Here is a historical photo of the turnaround pre-1980s.
https://sfmta.photoshelter.com/gallery- … T4YTtxFMnU

Great resource Backstop. Here’s a more recent photo of the same:
https://sfmta.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Fishermans-Wharf/G0000w6C5ku14.ig/I0000uSi_l8oQajc/C0000Lmc9adu9yKU

theres no way its at the turnaround…

People who are sharing resources and amending theories based on discussion: You are doing good
I don’t understand why there’s an argument about June roses. It is certainly an interesting theory, but if I understand it correctly It doesn’t really affect the solve, all it means is another Shakespeare’s garden confirmation, so if it’s right or if it’s wrong we still know Shakespeare’s garden probably factors in but mayyybe not

three words: greek cultural Garden

fox

three words: greek cultural Garden

While the name is garden, the setting is park like, no wall , no gate, approachable from all sides,
similar to the childrens zoo in houston, it was open and not enclosed at the time.
Both the moon and tea garden are enclosed gardens with little if any undeveloped areas that arent flower beds or walkways.
kind of different
but again, As I have said before one theory is as good as the next until a casque is found,
Hope you don’t mind me playing devil’s advocate. If the theory can stand up to questions its a good one…

found out hsi wang mu is also called “yin”
and found that the island in the japanese tea garden is called “island of eternal youth” , which made me think of “peaches of immortality” from p. 18
http://www.chicagohotels.org/japanese_tea_garden.html
was looking for peach trees in the park but then read that the “peaches of immortality grow on a collossal tree”, also reading about the peaches of immortality there was something about “entering a
gate”
the redwood tree area?  collossal tree
i know you guys don’t like using the story, but just want to put these ideas down just in case it clicks for someone
p. 28–from the place where the sun was setting——–sunset blvd. , or just saying china
p. 28–i heard them say goodbye—–exit?—-
gate?
p. 9  from west, at close of day (sunset)………..china?  sunset boulevard? or time to leave?  gate?
p. 18–impossibly distant cathay——-impossibly?……..not possible?
p. 17—joined by a thirteenth——there’s no thirteenth avenue, goes from 12th, funston, #1, 14th  (or thats how i see it
)
p. 17-filigreed with serpents and flowering vines of silver
the asian museum’s name was “chong moon lee”

thank you jimerson!

didn’t know there was a chinese pavillion at stow lake:
http://www.pbase.com/hjsteed/sf_stow_lake
http://www.inside-guide-to-san-francisc … sportation
scroll down (lol, scroll)  to see close up of dragon on pavillion
just read it was given in 1981……..is that too late for the puzzle?
http://poeticshutterbug.blogspot.com/20 … -park.html
here’s a good site for the history of the park:
http://sfrecpark.org/documents/ParkHistory.pdf
(ugh francis drake again), but the cross is 30 feet high, made with 3 pieces of stone…high posts are three?
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-fr … 5B8485F0D3
strybing is said to be a silk merchant, and the arboretum has a moon viewing garden:
http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/ye/pdf … BW_Map.pdf
hmmm, mark twain and harriet beecher stow(e)  were neighbors
http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.or … faqs.shtml

That map is a PERFECT fit.  If it isn’t located in GGP…then I don’t know where it could be.

Good call jimerson.

I’m a GGP convert now. Indulge me while I give this location the V6 treatment.
Lines 1-6, RLS. Could simply be SF. Treasure Island – stuff buried on beaches. (Chapter 6 of his
In the South Seas
begins: “The ocean beach of Apemama was our daily resort.”)
Hear the cool, clear song of water
Harken to the words
“Cool, clear water” is a quote from “Cool, cool water” by the Beach Boys.
Freedom at the birth of a century
Or May 1913
Edwin and Edwina named after him
These lines refer to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and the formation of the
Actor’s Equity Association
, which was started by a group called
The Players
founded by Edwin Booth.
The spot shown above is at the intersection of
Lincoln
and
La Playa
.
Or on the eighth a scene
Where law defended
Between two arms extended
Below the bar that binds
Beside the long palm’s shadow
Embedded in the sand
Waits the Fair remuneration
White house close at hand
(Pending. “Fair remuneration” is from the Equity Handbook – “Equity was founded and is run by members in order to ensure safe and beneficial working conditions and fair remuneration for professional Actors and Stage Managers.” There’s a white house nearby from which you can see everything in this post.)
(Hey Slappy, remember the Spirit of 76…? The
gas stations
were named after her. There’s one at this intersection. See the 76 in the rose…?)
(…sign nearby…)

Hello all.  I am new to this hunt and would like to share some of my ideas.  I haven’t read through all the post so forgive me if i repeat anything.
I believe (like most everyone does)  that image 1 leads to san francisco.  And that verse 7 goes with it.  My first thoughts were Golden Gate park after seeing the image, but i just couldn’t get the verse to completely make sense.  I found myself trying to hard to make things fit.  The verse is supposed to lead you to the exact location to dig.  Now it could be that so much has changed in the area in 25+ years that the verse won’t completely make sense.  But looking at the two treasures that have been solved most all of the landmarks are still there.  So if we assume that most all of the landmarks are still there with this treasure, then the verse will only make senses in the right location.  It will come together with limited effort.
Recently i went to san francisco with the family for a weekend getaway.  Two days before the trip i was introduced to this hunt by a friend.  He had me convinced that it was in golden gate park.  So the first day in the city we spent in gg park looking and looking and looking, taking notes and pics.  i had to beg the family to spend the whole day in the park looking for the treasure.  So at the end of the day, with no luck i promised the family no more treasure hunting.  The next day we went to the fishermans warf area.  We parked the car near Russian Park and decided to walk down to Ghiradelli square, and thats when i noticed it.  From Russian Park, looking down Larkin St. I could see the Gh of the Ghiradelli sign and it was backward just like the G h in the image. Then after we turned down Larkin St. I instantly noticed a ship (the Balclutha) in the bay with 3 large masts and behind it in the distance, Alcatraz.  After buying some chocolate we crossed Beach St. and went to the Maritime museum.  Most of it was closed but there were some plaques and historical things to read.  One read: “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” Many attribute this phrase to Mark Twain, however the origin is unknown.  From there you can see a stone wall along side Fort Mason, but i didn’t walk down it to see if there was a doorway.  There is also a stone wall down by the water that looked like a water break.  Also from the Maritime National Historic Park you can see part of the Golden Gate bridge.  Later we went to the ships and there is a steam engine Paddle Wheel boat (Eureka) in the bay.  Mark Twain has written about both his interest in steam engines and Paddle Wheel boats on the Mississippi. Then we headed down towards pier 39.  By the time we headed back it was dark so i couldn’t explore the area more.  Then homeward bound.
I think the verse fits very well here.  Most everything i saw was there in the early 80’s. I don’t know if many people have checked the area but i would like to hear from anyone that has.  There was also two observation towers (don’t know how long they have been there) in the Maritime park.  That made me think about the moons in image 1.  Moon can be viewed at an observatory (observation tower).  Just a thought.
Heres what i have for verse 7.
At stone walls door:
Stone wall by Fort Mason or by Water??
[move]
[/move]
The air smells sweet
Ghiradelli square
Not far away
High posts are three
The 3 masts on the Balclutha
Education and Justice
For all to see
Education=Maritime Museum??
Justice=Alcatraz
Sounds from the sky
?? Birds, seagulls, pelicans ??
??planes or jets from the old Alameda air base, the flight path was over the bay??
Near ace is high
Running north, but first across
Ace= number 1
High= highway
highway 1 Golden Gate bridge runs north, but first across the bay.
In jewels direction
Is an object
Of Twains attention
Object of Twains attention= Paddle Wheel boat (Eureka)
the jewel is in that direction
Giant pole
?? flagpole ??  observation tower ??
Giant step
From the giant pole, face the jewels direction (paddle wheel boat) and take a giant step….Dig.
these are just my thoughts. again, sorry if i repeated anything and sorry if this post is so long.

Hello all.  I am new to this hunt and would like to share some of my ideas.  I haven’t read through all the post so forgive me if i repeat anything.
I believe (like most everyone does)  that image 1 leads to san francisco.  And that verse 7 goes with it.  My first thoughts were Golden Gate park after seeing the image, but i just couldn’t get the verse to completely make sense.  I found myself trying to hard to make things fit.  The verse is supposed to lead you to the exact location to dig.  Now it could be that so much has changed in the area in 25+ years that the verse won’t completely make sense.  But looking at the two treasures that have been solved most all of the landmarks are still there.  So if we assume that most all of the landmarks are still there with this treasure, then the verse will only make senses in the right location.  It will come together with limited effort.
Recently i went to san francisco with the family for a weekend getaway.  Two days before the trip i was introduced to this hunt by a friend.  He had me convinced that it was in golden gate park.  So the first day in the city we spent in gg park looking and looking and looking, taking notes and pics.  i had to beg the family to spend the whole day in the park looking for the treasure.  So at the end of the day, with no luck i promised the family no more treasure hunting.  The next day we went to the fishermans warf area.  We parked the car near Russian Park and decided to walk down to Ghiradelli square, and thats when i noticed it.  From Russian Park, looking down Larkin St. I could see the Gh of the Ghiradelli sign and it was backward just like the G h in the image. Then after we turned down Larkin St. I instantly noticed a ship (the Balclutha) in the bay with 3 large masts and behind it in the distance, Alcatraz.  After buying some chocolate we crossed Beach St. and went to the Maritime museum.  Most of it was closed but there were some plaques and historical things to read.  One read: “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” Many attribute this phrase to Mark Twain, however the origin is unknown.  From there you can see a stone wall along side Fort Mason, but i didn’t walk down it to see if there was a doorway.  There is also a stone wall down by the water that looked like a water break.  Also from the Maritime National Historic Park you can see part of the Golden Gate bridge.  Later we went to the ships and there is a steam engine Paddle Wheel boat (Eureka) in the bay.  Mark Twain has written about both his interest in steam engines and Paddle Wheel boats on the Mississippi. Then we headed down towards pier 39.  By the time we headed back it was dark so i couldn’t explore the area more.  Then homeward bound.
I think the verse fits very well here.  Most everything i saw was there in the early 80’s. I don’t know if many people have checked the area but i would like to hear from anyone that has.  There was also two observation towers (don’t know how long they have been there) in the Maritime park.  That made me think about the moons in image 1.  Moon can be viewed at an observatory (observation tower).  Just a thought.
Heres what i have for verse 7.
At stone walls door:
Stone wall by Fort Mason or by Water??
[move]
[/move]
The air smells sweet
Ghiradelli square
Not far away
High posts are three
The 3 masts on the Balclutha
Education and Justice
For all to see
Education=Maritime Museum??
Justice=Alcatraz
Sounds from the sky
?? Birds, seagulls, pelicans ??
??planes or jets from the old Alameda air base, the flight path was over the bay??
Near ace is high
Running
north, but first across
Ace= number 1
High= highway
highway 1 Golden Gate bridge runs north, but first across the bay.
In jewels direction
Is an object
Of Twains attention
Object of Twains attention= Paddle Wheel boat (Eureka)
the jewel is in that direction
Giant pole
?? flagpole ??  observation tower ??
Giant step
From the giant pole, face the jewels direction (paddle wheel boat) and take a giant step….Dig.
these are just my thoughts. again, sorry if i repeated anything and sorry if this post is so long.

