kenb
Bronze Member
Here's a good article.
For treasure hunter in region, the search brings its own reward
By Dianne Wiebe, Freeman staff
06/05/2007
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"THROUGHOUT the ages, and among all nations, legends of treasure have excited men's imaginations to dreams of golden ease. The romance of buried treasure lies in the fact that it is a toil-free path to instant wealth," the late Harold Harris of Ellenville wrote in the introduction to his book, "Treasure Tales of the Shawangunks and Catskills."
For Wayne Naylor, who began treasure-hunting 40 years ago while serving with the U.S. Air Force, "It seemed like a way to make a few extra bucks on weekends at a time when I was making $80 a month."
For most treasure-hunters, it's a hobby, not a salvage operation like the one that recently brought up tons of gold from a shipwreck. Few people make a living at it, but they are no less dedicated.
Treasure-hunting is much more complex than simply trolling the beach with a metal detector, said Naylor, a Gettysburg, Pa., resident who visited the Ellenville area last month. Spending long hours in the local library, gathering information on local legends and sites, is usually the first step.
Next comes talking with locals, especially old-timers, to learn more about the past through local legends that might reveal who would have buried something of value.
Naylor said there's a cautionary secrecy, and he's careful not to reveal more than enough of his own information than is needed to start a conversation.
"You look for the reasons why it was buried, and for landmarks that could offer clues to the site," Naylor said. "You always try to disprove the treasure first, see why it wouldn't exist, so you can get it off the list."
People often buried valuables when they were going to be away from their property for a time. Misers who trusted no one, not even family members, might bury whatever wealth they had accumulated. And gangsters often needed a place to "store" their ill-gotten gains, in the absence of today's numbered bank accounts in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands.
There's a difference between those who hunt the one big treasure, and those who are satisfied with the occasional artifacts. The real treasure hunters are lured by the legends, the clues and the codes, and often become obsessed with it.
Naylor has visited Phoenicia to search for a treasure rumored to have been left by the notorious bootlegger Jack "Legs" Diamond. Local historian John Unverzagt said he's hunted for Old 99 (Old 99's Cave, one of the legends in Harris's book) for 60 years, and would advise other treasure hunters to go up in the mountains to search for Old 99.
When he has as much information as possible, Naylor sets out with his equipment. He has "a deep search" metal detector, a computerized tool that can be programmed to a target by setting the size, depth and the type of metal he hopes to find. The better metal detectors can discriminate between a pull tab and a ring, a horseshoe and a coin.
Hunters often go out alone, but sometimes they go out in groups, especially if the property to be searched is large. They look for certain things, and while they may not find exactly what they're looking for, they do find a lot of things like horseshoes, railroad spikes and plow blades.
"It's an illness - you taper off, then something happens to lure you back," Naylor said.
Before municipal trash collection, a fairly recent practice, people buried trash on their property. While they weren't the conspicuous consumers of today, and seldom threw away anything useable, there is a lot of material still underground.
But, when a building burns or is abandoned, local people go out and scavenge the site, so there's not likely to be much left to be found 100 years later.
Naylor's own collection includes about $10,000 worth of coins and gold pieces, pieces of jewelry, old books and manuscripts, and his prized possession, hand-written ledger papers pertaining to a local treasure.
You have to know the best places to look. Naylor said a colleague once found a $13,000 diamond ring underneath the sliding board at a playground, presumably lost by a mother catching her child.
Naylor once found a "bottle dump" containing more than 400 bottles from the late 1800s, many of which were valuable enough to be sold. Once in a while, he buries "leftovers" in his own yard and outfits his young nieces to share his favorite pastime with them.
Archaeologist Wendy Harris, the daughter of Harold Harris, said treasure hunters, because they're focused totally on the object - the goodies - lose sight of the fact that there's an enormous about of information buried with the treasure that can tell you about the person who buried the treasure, and the times in which they lived.
"Part of the problem is that archaeologists haven't really communicated with treasure hunters to let them know how they could conserve that information," Harris said. "You can get training at a field school in New Paltz to learn about scientific excavation without spending years in graduate school."
Naylor's wife appreciates the fact that her husband has an active interest in the search (and yes, gets him out of the house and away from the TV), but she is less optimistic about finding anything wonderful.
