Places and Things That Were LbNA #59931
Map
Nearby Boxes
Add Note
Add Location| Owner: | Wolf Dancer  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Oct 24, 2010 |
| Location: | Dishman Hills Natural Center |
| City: | Spokane |
| County: | Spokane |
| State: | Washington |
| Boxes: | 5 |
| Found by: | 5littlescotties (5) |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Apr 5, 2017 |
| Status: | FOFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Apr 6, 2017 |
Welcome to the “Places and Things That Were” letterbox run at Dishman Hills.
This run, when completed, will consist of 11 boxes, one for each marker post of the nature run. Each box will contain a stamp representing either places or things which used to exist in the Spokane area but now are no more.
These boxes are not intended to be difficult to find. This is a great run for children as the boxes are (or will be) numerous and a great deal of fun!
Please check back often, as I will be adding new boxes until each marker has its own box.
Yours on the Trail,
Wolf Dancer
Now, let’s get started.
Materials Needed:
Stamp Pad
Compass
Nature Marker 1 “Flying Hoof Riding Club”
Back in the 1930’s women of the Flying Hoof Riding Club rode in Dishman Hills every week. This stamp is to remember their presence and to celebrate the fun they must have had, riding in Dishman Hills!
To the Box:
Stand in front of marker 1. Look to the rock formation directly in front. You will see a tree approximately 17 steps from the marker. Go to the tree and stand on the left side. Look straight ahead, you will see a rock. Take approx. 20 steps to the rock. Now look to the 2’oclock position. You will see a rock formation with an opening in it. Go to this rock. Your prize is hidden within under rocks and pine cones. Be certain to rehide well!
Nature Marker 2 “Clock Tower Rail Station” (unfortunately, this box has been muggled and no longer exists. I’m going to have to carve a new stamp)
The Clock tower on Havermale Island was originally part of the Great Northern Railroad Depot. Construction began in 1901 and finished in 1902. The depot was an impressive brick building 3 stories tall, with the monumental Clock tower standing in at 155 feet.
The Clock tower’s South wall was part of the depot’s exterior, while the lower portions of the North, East, and West walls resided in the building.
If you look closely at the East and West walls (about halfway up) you will see a sloping line where the roof was originally located.
During 1972 and 1973, long after the “glory days” of train travel, the Great Northern Railroad Depot was demolished as Spokane made preparations for Expo’ 74. The Clocktower was able to be preserved and serves as a reminder of Spokane’s railroad history.
To the Box:
Stand in front of marker 2. Look behind the nature marker, to your right you will see a bench. Sit in the middle of the bench and look straight ahead…see the game path that leads from the bench to the cleft in the large rock directly in front of you? Your prize is there buried in the small opening under rocks and rubble. Be certain to rehide well.
Proceed up the trail. You will come to a fork...go to the right towards the trail marked, "Hikers Only." (Well it used to...the words are now faded and unreadable)
Nature Marker 3 “And They're Off!!!!!!”
After watching the movie, several times, I was inspired to make this letterbox in honor of this great stallion.
Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in twenty-five years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby (1:592⁄5), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24)—records that still stand today.
Secretariat was sired by Bold Ruler out of Somethingroyal, by Princequillo. He was foaled at Meadow Farm in Caroline County, Virginia. Like his famous predecessor Man o' War, Secretariat was a large chestnut colt and was given the same nickname, "Big Red." Secretariat's Grand Sire Nasrullah is also the Great-Great Grand Sire of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew.
Owned by Penny Chenery (aka Penny Tweedy), he was trained by Lucien Laurin and mainly ridden by fellow Canadian jockey Ron Turcotte, along with apprentice jockey Paul Feliciano (first two races), and veteran Eddie Maple (last race). He raced in Penny Chenery's Meadow Stable's blue and white checkered colors and his groom was Eddie Sweat. Secretariat stood approximately 16.2 hands (66 inches, 168 cm) tall, and weighed 1,175 pounds (533 kg), with a 75 inch girth, in his racing prime. Secretariat became the ninth Triple Crown winner in history, and the first in 25 years.