Hello all.
I
am new to this hunt and would like to share some
of
my ideas.
I
haven’t read through all the post so forgive me if
i
repeat anything.
I
believe (like most everyone does)  that image 1 leads to san francisco.  And that verse 7 goes with it.  My first thoughts were Golden Gate park after seeing the image, but
i
just couldn’t get the verse to completely make sense.
I
found myself trying to hard to make things fit.  The verse is supposed to lead you to the exact location to dig.  Now it could be that so much has changed in the area in 25+ years that the verse won’t completely make sense.  But looking at the two treasures that have been solved most all
of
the landmarks are still there.  So if we assume that most all
of
the landmarks are still there with this treasure, then the verse will only make senses in the right location.  It will come together with limited effort.
Recently
i
went to san francisco with the family for a weekend getaway.  Two days before the trip
i
was introduced to this hunt by a friend.  He had me convinced that it was in golden gate park.  So the first day in the city we spent in gg park looking and looking and looking, taking notes and pics.
i
had to beg the family to spend the whole day in the park looking for the treasure.  So at the end
of
the day, with no luck
i
promised the family no more treasure hunting.  The next day we went to the fishermans warf area.  We parked the car near Russian Park and decided to walk down to Ghiradelli square, and thats when
i
noticed it.  From Russian Park, looking down Larkin St.
I
could see the Gh
of
the Ghiradelli sign and it was backward just like the G h in the image. Then after we turned down Larkin St.
I
instantly noticed a ship (the Balclutha) in the bay with 3 large masts and behind it in the distance, Alcatraz.  After buying some chocolate we crossed Beach St. and went to the Maritime museum.  Most
of
it was closed but there were some plaques and historical things to read.  One read: “The coldest winter
I
ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” Many attribute this phrase to Mark Twain, however the origin is unknown.  From there you can see a stone wall along side Fort Mason, but
i
didn’t walk down it to see if there was a doorway.  There is also a stone wall down by the water that looked like a water break.  Also from the Maritime National Historic Park you can see part
of
the Golden Gate bridge.  Later we went to the ships and there is a steam engine Paddle Wheel boat (Eureka) in the bay.  Mark Twain has written about both his interest in steam engines and Paddle Wheel boats on the Mississippi. Then we headed down towards pier 39.  By the time we headed back it was dark so
i
couldn’t explore the area more.  Then homeward bound.
I
think the verse fits very well here.  Most everything
i
saw was there in the early 80’s.
I
don’t know if many people have checked the area but
i
would like to hear from anyone that has.  There was also two observation towers (don’t know how long they have been there) in the Maritime park.  That made me think about the moons in image 1.  Moon can be viewed at an observatory (observation tower).  Just a thought.
Heres what
i
have for verse 7.
At stone walls door:
Stone wall by Fort Mason or by Water??
[move]
[/move]
The air smells sweet
Ghiradelli square
Not far away
High posts are three
The 3 masts on the Balclutha
Education and Justice
For all to see
Education=Maritime Museum??
Justice=Alcatraz
Sounds from the sky
?? Birds, seagulls, pelicans ??
??planes or jets from the old Alameda air base, the flight path was over the bay??
Near ace is high
Running north, but first across
Ace= number 1
High= highway
highway 1 Golden Gate bridge runs north, but first across the bay.
In jewels direction
Is an object
Of
Twains attention
Object
of
Twains attention= Paddle Wheel boat (Eureka)
the jewel is in that direction
Giant pole
?? flagpole ??  observation tower ??
Giant step
From the giant pole, face the jewels direction (paddle wheel boat) and take a giant step….Dig.
these are just my thoughts. again, sorry if
i
repeated anything and sorry if this post is so long.

Hi All. Just thought I would try to revive the Lafayette Park theory in SF. I am not sure how many are still considering it, but thought I would share a few possible image confirmers. Consider the sandy area(s) near the summit, there is the nearby Victorian drinking
fountain
and the barred window in the Spreckles Mansion. I would also add the ‘orbs’ in the sandy areas could be the moons we are seeing in the painting. The celestial theme may also be a subtle nod to the planetarium that existed there before.
Of course, image confirmers are only as strong as the supporting verses. ‘Octavia/8th’ and ‘tennis court/scene where law defended’ still stands out as one of the best interpretations I have read. Considering also when you extend the arms of Clay/Octavia streets, you are almost exactly on the ‘sand’ at the summit. Hoping the forum will revisit this one.

Hi All. Just thought I would try to revive the Lafayette Park theory in SF. I am not sure how many are still considering it, but thought I would share a few possible image confirmers. Consider the sandy area(s) near the summit, there is the nearby Victorian drinking fountain and the barred window in the Spreckles Mansion. I would also add the ‘orbs’ in the sandy areas could be the moons we are seeing in the painting. The celestial theme may also be a subtle nod to the planetarium that existed there before.
Of course, image confirmers are only as strong as the supporting verses. ‘Octavia/8th’ and ‘tennis court/scene where law defended’ still stands out as one of the best interpretations I have read. Considering also when you extend the arms of Clay/Octavia streets, you are almost exactly on the ‘sand’ at the summit. Hoping the forum will revisit this one.

davinci4

Hi All. Just thought I would try to revive the Lafayette Park theory in SF. I am not sure how many are still considering it, but thought I would share a few possible image confirmers. Consider the sandy area(s) near the summit, there is the nearby Victorian drinking
fountain
and the barred window in the Spreckles Mansion. I would also add the ‘orbs’ in the sandy areas could be the moons we are seeing in the painting. The celestial theme may also be a subtle nod to the planetarium that existed there before.
Of course, image confirmers are only as strong as the supporting verses. ‘Octavia/8th’ and ‘tennis court/scene where law defended’ still stands out as one of the best interpretations I have read. Considering also when you extend the arms of Clay/Octavia streets, you are almost exactly on the ‘sand’ at the summit. Hoping the forum will revisit this one.

I believe that you are suggesting that Verse 6 is paired with Image 1? If so, I think that is a steep hill to climb. I am 97% convinced that Verse 7 goes with Image 1.

davinci4

Hi All. Just thought I would try to revive the Lafayette Park theory in SF. I am not sure how many are still considering it, but thought I would share a few possible image confirmers. Consider the sandy area(s) near the summit, there is the nearby Victorian drinking fountain and the barred window in the Spreckles Mansion. I would also add the ‘orbs’ in the sandy areas could be the moons we are seeing in the painting. The celestial theme may also be a subtle nod to the planetarium that existed there before.
Of course, image confirmers are only as strong as the supporting verses. ‘Octavia/8th’ and ‘tennis court/scene where law defended’ still stands out as one of the best interpretations I have read. Considering also when you extend the arms of Clay/Octavia streets, you are almost exactly on the ‘sand’ at the summit. Hoping the forum will revisit this one.

I believe that you are suggesting that Verse 6 is paired with Image 1? If so, I think that is a steep hill to climb. I am 97% convinced that Verse 7 goes with Image 1.

I’m really intrigued with the Chinese meanings of these symbols seeing that the whole feel of the P is oriental the the symbols are actually on the oriental robe…..however…the symbols are definitely Mandarin or any other oriental script.  hmmm hmmm indeed.

I
‘m really intrigued with the Chinese meanings
of
these symbols seeing that the whole feel
of
the P is oriental the the symbols are actually on the oriental robe…..however…the symbols are definitely Mandarin or any other oriental script.  hmmm hmmm indeed.

maltedfalcon

the Gh on the dress sits directly on top of the Great highway in the park
it lines up perfectly with the tourist map of GGpark available in the 80’s and is in the same font… and that covered it for me.

I still like this spot. Forget the verse if you prefer, but the image matches alone are worth a closer look. How ’bout this, malted…
Here’s the GGP map. The main road along the bottom border is Lincoln Way. The road up the left border is Great Highway – the “Gh”.
Take a closer look at that “h” near the pearl. It matches the intersection of Lincoln Way and Martin Luther King Jr Drive at this point. (This was called South Drive at the time.)
At this location you can see the rose (garage left) and the dragon scales (sign right).
(Why the “h”…? Maybe it’s because this image corresponds to
Gem
ini, the two twins.)

Oh, I see. Like the TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. What a coincidence.

you could argue thats a hint, as you are taken to lake merced and stern grove.

No need to argue. Thanks for confirming a suspicion I had.

Serious question for those that would probably know: Is it physically possible for the casque to be buried in St. Mary’s Park in Chinatown? Have there been renovations over the years that would have the soil not deep enough , for example. The clues in verse 10 point there, but is the ground friendy in the “casque being there” kinda way? I hope that it can and is there. As soon as I discovered that one of Sun Yat Sen’s major legacies was the creation of his political philosophy of the Three Principles of the People. These Principles included the principle of nationalism, of democracy, and of welfare (3 Vols.) the light bulb lit for me. I hope that this casque is there. And have an excellent day! of course.
Adam

Hi Adam, as far as I know back to 1987 it basically looked the same
now they have added statues and done sidewalk work and removed/planted trees, -normal things that happen in a park over 30 some years.
but the majority of the park seems to remain the same.
I’ve never seen any plausible theory that would take you there.

Thanks for the info. I will smooth off the rough edges of the theory to make it fit 100%, then will share ASAP. Again, I do appreciate all of your tips, tricks and knowledge since I began thinking of the secret. Have an excellent day!

I detailed the map of travel to the casque (my theory).
It’s:
http://tinypic.com/r/23wlcsh/9
I believe that verse 10 search begins at Coit Tower. There are many visual clues to things on Alcatraz island, Ghirardelli Factory evening lights and the tower itself in Image 1.
Coit Tower should cast it’s shadow (in the evening) like an arm extending over Filbert Steps. If a person walks from the tower down Filbert St. to Sansome St. they would hear the whirring sound of the birds you mentioned. The cars abound in the parking lots near this area. The traveler would seek out the bus to get to the casque and would see that there is a bus (Route 58) that would take them to Hamilton if they wanted. They don’t want to go to Hamilton, but they see that this bus connects with the Cable Car System at North Point and Hyde St., so they ride bus 58 to North Point, get off. At this hour of the evening the Ghirardelli sign is lit and the (11 moons of ) the letters illuminate the night sky, how cool. The traveler gets on the Trolley and rides it to Sacramento and Powell St and gets off. They”ve not been on the transit system for very much time, so they decide to ride the California St. Trolley for the last couple blocks to St. Mary’s Square. They had heard that the natives (Chinese) speak very highly of Sun Yat Sen and want to make sure to visit his statue. Once you’re in St. Mar’s Square admiring the statue of Sun Yat Sen. The remaining lines of the verse will help you pinpoint the exact casque location.