"There's no treasure left out there," Ruth Naylor said. "I personally would not put my time and effort and hopes into it."
But, like the mostly unsuccessful treasure hunters of legend documented in Harold Harris's book, it's more than just the desire for wealth that drives today's seekers.
"It's like everybody who's ever fished - you know the big ones are out there," Naylor said. In Ellenville, he was intrigued with the "Old Spanish Cave," mentioned in Harris's book as an unsolved mystery. Reaching more than 400 feet into the Shawangunk Ridge, no one seems to know the origin of the man-made tunnel, but it spills forth water that is among the purest on earth. A bottling plant was built at the turn of the century to capture and sell this treasure.
Treasure, then, can mean all sorts of things.
"You learn a lot about the changes that happen over time," Naylor said, talking about the fact that a search of old school houses yielded nothing until the 1940's, when silver coins might have been lost from the pockets of students.
Landmarks are important, and knowing things like the fact that people usually buried things near the house, but in a spot that could be seen from a window.
It's a popular hobby, and variations have developed since Naylor started his quest.
* NBC last summer launched a reality series called "Treasure Hunters," featuring multiplayer teams to be sent on a global search to solve a puzzle leading to hidden treasure.
* Entrepreneurs offer membership in clubs that offer lessons, equipment and camaraderie for novices as well as enthusiasts.
* "Geo caching" is a high-tech adventure. GPS devices are used to track maps published on the Internet. Naylor says you can take what you find, leave it there, or add something to it.
Of course, since every inch of the earth is owned by someone, getting permission to dig is an essential element of the process.
"OK, you can dig in my yard, but do I get anything if you find something?" is the property owner's first question, according to Naylor. He works out an agreement and gets a signed and notarized copy.
Naylor adds that besides "the thrill of the chase," he enjoys the outdoors and the exercise he gets on his journeys. He likes talking with other hunters and local history enthusiasts.
He no longer counting on striking it rich or solving the mystery of the Old Spanish Cave, but .. you never know.
"It's a hobby for dreamers," Ruth Naylor said.
©Daily Freeman 2007
kenb
For treasure hunter in region, the search brings its own reward
By Dianne Wiebe, Freeman staff
06/05/2007
Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendly
Advertisement
"THROUGHOUT the ages, and among all nations, legends of treasure have excited men's imaginations to dreams of golden ease. The romance of buried treasure lies in the fact that it is a toil-free path to instant wealth," the late Harold Harris of Ellenville wrote in the introduction to his book, "Treasure Tales of the Shawangunks and Catskills."
For Wayne Naylor, who began treasure-hunting 40 years ago while serving with the U.S. Air Force, "It seemed like a way to make a few extra bucks on weekends at a time when I was making $80 a month."
For most treasure-hunters, it's a hobby, not a salvage operation like the one that recently brought up tons of gold from a shipwreck. Few people make a living at it, but they are no less dedicated.
Treasure-hunting is much more complex than simply trolling the beach with a metal detector, said Naylor, a Gettysburg, Pa., resident who visited the Ellenville area last month. Spending long hours in the local library, gathering information on local legends and sites, is usually the first step.
Next comes talking with locals, especially old-timers, to learn more about the past through local legends that might reveal who would have buried something of value.
Naylor said there's a cautionary secrecy, and he's careful not to reveal more than enough of his own information than is needed to start a conversation.
"You look for the reasons why it was buried, and for landmarks that could offer clues to the site," Naylor said. "You always try to disprove the treasure first, see why it wouldn't exist, so you can get it off the list."
People often buried valuables when they were going to be away from their property for a time. Misers who trusted no one, not even family members, might bury whatever wealth they had accumulated. And gangsters often needed a place to "store" their ill-gotten gains, in the absence of today's numbered bank accounts in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands.
There's a difference between those who hunt the one big treasure, and those who are satisfied with the occasional artifacts. The real treasure hunters are lured by the legends, the clues and the codes, and often become obsessed with it.
Naylor has visited Phoenicia to search for a treasure rumored to have been left by the notorious bootlegger Jack "Legs" Diamond. Local historian John Unverzagt said he's hunted for Old 99 (Old 99's Cave, one of the legends in Harris's book) for 60 years, and would advise other treasure hunters to go up in the mountains to search for Old 99.
