Whithur thou, Larry McMerty?

Although a child of the 60's, I was never quite as impressed by Ken Kesey and the
Merry Pranksters as was expected.  But I always respected them for their one big
thing: spelling the destination of their bus "FURTHUR", transcending in a single
word the basic effect of a trip to take you "further".

Apparently it was all an illusion, as affirmed by McMurty's review in which
the destination of the bus is consistently spelled "FURTHER".

What can we learn about this from the '90's answer to the magic bus, the internet?

furthur1.jpg shows the original bus with license plate "MAz 804" and the
destination "FURTHUR".

FurthurA.gif shows the cover of the book "The Further Inquiry" by Ken Kesey 
with a photo of the original bus with the destination "FURHTUR".

Prankster Ken Babbs is quoted at http://intrepidtrips.com/bus/moreintrepidtrips2.html

"At one time someone painted the sign on the front of the bus FURTHUR 
and there were some photos made of the bus at that time that have been reprinted 
all over the place so there is of course a question in people's minds, just how 
the f@*k is further spelled? This is the kind of prankster action that takes place without 
planning or anyone's effort... so you are in the know and you can say just say know. 
I will tell you that the name of the bus has always been FURTHER, just like the 
philosophical concept, whereas farther always denotes real distance. 
Have I muddied the subject enough yet?" 

further.jpg shows the original bus with license plate "MAZ 804" and the destination
"FURTHER".

Finally, jrbus1.jpg shows the bus recreated in the '90's with the 6-character license 
plate "FURTHR" and the destination "FURTHER".

Perhaps that license plate is the last word we have from Kesey on this issue.

--Kirk McDonald
  Princeton, NJ