Guys
Have you thought literally about the picture and considered that the location of the pearl is in direct relation to the Golden Gate Bridge
ie.  If you move south, by the requisite amount, you get to San Bruno (Golden Gate) Cemetary.
This has a MASSIVE circular STEP with A GIANT POLE and , from the air is a White Circle sitting in a variant of a Yin Yang shape.
At the same time, it’s Lat/Long are similar to San Francisco, but have the coincidence of being exactly on the 37 Degrees, 38′ line (taking into account both numbers identified in the hair)
Have a look on Google earth at 37.38′ N 122. 26′ W

Also still next to Highway 1 (Aces High)
And next to SFO international Airport (Sounds from the Sky)

And the tie in to  “An object of Twain’s delight” ?

the old guy idea on this… is an object of twain’s attention… could it be something other than the river, such as the mississippi queen riverboat(mooring dock), or the area becky got lost in the cave ? just ideas.  just havin’ fun!!!

Well, Twain did lampoon undertakers and cemeteries in SF, so a cemetery could be the object.
http://www.notfrisco.com/colmatales/twain.html
We should note that the book states clearly that the casques are not located in cemeteries. There are a number of cemeteries located near GGP:
http://www.sanfranciscocemeteries.com/maps.html
.

This link is for the World’s Fair people.
http://www.inetours.com/Pages/SFNbrhds/ … sland.html

Choice

I might’ve missed your post but did you ever post the Chinese emigration connection to your solve?

Not in my original solve. I have noticed since then that there may be a Chinese theme to a point. The Chinese Goddess of the Moon Chang-o could have something to do with the moons in Image 1. If that is the case then there are a few moons that are hovering directly above some of my locations along my path including my final location.

Hi Everyone,
Just joined!
I’ve I been checking the threads and Ive been going though old photos, talking to people I know who have lived hear since the 70s onwards and checking city data.
I feel I am ready to start to dig, but not so much for the getting arrested part.
Could anyone please help with information on contacting Golden Gate Park about how to get permission to dig?

More documentation:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1360+Mont … &t=k&hl=en
1360 Montgomery is where the Atlas/Ace can be found.  The street immediately below it is Alta, or “high.”
Just to the left is 1443 Montgomery (the numbers are a bit screwy, I admit).  This is the lot with the staircase, the flower gardens, and the way up to the stone wall, which is visible to the left, curving around the southeast end of Pioneer Park (it looks like a backwards J).
At the end of Montgomery Street (covered by the balloon) is Julius’ Palace.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting…
To the northwest you can see Pioneer Park, with Coit Tower and the statue of Columubs.  To the north and a bit west of
that
is the Marconi memoria (“Sounds from the sky/ Near ace is high”), which looks like a half-circle rounded to the right.
Make a line between 1360, 1443, and Marconi…  and it goes DIRECTLY through the very spot of the old signal tower, which is at about the 11 o’clock position of the circle going around the Columbus statue in front of Coit Tower.

forest_blight

I wouldn’t be surprised if Voltaire returned home with casque in tow. A little Googling and reading about Coit Tower leaves me very optimistic – it’s an attractive site.
Consider, for example, paintings #16 and #17 here…
http://www.coittower.org/murals/floorplan.html
…and compare their outlines to that of Image 1.
I would just keep an eye out for things alluded to in various verses, especially Verse 7. For example, if there is a statue of Mark Twain looking directly at a patch of sand, I would be encouraged!

Interesting.  The description of painting 16 refers to the University of California (in other words, Education), while the description of painting 17 refers to Alcatraz Prison (in other words, Justice).  “For all to see”, indeed.
Drew

One final suggestion before I head out for the day:  “
In jewel’s direction
” may refer not to the prize, but to Julius (Jules) Street, which is just north of Coit Tower.
That one kept me up last night wondering…  How exactly would I get away with digging at a public landmark in broad daylight?
Any tips on digging etiquette or protocol, just in case I get lucky a few more times and decide to go down that path at Coit Tower?

Very nice Drew.  I was excited just because the tops of those 2 pix were rounded like P1 and included a dark sky and rocky mountains.  Then you drop the bombshell about education and justice.  Coit tower has to be near.
bring one home Voltaire…..bring one home!

Wow, drew, that’s a wonderful observation. I think I just heard a “clink” as a couple of pieces fell nicely into place.
I wonder if anything in (or around, or visible from) the Coit Tower has to do with airplanes.
Near ace is high
suggests a “flying ace,” which would be high if the plane is aloft. Is there an airplane in any of the murals? That would also qualify as
Sounds from the sky
, too, by the way, but then, so would the Berkeley campanile in the east painting.
In jewel’s direction
may not refer to the casque at all (since there is no jewel there, after all), but rather to the artificial Treasure Island (hardee har), home of the 1939 World’s Fair and a former military base. And frankly there isn’t much between Coit Tower and Treasure Island but water and a little land. So if this is helpful at all, is there an
object / Of Twain’s attention
or a
Giant pole / Giant step
to the northeast of the tower?

Okay, one MORE observation, again going with the Coit Tower theme.  I about peed my pants when I realized this one–and it was from reviewing a picture that I took two days ago, back when I was a relative novice!
I have a picture of a very striking low-relief freize on the wall of a nearby residence.  It’s three stories tall, and judging by the architecture and artistic style, it dates from the 1930s.  It depicts a shirtless man holding a globe while three airplanes fly overhead.
It’s also right across the street from the east pedestrian walkway to Pioneer Park, the home of Coit Tower.
Could this be “
Near ace is high?
“
Of course, the man is gigantic, so it could be “
giant step
,” too.  I’m more inclined to think that this line is a literal direction to take for the exact spot where the casque is to be found, though.
Sadly, I can’t upload the pictures because I have no way to shrink them on my laptop.  I’ve emailed my “ace” picture to forest blight, though, so maybe he can do it.

Mark Twain published in San Francisco’s
The Golden Era
in the 1860s. Here are the articles:
http://www.twainquotes.com/Era/eraindex.html
I went through them all, and besides some very good reading (check out his hilarious
Biographical Sketch of George Washington
, March 4, 1866), many SF locations are given
attention
, some more than others. Here is a list of the ones I noticed:
September 20, 1863
Lick House (huge hotel once located on the corner of Montgomery and Sutter, considered the “finest hotel west of the Mississippi;” destroyed 1906 along with pretty much everything else I’ll mention)
Occidental Hotel (like Lick House, also located on Montgomery St. between Sutter and Bush)
September 27, 1863
Lick House
September 27, 1863
Lick House
Goat Island (Duchess of) (Goat Island is now Yerba Buena Island)
October 11, 1863
Montgomery St.
Occidental Hotel
Lick House
Seal Rock Point (NW corner of peninsula)
Cliff House (NW corner of peninsula)
March 27, 1864
Lick House
Seal Rock Point
June 17-23, 1864
Occidental Hotel
Opera House (?)
Metropolitan (on Montgomery St. between Washington and Jackson)
the Academy of Music (on Pine St., below Montgomery)
American (theatre on the corner of Sansome and Halleck)
the New Idea (a theatre)
the Museum (?)
the Bank Exchange (?)
Maguire’s Opera House (on Washington St. above Montgomery)
July 3, 1864
Cliff House
Ocean House (a SF hotel, location unknown; where Sloat Blvd. meets the beach?)
January 28, 1866
Kearny St. (a N-S street that, if it could, would run directly through Pioneer Park)
January, 1866
Police Court
January 28, 1866
Russ House (hotel on W. side of Montgomery St., between Bush and Pine)
Cosmopolitan Hotel (once at 100 5th St.)
Occidental Hotel
February, 1866
Montgomery St.
Clay St.
Washington St.
February 25-28, 1866
Occidental Hotel
South Park (a park on South Park St., near southern end of Embarcadero)
Twain also wrote for the
Daily Morning Call
:
http://www.twainquotes.com/callindex.html
I haven’t gone through these in detail because the others took all morning, and I’m supposed to be working (!). But one mentions the Bella Union Melodeon (corner of Washington and Kearny).
Anyway, many of these, plus other material, were apparently collected in the books
Washoe Giant in San Francisco
and
Mark Twain’s San Francisco
, both of which may be worth obtaining and scouring at some point.

I know this is a stretch, but somewhere in my mind I remember that a telegraph tower used to be known as a “pole”, meaning that the possibly something on the Telegraph Hill could actually be the telegraph pole?
wilhouse

Here’s a close-up I found of some of the windows in Coit Tower. Note the shape:
Voltaire
: As for the air smelling sweet at Ghirardelli Square, we could group the line
The air smells sweet
with
Not far away
rather than with
At stone wall’s door
; i.e., “if you’re standing at Coit Tower (which also isn’t stone, but concrete from what I understand), nearby at Ghirardelli Square the air is sweet, but
here
, high posts (successive telegraph towers) are three.” So, we (might) have the following:
At stone wall’s door
At Coit Tower…
The air smells sweet
Not far away
Within sight is Ghirardelli Square with the “G h” backwards…
High posts are three
There were three telegraph towers here…
Education and Justice
For all to see
You can see Berkeley and Alcatraz in those paintings that have the same shape as Image 1…
Sounds from the sky
?
Near ace is high
The dude with the globe and airplanes across the street?
drew
: wilhouse and Fox connected
ace is high
to poker over on the Verse 7 thread, and you’re right, that makes a lot of sense.
Running north, but first across
In jewel’s direction
Is an object
Of Twain’s attention
ay, there’s the rub
Giant pole
What could “pole” refer to? We are already aware of the Coit Tower reference, so this meaning would be redundant. Something else then?
drew
: Ralph Stackpole has “pole” in his name.
Giant step
There are some pretty giant step-like thingies in front of Coit Tower. Are they diggable? If so, the spot might resemble the planter area of the Cleveland find.
http://www.virtuar.com/ysf2/ap_coittower.htm
To the place
The casque is kept.

Here’s a close-up I found of some of the windows in Coit Tower. Note the shape:
Voltaire
: As for the air smelling sweet at Ghirardelli Square, we could group the line
The air smells sweet
with
Not far away
rather than with
At stone wall’s door
; i.e., “if you’re standing at Coit Tower (which also isn’t stone, but concrete from what I understand), nearby at Ghirardelli Square the air is sweet, but
here
, high posts (successive telegraph towers) are three.” So, we (might) have the following:
At stone wall’s door
At Coit Tower…
The air smells sweet
Not far away
Within sight is Ghirardelli Square with the “G h” backwards…
High posts are three
There were three telegraph towers here…
Education and Justice
For all to see
You can see Berkeley and Alcatraz in those paintings that have the same shape as Image 1…
Sounds from the sky
?
Near ace is high
The dude with the globe and airplanes across the street?
drew
: wilhouse and Fox connected
ace is high
to poker over on the Verse 7 thread, and you’re right, that makes a lot of sense.
Running
north, but first across
In jewel’s direction
Is an object
Of Twain’s attention
ay, there’s the rub
Giant pole
What could “pole” refer to? We are already aware of the Coit Tower reference, so this meaning would be redundant. Something else then?
drew
: Ralph Stackpole has “pole” in his name.
Giant step
There are some pretty giant step-like thingies in front of Coit Tower. Are they diggable? If so, the spot might resemble the planter area of the Cleveland find.
http://www.virtuar.com/ysf2/ap_coittower.htm
To the place
The casque is kept.