When he has as much information as possible, Naylor sets out with his equipment. He has "a deep search" metal detector, a computerized tool that can be programmed to a target by setting the size, depth and the type of metal he hopes to find. The better metal detectors can discriminate between a pull tab and a ring, a horseshoe and a coin.
Hunters often go out alone, but sometimes they go out in groups, especially if the property to be searched is large. They look for certain things, and while they may not find exactly what they're looking for, they do find a lot of things like horseshoes, railroad spikes and plow blades.
"It's an illness - you taper off, then something happens to lure you back," Naylor said.
Before municipal trash collection, a fairly recent practice, people buried trash on their property. While they weren't the conspicuous consumers of today, and seldom threw away anything useable, there is a lot of material still underground.
But, when a building burns or is abandoned, local people go out and scavenge the site, so there's not likely to be much left to be found 100 years later.
Naylor's own collection includes about $10,000 worth of coins and gold pieces, pieces of jewelry, old books and manuscripts, and his prized possession, hand-written ledger papers pertaining to a local treasure.
You have to know the best places to look. Naylor said a colleague once found a $13,000 diamond ring underneath the sliding board at a playground, presumably lost by a mother catching her child.
Naylor once found a "bottle dump" containing more than 400 bottles from the late 1800s, many of which were valuable enough to be sold. Once in a while, he buries "leftovers" in his own yard and outfits his young nieces to share his favorite pastime with them.
Archaeologist Wendy Harris, the daughter of Harold Harris, said treasure hunters, because they're focused totally on the object - the goodies - lose sight of the fact that there's an enormous about of information buried with the treasure that can tell you about the person who buried the treasure, and the times in which they lived.
"Part of the problem is that archaeologists haven't really communicated with treasure hunters to let them know how they could conserve that information," Harris said. "You can get training at a field school in New Paltz to learn about scientific excavation without spending years in graduate school."
Naylor's wife appreciates the fact that her husband has an active interest in the search (and yes, gets him out of the house and away from the TV), but she is less optimistic about finding anything wonderful.
"There's no treasure left out there," Ruth Naylor said. "I personally would not put my time and effort and hopes into it."
But, like the mostly unsuccessful treasure hunters of legend documented in Harold Harris's book, it's more than just the desire for wealth that drives today's seekers.
"It's like everybody who's ever fished - you know the big ones are out there," Naylor said. In Ellenville, he was intrigued with the "Old Spanish Cave," mentioned in Harris's book as an unsolved mystery. Reaching more than 400 feet into the Shawangunk Ridge, no one seems to know the origin of the man-made tunnel, but it spills forth water that is among the purest on earth. A bottling plant was built at the turn of the century to capture and sell this treasure.
Treasure, then, can mean all sorts of things.
"You learn a lot about the changes that happen over time," Naylor said, talking about the fact that a search of old school houses yielded nothing until the 1940's, when silver coins might have been lost from the pockets of students.
Landmarks are important, and knowing things like the fact that people usually buried things near the house, but in a spot that could be seen from a window.
It's a popular hobby, and variations have developed since Naylor started his quest.
* NBC last summer launched a reality series called "Treasure Hunters," featuring multiplayer teams to be sent on a global search to solve a puzzle leading to hidden treasure.
* Entrepreneurs offer membership in clubs that offer lessons, equipment and camaraderie for novices as well as enthusiasts.
* "Geo caching" is a high-tech adventure. GPS devices are used to track maps published on the Internet. Naylor says you can take what you find, leave it there, or add something to it.
Of course, since every inch of the earth is owned by someone, getting permission to dig is an essential element of the process.
"OK, you can dig in my yard, but do I get anything if you find something?" is the property owner's first question, according to Naylor. He works out an agreement and gets a signed and notarized copy.
Naylor adds that besides "the thrill of the chase," he enjoys the outdoors and the exercise he gets on his journeys. He likes talking with other hunters and local history enthusiasts.
He no longer counting on striking it rich or solving the mystery of the Old Spanish Cave, but .. you never know.
"It's a hobby for dreamers," Ruth Naylor said.
©Daily Freeman 2007
kenb