Historic Beleagurerd Playfair Race Course of Spokane
Live horse racing ceased at Playfair in December 2000 when then-operators Lilac City Racing Association encountered financial trouble during the 43-day meeting. The track, which first hosted racing in 1901, remained open for simulcasting until July 2001 before the Washington Horse Racing Commission revoked Lilac City's license to operate.
To the Box:
This box was just recently relocated from Playfair Racing Track… Stand next to marker 3. Take 18 steps forward down the path. Stop. Look to the right. See the old stump? Your prize is located at the base buried under bark and rubble. Be really certain to rehide this one well, as it is located so close to the path.
Marker 4 “Children of the Sun”
1700: Spokane’s first residents were Native American. Spokane is a Native American word meaning "Children of the Sun." Well before the 1700’s Native Americans were settled along the Spokane River near the falls, in the valley, and on the pasturage. The compelling falls on the river had been the focus for settlement for years. The Falls were a great place to fish, and the surrounding areas for hunting. These groups of Indians who had come to be known as the Spokane Indians lived off of the boundaries which nature provided.
Spokane became an incorporated City on Nov. 29, 1881, encompassing 1.56 square miles. Back then, the City was known as Spokane Falls and had 350 residents. The "e" was added to Spokane in 1883, and "Falls" was dropped in 1891. The City suffered, perhaps, its biggest setback in 1889, when a fire ravaged downtown destroying 32 blocks.
To the Box:
Stand in front of marker. Take compass reading and shoot 90 degrees. Look past the small, skinny tree directly in front of you (on the left side of the tree) and up side of hill. See the triangle shaped rock up the side of the hill. Your prize lies underneath the rock and pine needles. Be certain to rehide well.
Marker 5 seems to be missing. If you locate it, please let me know.
Marker 6 “Spokanes’ Streetcars”
From 1888 to 1936, streetcars played a clanging and colorful role in the history of Spokane. The city's first streetcar was pulled down Riverside Avenue by a team of horses. Within two years, steam-powered streetcars, cable cars, and electric trolleys were rolling through the city's streets. Within six years, Spokane's streetcars had all been converted to electricity, which was the most efficient form of streetcar in a city known for abundant hydroelectric power.
Streetcars also played an important role in the city's expansion. Real-estate developers built the early streetcar lines as an incentive for homebuyers to purchase lots outside of walking distance of downtown. One streetcar company developed a huge new amusement park, Natatorium Park, with a roller coaster, a swimming pool, a baseball stadium, and gardens as a way to increase trolley traffic. By 1910, ridership was up to 24 million riders a year.
Accidents were common; the worst occurred in 1915 when the Division Street Bridge carrying two trolleys collapsed into the Spokane River, killing five. Ridership began to decline around 1915 because of competition from jitney cabs and personal automobiles. In 1922 the two remaining trolley companies merged and became Spokane United Railways.
Ridership declined another 33 percent from 1922 to 1933, at which point Spokane United Railways began to convert all of its routes to buses. The last trolley rolled through Spokane in 1936, but even today the old rails peek through the cobblestones of some Spokane streets.
Horse Power
Spokane's first streetcar line was the Spokane Street Railway Co., built specifically to sell lots in Browne's Addition, a new development of houses and mansions on the city's western edge. This development was about a mile away from downtown, considered too far away to walk. So the developers hired A. J. Ross to build a horse-drawn streetcar line out to the middle of Browne's Addition.
Horse-drawn streetcars on rails had been in use in New York since the 1830s and were considered efficient and reliable.
Ross began laying track in 1887 and the line opened for business on April 15, 1888, in a gala event: "A very large crowd gathered on the sidewalk to see the car start," wrote a reporter who was present. "The car itself was gaily festooned with the American flag. Photographs were taken. There was great enthusiasm all long the line" (Morning Review). The newspaper reported that it was the second street railway in the territory; Seattle had the first.