I’m heading out the door.  Call me on my cell phone at 443 306 5220 if there are any important tower-related finds, as I plan to have breakfast then be in that area all day today taking pictures or maybe even digging.
Again, I’ll be wearing a black pullover and a green polo shirt underneath.  I’m male, white, 6’2″, with short brown hair if you want to stop me and say hi.

While we’re focusing on Coit Tower, could the blue lake-like image on the left be the outline of Pioneer Park?  I couldn’t find a good map to compare the two outlines.
Drew

I spent most of the day taking tons of pictures at Ghirardelli Square, actually, but I walked away disappointed.  The walls around Ghirardelli are brick, not stone, and though the air smells sweet, I couldn’t find much else to satisfy me there.
But I’m heading to Coit tomorrow.  I’ll be wearing a black pullover and a green-and-blue striped polo shirt–bad fashion sense, but conspicuous.  If any of you want to meet me there, I’ll almost certainly be in the tower vicinity all tomorrow morning, taking pictures, asking questions, and dropping hints.

And while I’m letting my mind wander a bit…
Mark Twain often credited Bret Harte as being his mentor.  Harte apparently lived in SF at 716 Montgomery Street at the time he wrote some of his stories (Ralph Stackpole, one of the Coit muralists, also lived there).  And one of Harte’s stories was “The Outcasts of Poker Flat”.
Has anyone connected “ace is high” to poker?
Drew

hey, seems several of us are reading this right now!  let’s meet in chat!
I must be at the office all day Friday, and I don’t think I’d want to be treasure hunting at night.  It’s been a while since i’ve been near Coit, but I thought it was all residential streets.  (Hey, rbfox, it’s right near where P.Dreizen lived!)  Maybe a bit of earth and trees along a winding page around the base?  Yes, it’s been too long, but I think i’ll continue working remotely on this one some more.  Good luck!  And welcome to California!

Just got off the phone with Voltaire (the treasure hunter, not the famous historical figure). He has some exciting updates, but I’ll let him share them later. Hot on the trail now.

catherwood

it’s right near where P.Dreizen lived!

ahhh, the infamous P. Dreizen
still say US was apple

is there a Havana St nearby?  wondering if CC  (
http://www.mayoff.com/5-01coitDCP01905.jpg
) could be object of Twains attention.  He had a famous quote about CC that went like this:  “In a museum in Havana there are two skulls of Christopher Columbus, “one when he was a boy and one when he was a man.””
just some more ramblings.  CC statue is so close by tho.

wilhouse

I know this is a stretch, but somewhere in my mind I remember that a telegraph tower used to be known as a “pole”, meaning that the possibly something on the Telegraph Hill could actually be the telegraph pole?
wilhouse

here is mention of poles used.
http://www.noehill.com/sf/landmarks/cal0091.asp

fox
: I wonder if it could be that simple! Is there dirt on top of the pedestal (
Giant step
) in which one could dig?

Voltaire’s frieze on Montgomery:

a little more precise location of our pole?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allaboutge … et-114799/
maybe the “Giant step” simply refers to the giant statue who would take giant steps.
dirt on this pedestal fb?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allaboutge … 799/ 
doesnt look like it and i dont see BP digging in the fenced in area around CC.  Could be nearby tho

fox
: Sure looks like a lot of dirt to me. Anyway, something to think about.
As for the plaque, would you believe Voltaire read me the contents of that plaque on the phone about an hour and a half ago? We were quite excited that it mentioned the pole.

another thought… could the table’s pedestal in this P represent Coit Tower?  We still have yet to decipher the table.  I know it isnt the exact shape of Coit Tower
http://www.magazinusa.com/images_st2/ca … _tower.jpg
like the buildings located in the 2 “found” P’s but…….
could it be something more like this?
http://www.geoffreydrewmarketing.com/an … nozzle.jpg
“The artists also claimed that the building was a mockery because they assumed (as do many today) that architects Brown and Howard had designed the monument in the shape of a fire hose nozzle in memory of Lillie Coit’s fondness for the Fire Department, an intention that the architects consistently denied.”  found on history of CT
http://www.coittower.org/history/histor … tower.html
the stem on the rose atop the table seems to curl into the letter “C” for Coit also

Alright…  Here is a point-by-point explanation of all I managed to find today.  Executive summary:  If I had had a shovel–and a little time alone–I would have dug.  The site is very crowded with tourists, though, so any dig will have to be early morning or late at night if possible.
Before you ask, I have photographs to document every word of what follows.
Alright, start with verse 7.
At stone wall’s door
The air smells sweet
Going up to Pioneer Park from the east side (Montgomery St), there is a long flight of steps made of concrete, not stone.  They are, however, surrounded by tons of different flowers, many of which I photographed.  They include roses, if it matters, and I am assured that in springtime the air smells wonderfully sweet.
Incidentally, the nearest street address to this point of entrance is 1445 Montgomery.  Now turn to the woman’s robe in Image 1.  Consider the number of sides of the figures surrounding the “Gh:”  They run circle, square, square, triangle, or 1-4-4-3, the address that the lot should have had (it’s not marked, but this should be it).
Go to the top of the concrete stairs, and there is a stone wall partly surrounding the top of Telegraph Hill around the border of Pioneer Park.  It’s real stone–jasper–and not fake concrete stuff.  The air smells sweet here too, thanks to abundant flowering currant bushes.
Not far away
High posts are three
Telegraph hill has been home to three high posts.  First, there was a semaphore tower, the foundations of which are still standing.  Second, there was a telegraph post, which is not in existence any longer.  Third, there is Coit Tower itself, whose windows all have the shape of the outside border of Image 1.
Education and Justice
For all to see
These are likely the paintings of Alcatraz and the University, as discussed above in the thread.  I’ve photographed them myself, and my one remaining doubt concerns the capital letters:  There simply aren’t any personifications of Education or Justice in evidence, and these are what we would expect from the capital letters.
Sounds from the sky
There is a memorial to Marconi, the inventor of radio, just across from the northwest end of Pioneer Park.
Near ace is high
The Montgomery Atlas, located at 1360 Montgomery Street.  He certainly looks like a flying ace, who can span the globe thanks to the airplanes flying overhead.  The closest intersecting street is called Alta, which means high in Spanish.  A line from the Montgomery Atlas through the Marconi memorial would go straight through Pioneer Park, and, I believe, directly across the treasure site as well.
Running north, but first across
In jewel’s direction
In a slightly different direction, Montgomery runs north-south; number 1360 is south of 1443, where the stairway can be found to Pioneer Park. But if you go north to the end of the street, you hit Julius’ Castle, a restaurant and club that has been in operation since 1922.  Julius = Jules = jewel’s.
Is an object
Of Twain’s attention
I haven’t read enough Twain, but I understand that this exact neighborhood was a favorite topic of his.
Giant pole
Giant step
To the place
The casque is kept.
Atop Telegraph Hill, the memorial plaque for the semaphore tower describes the device as a “tall pole.”  My best guess at this point is to take a giant step from the foundation of the tower in the direction of Ghirardelli Square.  That square, with the backwards “Gh” plainly visible, is in a more or less direct line with Marconi, the semaphore tower, and the Montgomery Atlas/Ace.
Difficulties:
I drew very few matches on the architecture.  The image just doesn’t show much relating to Coit Tower and its environment.  Yes, there are roses, and yes, there are the arched windows.  But everything up there is in this very spare, art-deco style, or else in done in 1930s-era socialist realism.  The motifs up there are nothing at all like the picture:  No yin-yangs; no roman numerals even.  (On a lark, I looked at every one of the engraved bricks that were placed in the steps to mark sponsors of the park’s refurbishment.  Preiss doesn’t show up…  Oh well.  That one would have been a dead giveaway.)
So…  What do you all think?

Alright…  Here is a point-by-point explanation of all I managed to find today.  Executive summary:  If I had had a shovel–and a little time alone–I would have dug.  The site is very crowded with tourists, though, so any dig will have to be early morning or late at night if possible.
Before you ask, I have photographs to document every word of what follows.
Alright, start with verse 7.
At stone wall’s door
The air smells sweet
Going up to Pioneer Park from the east side (Montgomery St), there is a long flight of steps made of concrete, not stone.  They are, however, surrounded by tons of different flowers, many of which I photographed.  They include roses, if it matters, and I am assured that in springtime the air smells wonderfully sweet.
Incidentally, the nearest street address to this point of entrance is 1445 Montgomery.  Now turn to the woman’s robe in Image 1.  Consider the number of sides of the figures surrounding the “Gh:”  They run circle, square, square, triangle, or 1-4-4-3, the address that the lot should have had (it’s not marked, but this should be it).
Go to the top of the concrete stairs, and there is a stone wall partly surrounding the top of Telegraph Hill around the border of Pioneer Park.  It’s real stone–jasper–and not fake concrete stuff.  The air smells sweet here too, thanks to abundant flowering currant bushes.
Not far away
High posts are three
Telegraph hill has been home to three high posts.  First, there was a semaphore tower, the foundations of which are still standing.  Second, there was a telegraph post, which is not in existence any longer.  Third, there is Coit Tower itself, whose windows all have the shape of the outside border of Image 1.
Education and Justice
For all to see
These are likely the paintings of Alcatraz and the University, as discussed above in the thread.  I’ve photographed them myself, and my one remaining doubt concerns the capital letters:  There simply aren’t any personifications of Education or Justice in evidence, and these are what we would expect from the capital letters.
Sounds from the sky
There is a memorial to Marconi, the inventor of radio, just across from the northwest end of Pioneer Park.
Near ace is high
The Montgomery Atlas, located at 1360 Montgomery Street.  He certainly looks like a flying ace, who can span the globe thanks to the airplanes flying overhead.  The closest intersecting street is called Alta, which means high in Spanish.  A line from the Montgomery Atlas through the Marconi memorial would go straight through Pioneer Park, and, I believe, directly across the treasure site as well.
Running
north, but first across
In jewel’s direction
In a slightly different direction, Montgomery runs north-south; number 1360 is south of 1443, where the stairway can be found to Pioneer Park. But if you go north to the end of the street, you hit Julius’ Castle, a restaurant and club that has been in operation since 1922.  Julius = Jules = jewel’s.
Is an object
Of Twain’s attention
I haven’t read enough Twain, but I understand that this exact neighborhood was a favorite topic of his.
Giant pole
Giant step
To the place
The casque is kept.
Atop Telegraph Hill, the memorial plaque for the semaphore tower describes the device as a “tall pole.”  My best guess at this point is to take a giant step from the foundation of the tower in the direction of Ghirardelli Square.  That square, with the backwards “Gh” plainly visible, is in a more or less direct line with Marconi, the semaphore tower, and the Montgomery Atlas/Ace.
Difficulties:
I drew very few matches on the architecture.  The image just doesn’t show much relating to Coit Tower and its environment.  Yes, there are roses, and yes, there are the arched windows.  But everything up there is in this very spare, art-deco style, or else in done in 1930s-era socialist realism.  The motifs up there are nothing at all like the picture:  No yin-yangs; no roman numerals even.  (On a lark, I looked at every one of the engraved bricks that were placed in the steps to mark sponsors of the park’s refurbishment.  Preiss doesn’t show up…  Oh well.  That one would have been a dead giveaway.)
So…  What do you all think?

