question for everyone on this forum...

[Darren in NC]

I'd really love to hear what you guys and gals think about this. I've been waiting until the membership got higher before asking about it...

Are we guarding leads that we will never return to? Some have already admitted that they have enough to last 10 lifetimes. I'm genuinely curious if there's little activity in this forum topic due to no real leads/stories? Or are we kind of jealous of giving someone a lead, thinking they may find something without us?

btw, I totally respect someone keeping leads they they truly feel they will return to. So I'm not trying to provoke - I was just curious if many/most of us have stories to share. Is the wealth of info I assumed we had just a misconception on my part? Any ideas?

I wish you all well in your ventures! May your sacks be full

 

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[DemonOutlaw]

yes I`ll be honest I am sitting on leads....
and I really don`t know why?
i have a area with quite a few jj markings and starr`s markings on my property...

 

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

G'day Darren, I have over 50,000 treasure leads stretching back to my notes in 1960. From them I have occasionally offered intellectual grubstakes to various people. The usual result is that the person makes NO SEARCH and the lead is compromised. I can count on one hand the number of people who have actually gone to the area and looked. If you are suggesting that people publish their leads and let anyone find them that wants to then that is what treasure magazines were designed to do. At least than the author will get about a penny a word. Maybe more now. I haven't sold them anything since about 1977. Dickens got a penny a word 300 years ago. I also would gladly trade little known treasure leads for little known information on Indiana. Nothing that has appeared in a western or treasure magazine could be called little known. I have cut back and now usually only work indiana, michigan, kentucky, ohio, illinois. Anywhere else is only because I happen to be in the area. Exanimo, SS

 

[Darren in NC]

SS,

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your post, but I am not basing my sharing on whether I will profit from it. It's like having a great skill or cure and only sharing it if I get paid for it. What ever happened to this being a hobby for fun? Less than 1% in this hobby actually profit from it. So when I share (and I'll admit I don't have the amount of leads you speak of), I just hope someone will check it out. I am not responsible for whether someone takes the time to do so. All I know is that there is zero chance of recovery if I "hoard" my leads that I never plan to search for. Help me understand better if I have misread your post. :P

 

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

Hello Darren, If you will check the techniques section or my past posts you will see that I help where and when I can. I don't expect anything from doing it which is good because you rarely even get a thank you. If I, through generousity or charity, choose to give a lead away that is one thing. If I choose to share a lead on a grubstake that is something else. I would cheerfully give anyone a published lead. If they want to be the thousandth person looking for a mythical treasure god bless them. If they wish to be the first person to look since the cache was planted then the odds of recovery are 50-50. It's either there or it isn't. Perhaps the story was bogus or maybe the heirs scooped it up and kept quiet. Either they have the right equipment for the job or they don't. Once a story has been shared the odds of recovery drop from 50-50 (assuming you can get legal access to the property) down to one in a hundred or one in a thousand. Not every lead is a good one worth a trip. Many are worth further research. I keep a small file that goes in the car whenever I make a road trip. In it are my top leads for each state. I can usually either schedule a quick search or some research as I pass by. Information is rarely lost when a treasure hunter passes. We all have friends and family to preserve the data. When your kids blow off treasure hunting the grandkids eat it up. Exanimo, SS

 

[flagold]

Darren,

The question you posed is exactly why I have a website.? After thousands upon thousands of leads, I realized I will die before ever examining even 1/1000 of them.? Guess what?? The sites I give I hunt regularly as well, and they're just as productive as ever.? I guess people assume, because something is public info, it's hit hard, so no use to go, and they don't, and the result is the goodies just keep piling up like they always do (I'm talking about the beach sites now).

Happy Hunting!
Matt Mattson
http://www.treasuresites.com

 

[DemonOutlaw]

quite honestly noone has ever given me any leads...
I used to ask for them years ago but never got any responce,I did have gentleman here a few months back help me in finding out info on symbols that are carved into rocks, and for that I really thank him for it and hope to return the favor to him one day...

 

[Seajay]

Darren,

Let's get something started in the way of NC leads. I'll share three; one of which appeared in print 20 years ago.

