Tom_in_CA
Gold Member
- Mar 23, 2007
- 13,804
- 10,335
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- 2
- Detector(s) used
- Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
Pegleglooker, I know you're just posting the various legends for amusement sakes (right?) but as your name suggests (Pegleg "looker"), I surmise you take some stock in the various stories? I just want to add some balance here: Don't forget the way these stories evolve. I mean, look down the line at all the "facts" in each of the treasure lores. How did they come to us today? "Someone who told someone who told someone who told ....." well, you get the pix. And if something was source info of the day (microfilmed old newspaper clipping for instance) you're still relying on someone's version. While I don't doubt that some of the stories had roots in fact, I also believe that the vast majority of them get emblished, even though the quoted parties insist things are factual.
For example: Having been in this for over 30 yrs, I've had the following encounters numerous times: I'll be detecting at an urban demolition site (or school yard, or beach, or wherever), and someone will stand afar off watching me. Finally they come over to talk to me, and spin a fabulous tale of "this guy who was detecting here 20 yrs. ago, and found handfuls of gold and silver coins!". I listen intently, trying to glean clues as to the story, where the stuff was found, who it was, etc.... Finally, I realize, the guy is talking about me!
I'll tell the guy, "yes, I was here when the building next door was torn out (or beach storm hit, or whatever), and yes, I got a silver dollar and some seateds, tokens, etc.... But no, I would hardly call it a treasure, or "handfuls" etc... The person telling me the story just can't believe it's not true. He insists it must be someone else. How does he know? Because his brother in law was driving the tractor, and saw it with his own eyes! You see how stories get morphed, in the sincere human desire to believe treasure lore? Pretty soon, things are just taken as fact, as generous imaginations add in details.
Another example: A friend of mine was detecting an old-town sidewalk demolition. He found some kind of charm, that appeared to be gold, with a stone, that appeared to be an emerald. He showed it to the demolition Co. guys, and mused that "it might be gold, and if this is a real emerald, it will be worth big bucks!". At home that night, he found out it was only gold plated, and the stone was merely glass. A few days later, they'd ripped out more sidewalk, and he was back out there detecting again. This time, a new worker, who hadn't been there the day he found the charm, saw him detecting. This different worker eyeballed him awhile, and finally got the courage to come over and talk to him. The worker told my friend about "this guy who had been here a few days earlier, and found an antique gold amulet worth thousands of dollars!". My friend inquired as to the details, and eventually realized that this worker was talking about him, and HIS charm! He tried to tell the guy "no, it was me, and no, the charm was just costume jewelry". But the worker would not be dissuaded that easily. He was confident that the water-cooler talk he'd heard the previous day or two, was not incorrect.
You see how the human pscyhe works? Check out all the treasure stories: It's usually some guy who was the lone survivor of an indian attack, who stumbles into a saloon. Upon his dying words, reveals a fortune just waiting to be found. Or a posse who catches up with the bandits, kills them all except one. And "wouldn't you know it", but last guy confesses to having "buried the loot off yonder". So they hang the horse thief on the spot, go looking for the loot, but never find it. I mean c'mon, if they'd found the loot on the person, and wanted to keep it for themselves (posse work deserves its rewards, right?
) what better story to tell? Or if he had buried it, and a posse member actually found it, do you think he'd blab and tell the world? Of course not! The recovery is never broadcast, so all we have today is, the "un-recovered" loot story.
And when we read these things, our minds want so hard to believe them, that no amount of reason will prevail against the "hope".
For example: Having been in this for over 30 yrs, I've had the following encounters numerous times: I'll be detecting at an urban demolition site (or school yard, or beach, or wherever), and someone will stand afar off watching me. Finally they come over to talk to me, and spin a fabulous tale of "this guy who was detecting here 20 yrs. ago, and found handfuls of gold and silver coins!". I listen intently, trying to glean clues as to the story, where the stuff was found, who it was, etc.... Finally, I realize, the guy is talking about me!
![Shocked :o :o](https://www.treasurenet.com/smilies/shocked.gif)
Another example: A friend of mine was detecting an old-town sidewalk demolition. He found some kind of charm, that appeared to be gold, with a stone, that appeared to be an emerald. He showed it to the demolition Co. guys, and mused that "it might be gold, and if this is a real emerald, it will be worth big bucks!". At home that night, he found out it was only gold plated, and the stone was merely glass. A few days later, they'd ripped out more sidewalk, and he was back out there detecting again. This time, a new worker, who hadn't been there the day he found the charm, saw him detecting. This different worker eyeballed him awhile, and finally got the courage to come over and talk to him. The worker told my friend about "this guy who had been here a few days earlier, and found an antique gold amulet worth thousands of dollars!". My friend inquired as to the details, and eventually realized that this worker was talking about him, and HIS charm! He tried to tell the guy "no, it was me, and no, the charm was just costume jewelry". But the worker would not be dissuaded that easily. He was confident that the water-cooler talk he'd heard the previous day or two, was not incorrect.
You see how the human pscyhe works? Check out all the treasure stories: It's usually some guy who was the lone survivor of an indian attack, who stumbles into a saloon. Upon his dying words, reveals a fortune just waiting to be found. Or a posse who catches up with the bandits, kills them all except one. And "wouldn't you know it", but last guy confesses to having "buried the loot off yonder". So they hang the horse thief on the spot, go looking for the loot, but never find it. I mean c'mon, if they'd found the loot on the person, and wanted to keep it for themselves (posse work deserves its rewards, right?
![Roll Eyes ::) ::)](https://www.treasurenet.com/smilies/rolleyes.gif)
And when we read these things, our minds want so hard to believe them, that no amount of reason will prevail against the "hope".