Wow, Voltaire, thanks for the report! Only a few notes for now.
First, the tower was restored in 1984, after
The Secret
was written, so it is unlikely that you would have encountered Preiss’ name in the bricks. I don’t know the extent of the restoration, but it might have disrupted things a bit. Perhaps a giant flagpole was removed from somewhere.
Second, I think you have hit upon the correct interpretation of the shapes as 1443. Excellent job. Even in the unlikely event that you turn out to be wrong that 1443 is a street address, the shapes certainly represent 1443 (or 3441 if we follow ‘G h’ backwards, but probably 1443).

1-4-4-3 was my husband’s idea, which he thought up before we even knew the street address of the lot with the stairs on it.
Right now I am wondering if someone with better connections than my own in this city might be able to get us some quick permission to dig, say from the park rangers or something?  I worry because there are security cameras trained on the parking lot around the columbus statue, so it’s not likely to be too safe at any time of day.  And digging under cover of darkness is just asking to spend the night in jail.

Rviewer1

I have another thought on the giant step. Since El Cid is on a horse, I started looking at stride length. That seemed to depend on the speed of the horse. From acceleration to peak speed and then slow down the average stride is about 6.1 meters.

does it matter that el cid and his horse are giant sized?

maltedfalcon

does it matter that el cid and his horse are giant sized?

Yes the El CId horse looks big but if you put a real horse up there, wouldn’t the real horse be about the same size.

I have another thought on the giant step. Since El Cid is on a horse, I started looking at stride length. That seemed to depend on the speed of the horse. From acceleration to peak speed and then slow down the average stride is about 6.1 meters.

Thanks for the info GG!
I captured the images that you posted pertaining to verse 7. Shortly thereafter, I asked my wife to text her friend, who is Japanese, and asked if she could translate. I gave no information as to where this came from other than a book and made no mention of what is was for. Here is her response to part of it:
I sent this to mf and he immediately stated that would make sense for the Golden Gate Bridge fog horns.
My wife’s friend only sent the above clue response. I asked if she could translate more, and she hasn’t gotten back to me as of yet. Could you possibly ask the owner of the book if what I shared would make any sense in that section of the Japanese verse?

Laocoön and His Sons
Lincoln Park Legion of Honor: Near the Joan of Arc, on the left side of the building, and framed by trees, is a marble statue of Laocoön and His Sons
Images courtesy of:
http://ronhenggeler.com/Newsletters/2016/5.8/Newsletter.html

I thought this thread was about image 1, why am I seeing things from Verse 7 here?

Spiritr

I thought this thread was about image 1, why am I seeing things from Verse 7 here?

GG posted it here… I replied here. I do believe that from time to time you will see things cross from the image thread to the corresponding verse thread. Don’t see the problem with a couple of posts here and there.

Goldengate

Hi Scrappy,
That’s interesting and certainly foghorns could be an explanation. I personally love the sound of them and think they’re somewhat soothing, but MF is right in that if you are super close the sound can be ear-splitting. A phenomenon on the other hand — I don’t know if I’d describe foghorns in that category and I have zero idea what it could mean.
What makes me curious is: “But there are sounds that we human ears can not hear.
If you do not use a special machine, there are sounds that you can not hear.”
Is there machine anyone can think of to to hear special sounds from the sky? Radio signals? Radio tower? Satellite dish?
Certainly worth some research!

I actually broke that down into 2 separate functions
Odd phenomenon –> Fog
A sound that hurts the persons ears –> Horn
I am actually heading to San Francisco tomorrow morning at 0 dark 30, makes the drive an easy 2-2.5 hours as opposed to 4-4.5 hours stuck at the tolls at the Bay Bridge! lol! Gonna just do some exploration at LoH and the SFPL.

Goldengate

Awesome!
Good luck — and huge props for hitting up the library. Google will only get you so far… there’s gold in them thar stacks!

Thanks! You are oh so correct. I get this eerie feeling though, I will be following in mf’s footsteps from years past! lol! I have no new information that is taking me there, only that I have never been to LoH. Get to go visit and admire plus have a little exploration fun as well. Maybe get there early enough to here, Sounds from the sky Near ace is high!?

Okay SoonerFan, I’ll bite.
I think the evidence in favor of Coit Tower as the casque’s location is
overwhelming
, and that for GG Park is sketchy at best. First, support for Coit Tower…
1. The street map hidden in dragon’s scales
2. The shape of the windows in Coit Tower match that of Image 1 (unique to that image)
3.
Education and Justice / For all to see
are visible in the 2 Image-1-shaped paintings
4. 1-4-4-3 (on her robe) would be the exact address of the stairway leading up to the Tower
5.
Sounds from the sky
= telegraph tower or the nearby Marconi memorial
6. It is near where
The air smells sweet
(Ghirardelli Square)
7. Telegraph Hill has had
High posts are three
Individually suggestive, together they are utterly convincing. I think the evidence suggests that Coit Tower (and surrounding grounds) is not merely a landmark, but the site of the casque’s burial.
I am still on the fence about “jewel” = “Julius” and about the Atlas fresco being the “ace is high” reference, but they are certainly good theories)
As for GG Park, we have the possible outline of one of the lakes, and I’ll admit that the rectangular portion of her robe is evocative of GG Park turned on its side, but the dimensions (ratio of width to length) are off by more than you’d expect if one was a representation of the other (ratios 1:4.9 vs. 1:6.2). I am also not as convinced as some that the verse refers to nearby thoroughfares. I think it more likely that Mr. Preiss intended
Sounds from the sky
metaphorically rather than literally. It is a riddle, after all.
Fox
: At first I admit I snorted derisively at your suggestion that the table stand represented a firehose, but now I’m not feeling so derisive

Thanks for the snort FB  lol.  To set the record straight, I am in no way trying to steer hunters either to or from a site.  My firehose idea just “sort of” fits nicely with the whole Coit Tower.  I honestly think we are zeroing in on this one and that SF will be the next city to finally release its casque.

don’t bet on that!!
wilhouse

Hmmmmmm…..
Are you saying that based on the demonstrated difficulty in finding any casque?
Or do you have an expectation that another city will be next?  Houston?
Do tell.

wilhouse

don’t bet on that!!
wilhouse

Are you getting close wilhouse?  Or better yet, are you just waiting for your pictures to be developed so you can post your FIND on these boards?  Hopefully the latter….but closer will work for me too.

Fox, I don’t want to clog up this thread with verse 1 stuff; no I don’t have it in hand, but before he passed Preiss told me that I had the right location. So I just need for the heat to break and go back and get it!
wilhouse

Kalessin

While I’m at it, the winder on the watch is an, ahem, dead ringer for a cable car bell

Good idea.
(The Cable Car museum where you can presumably see this kind of stuff is just west of Portsmouth Square Plaza with the RLS monument.)

Choice

So more spots can be seen from height of a building than ground level for those people who are concerned about seeing all the clues from the destination.

ohhh youre on to something!

Choice

So more spots can be seen from height
of
a building than ground level for those people who are concerned about seeing all the clues from the destination.

ohhh youre on to something!

Rviewer1

The lowest symbol on the left side if you tilt it sideways looking at it from outside in looks like the Golden Gate Bridge with the cables going over one of the towers. So it really looks like half of the Golden Gate Bridge. Either that or a sailing ship.
The symbol above it if you tilt it slightly to the right looks like the masks worn in Shakespeare plays.

i dont think either of those are right, i have an explanation for each. nice try though keep at it.

Rviewer1

The lowest symbol on the left side if you tilt it sideways looking at it from outside in looks like the Golden Gate Bridge with the cables going over one
of
the towers. So it really looks like half
of
the Golden Gate Bridge. Either that or a sailing ship.
The symbol above it if you tilt it slightly to the right looks like the masks worn in Shakespeare plays.

i
dont think either
of
those are right,
i
have an explanation for each. nice try though keep at it.

JoshCornell

i dont think either of those are right, i have an explanation for each. nice try though keep at it.

Are you going to honor us with your explanation?

JoshCornell

i
dont think either
of
those are right,
i
have an explanation for each. nice try though keep at it.

Are you going to honor us with your explanation?

Choice

Are you going to honor us with your explanation?

i mean, i could, but goldengate prob knows better so…

Choice

Are you going to honor us with your explanation?

i
mean,
i
could, but goldengate prob knows better so…

JoshCornell

i dont think either of those are right, i have an explanation for each. nice try though keep at it.

I wasn’t seeking approval… it’s called a question. That is the purpose of these forums, if I’m not mistaken. You don’t have an explanation, you have a thought. I’ll go ahead and burst your ego bubble… Invert and mirror the image then tell me the orientation of the yin yang symbol… #micdrop

JoshCornell

i
dont think either
of
those are right,
i
have an explanation for each. nice try though keep at it.

I
wasn’t seeking approval… it’s called a question. That is the purpose
of
these forums, if
I
‘m not mistaken. You don’t have an explanation, you have a thought.
I
‘ll go ahead and burst your ego bubble… Invert and mirror the image then tell me the orientation
of
the yin yang symbol… #micdrop

Scrappy929

For example, the yin yang symbol in the original image is obviously not oriented correctly. If we invert and mirror the image, we then have our yin yang symbol in the correct orientation.

In my theory, the counter clockwise spinning turntable pointed me to the exact location of 3 posts. Counter clockwise spinning Yin Yang could be just another hint to that.
And Josh, quoting General John Kelly: “empty barrel makes the most noise.”
… making friends!

Scrappy929

For example, the yin yang symbol in the original image is obviously not oriented correctly. If we invert and mirror the image, we then have our yin yang symbol in the correct orientation.

In my theory, the counter clockwise spinning turntable pointed me to the exact location
of
3 posts. Counter clockwise spinning Yin Yang could be just another hint to that.
And Josh, quoting General John Kelly: “empty barrel makes the most noise.”
… making friends!

