My seventh cache hide ever was called Dead Ends and involved visiting six isolated cemeteries along a 20 mile stretch of Jackson County. I recently archived it as there had been only nine visits since it was placed three years ago. So I had a cache container already labelled Dead Ends, it was the three year anniversary of that cache's placement, and I was driving by Riverside Cemetery. What to do? What to do?
I really enjoyed shava4's cache that took you on a walking tour of Riverside Cemetery -- it was called Riverside Cemetary [sic] -- so decided to place a similarly themed cache. The listed coordinates are NOT for the cache but take you to the cemetery entrance. The cemetery is open from 8:00am until 8:00pm during daylight savings time and until 6:00pm the rest of the year. You may want to stop by the office for a Historic Riverside Cemetery pamphlet -- photo loaded to the cache page -- which has a map of the cemetery showing all of the stops (except one) needed to find this cache. [Office coordinates: N 35° 36.073 W 82° 34.279] [Office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm]
The cache is NOT hidden on cemetery property but a short drive/walk away. In order to find the cache you will have to visit eight gravestones; all are marked by a metal circular star (photo loaded to the cache page). The information needed may not always be from that person's gravestone. You can visit them in any order; I have listed them in the most efficient order assuming you park near the office. The coordinates for the cache are:
N 35° 3 A . BCD
W 82° 3 E . FGH
Zebulon Baird Vance N 35° 36.038 W 82° 34.307
Vance served twice as the governor of North Carolina, and also served in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
F = the number of letters shown on the stone of his wife's month of birth MINUS the number of letters shown on the stone of his wife's month of death [This is a little tricky so count carefully!]
Nicholas W. Woodfin N 35° 36.016 W 82° 34.265
Woodfin was a prominent lawyer in Asheville and served in the N.C. Senate in the 1840s. He was Buncombe County's largest slave owner and lost most of his land holdings as a result of the Civil War.
C = the number of letters in the middle name on the gravestone to the immediate right [It is actually connected to his gravestone. Make sure you are looking at the correct Woodfin!]
World War I German Prisoners of War N 35° 35.969 W 82° 34.310
Several thousand German sailors were transferred from Ellis Island to a detention center in Hot Springs, North Carolina. A typhoid epidemic resulted in 18 of them dying.
H = the number of sailors named "Karl" MINUS the number of sailors with "Wilhelm" as one of their names
William Sydney Porter (aka "O. Henry") N 35° 36.039 W 82° 34.203
One of the most talented short story writers who ever lived, O. Henry actually wrote his first stories while behind bars. His best known work is The Gift of the Magi.
E = the number of letters in the first name on the gravestone to the immediate right
Dr. Lewis McCormick N 35° 36.089 W 82° 34.141
A bacteriologist, McCormick observed that the excessive number of flies in Asheville posed a health risk, and started the "Swat That Fly" campaign. This greatly reduced the fly population; he was recognized for his efforts when McCormick Field was named in his honor.
B = the number of letters in the first word on his gravestone after "1922"
George Masa (aka "Masahara Iisuka") N 35° 36.129 W 82° 34.108
Born in Japan in 1882, Masa laid out and measured both the Appalachian Trail and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Before that he worked at the Grove Park Inn and started a photography business.
D = the number of letters in the first name on the gravestone to the immediate right
Thomas Wolfe N 35° 36.097 W 82° 34.186
Wolfe's first novel, Look Homeward Angel, captured Asheville's history at the turn of the twentieth century. Though his portrayal of the residents was less than flattering some were later honored to have been included. Born in Asheville, Wolfe grew up in the Old Kentucky Home (48 Spruce Street), still standing as a memorial to his family.
A = the number of letters in the word immediately below "best"
Thomas Clingman N 35° 36.068 W 82° 34.235
A brigadier general in the Confederate army and a U.S. senator, Clingman is perhaps better known for the two peaks which bear his name. Clingman's Dome in Tennessee measures 6,643 feet and Clingman's Peak in North Carolina measures 6,520 feet.
G = the number of letters in the longest last word appearing on each face of his gravestone [Make sure you are looking at his gravestone and not the nearby monument.]
You are looking for a large Tupperware-ish container with a white lid. Please make sure you re-hide it so that it is not visible from any angle.
CHECKSUM: A + B + C + D + E + F + G + H = XY; X + Y = 9
[The checksum IS correct! If you don't agree with me go check the Vances again...]
FTF HONORS GO TO jratzlaf!!!