In the case of Browne's Addition, a reliable streetcar line was deemed necessary not only to transport homeowners to their downtown shops and offices, but also to transport maids and house servants to their jobs in the new mansions being built by the city's mining and timber barons.
To the Box:
Take 8 steps past the marker down the trail. Look to your left at approximately 250 to 255 degrees. See the fallen tree up the hill approximately 23 steps from the path? Your prize is in the corner of the branches under pine needles and rubble. Be certain to rehide well.
Marker 7: “Armed Robbery at Dishman State Bank” (It’s now Appleway Motors)
The Story:
It’s circa 1954 and the largest bank robbery in Washington State is about to happen….
Your name is Glen W. Harrington, and you are the manager of Dishman State Bank located on Sprague Ave in Spokane Valley, Washington. You arrive at exactly 8:30 am, like you have everyday for the past 10 years…only this time, something is very different when you open the door…instead of the familiar sights and sounds of a quiet bank, you are greeted by two handguns with George Quatsling on the other end of them…
“Good morning, Mr. Harrington,” Quatsling says… “You are right on time…” Quatsling motions to a chair over in the corner… “Take a seat, and let’s wait for the rest of them.”
Startled, but not foolish, you decide it is best to do as requested. Already your mind is racing…you think of your family you just left only moments ago and you wonder, if you will ever see them again. Several other employees begin to arrive. They receive the same cool, but polite greeting. The would be robber now escorts you and the other employees back into the director’s room.
“That’s eight out of 12; only four more to go,” Quatsling comments.
You are impressed by his preparation. He has been studying you and the bank. Of that you are certain. Finally, the last four employees arrive. Quatsling escorts them to the back room at gunpoint and then cuts the telephone lines.
Pointing the gun at you, Quatsling says, “Come here and open the vault.”
“I, I, I, will try,” you stammer. You want to be brave. You are trying so hard to be, for the other employees but the two guns look so big when pointed in your direction.
“Hurry up!” exclaims Quatsling. “I have other things to do…” he smirks.
Your fingers fumble and your mind is all a rush with so many other concerns, that it is difficult for you to remember the numbers….You hear the soft sobbing of the other captives, someone coughs…With relief, you now hear the final “click” as the last tumbler slides into place…
“There,” you say. “It’s open.”
You step back as the vault door swings open. The robber rushes in, delighted in his success, but this only lasts a moment. There comes the sudden sound of crashing and metal grates being kicked and beaten. You hear the sound of cursing…
Grabbing you by your coat collar, Quatsling pulls you into the entry of the vault. “Very funny!” he hisses, “Now open the grille.”
Pulling yourself up straight you answer, “I can’t. I do not have the key. No one person is allowed complete access to the vault.”
Quatsling looks perturbed for a moment then he smiles a thin and wicked grin... “Then that means someone else does…and since everyone is here, that means someone out there has the key…”
Once again Quatsling has you by your coat collar only this time he drags you back out into the foyer with the others. Forcing you down on your knees, he places one of the two guns to your forehead. Very calmly he addresses the group…
“One of you has the key to open the metal grille in there. Come on now, out with it, or I’ll spread this man’s brains all over the floor!”
With that he caulks the gun and you feel the coolness of its barrel as it is once again placed against your forehead. Stubbornly, you pinch your lips together. You will not give him the satisfaction you seeing your mouth quiver. “I must be brave,” you think to yourself. “For my wife, my children, for the others…” You feel the warmth of the morning sun on your face and strangely, you can smell a faint odor of dust coming from the floor… “Now isn’t that odd,” you muse, “The things you notice when a gun is placed to your head…”
“I have the key,” a small but strong voice replies. “Don’t you dare harm one hair on Mr. Harrington’s head. He is a good man with a wife and two precious children. But, I guess you wouldn’t know anything about that, now would you…you no good, no account ruffian! You shame your mother, your father, your entire family.”