The George Sterling Memorial/Alice Marble tennis courts is one of the parks I visited last May. It was actually my friend Patrick’s first choice of spots to check out. You can’t tell from the (google map) aerial photos, but the little plaza to the west side of the courts has some tiling. It was the first place that clicked in Patrick’s mind when he saw the dragon’s tiling. At the site we noticed two things.
1. The bricks looked nothing like the dragon’s tile. My memory’s hazy, but I think it was a very regular/diagonal pattern.
2. There was a plaque indicating the park had been renovated within the past decade.

bbi

Thanks EZ. Yes, it was done in InDesign.

bbi
You know I like much of what you have come up with here. I really like the tombstone clue you figured out….totally stumped me.
Let me throw these 3 things out there at you.
1. The 3 balls
I’ve seen these as not 3 circles, but 4. Your graphic close up shows the propeller at the start of Jefferson Street. Check out the bottom part of the easily seen 3 balls and you can see the edge of the 4th part of the propeller on the bottom.
2. The square with the “c” and the purple circle
I like your idea of the purple scout logo but I also like this as a reference to the Galileo School logo…purple lion circle.
The “c” in the square refers to “chocolate”, as in the iconic chocolate squares made at Ghirardelli.
3. The upside down VI and 6 O’clock on the turntable clock
This is a direction indicator to the casque from the Ghirardelli Clock Tower. If you start at the VI on the tower and move North in the direction of the “big hand” on the turntable clock, you go into Aquatic Park and where the XII would be on the other side of the East Speaker Tower. That is my dig spot as I’ve shown under the decorative circles on the left hand side of the Far East entrance into the bleachers.
As I said, I agree with a whole lot of the really nice work you’ve done in your presentation. Well done.

bbi

Thanks EZ. Yes, it was done in InDesign.

bbi
You know I like much of what you have come up with here. I really like the tombstone clue you figured out….totally stumped me.
Let me throw these 3 things out there at you.
1. The 3 balls
I’ve seen these as not 3 circles, but 4. Your graphic close up shows the propeller at the start of Jefferson Street. Check out the bottom part of the easily seen 3 balls and you can see the edge of the 4th part of the propeller on the bottom.
2. The square with the “c” and the purple circle
I like your idea of the purple scout logo but I also like this as a reference to the
Galileo
School logo…purple lion circle.
The “c” in the square refers to “chocolate”, as in the iconic chocolate squares made at Ghirardelli.
3. The upside down VI and 6 O’clock on the turntable clock
This is a direction indicator to the casque from the Ghirardelli Clock Tower. If you start at the VI on the tower and move North in the direction of the “big hand” on the turntable clock, you go into Aquatic Park and where the XII would be on the other side of the East Speaker Tower. That is my dig spot as I’ve shown under the decorative circles on the left hand side of the Far East entrance into the bleachers.
As I said, I agree with a whole lot of the really nice work you’ve done in your presentation. Well done.

I don’t think it could be in a high traffic tourist packed area. I remember it much more crowded than the picture in the 80’s. Always full of Japanese tourists. Those days are a bit “foggy” but weren’t the bucket drummers there in the 80’s all day long pounding on 5 gallon buckets sitting on the steps or was it later?

3 Balls?
sedan 0 60 times

bbi

Hi Choice,
As with the tombstone match the other day, I’d like to also back up the Bocce Court icon match. This time I’m attaching my written solve (rather than the google earth movie ). In that you’ll see I have also used the bocce court as a way marker along with another possibility for the 3 circles. There are a few things in the PDF I wanted to clean up such as the roman numeral 6 upside down as I believe that is actually illustrating the clock tower at Ghirardelli and not what I state in the PDF. Its still a work in progress but it sounds like your investigating the general area I’m at so thought I’d share.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KmJNDN … sp=sharing

bbi…without commenting on the content, I’d like to say that I like the design of that pdf….from the headlines to the alternating book layout to the word wrap. Looks like you made that in InDesign? Maybe Publisher? Good job, either way…

bbi

Hi Choice,
As with the tombstone match the other day,
I
‘d like to also back up the Bocce Court icon match. This time
I
‘m attaching my written solve (rather than the google earth movie ). In that you’ll see
I
have also used the bocce court as a way marker along with another possibility for the 3 circles. There are a few things in the PDF
I
wanted to clean up such as the roman numeral 6 upside down as
I
believe that is actually illustrating the clock tower at Ghirardelli and not what
I
state in the PDF. Its still a work in progress but it sounds like your investigating the general area
I
‘m at so thought
I
‘d share.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KmJNDN … sp=sharing

bbi…without commenting on the content,
I
‘d like to say that
I
like the design
of
that pdf….from the headlines to the alternating book layout to the word wrap. Looks like you made that in InDesign? Maybe Publisher? Good job, either way…

Choice

I still have issues with the starting and ending of the verse.
If your starting point is the “stonewall’s door” then your sweet smell solution is a literal smell when the Japanese translation specifically mentioned it’s a metaphor.
Looking at the painting and the Chinese connection one can safely assume the stonewall (dragon in the painting) is reference to the great wall of China and it’s door wide open is dragon’s mouth that is in the shape of the cove.
That being said, the stonewall and sweet smell (of success) is the destination and NOT the starting point.
You have a problem interpreting Giant pole and step because if you take a giant step you’re at the bottom of the cliff!
Giant pole and step is the starting point.
This is also confirmed by the waymarkers that are not included in your solve i.e. Coit tower under the smallest moon,
pier
43, baseball (DiMaggio) and so on.

Agreed, I originally came up with most of this particular solve before the Japanese translations. So yes, I agree about the smells sweet part and intend to update that. When I first heard the verse, the first thought I had was the “Sweet smell of freedom” i.e. a prisoner being let out of Alcatraz (as a few others have already mentioned). As for the giant step and the cliff
it’s not ideal I know, but I’ve been to the Aquatic Park quite a few times now and nothing I saw in the physical sense fit “Giant” like features. I know the bleachers are large steps etc., but that area is sooo busy day and night even back in the 80’s as well as being extremely exposed, I felt BP may have used the park to lead people through it, to the black point area or the pocket park where certain areas a less exposed. My initial area of interest was at the pocket park (tombstone area) and the back of the tunnel (the terraced gardens) which is currently an area that is out of bounds and being renovated. But there does look to be lot of interesting areas to look at such as paths ways/walls/benches. Either way, its all GGNRA land and thats a no no for any kind of probe/dig but I guess there’s no offense in trying to come up with a theory.
I do like your idea on the stonewall and sweet smell part of the verse being the destination and will give that some further thought. I’m going to be updating that pdf soon purely based on the feedback I’ve received on this forum. So I would like to thank yourself and others who have provided me with the feedback.
Cheers,

Choice

I still have issues with the starting and ending of the verse.
If your starting point is the “stonewall’s door” then your sweet smell solution is a literal smell when the Japanese translation specifically mentioned it’s a metaphor.
Looking at the painting and the Chinese connection one can safely assume the stonewall (dragon in the painting) is reference to the great wall of China and it’s door wide open is dragon’s mouth that is in the shape of the cove.
That being said, the stonewall and sweet smell (of success) is the destination and NOT the starting point.
You have a problem interpreting Giant pole and step because if you take a giant step you’re at the bottom of the cliff!
Giant pole and step is the starting point.
This is also confirmed by the waymarkers that are not included in your solve i.e. Coit tower under the smallest moon, pier 43, baseball (DiMaggio) and so on.

Agreed, I originally came up with most of this particular solve before the Japanese translations. So yes, I agree about the smells sweet part and intend to update that. When I first heard the verse, the first thought I had was the “Sweet smell of freedom” i.e. a prisoner being let out of Alcatraz (as a few others have already mentioned). As for the giant step and the cliff
it’s not ideal I know, but I’ve been to the Aquatic Park quite a few times now and nothing I saw in the physical sense fit “Giant” like features. I know the bleachers are large steps etc., but that area is sooo busy day and night even back in the 80’s as well as being extremely exposed, I felt BP may have used the park to lead people through it, to the black point area or the pocket park where certain areas a less exposed. My initial area of interest was at the pocket park (tombstone area) and the back of the tunnel (the terraced gardens) which is currently an area that is out of bounds and being renovated. But there does look to be lot of interesting areas to look at such as paths ways/walls/benches. Either way, its all GGNRA land and thats a no no for any kind of probe/dig but I guess there’s no offense in trying to come up with a theory.
I do like your idea on the stonewall and sweet smell part of the verse being the destination and will give that some further thought. I’m going to be updating that pdf soon purely based on the feedback I’ve received on this forum. So I would like to thank yourself and others who have provided me with the feedback.
Cheers,

Choice

I
still have issues with the starting and ending
of
the verse.
If your starting point is the “stonewall’s door” then your sweet smell solution is a literal smell when the Japanese translation specifically mentioned it’s a metaphor.
Looking at the painting and the Chinese connection one can safely assume the stonewall (dragon in the painting) is reference to the great wall
of
China and it’s door wide open is dragon’s mouth that is in the shape
of
the cove.
That being said, the stonewall and sweet smell (
of
success) is the destination and NOT the starting point.
You have a problem interpreting Giant pole and step because if you take a giant step you’re at the bottom
of
the cliff!
Giant pole and step is the starting point.
This is also confirmed by the waymarkers that are not included in your solve
i
.e. Coit tower under the smallest moon, pier 43, baseball (DiMaggio) and so on.

Agreed,
I
originally came up with most
of
this particular solve before the Japanese translations. So yes,
I
agree about the smells sweet part and intend to update that. When
I
first heard the verse, the first thought
I
had was the “Sweet smell
of
freedom”
i
.e. a prisoner being let out
of
Alcatraz (as a few others have already mentioned). As for the giant step and the cliff
it’s not ideal
I
know, but
I
‘ve been to the Aquatic Park quite a few times now and nothing
I
saw in the physical sense fit “Giant” like features.
I
know the bleachers are large steps etc., but that area is sooo busy day and night even back in the 80’s as well as being extremely exposed,
I
felt BP may have used the park to lead people through it, to the black point area or the pocket park where certain areas a less exposed. My initial area
of
interest was at the pocket park (tombstone area) and the back
of
the tunnel (the terraced gardens) which is currently an area that is out
of
bounds and being renovated. But there does look to be lot
of
interesting areas to look at such as paths ways/walls/benches. Either way, its all GGNRA land and thats a no no for any kind
of
probe/dig but
I
guess there’s no offense in trying to come up with a theory.
I
do like your idea on the stonewall and sweet smell part
of
the verse being the destination and will give that some further thought.
I
‘m going to be updating that pdf soon purely based on the feedback
I
‘ve received on this forum. So
I
would like to thank yourself and others who have provided me with the feedback.
Cheers,

Mister EZ

bbi…without commenting on the content, I’d like to say that I like the design of that pdf….from the headlines to the alternating book layout to the word wrap. Looks like you made that in InDesign? Maybe Publisher? Good job, either way…

Thanks EZ. Yes, it was done in InDesign.

Mister EZ

bbi…without commenting on the content,
I
‘d like to say that
I
like the design
of
that pdf….from the headlines to the alternating book layout to the word wrap. Looks like you made that in InDesign? Maybe Publisher? Good job, either way…

Thanks EZ. Yes, it was done in InDesign.

Does anyone know what or where this thing is?

Choice

Does anyone know what or where this thing is?

I think it’s the thing on this monument –
https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/3120 … .jpg?w=630

Choice

Does anyone know what or where this thing is?

I
think it’s the thing on this monument –
https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/3120 … .jpg?w=630

bbi

Hi Choice,
As with the tombstone match the other day, I’d like to also back up the Bocce Court icon match. This time I’m attaching my written solve (rather than the google earth movie ). In that you’ll see I have also used the bocce court as a way marker along with another possibility for the 3 circles. There are a few things in the PDF I wanted to clean up such as the roman numeral 6 upside down as I believe that is actually illustrating the clock tower at Ghirardelli and not what I state in the PDF. Its still a work in progress but it sounds like your investigating the general area I’m at so thought I’d share.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KmJNDN … sp=sharing

As a note (it doesn’t change your solution), Martin Luther King Drv in Golden Gate Park was not called this in 1980. After the casque was buried it was renamed. It was previously South Drive. This has happened to a lot of Streets in GGP, including Nancy Pelosi Drv (frm East Middle Drv).
X

here is a 1987 map of GGpk interactive TerraServer
http://bit.ly/19m7cbM

Also brand new to the game.  I will be in SF in January and thinking a step from the totem pole location makes a lot sense, where was it location before it was moved?

