T. GAMBLE: Century-old fruitcake discovery gets chilly reception

I read with great interest recently where a research and preservation team known as Antarctic Heritage Trust (AHT) was trying to preserve artifacts from the first explorers camp sites of the continent. These sites were established in either 1911 or 1912, depending on which one you choose.

Now, one of the sites chosen was from the ill-fated expedition of Robert Falcon Scott known as the Terra Nova expedition. He wanted to be the first person to ever reach the South Pole. Sadly enough, he made it, but 34 days after Norwegian Roald Amundsen had already reached it. Thus, nobody talks about poor Robert and all the credit goes to Roald.

Worse yet, he ran into bad weather on the way back from the South Pole, which I think is a pretty common occurrence at the South Pole. In fact, I don’t know how you really decide when it has been a bad weather day at the South Pole.

Regardless, on March 29, 1912, his entire team perished from exposure, starvation and exhaustion.

A few of his team members decided not to travel and remained at the South Pole huts, erected in 1899. They were located just a short piece from the lovely South Pole resort. They survived by leaving a little later in the year when temperatures had increased to, say, 30 below zero. These huts are part of AHT’s recovery efforts.

AHT found many artifacts that they intend to restore to original condition, including the huts themselves.

One item found, however, that did not need any restoration, as it remained almost “good as new,” was a 107-year-old fruitcake. It may have been a Claxton fruitcake, but I’m not certain of this fact.

Reports say it could even still be edible. I would note for the record, however, that one part of the team pretty much starved to death and the other survivors almost did, yet not a one decided to eat the fruitcake.

Let’s see … “Robert, we have not eaten in six days. What about the fruit cake?”

“No, Arn, I say we try and get by on another piece of shoe leather first.”

I can tell you one thing. If I ever decided to go to Antarctica — and understand, I consider Alabama too cold a state to visit in the winter — I better be able to come home with more than a fruitcake.

The Terrell County landfill alone has over 10,000 fruitcakes, unopened, packaged tightly waiting to be eaten. I bet more fruitcakes are thrown away each year than garden squash.

I need to hire whoever first marketed fruitcake as a great Christmas gift. Folks are now selling millions of them each year and then they end up in a hut in Antarctica, still waiting to be eaten 107 years later.

No one really knows why, but Robert decided to bring the fruitcake with him on his expedition. Maybe that explains why it did not turn out so well. Just saying, maybe his judgment was not the best in the world.

Oh, well, maybe they can save it for Christmas and re-gift it. Chances are the recipient won’t eat it anyway.

Email columnist T. Gamble at [email protected].