You sigh, Maxine Hepton, the bank’s head bookkeeper steps forward and unlocks the grille. She gives the robber a look nasty enough to wilt an oak tree. “That’s my Maxine,” you think. “Never could just let things go without getting a word or a look in edgewise.” A small smile crosses your lips. “Going to have to buy her a cup of coffee after this is done.”
To your surprise, the bank robber says nothing to this outburst by the elderly bookkeeper. Was it the touch of gray at her temples that held his tongue? Giving her a small amount of respect due to her because of her age? Was that regret you saw in his eyes?
“And before you even ask me young man,” Maxine continues in her strong voice, “I do not have a key to the wire cage…no one here does, so you are just going to have to open that one by yourself!”
With that, Maxine huffs and walks back to join the others, arms folded across her chest. She turns and faces the bank robber. You catch her eye for a moment…she glances at you and then gives the robber a look of utter defiance and satisfaction.
Once again, you hear the sound of a gun caulking…or uncaulking as the case may be. Removing the gun from your forehead, Quatsling picks up a bag stashed in the corner of the room. From this bag, he removes a large screwdriver and begins to pry the lock off of the wire cage. Several curses and one banged knuckle later, the lock opens. With a yip of satisfaction, Quatsling enters the main room and begins to stuff currency into a paper sack. In his enthusiasm, he tears the sack. The bandit then locates a large cardboard box and begins to scoop money into it.
After filling the cardboard box, the bandit escorts you back to the director’s room with the others. With a polite good bye and a wave of his hand, Quatsling shuts and locks the door, leaving you and the 11 other hostages unharmed. He then gets into his 1952 Maroon Chevrolet Skyline two-door sedan and drives off.
With a sigh, you and the others are happy that he is gone. The entire incident only took approximately 20 minutes, but it seemed like forever. Once you are certain he is gone, and that everyone is safe, you begin to give instructions and to organize your escape from the director’s room.
The chase is now on…Dishman State Bank is insured by the FDIC…that makes the robbing of said bank a felony. Look out George Quatsling…you are now on the lamb and the “G-Men” are on your tail….
(If you want to read the newspaper article about this robbery copy and past the following site into your browser: http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8472)
To the box:
Go to nature marker 7. Stand in front of marker facing away from the trail. Take five steps forward. See the rotting stump off to your left? Your prize lies underneath. Please rehide well.
This run, when completed, will consist of 11 boxes, one for each marker post of the nature run. Each box will contain a stamp representing either places or things which used to exist in the Spokane area but now are no more.
These boxes are not intended to be difficult to find. This is a great run for children as the boxes are (or will be) numerous and a great deal of fun!
Please check back often, as I will be adding new boxes until each marker has its own box.
Yours on the Trail,
Wolf Dancer
Now, let’s get started.
Materials Needed:
Stamp Pad
Compass
Nature Marker 1 “Flying Hoof Riding Club”
Back in the 1930’s women of the Flying Hoof Riding Club rode in Dishman Hills every week. This stamp is to remember their presence and to celebrate the fun they must have had, riding in Dishman Hills!
To the Box:
Stand in front of marker 1. Look to the rock formation directly in front. You will see a tree approximately 17 steps from the marker. Go to the tree and stand on the left side. Look straight ahead, you will see a rock. Take approx. 20 steps to the rock. Now look to the 2’oclock position. You will see a rock formation with an opening in it. Go to this rock. Your prize is hidden within under rocks and pine cones. Be certain to rehide well!
Nature Marker 2 “Clock Tower Rail Station” (unfortunately, this box has been muggled and no longer exists. I’m going to have to carve a new stamp)
The Clock tower on Havermale Island was originally part of the Great Northern Railroad Depot. Construction began in 1901 and finished in 1902. The depot was an impressive brick building 3 stories tall, with the monumental Clock tower standing in at 155 feet.
The Clock tower’s South wall was part of the depot’s exterior, while the lower portions of the North, East, and West walls resided in the building.
If you look closely at the East and West walls (about halfway up) you will see a sloping line where the roof was originally located.