It seems like Mark has lost control of this forum. 11 of 20 front page threads are porn now. Are we under threat of getting hacked or infected?

Choice

It seems like Mark has lost control of this forum. 11 of 20 front page threads are porn now. Are we under threat of getting hacked or infected?

You are on the internet, you are always under threat of being hacked or infected.

maltedfalcon

You are on the internet, you are always under threat of being hacked or infected.

Thanks MF, you are the bottomless well of conventional wisdom.

Give him time to remove them, he always does.

Choice

It seems like Mark has lost control of this forum. …Are we under threat of getting hacked or infected?

The usual precautions apply:
Do NOT click on any link from these people, in their posts and in their profiles.
Avoid even loading their posts, if you are truly worried. It’s unlikely, but still possible that they could inject code into an image and have used BBCode to display it.
Beyond that, the forum should be safe for us to load each index of topics. A clever hacker might be able to embed something in a subject line, but these bots are just out to flood the system with plain garbage. The fact that this round is so full of obvious porn makes it even easier for us to avoid.

OHHH YES! I see it The front cross is much darker from what I can see.

When I look at those “crosses” in the book, their horizontal beams appear to be formed by a faint line that extends all the way across the image, making me think it’s a printing artifact instead of a deliberate inclusion by Palencar.

drunknerds

PB Cross is Celtic though. That’s Boston, isn’t it? I wonder if he’d bury an Asian-themed puzzle casque by a Celtic monument
Also, there’s no way he’d call that a pole. Is there any precedent in the solved ones for him to be that outrageous with a description?

Chicago is the Celtic puzzle. Boston is the Italian puzzle. I don’t know that it really matters…

PB is Celtic, at least that’s what I thought. The image of the cross in the dress appears to me to be in the Celtic style also. Coincident? Maybe. I look at a cross and see it as a pole with a cross arm. 57′ tall would make a big pole to me.
Personally, I’m coming to this game late and for whatever reason, I focused in on this puzzle. With that said, I do not know this park at all. I’ve never been there, only been to SF once about 15 years ago. So as I’m going over the image, I focused in on the hand asking what is it pointing to. With the index finger is off the “map” (assuming the map is golden gate park and the arms are HWY 1) so that can’t be the spot. But the ring finger and the pinkie are still in the body of the map and I wonder if they are pointing to something, so I get out Google Maps and that when I see that is where I see PB Cross is in the park. Then thinking there needs to be a confirmation of the site in the image, I see the out line of the cross in the dress. A few days later I notice that PB Cross has the four blocks on it where as the index finger in the image is pointing to the fourth block on the sleeve. Another coincidence for me. I’m not saying that know anything, but if I were remotely close, I’d drop a hole or two to find out. I just know it won’t happen for me any time soon.
What I find hard to believe, is that after 35 years that this site wouldn’t have been search already. What I would love to see is a list of where people have been. I guess the only people who might have an idea about that would be the parks department ground crew. They might be a source of information of where people may have been.

There’s an overlap of the police station existing after the current park police station opened up in the Haight. So it’s logical that the station with the phoenix statue could have been made an academy-only spot by the time Preiss got there.
I realized that, with the modest shrubbery in front of the pole, Preiss could have easily hidden the casque with a lookout to warn him… When Preiss was hiding the casques, he was dating his future wife, and she lived in San Francisco
I’m asking my SF friends if any of them would probe around the area, I’m back to super-sure it’s here: The Phoenix and door (and maybe post) are just too obscure for a walking tour, especially if they wouldn’t be seen from the sidewalk at the time

commish

PB is Celtic, at least that’s what I thought. The image of the cross in the dress appears to me to be in the Celtic style also. Coincident? Maybe. I look at a cross and see it as a pole with a cross arm. 57′ tall would make a big pole to me.
Personally, I’m coming to this game late and for whatever reason, I focused in on this puzzle. With that said, I do not know this park at all. I’ve never been there, only been to SF once about 15 years ago. So as I’m going over the image, I focused in on the hand asking what is it pointing to. With the index finger is off the “map” (assuming the map is golden gate park and the arms are HWY 1) so that can’t be the spot. But the ring finger and the pinkie are still in the body of the map and I wonder if they are pointing to something, so I get out Google Maps and that when I see that is where I see PB Cross is in the park. Then thinking there needs to be a confirmation of the site in the image, I see the out line of the cross in the dress. A few days later I notice that PB Cross has the four blocks on it where as the index finger in the image is pointing to the fourth block on the sleeve. Another coincidence for me. I’m not saying that know anything, but if I were remotely close, I’d drop a hole or two to find out. I just know it won’t happen for me any time soon.
What I find hard to believe, is that after 35 years that this site wouldn’t have been search already. What I would love to see is a list of where people have been. I guess the only people who might have an idea about that would be the parks department ground crew. They might be a source of information of where people may have been.

Malted Falcon is the one who has done the most digs and is in good with the Parks crew. And he was pretty funny on the Shhhhh podcast.

drunknerds

There’s an overlap of the police station existing after the current park police station opened up in the Haight. So it’s logical that the station with the phoenix statue could have been made an academy-only spot by the time Preiss got there.
I realized that, with the modest shrubbery in front of the pole, Preiss could have easily hidden the casque with a lookout to warn him… When Preiss was hiding the casques, he was dating his future wife, and she lived in San Francisco
I’m asking my SF friends if any of them would probe around the area, I’m back to super-sure it’s here: The Phoenix and door (and maybe post) are just too obscure for a walking tour, especially if they wouldn’t be seen from the sidewalk at the time

Entertaining that possibility, doesn’t the dragon’s mouth point to that spot if you align the image with the park?

commish

What I find hard to believe, is that after 35 years that this site wouldn’t have been search already. What I would love to see is a list of where people have been. I guess the only people who might have an idea about that would be the parks department ground crew. They might be a source of information of where people may have been.

Actually that is a brilliant idea, I would be happy to share the places I dug around but I think you will find people won’t be sharing their current search areas.
First I dug at the pole (probed is a better word but a shovel was involved) at the flagpole at the senior citizens center maybe 8 years ago. I never noticed the phoenix/peacock dragon, until last year when John Michaels ( podcast guy) pointed it out to me. The people at the senior center loved hearing about the hunt and had no problem at all with me checking the lawn.

maltedfalcon

Actually that is a brilliant idea, I would be happy to share the places I dug around but I think you will find people won’t be sharing their current search areas.
First I dug at the pole (probed is a better word but a shovel was involved) at the flagpole at the senior citizens center maybe 8 years ago. I never noticed the phoenix/peacock dragon, until last year when John Michaels ( podcast guy) pointed it out to me. The people at the senior center loved hearing about the hunt and had no problem at all with me checking the lawn.

I would think they would still be cool with someone probing with a soil probe, confirm or rule out this location. Heck, maybe some of the residents have insight into the park in 1980. Get a cup of coffee and walk the park with some of them.

gManTexas

I would think they would still be cool with someone probing with a soil probe, confirm or rule out this location. Heck, maybe some of the residents have insight into the park in 1980. Get a cup of coffee and walk the park with some of them.

Actually quite a few came out and watched and kibbutzed one insisted that he had already dug there a discovered the treasure I was digging for, he was a little shy on details though…. LOL

maltedfalcon

Actually quite a few came out and watched and kibbutzed one insisted that he had already dug there a discovered the treasure I was digging for, he was a little shy on details though…. LOL

Haha, that’s funny. If I was there, I’d go visit. They are probably short on visitors, and if nothing else, you might get some salty old stories.

maltedfalcon

Actually that is a brilliant idea, I would be happy to share the places I dug around but I think you will find people won’t be sharing their current search areas.
First I dug at the pole (probed is a better word but a shovel was involved) at the flagpole at the senior citizens center maybe 8 years ago. I never noticed the phoenix/peacock dragon, until last year when John Michaels ( podcast guy) pointed it out to me. The people at the senior center loved hearing about the hunt and had no problem at all with me checking the lawn.

Oh, shoot, you already hit that pole? Could you tell me more specifically where you probed? All around the base and maybe 3 feet out is where I wanted to probe.
Why did you do the senior center if you hadn’t seen the Phoenix?

Hey, FWIW, from The Secret page 12:
Man, the unbelieving and unbelievable. Man,
who hates and fears himself and thus despises every
living thing. Man, the hewer of trees and spoiler of
streams; whose fields and roads and walls are of a
straight, unnatural geometry; who taught the very
beasts to be dumb; fierce, clever, heavy-treading
Man, who with his weapons of
forged iron
had
lately murdered, just for sport, what was believed to
be the last, and irreplaceable,
Dragon
.

What if “Giant Step” meant giant steppe. As in:
an extensive plain, especially one without trees
I think the Bison Paddock would qualify. Going back to my previous post about wrought iron dragons, there is mention of beasts:
Man, the unbelieving and unbelievable. Man,
who hates and fears himself and thus despises every
living thing.
Man, the hewer of trees and spoiler of
streams; whose fields and roads and walls are of a
straight, unnatural geometry; who taught the very
beasts to be dumb;
fierce, clever, heavy-treading
Man, who with his weapons of forged iron had
lately murdered, just for sport, what was believed to
be the last, and irreplaceable, Dragon.

I said I was going to swear off this one, but it’s nagging at me. The lack of instructions and possibly missing features in the park…
Anyway, if we entertain the idea that the casque is somewhere near the Senior Center, and possibly that the dragon above the door is an inspiration, what then? Further to what I just posted about Giant Steppe being the Bison Paddock, what about Giant pole? If we look at the edge of Spreckels Lake, there is a section the juts out into the lake. Was there ever a pole there, perhaps a flagpole?
Also, thinking about the boats races, people use (or used) giant poles to retrieve their boats from the water.
All of this got me thinking about Twain’s attention and the boat house. The boat house has about a gazillion squares on it, like Image 1.
https://www.google.ca/maps/@37.7702939, … 312!8i6656
Let’s say for the sake of argument, that the casque is somewhere between the boathouse and the Paddock directly adjacent to it?
Also, if we walk back the verses, how does this play out?

