April 2008 News Letter

[PAPPY]

The April 2008 News Letter will be posted TODAY. PLEASE give me time to get the Letter posted before any comments are made....Let's say around 4P.M. EASTERN STANDARD TIME. THANKS ALL !

[PAPPY]

First of all I would like to WELCOME ALL OF OUR NEW MEMBERS that have joined us since the March News Letter was published. Seems we keep right on growing each and every day....AIN'T IT GREAT ! (4,303)

THANKS to all of our Members for your contributions and support...WE HAVE THE BEST FAMILY EVER HERE AT TQ !

THANK YOU GREG for all of your hard work and effort that is put into TQ.

[PAPPY]

Submitted by: anne

On Saturday morning the 8th of March I had a call from one of my farmers, could I have a look for a "Lost Ring". Well, Of course I said, we will be right over. The farm is only 8 miles away so Mike and I picked up our detectors and within half an hour we were standing at his door.
He commenced to tell us the story. Last September the farmers elderly Father who is 88 years old and can't walk without the aide of sticks, planted a Pear Tree(Some 80 years prior). This tree is still fruiting although it is being held up in a fashion by an old pig trough.He somehow managed to get himself to the tree and picked himself a pear and ate it. After returning the hundered yards or so to his Bungalow he realized with great sorrow that whilst he had been reminising about his Father he had "Lost" his Mothers wedding ring which he wore on his little finger.
It took him about a week to confess to the family what had happened and since then everytime any of the family has had a spare five minutes, they have been rummaging around in the leaf mulch without any luck. In a last ditch attempt to find the ring, we were called.
The farmers wife took us to the spot and explained how her Father in law would have got in and out of the area. After about 10 minutes the farmer pops over and we explain that the ground is so full of Iron bars and Tin, in fact all manner of junk, including a bucket from J.C.B. that we will carry on but it is unlikely we would find the ring.
He said well if I move all this rubbish would you come back, yes, of course we will was the reply. We will give it another 10 minutes now, then he says "Father" reckons he climbed over the plow, but I can't see how he managed that. I'm going in for my lunch, I will give you a call when I have shifted it.
With that I went to where the plow was and with Mike's help dragged it out of the way. I waved my detector and BINGO there was a good signal and YES IT WAS THE RING ! Everyone was overjoyed and it was a pleasure to see the expression on the old mans face. He put the ring back on his little finger for the photo BUT PROMISED he would not wear it outside again.

[PAPPY]

THANK YOU KENT for our NEW NEWS LETTER TQ LOGO MAP !

[PAPPY]

As you all know, anne submitted a story to the TQ NEWS LETTER in March telling us about a Roman Villa that She and Mike located.

Here is anne's follow-up on the Villa

Submitted by: anne

At last, today Saturday the 29th. of March 2008, 5 weeks after reporting to the authorities that we had found a Roman Villa, we had a meeting with the Chief Archaeologist. Showed him all the pictures and all the finds of coins and artifacts plus all the pottery, mosaic, nails, roof tiles, hypocaust tile (Under floor heating) and wall plaster.

He verified that we had discovered an unknown ROMAN VILLA probably dating from 3rd./4th. century.

They are going to raise some money and do a Geophysical survey to see the complete extent of the building. Then it will be decided that sometime in the future they will excavate it property.

Anyway, our names will go down in the History Books as being the FINDERS of such an important find ! WOOOO HOOOOO !

P.S. anne....PLEASE keep us up-dated on this story! PAPPY

[PAPPY]

ANYONE having any Photograph's, Articles, News etc. for the MAY 2008 News Letter my start submitting them at any time.

Please submit to:

WVGRANPAPPY@SKYBEST.COM

THANKS EVERYONE !

PLEASE make your e-mail heading MAY 2008 TQ NEWS LETTER and remember to include your user name with your information.

[PAPPY]

Submitted by: PAPPY

HARRISBURG, PA.

A treasure hunter wants permission to dig in a state forest in northern Pennsylvania for a cache of gold he believes was lost by a Union convoy transporting it to the U.S.Mint in Philadelphia during the Civil War.

The legend has circulated for decades about the holf-ton of lost gold worth $20 million or more at today's prices.

Dennis Parada believes he has found the site of the missing treasure in an Elk County state forest and is fighting to get state permission to dig it up.

The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said Parada needs to provide more proof before he starts tearing up state land.

The department will not decide whether Parada can dig until he provides more information spokeswoman Chris Novak said.

"There's a lot of people that will say this story is not true, and you'll have you share of people swearing that it is true," said Parada, of Clearfield, who runs a treasure-hunting business called "Finders Keepers". "You'll get that with any treasure."

According to the legend, a Union officer received orders in the summer of 1863 to lead a wagon train from Wheeling to Philadelphia through Harrisburg by way of northern Pennsylvania. The story claims that the route was chosen to avoid Confederate soldiers advancing into southern Pennsylvania for what would become the battle of Gettysburg.

As the story goes, the convoy with two wagons, eight soldiers and 26 50 pound bars of gold...got lost and the gold vanished.

Parada, who wouldn't reveal details of the location, said he and his partners made some initial digs in 2005 and found bones, a shattered bottle, a pocket knife, tin cans and two bullets. The state halted that effort, saying it's a crime to remove historical artifacts from state lands.

Officials later examined the items and said they were newer than the Civil War era and of little value.

"The circumstances arouse my suspicions that this is some very old wives tale," said Allen Guelzo, a Gettysburg College history professor who specializes in the Civil War.

He doubts that Union troops hauled gold through northern Pennsylvania, and believes it more likely would have been transported by rail through Altoona to Harrisburg.

Even in summer 1863 the train would have been safe, he said.

Parada, 55, first heard the legend more than 30 years ago.

In 1975, he and some friends obtained a map he thought would lead to the gold but the search was unsuccessful.

He resumed the quest in 2004, taking his case to state officials.

"They shot everything down, Everything," Parada said.

Parada said he and his three partners hope for at least 10 percent finders fee if they find the gold....which would be more than they'd get on the black market if they took it without permission.

"We stand to make as much or better and sleep at night instead of going to jail," he said.

[PAPPY]

I noticed during the last month that there were a LOT of post's, comment's, photograph's and stories that were posted into the forum that would have made FANTASTIC NEWS LETTER ARTICLES...PLEASE keep in mind that we would like to continue to run the NEWS LETTER each and every month and that some of these stories would make for GREAT READING in the NEWS LETTER. THANKS EVERYONE !

[PAPPY]

A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR MODERATORS FOR DOING A FANTASTIC JOB !!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK !

[Buster]

Good story Pappy...And Anne, way to go on the lost ring...Very good on you..and Glad you got your names down as finders of a Roman Villa...Congrats...Also.. Good news letter Pappy...Buster...