During 1972 and 1973, long after the “glory days” of train travel, the Great Northern Railroad Depot was demolished as Spokane made preparations for Expo’ 74. The Clocktower was able to be preserved and serves as a reminder of Spokane’s railroad history.
To the Box:
Stand in front of marker 2. Look behind the nature marker, to your right you will see a bench. Sit in the middle of the bench and look straight ahead…see the game path that leads from the bench to the cleft in the large rock directly in front of you? Your prize is there buried in the small opening under rocks and rubble. Be certain to rehide well.
Proceed up the trail. You will come to a fork...go to the right towards the trail marked, "Hikers Only." (Well it used to...the words are now faded and unreadable)
Nature Marker 3 “And They're Off!!!!!!”
After watching the movie, several times, I was inspired to make this letterbox in honor of this great stallion.
Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in twenty-five years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby (1:592⁄5), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24)—records that still stand today.
Secretariat was sired by Bold Ruler out of Somethingroyal, by Princequillo. He was foaled at Meadow Farm in Caroline County, Virginia. Like his famous predecessor Man o' War, Secretariat was a large chestnut colt and was given the same nickname, "Big Red." Secretariat's Grand Sire Nasrullah is also the Great-Great Grand Sire of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew.
Owned by Penny Chenery (aka Penny Tweedy), he was trained by Lucien Laurin and mainly ridden by fellow Canadian jockey Ron Turcotte, along with apprentice jockey Paul Feliciano (first two races), and veteran Eddie Maple (last race). He raced in Penny Chenery's Meadow Stable's blue and white checkered colors and his groom was Eddie Sweat. Secretariat stood approximately 16.2 hands (66 inches, 168 cm) tall, and weighed 1,175 pounds (533 kg), with a 75 inch girth, in his racing prime. Secretariat became the ninth Triple Crown winner in history, and the first in 25 years.
Historic Beleagurerd Playfair Race Course of Spokane
Live horse racing ceased at Playfair in December 2000 when then-operators Lilac City Racing Association encountered financial trouble during the 43-day meeting. The track, which first hosted racing in 1901, remained open for simulcasting until July 2001 before the Washington Horse Racing Commission revoked Lilac City's license to operate.
To the Box:
This box was just recently relocated from Playfair Racing Track… Stand next to marker 3. Take 18 steps forward down the path. Stop. Look to the right. See the old stump? Your prize is located at the base buried under bark and rubble. Be really certain to rehide this one well, as it is located so close to the path.
Marker 4 “Children of the Sun”
1700: Spokane’s first residents were Native American. Spokane is a Native American word meaning "Children of the Sun." Well before the 1700’s Native Americans were settled along the Spokane River near the falls, in the valley, and on the pasturage. The compelling falls on the river had been the focus for settlement for years. The Falls were a great place to fish, and the surrounding areas for hunting. These groups of Indians who had come to be known as the Spokane Indians lived off of the boundaries which nature provided.
Spokane became an incorporated City on Nov. 29, 1881, encompassing 1.56 square miles. Back then, the City was known as Spokane Falls and had 350 residents. The "e" was added to Spokane in 1883, and "Falls" was dropped in 1891. The City suffered, perhaps, its biggest setback in 1889, when a fire ravaged downtown destroying 32 blocks.
To the Box:
Stand in front of marker. Take compass reading and shoot 90 degrees. Look past the small, skinny tree directly in front of you (on the left side of the tree) and up side of hill. See the triangle shaped rock up the side of the hill. Your prize lies underneath the rock and pine needles. Be certain to rehide well.
Marker 5 seems to be missing. If you locate it, please let me know.
Marker 6 “Spokanes’ Streetcars”
From 1888 to 1936, streetcars played a clanging and colorful role in the history of Spokane. The city's first streetcar was pulled down Riverside Avenue by a team of horses. Within two years, steam-powered streetcars, cable cars, and electric trolleys were rolling through the city's streets. Within six years, Spokane's streetcars had all been converted to electricity, which was the most efficient form of streetcar in a city known for abundant hydroelectric power.
