The White House Historical Association shared a story that was too good not to repost here about Eli Smith’s journey from Nome, Alaska to Washington D.C. via a dog sled. I’ve included the entire post/story below. I’ll provide you with my thoughts after you read it!
Click the ‘See More’ button on the embedded Facebook post below to read the entire story.
Okay, now for what you really came for, my thoughts on the story:
First off, how in the hell did this guy have enough money as a mailman to take 15 months off to travel from Alaska to DC on a dog sled? I guess he made $10k ($290k today) for completing the feat, but damn that’s a long time to be out on the road.
Second, who made this bet with him? I’d like to think that Smith was getting piss drunk with some fellow rough-nosed Alaskans in the middle of a blizzard when he made the bet. He probably woke up the next morning wishing he hadn’t made the wager, but as a a man of his word he did the damn thing.
Third, how baller must it have been to be given the welcome wagon from Teddy Roosevelt once he arrived at the White House? I’m sure Teddy poured him a big glass of scotch, lit up a cigar, and the two had plenty of stories to tell of their time out in the wilderness. To be a fly on the wall of that conversation… WOW.