My grandfather, Nagel Wizler, was
one of those once-in-a-lifetime characters, and this cache is
dedicated to him.
Born of German stock, and a
first-generation immigrant from the old country, Grandfather Wizler
built a one-room shack on the banks of the Mississippi to start a
life with my grandmother. Uneducated but possessing a brilliant
mind, he made a living during hard times (including the Great
Depression) by any means available. He fished for catfish and dug
ginseng to sell for profit; he worked as a janitor for a local
school, and of course he hunted the Missouri hills to fill the
larder. Family legend has it that he was a superb
woodsman.
But he was also a very intelligent,
self-educated man, with a particular interest in phonetics. I
remember him explaining to me at length about how the sounds of
language can be broken up and classified. His use of words like
labials, fricatives, gutturals, and liquids sounded arcane (and
slightly dirty) to me as a pre-adolescent. However, his special
knowledge allowed him to assist with the censuses of 1930, 1940,
and 1950; a source of some little income and great family
pride.
Nagel Wizler went to his rest some
years ago, but we still tell stories about him when the family gets
together. I hope this tribute helps preserve his memory.
Oh, and I should explain about the
cache title. Upon moving to the US, Grandpa americanized the
pronunciation of his last name to begin with a "W" sound, vs the
germanic "V". However, despite (or perhaps because of) his
preoccupation with phonetics, he retained the Old World
pronunciation of his first name. Thus, until I was in my teens, I
always thought the man's name was Noggle Whizzler, and couldn't
understand how he got saddled with such a bizzare monicker. I still
get ribbed for that.
Some notes:This is a really great area with lots of
wildlife. Unfortunately, there are some knuckleheads that party
here and use the place as a trash can. I've packed out a mess of
trash, but there's plenty left. Howzabout lending me a hand as you
depart?
Depending on your angle of attack, the bushwhack factor could
range from moderate to very high. You may want to consider bringing
gloves, as well.
MustangJoni is a classy lady who
happened to be the first to find this cache, through much skill and
perserverence.
Stone's Cache Disclaimer