Streetcars also played an important role in the city's expansion. Real-estate developers built the early streetcar lines as an incentive for homebuyers to purchase lots outside of walking distance of downtown. One streetcar company developed a huge new amusement park, Natatorium Park, with a roller coaster, a swimming pool, a baseball stadium, and gardens as a way to increase trolley traffic. By 1910, ridership was up to 24 million riders a year.
Accidents were common; the worst occurred in 1915 when the Division Street Bridge carrying two trolleys collapsed into the Spokane River, killing five. Ridership began to decline around 1915 because of competition from jitney cabs and personal automobiles. In 1922 the two remaining trolley companies merged and became Spokane United Railways.
Ridership declined another 33 percent from 1922 to 1933, at which point Spokane United Railways began to convert all of its routes to buses. The last trolley rolled through Spokane in 1936, but even today the old rails peek through the cobblestones of some Spokane streets.
Horse Power
Spokane's first streetcar line was the Spokane Street Railway Co., built specifically to sell lots in Browne's Addition, a new development of houses and mansions on the city's western edge. This development was about a mile away from downtown, considered too far away to walk. So the developers hired A. J. Ross to build a horse-drawn streetcar line out to the middle of Browne's Addition.
Horse-drawn streetcars on rails had been in use in New York since the 1830s and were considered efficient and reliable.
Ross began laying track in 1887 and the line opened for business on April 15, 1888, in a gala event: "A very large crowd gathered on the sidewalk to see the car start," wrote a reporter who was present. "The car itself was gaily festooned with the American flag. Photographs were taken. There was great enthusiasm all long the line" (Morning Review). The newspaper reported that it was the second street railway in the territory; Seattle had the first.
In the case of Browne's Addition, a reliable streetcar line was deemed necessary not only to transport homeowners to their downtown shops and offices, but also to transport maids and house servants to their jobs in the new mansions being built by the city's mining and timber barons.
To the Box:
Take 8 steps past the marker down the trail. Look to your left at approximately 250 to 255 degrees. See the fallen tree up the hill approximately 23 steps from the path? Your prize is in the corner of the branches under pine needles and rubble. Be certain to rehide well.
Marker 7: “Armed Robbery at Dishman State Bank” (It’s now Appleway Motors)
The Story:
It’s circa 1954 and the largest bank robbery in Washington State is about to happen….
Your name is Glen W. Harrington, and you are the manager of Dishman State Bank located on Sprague Ave in Spokane Valley, Washington. You arrive at exactly 8:30 am, like you have everyday for the past 10 years…only this time, something is very different when you open the door…instead of the familiar sights and sounds of a quiet bank, you are greeted by two handguns with George Quatsling on the other end of them…
“Good morning, Mr. Harrington,” Quatsling says… “You are right on time…” Quatsling motions to a chair over in the corner… “Take a seat, and let’s wait for the rest of them.”
Startled, but not foolish, you decide it is best to do as requested. Already your mind is racing…you think of your family you just left only moments ago and you wonder, if you will ever see them again. Several other employees begin to arrive. They receive the same cool, but polite greeting. The would be robber now escorts you and the other employees back into the director’s room.
“That’s eight out of 12; only four more to go,” Quatsling comments.
You are impressed by his preparation. He has been studying you and the bank. Of that you are certain. Finally, the last four employees arrive. Quatsling escorts them to the back room at gunpoint and then cuts the telephone lines.
Pointing the gun at you, Quatsling says, “Come here and open the vault.”
“I, I, I, will try,” you stammer. You want to be brave. You are trying so hard to be, for the other employees but the two guns look so big when pointed in your direction.
“Hurry up!” exclaims Quatsling. “I have other things to do…” he smirks.
Your fingers fumble and your mind is all a rush with so many other concerns, that it is difficult for you to remember the numbers….You hear the soft sobbing of the other captives, someone coughs…With relief, you now hear the final “click” as the last tumbler slides into place…
“There,” you say. “It’s open.”
