Futility Closet

In 1909, Oklahoma brothers Bud and Temple Abernathy rode alone to New Mexico and back, though they were just 9 and 5 years old. In the years that followed they would become famous for cross-country trips totaling 10,000 miles. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll trace the journeys of the Abernathy brothers across a rapidly evolving nation. We'll also try to figure out whether we're in Belgium or the Netherlands and puzzle over an outstretched hand. Intro: Lytton Strachey's uncle William observed Calcutta time in England. John Dryden displayed a discerning discrimination in an impromptu poetry competition. Sources for our feature on Louis and Temple Abernathy: Alta Abernathy, Bud & Me: The True Adventures of the Abernathy Boys, 1998. Miles Abernathy, The Ride of the Abernathy Boys, 1911. John R. Abernathy, "Catch 'em Alive Jack": The Life and Adventures of an American Pioneer, 2006. Brian Spangle, Hidden History of Vincennes & Knox County, 2020. M.J. Alexander, "The Astoundin