, though we can assume 27 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: he was grateful for that as well. No, Barkie's reward 28 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: came in the form of Stuart Little's living room, specifically 29 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: one painting on the living room's far wall. Barkie leapt 30 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: from his seat. He dove for the remote before remembering 31 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: that the movie was playing on cable and he had 32 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: no way to pause or rewind it. For a moment, 33 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: he was rush and then the painting appeared again on screen, 34 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: and again and again. You see, gurgilely, Barkie wasn't just 35 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: an exhausted dad trying to make Christmas magical for his family. 36 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: He was also a researcher for the Hungarian National Gallery 37 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: and an expert in the paintings of Robert Barney, a 38 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: Hungarian expressionist painter from the early twentieth century who was 39 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: famous for several works, but most notably for Sleeping Lady 40 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: with Black Vaz, and that particular work, Sleeping Lady with 41 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: Black Vaz, depicted Baroney's second wife in repose. 42 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 2: He had completed the. 43 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: Painting around nineteen twenty five, and records show that it 44 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: was sold in nineteen twenty eight. Since then, the painting 45 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: had been lost to time. Researchers, including Barkie, suspected that 46 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: this was due to the political upheaval in Hungary during 47 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: the period. The buyer and their family may have purchased 48 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,519 Speaker 1: the painting and then left Europe shortly afterwards. 49 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 2: The question then. 50 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 1: Became, how did a painting last see in nineteen twenty 51 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,959 Speaker 1: eight wind up on the set of Stuart Little Before 52 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: the movie had ended, Barkie got right to work. He 53 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: bombarded the production staff of the movie with emails and 54 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: voicemails asking how and where they had found the painting. 55 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 1: It was the best Christmas present for an art historian, 56 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 1: Barkie said, and then nothing. For two long years, his 57 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 1: requests for information went unanswered. Doubt crept in. Could the 58 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: painting that he saw in Stuart Little have been just 59 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 1: a replica. Barkie watched the film over and over to 60 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: be sure, and came to the conclusion that it must 61 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: be the real thing. After all, barony was no worldwide phenomenon, 62 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: and the painting was not well known outside of Hungary. Finally, 63 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: he received an email from the assistant set director of 64 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,119 Speaker 1: the movie. She had purchased the painting at an antique 65 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: shop in Pasadena. She told him the set team felt 66 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: that it fit the elegant esthetic of Stuart Little's house, 67 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,119 Speaker 1: and when the movie wrapped, she had asked to take 68 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: it home, and the painting had hung in her Washington, 69 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: d c. Bedroom ever since. She invited Barkie to come 70 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: in person and confers firm the identity of the painting. 71 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: Within a few months, he flew from Hungary to Washington 72 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: and met up with this assistant set director near the 73 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: National Mall. As soon as he laid eyes on the painting, 74 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: he was sure it was the real thing. There's only 75 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: one thing left to check, he told the woman. Barkie 76 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 1: strode to a nearby hot dog vendor and asked to 77 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 1: borrow a screwdriver. 78 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 2: The vendor was happy to oblige. 79 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:26,359 Speaker 1: Barkie then unscrewed the protective backing from the antique frame 80 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: and ran his eyes over the underside of the canvas, 81 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: and there it was. In the lower corner was the 82 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: stamped date nineteen twenty eight, the last time it was exhibited. 83 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 1: Before the painting was purchased, the lost painting had been found. 84 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: The assistant set director sold the painting about a year 85 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: later to a private collector for two hundred and eighty 86 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: five thousand dollars. For his part, Barkie gained fame and 87 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 1: notoriety in the art historian community, and even published a 88 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:57,160 Speaker 1: book about Barony's works, including the. 89 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 2: Story of his discovery. 