You step back as the vault door swings open. The robber rushes in, delighted in his success, but this only lasts a moment. There comes the sudden sound of crashing and metal grates being kicked and beaten. You hear the sound of cursing…
Grabbing you by your coat collar, Quatsling pulls you into the entry of the vault. “Very funny!” he hisses, “Now open the grille.”
Pulling yourself up straight you answer, “I can’t. I do not have the key. No one person is allowed complete access to the vault.”
Quatsling looks perturbed for a moment then he smiles a thin and wicked grin... “Then that means someone else does…and since everyone is here, that means someone out there has the key…”
Once again Quatsling has you by your coat collar only this time he drags you back out into the foyer with the others. Forcing you down on your knees, he places one of the two guns to your forehead. Very calmly he addresses the group…
“One of you has the key to open the metal grille in there. Come on now, out with it, or I’ll spread this man’s brains all over the floor!”
With that he caulks the gun and you feel the coolness of its barrel as it is once again placed against your forehead. Stubbornly, you pinch your lips together. You will not give him the satisfaction you seeing your mouth quiver. “I must be brave,” you think to yourself. “For my wife, my children, for the others…” You feel the warmth of the morning sun on your face and strangely, you can smell a faint odor of dust coming from the floor… “Now isn’t that odd,” you muse, “The things you notice when a gun is placed to your head…”
“I have the key,” a small but strong voice replies. “Don’t you dare harm one hair on Mr. Harrington’s head. He is a good man with a wife and two precious children. But, I guess you wouldn’t know anything about that, now would you…you no good, no account ruffian! You shame your mother, your father, your entire family.”
You sigh, Maxine Hepton, the bank’s head bookkeeper steps forward and unlocks the grille. She gives the robber a look nasty enough to wilt an oak tree. “That’s my Maxine,” you think. “Never could just let things go without getting a word or a look in edgewise.” A small smile crosses your lips. “Going to have to buy her a cup of coffee after this is done.”
To your surprise, the bank robber says nothing to this outburst by the elderly bookkeeper. Was it the touch of gray at her temples that held his tongue? Giving her a small amount of respect due to her because of her age? Was that regret you saw in his eyes?
“And before you even ask me young man,” Maxine continues in her strong voice, “I do not have a key to the wire cage…no one here does, so you are just going to have to open that one by yourself!”
With that, Maxine huffs and walks back to join the others, arms folded across her chest. She turns and faces the bank robber. You catch her eye for a moment…she glances at you and then gives the robber a look of utter defiance and satisfaction.
Once again, you hear the sound of a gun caulking…or uncaulking as the case may be. Removing the gun from your forehead, Quatsling picks up a bag stashed in the corner of the room. From this bag, he removes a large screwdriver and begins to pry the lock off of the wire cage. Several curses and one banged knuckle later, the lock opens. With a yip of satisfaction, Quatsling enters the main room and begins to stuff currency into a paper sack. In his enthusiasm, he tears the sack. The bandit then locates a large cardboard box and begins to scoop money into it.
After filling the cardboard box, the bandit escorts you back to the director’s room with the others. With a polite good bye and a wave of his hand, Quatsling shuts and locks the door, leaving you and the 11 other hostages unharmed. He then gets into his 1952 Maroon Chevrolet Skyline two-door sedan and drives off.
With a sigh, you and the others are happy that he is gone. The entire incident only took approximately 20 minutes, but it seemed like forever. Once you are certain he is gone, and that everyone is safe, you begin to give instructions and to organize your escape from the director’s room.
The chase is now on…Dishman State Bank is insured by the FDIC…that makes the robbing of said bank a felony. Look out George Quatsling…you are now on the lamb and the “G-Men” are on your tail….
(If you want to read the newspaper article about this robbery copy and past the following site into your browser: http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8472)
To the box:
Go to nature marker 7. Stand in front of marker facing away from the trail. Take five steps forward. See the rotting stump off to your left? Your prize lies underneath. Please rehide well.