Reclaimed... Traditional Cache
LZ33: Since this geocache has been unavailable for months, I'm archiving the listing to keep it from showing up in search lists and preventing proximity issues for new geocache placements. If you wish to repair/replace the geocache in the immediate future, contact a volunteer reviewer (by email), and assuming it meets the current guidelines, we'll un-archive it.
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(regular)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
The following was taken from newspaper articles that have been archived at the Holman, Hanson and Done Historical Library. What better place to put a cache than at a spot with buried treasure?
Some legends have part truths, but rest assure this legend is all truth. Most people here feel it to be taboo to speak of this particular area or what transpired in a past time. It is definitely not something the locals are proud to have happened in their community. I questioned some of the local elders and most were still not willing to talk about this story:
Jack Boones grew up in a very harsh late 1800’s. Starting at a very young age, he considered himself a “traveling farmer” by trade; he worked the ground and cropped for sharecroppers and farmers alike. He knew the value of a hard days work. In his teen years he documented in his diaries a certain hatred for his employers since he felt his work was worth more than the pay he received.
During his life, Jack had opportunities to court the ladies, but refused to if it were to cost him anything but his time. He passed on the woman who loved him because “marriage would be an expensive investment not worth making” according to his own writings.
Jack hoarded everything he made in his life. Though he was accumulating a small fortune, he settled for the bare minimum when it came to living.
In the mid 1930’s he was semi-retired at the age of 53. Bitter, alone and older, he built a small one room home with his own two hands on land that he inherited. He would bury his savings in mason jars around the property; all locations were visible from his home. He hated people to bother him at his home but would become really furious of traveling salesmen who occasionally stopped by his home asking him to purchase something from them. One day apparently he had enough and took a yelling match too far with a salesman who had stopped by his house. This was the 1st of 17 people to go missing at the hands of Jack. He described in his diaries that he took items from the people he slain before disposing of them. The 1st item from his 1st victim was a small doorbell that the salesman was selling. He actually installed it at his front door.
Local word spread of the missing men and rumors started, all of them revolved around Jack. Without proof there wasn’t anything the police could do.
According to the newspaper archives, A few years later Jack collapsed while in town and was taken to the local Doctor’s office. Jack was to confess everything on his deathbed, never to be held accountable for his crimes. Witnesses said that Jack told them he killed one person for every Mason jar he hid. (To date, only 12 jars have been found. Each filled with 5 dollar gold pieces and Morgan Silver dollars.) He told of how he did them in and of the tormenting nightmares he suffered from as he slept and how he could hear the doorbell and screams from his victims. He said he relived each moment every night and apologized just before his final breath.
The day after his death, the police seized his home and taped off his property. The bodies were recovered and evidence was accumulated. Three of the mason jars were found that day. Nine more were found within 3 years after his death. The remaining 5 have never been found. Some say that the remaining mason jars were washed away as the creek that is in front of his home site flooded. Some say he was lying. Since Jack did not have anyone to call family, the County took the land. Several years later the County ran a road through this property and a bridge was built to span across the creek. On one side, the base of the bridge was built directly over Jack’s old home site. The locals quickly started rumors based on the legend about the dangers of “messing with Jack’s home site”. Fears of hauntings were evident as most people refused to use the bridge. Outsiders who did use the bridge spoke of seeing apparitions’. Several wrecks near and on the bridge were blamed on Jack returning, seeking revenge for the ‘stolen’ mason jars. Soon the County had enough and with the approval of the local taxpayers, they built a bridge within sight of the old bridge and re-routed the road to it. To make sure the older bridge was not crossed again, they destroyed half of it. The part that they left still sits on the home site.
To this day the elders in the community, who still remember the stories their parents told, say that you can sit on the edge of the bridge at night and as the water trickles, you can hear faint sounds of the doorbell ringing and the victims screaming.
You will find the well stocked cache at the above cords. Please rehide the cache just as well or better than you found it. Remember: You can't over cammo this cache! :)
Maybe you’ll recover a mason jar and remember who sent you there!
The cache is not on the bridge itself. If you decide to go on the bridge you do it at your own risk. I have walked to the end and it seems strong. There is an oak tree growing itself around part of the bridge. Neat spot. Watch for fishermen. They should be the only muggles around. Beware of thorns, snakes, bugs, poisonous plants, holes in the ground, broken glass and Jack...
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Vg tbg gur urpx bhg bs Qbqtr... Nobhg 20 srrg hcuvyy sebz vg.