U . ' , If ' r / * Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 15 May '85 _ _ \ — ^

— I County Library — ^ — by Kathleen Duffy ' f 1 "

Did you know that, your county library not only contains a wealth of information, but information on a great deal of wealth? That's right, real buried treasure — gold, silver, precious jewels, and hard cash — and you might just be able to stake a claim on it. All the clues needed to uncover the treasure are sitting on the stacks at your , public library. So rush on over and start digging. Fortune may be yours! For those who enjoy the challenge of solving ciphers and cod<t» Gold in the Blue Ridge: The true story of the Beale Treasure is a great find even if you f don't unlock the secret to a cache of silver, gold, and jewels valued at over $2 million. BACK AROUND 1820, Thomas Jefferson Beale and a bunch of cronies headed west to make their fortunes. They soon struck gold, returned to the East and buried an enormous treasure somewhere in Bedford County, Virginia. Beale and his company then returned west but not before Beale had entrusted • an iron box to the care of a local innkeeper. When the men never returned, the box was opened and three ciphers were found. According to letters also left by Beale, the codes told the extent, ownership, and exact location of the buried booty. ONLY ONE of the encoded messages has ever been cracked (the one describing the treasure). Authors P.B. and Walter Innis provide all the information needed for prospective prospectors, including a transcription of all three ciphers and a detailed explanation of how Cipher #2 was decoded using the Declaration of Independent as a key. Recommended collateral reading for those interested in tackling the problem are Codes and Ciphers by Peter Way and The Hidden World by R.A. Haldane. Both provide excellent coverage on the subject of ciphers, codes, and hidden or secret languages. UNCOVERING THE Beale bonanza only scratches the surface of a world of hidden wealth. It is but one of hundreds of treasures — lost mines, sunken treasure, the loot of empires, the spoils of war and pirate plunder — that have eluded the hopeful for centuries. For a broad sampling of what lies hidden, check out Treasure: Man's 25 Greatest Quests for El Dorado, edited by B.A. Tompkins; Charles B. Driscoll's Doubloons: The Story of Buried Treasure. or Great Mysteries of Lost Treasures by Paul Ulrich. You'll learn about the strange treasure of Oak Island, the exact location of which has been known since 1795 but which is so cleverly safeguarded by an ingenious burial shaft that generations after generations have been stymied in Annual Sale CAPE MAY POINT - The Maranatha Christian Fellowship will hold its an * nual rummage, plant, and bake sale 9 a.m. -3 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at the Circle here. For information, call 884-0844.

their attempts to excavate it. OR RECONSIDER the old tales so often told in Cape May County of Captain Kidd burying his plunder right here. Did they find all of it in Cold Spring back in 1872, or are there still gold coins sitting in your own backyard?

Find out why the Coco Islands have been a favorite site for treasurehunters for over 100 years, or delve deeper and come up with one of the fabulous sunken cargoes known to rest in Davy Jones' locker. IF YOU FIND you're beginning to come down

with symptoms of the "gold bug", one last recommendation is in order. Don't overlook the Treasure Hunter's Handbook by John E. Traister. This little jewel is written for the serious beginner or weekend hobbyist. A complete how-to guide,

it covers "the equipment 1 needed to start on your quest right down to how to t market your finds. But if e you're worried you won't y know what to do with all e that money, the handbook e provides suggestions for r finding more commonplace valuables such as coins, bottles. Civil War relics. MP'W'ir- h r, ■ ■ T'- $

gems, minerals, and even valuable plants. And if you aren't yet convinced that your county library is dedicated to "enriching" your life, don't miss next week's column, when we'll be telling about more mysteries that lead to money. Until then, happy hunting!

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