To England Via Siberia

Originally Aired: June 17, 1938 Lum #48, "To England Via Siberia," Lum has sold his interest in the Jot 'Em Down Store and is making plans to travel to England to claim an inheritance awaiting him there. After studying a map with Abner, the two believe they've discovered a revolutionary route: driving to England via the North Pole, which would minimize water crossings. However, as Abner discusses the plan with others in Pine Ridge, concerns begin to mount about the feasibility of their proposed journey. Meanwhile, tensions simmer between Abner and Squire, who now runs the store with Lum. Squire complains about Abner being late and not working hard enough, while Abner grows increasingly unsettled about the partnership. When Abner meets with Lum to discuss the trip, he raises troubling objections learned from Mose Moots at the barbershop: frozen radiators near the North Pole, no filling stations in Siberia, and the peculiar problem of six-month-long Arctic nights that could drain their car battery. The conversation takes an absurd turn as Abner contemplates opening a filling station and tourist camp in Siberia, complete with ice igloos for lodging.