In 1928, Walt Disney drew a cartoon of a mouse at the wheel of a steamboat. By the time Disney died at age 65 in 1966, the rodent had spawned an amusement and media conglomeration industry worth billions. The Disney name retains a childlike innocence, yet few knew the real Disney, the dictatorial taskmaster and supporter of far-right wing political causes. This rare find is a signed check, dated September 16, 1948, made out for $500 to Lee Battson, treasurer of the Republican finance committee of Southern California. Check is engraved "Walter E. Disney" and signed with a flourish in large script in thick blue-black ink. Among the best Disney signatures around. Check and signature MT.