90 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 1: Barkie says getting to help solve the mystery is reward 91 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 1: enough for him, but he added, with a twinkle in 92 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 1: his eye, I do watch movies very differently now. In 93 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: the early morning hours of May twenty first of nineteen 94 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: twenty four, just outside the small town of Lone Pine, California, 95 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:33,719 Speaker 1: a sudden explosion lit up the desert night. When police arrived, 96 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: they found that the blast had blown a massive hole 97 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: in the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which carried water from the 98 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 1: farmland of Owens Valley all the way to the city 99 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: of Los Angeles, two hundred miles away. Southern California was 100 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: in the middle of a long drought, and thanks to 101 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: this act of vandalism, millions of gallons of precious water 102 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: had already spilled out onto the sand. The police reckoned 103 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: that it would have taken at least five hundred pounds 104 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 1: of dynamite to cut through the iron and conquer creed 105 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: of the aqueduct, which meant that they had a major 106 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: criminal plots on their hands. Immediately, the LA Mayor put 107 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: up a ten thousand dollars reward for information leading to 108 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: the suspects in the bombing, and detectives were sent into 109 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 1: nearby towns to investigate. But even though it seemed like 110 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: everyone in Owens Valley knew exactly who was responsible for 111 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 1: the blast, nobody would say a peep to them. The 112 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: bombers were heroes. The residents of Owens Valley had been 113 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: unhappy about the aqueduct from the beginning. It had been 114 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 1: built more than a decade prior to help the booming 115 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 1: city of Los Angeles keep up with its growing water demand. 116 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: By so much of their local water supply being siphoned 117 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,279 Speaker 1: off and sent to the city, the farmers and ranchers 118 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: in Owens Valley were struggling. Land dried up crops, wilted 119 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: farmers lost their profits, and the local economy began to fail. Finally, 120 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: the people of Owens Valley had decided that enough was 121 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: enough and it was time to fight back, and amazingly, 122 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: that bombing outside Loan Pine was just the beginning of 123 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: what became known as the Kel Water Wars. A few 124 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: months later, dozens of Owens Valley residents drove out to 125 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 1: that same area and commandeered the aqueduct by force. They 126 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: opened the spillway gates and let the water flow out, 127 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: threatening to let it keep spilling until the City of 128 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: Los Angeles came out to settle their grievances, and they 129 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 1: stayed there for days, resisting the sheriff's orders to leave, 130 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: until the city of La agreed to negotiate with them. 131 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: Over the next few years, there were more and more 132 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: bombings and acts of sabotage. The Los Angeles Water Department 133 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 1: had to hire armed guards with machine guns to protect 134 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: the aqueduct twenty four to seven. The battles continued until 135 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty seven, when the main bank in Owens Valley 136 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: suddenly went belly up. The bank's co owners, Wilfred and 137 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: Mark Watterson, and I know the last names. Ironed is 138 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: not lost on me, had been helping to organize and 139 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: fund the rebellion, and without them, the resistance collapsed. The 140 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 1: Waterson brothers were charged with thirty six counts of embezzlement 141 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 1: and grand theft, and during their trial they admitted that 142 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: they had stolen money from the bank to fund the 143 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: water wars against Los Angeles. 144 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 2: The brothers were both. 145 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: Sentenced to ten years in prison, making them the only 146 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: people who ever faced criminal charges. 147 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 2: For the water Wars. 148 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 1: It was a hard fought battle, but in the end, 149 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: Owens Valley was no match for the bustling city of 150 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: Los Angeles. The city kept buying up land and water, 151 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: and by the next year, the once green landscape of 152 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: Owens Valley had completely turned to sand. The farmers and 153 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 1: ranchers who lived in the area were forced to sell 154 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: their land and move away, and meanwhile, Los Angeles kept 155 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: growing and city officials kept doing whatever it took to 156 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:41,319 Speaker 1: survive and thrive in the barren deserts of southern California. 157 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 1: I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet 158 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:51,440 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn 159 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. 160 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: The show was created by me Aaron Mankey in partnership 161 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: with how Stuff Works. I make another award winning show 162 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 1: called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television show, 163 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: and you can learn all about it over at Theworldoflore 164 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: dot com. And until next time, stay curious.