A Halloween howl
We were scouring the internet to bring you a nice wolf howl for Halloween when we came across this one, submitted to YouTube by a fellow with the screen name of Baltomike.
Baltomike, as it turns out, has nothing to do with Baltimore. He's a student in the United Kingdom studying media, whose screen names honors "Balto" -- the Siberian Husky sled dog, who has nothing to do with Baltimore either.
Balto led the dog team delivering diptheria serum to Nome, Alaska in 1925, ending fears of an epidemic. The run is commemorated by the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Balto was named after Norwegian explorer Samuel Balto, who had nothing to do with Baltimore, either.
Balto (the dog) and his team toured the U.S. after they rescued Nome from diptheria, but their fame soon faded, and the team was sold to a vaudeville promoter running a dime museum in -- no, not Baltimore -- Los Angeles.
In 1927, the dogs were discovered there in poor health by a former boxer (as in pugilist) and businessman from -- no, not Baltimore -- but Cleveland.
That businessman, George Kimble, started a campaign among schoolchildren and others who raised $2,000 to buy Balto and the team and bring them to live at what was then called the Brookside Zoo.
After his death in 1933, Balto (the dog) was stuffed and put on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where he stands today.
All of which has nothing to do with Halloween. And nothing to do with Baltimore.
But Happy Howl-o-ween, anyway.
Comments
Dear Mr. Woestendiek,
Iditarod administrators promote the race as a commemoration of sled dogs saving the children of Nome by bringing diphtheria serum from Anchorage in 1925. However, the co-founder of the Iditarod, Dorothy Page, said the race was not established to honor the sled drivers and dogs who carried the serum. In fact, 600 miles of this serum delivery was done by train and the other half was done by dogs running in relays, with no dog running over 100 miles. This isn't anything like the Iditarod.
Margery Glickman
Director
Sled Dog Action Coalition, http://www.helpsleddogs.org
Posted by: Margery Glickman | October 31, 2007 8:38 AM
Them wulfs sound like my wife when she learns that her brothers are coming to visit.
Posted by: Herschel Hickey | October 31, 2007 5:21 PM
I'm pretty certain there's a statue of Balto in Central Park in NYC too.
http://www.centralpark2000.com/database/balto.html
My friend's dog Balto was named for Baltimore AND the heroic sled dog both!
Posted by: Carey Hughes | November 1, 2007 7:41 AM
Herschel,
I know your wife. I shared a house with her for 13 years. So I'm familiar with her tendency to howl -- at the moon, sun, automobiles and anything else she takes a fancy to howlin' at. We always found it was best just to let her out the back door for a while til she could quieten down. If that fails, toss her a Liv-A-Snap.
Posted by: john | November 1, 2007 10:24 AM