In the Heritage of Onslow County, printed in 1984, a lead appears dealing with Tom Holland's gold. This man might have stumbled onto a gold coin cache put down by pirates(?) here in Onslow County. I doubt he spent it all, but the account is in print for anyone to read. Possibly you local library has a copy of this very informative work. This is more along the line of legend, but some research at the courthouse might yield some more light.

Also, a local businessman (now deceased) made a fortune as a result of catering to the needs of Marines stationed at Camp Lejeune and it's annexes. Lejeune began in 1940 when Jacksonville/Onslow County was just a speck on the map. Needless to say, the economy began to boom with the arrival of the Marine Corps and Navy and those with a foresight and business acumen cashed-in handsomely. Several families made their fortunes here. Driving around town will show that they are still in business today and have done very well for themselves. Most just don't brag about it or flaunt it. Anyway, this gentlemen buried his fortune in more than one area/spot. Each cache was supposed to have been concealed in small safe. Heirs were given this information and some safes were recovered. I cannot verify the recoveries personally. However, in talking with relatives and friends of the deceased, this man pulled silver and bills from the register and vending machines for years. He was known to be a hoarder and very tight with his cash. He did leave a sizeable sum of money to his children which they squandered in a few short years (gambling and travel). Indirect and round about inquiry will yield this man's identity. I am working this lead off and on when time permits. I believe there is still money left to be found. Possibly around his old businesses/buildings or on property passed on to family.

A third and final lead: In Onslow County about 2-5 years ago maximum, a man in the "gentlemen's club" business had his home and property seized by IRS officials. His home, on the intercoastal waterway, and painted a shade of pink, contained a safe in which a great deal of cash was found. Possibly, there is more that was not kept in the house. If anything, he probably learned that keeping his undeclared(?) income in the house is not as safe as he thought. Anyway, it made the local paper (Jacksonville Daily News) and should not be that difficult to research. Oh, by the way, he is not the only one involved in this kind of business here in Onslow.

Okay, here are three leads of which two are very credible. I will continue to poke around, but they are there for anyone else to go after. If you are close to Onlsow County, Darren, these should be very easy to research and verify. Just be discrete during your inquiries. Local folk can be helpful, but they aren't stupid!

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

 

[Darren in NC]

Thanks, Seajay, for your response. While I wasn't trying to fish for personal leads, I will definitely keep my eyes and ears open when I travel in Onslow County. I'm a couple of hours from there, but I have a friend who lives there. I'll check into the local lore when I visit him. Thanks so much.

Your stories do confirm, though, what I had hoped - that some of us actually have leads that could be followed up by others. You were far more generous (or foolish depending on who you ask) in sharing leads that you actually are looking for. I have a few that I'm not telling anyone about! ...unless I move away and won't likely be back. Thanks again for your post. I hope you find the mother cache

 

[Charles,Oak Island]

Seajay,
have you heard of anything worth sharing in the Hubert or Stump Sound area ?

 

[Seajay]

Darren,

? ?You are welcome concerning the leads.? I responded with these leads so as to be a help to others here in eastern NC.? There is absolutely no way I could work all the potential leads by myself.? If I could, I would have done so.? I am working on others off and on as time and conditions permit.? As a matter of fact, our conversation has brought to mind a lead I had forgotten about.? A couple of months from now, when the weather is cooler and the snakes are not as active, conditions will be right to persue this one.? Anyway, I concur with you regarding the number of? unpublished leads out there to be followed up on.? Maybe we will cross paths sometime in the pursuit of the mother cache.? Thanx!

C. J.

 

[Charles,Oak Island]

Seajay,
not advertising for another web site but here is some Onslow info:


http://www.losttreasure.com/statetales/ click on NC

 

[richg]

I have 2 sisters that live in swansboro. I also was stationed at camp lejeune when I was a marine. I do visit my sisters so I will check around next time I am down there and see what I could find out. When I am down there if anyone wants a partner I will be more than happy to assist. I dont know when I will be getting down there again. My one sister lives within a walk of the intercoastal in Hubert. Good Luck to all!!