Goldengate

In the early 80s I attended St. Anne’s School — TWO BLOCKS from Stow Lake. The lake, botanical gardens, De Young, Steinhart, Academy of Sciences and the concourse were essentially my back yard – I was there nearly every day after school. To this day, I consider myself lucky to have had such a great place to romp. I’ve seen a lot of transformations over the years… especially after the Loma Prieta Earthquake. The museums were razed and rebuilt, erosion has taken its toll on slopes, BUT the basic shape of the park: the main roads, the pathways, the smell, the way the fog feels on your skin… it is the same as it was in the late 70s and early 80s. When I walk into the park today, it’s the same sense I got back then… one of the rare gilded age landscapes we have left in this country.
To that end, here are some of my thoughts as someone who considers this park part of his DNA. Take it all with a grain of salt of course — I hope something serves as a spark that will help one of you find the casque — something that will be a victory for us all — newbies and veterans alike!
IMAGE 1 OBSERVATIONS:
Symbol theories:
1) 112 + 113 = Latitude — 87 in her hair = Longitude (common agreement)
2) The upside down VI = 6th Ave entrance off of Fulton which had just been converted into a pedestrian entrance in 81 making it a brand new feature when Preiss buried the casque.
3) The Three circles in the form of a triangle are known as a TRIRATNA a Buddhist symbol also known as the “three jewels.” The Triratna is represented REPEATEDLY in the Chinese Pavilion, a structure that was erected in 81 and was also brand new when Preiss buried the casques. Also the Triratna symbol is the ONLY SYMBOL on her dress to be conclusively linked to GGP — there isn’t even a Yin Yang in the park that I know of, so make of that what you will…
4) The “Double D’s” on the bottom… there have been several theories. Here’s a new (maybe stupid) one to consider with a grain of salt: Grateful Dead. The first D doesn’t look complete… in fact it looks like a G. The Dead’s concerts in GGP are legendary — in the 80s, they were still very much a fabric of San Francisco.
5) The triangle with a dot in the middle — the only iconic pyramid or triangle shape in GGP in 82 was the roof of the De Young, which is no longer there today.
HER HANDS / ARMS… I agree with the consensus that this is Crossover Drive. It is important to study the map. Even the contour of her hands and wrists match EXACTLY the curves in the road as it passes just west of Stow Lake. Also yes, I get that many believe the map is flipped, and maybe it is, but also watch Expedition Unknown… this is how the original was oriented. The original was also VERY dark… so stop with the photoshopping! In terms of the first printing of the book — we’re seeing EXACTLY what they intended us to see… Priess was a BIG NYC publisher. If a major piece of art was too dark in the proofs… he would have sent it back before printing.
CUFFS / SLEEVES / BLOCKS: There are many theories, but most require math and VERY SUBJECTIVE observations about how they’re placed, locations of fingers between which blocks, finger pointed up / down, the shapes being interpreted as “Square” when they are not all that way… in short, there’s a lot of random gymnastics to force an answer. If you look at it like that there are unlimited possibilities, none are clear and NONE fit neatly into a solution.
Please stand back for a moment and look at the whole chess board, take it down to it’s elements. My theory (which may not be right) feels like the most simple, reasonable version. It requires no oblique translation, no math. Simply count the squares on the cuffs she’s pointing at. One sleeve: 18. The other sleeve 20. Now look at a map — any map from any year. What is 18 and 20 around that area? Answer: 18th and 20th Avenues are DIRECTLY at her cuffs and further, her fingers are pointing EXACTLY in that zone between 18th and 20th on both sides. If you draw parallels lines from 18th and 20th across the park, you’ll have a neat strip of land that encompasses the north end of Stow Lake as well as several interesting features and possible way points around the area. There’s no jumping through hoops, no convoluted reasoning to reach this theory… and I don’t think it’s any coincidence. So far nothing I’ve read has been a more natural fit.
DESIGN:
Take a look at the pathways around the Stow Lake boathouse — they match some of the detail in the same area of her dress especially in the Yin Yang area. I think this is somehow significant.
LINGERING IMAGE 1 QUESTIONS:
There are a couple anomalies in the image which I’ve linked to here. Overall, the pattern in JJP’s work from the original publication is clear. Every clue we should be able to clearly make out with our bare eye… (not photoshop filters or extreme close ups down to the pixel). The following two links show segments where there’s a notable break in the pattern… and IMO both are worth further examination from the group as a whole.
1) EAGLE?
This is in the loop of the dragon’s tail under its claws. You can make it out with your bare eye. I don’t think the “eye” feature is a printing artifact… the pattern here is broken up to bring out this feature… yet lets it blend in.
https://imgur.com/a/sNStA
2) JFK / REAGAN / FRED FLINTSTONE FACE
I don’t think this image is any of the three above. When looking at it from a different direction (see link below), I see a different face… I see a different eye. A more realistic nose position. A clear chin. Even a swept back mustache? Thoughts?
https://imgur.com/a/vPZwg
VERSE 7 OBSERVATIONS:
STONE WALL’S DOOR
I take this to be more of general meaning than others do. As you entered GGP in 82, just as you do today, much of it is surrounded by STONE WALLS… tall walls, and short walls. But don’t get locked into the idea that the stone wall’s door must to be an arch. Yes, there are bridges and tunnels in GGP with stone arches… some with barred gates (that were also there then), so it’s a possibility, but doors come in all shapes and sizes
THE AIR SMELLS SWEET
When you enter GGP, one of the most carefully landscaped parks in the world, the air does smell sweet… there are flowering vines, rose gardens, juniper hedges, honeysuckle, conservancy of flowers, botanical gardens, etc. THE PARK ITSELF SMELLS SWEET!
HIGHT POSTS ARE THREE
Consensus is Sutro Tower and I agree… in the 80s, it was even more prominent over the cityscape (many trees are higher now), but it still an enduring icon of San Francisco.
TWAIN’S ATTENTION
My first choice is the paddle boats. They were there in 81. There was also a renewed attention on Stow Lake because the Pavilion was NEW and a big deal! Permanent changes to GGP are RARE… when there’s a new feature, it is front and center in park maps, guide books, and shiny new signs pointing the way. In 81, the Huntington Falls were still broken but the paddle boats were out in force. You couldn’t miss the sound of the mini paddle wheels lazily churning on the water. Their very name literally elicits a very central, universal image and essence of Mark Twain. This is an accessible clue — it’s not an obscure reference of one of the thousands of things and people that attracted Twain’s attention over his lifetime. Priess wanted us to find the casque by exploring OUTSIDE… not to be buried in research libraries for years (remember this is wayyyy pre-google / smart phone era).
POLE / STEP: I don’t have anything here to contribute. I wish I did. My greatest fear is that this final part of the solution has been removed via landscaping or erosion. I just don’t know. I would encourage serious on the ground searchers to contact the park directly… involve them, be transparent… ask if there are landscape workers / designers who were working in the early 80s. Bring them Starbucks and a muffin. They may let you access records. Sometimes just asking nicely will go a long way. Remember, GGP administration would LOVE for the casque to be discovered… they’re tired of policing rogue diggers.
Best of luck to all the searchers who will be out there this weekend! Work together, compare notes and find this thing! (I’m chasing a potty training toddler this weekend, so my treasure is something else entirely!)

This is a great post and I think everyone can appreciate your insight and efforts!

Goldengate

Cool quote and words fit which is also great. I’ve poured over the book, too and think there are clues within the prose.
One thing also to take into account is that Preiss was a PUBLISHER… also an author, but he was a publisher… like a TV or movie producer. While by all accounts he wrote the 12 verses himself, he hired people to write the book itself… and not just any writers — these were some of the biggest names of the day. Sean Kelly was HUGE: National Lampoon, SNL, Emmy awards… a world class satirist — he was an edgy BIG DEAL in lit circles in the early 80s. Ted Mann if it’s the same Ted Mann I’m thinking of (BTW, I’m a TV writer, so these names are significant in my arena) is a very successful TV Writer / Producer. Priess also credits Barry Denenberg for “his editorial help, generous enthusiasm and care taking of this unusual endeavor” (Denenberg is a great author in his own right) — apologies to Denenberg who will now no doubt be flooded with calls.
Like the conductor of a symphony, they all worked under his direction, like JJP and others with the art. Just food for thought when we’re reading the prose in the book — not just the verse.

What’s up, fellow professional writer who grew up in the Bay Area!
The more I think about it, the more I feel that the profile is supposed to be a mashup of Lincoln and JFK. Just to hint at the big streets that flank GGP.

Goldengate

I’d be all for it if someone, ANYONE can find a profile of Kennedy that remotely resembles that rock formation. Same with Lincoln. Personally (see long post above), I do think it’s a face, just not a former president.

It’s Rock Hudson, you know, cuz he’s made out of a rock.

It really doesn’t look anything like JFK, huh? I think Reagan is the best match, that chin really resembles early 1980s political cartoons, but then what do we have? A really vague California indicator? This drawing is maddening

So Forest_Blight has posted scans that are even better than the wiki:
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=1264
I’d take a look, there’s some crazy stuff I’ve never seen mentioned. FOR INSTANCE…
On the rocks over her right shoulder (our left) there are these red-headed lizard looking things. What the heck are these?

The table and watch might be there as they are similar to a potters wheel.

Just following up my previous post with a better pic of the opening at sutro baths.
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/eat-drink-play/files/2014/02/sutro.jpg

I’ve primarily been focusing on Boston and New York as I live closer to there but I decided to branch out and try to see what I can learn from the other puzzles. I spent a decent amount of time in SF for work at a previous company so I felt most comfortable adding this one on to my search. I think the Verdi statue could be a good match for giant pole giant step. It looks like it got mentioned briefly here before, but has anyone checked it out? There’s a small figure holding a large pole taking a step.
https://goo.gl/images/MTWMNT

jovialowl

, but has anyone checked it out? There’s a small figure holding a large pole taking a step.

yes quite a few people have mentioned it or used that in their theories (not sure about people who looked there) .
you can stick the word Verdi in the search box over to the above right… it shows 11 results including you.

Just starting to skim gManTexas’s Methodology First Edition document (highly recommend) and he cites that Da Vinci’s “Virgin on the Rocks” was originally commissioned for a church in Milan. But it wasn’t just any church…
From the “did you know” file – as slappybuns pointed out back in 2011 – It was commissioned to be the altarpiece for the chapel of the
San Francesco
Grande. (I see what ya did there JJP – you made an art pun that’s also a city clue. Well played)….
http://www.italianrenaissance.org/leona … the-rocks/

the only city clues JJP did was the color scheme and the shape of the city’s biggest park…

Kang

Just starting to skim gManTexas’s Methodology First Edition document (highly recommend) and he cites that Da Vinci’s “Virgin on the Rocks” was originally commissioned for a church in Milan. But it wasn’t just any church…
From the “did you know” file – as slappybuns pointed out back in 2011 – It was commissioned to be the altarpiece for the chapel of the
San Francesco
Grande. (I see what ya did there JJP – you made an art pun that’s also a city clue. Well played)….
http://www.italianrenaissance.org/leona … the-rocks/

Thanks for the props. One of my goals for putting this together was to collate some of the information in one place since certain info gets lost in the weeds over time.

Kang

It was commissioned to be the altarpiece for the chapel of the
San Francesco
Grande. (I see what ya did there JJP – you made an art pun that’s also a city clue. Well played)….

Absolutely – No doubt in my mind that is why this picture was chosen. I remember when slappybuns found that it was a very oh wow moment.

http://www.sfcityguides.org/images/guid … toRose.jpg

Unknown

Unknown:
I still say it’s just taking a giant step away from some pole, to avoid digging at its base.

And I think that’s exactly what Preiss wanted you to think. Initially.

Unknown

Unknown:
I
still say it’s just taking a giant step away from some pole, to avoid digging at its base.

And
I
think that’s exactly what Preiss wanted you to think. Initially.

Goldengate

I noticed something new on this image:
There are two very similar (almost exact) side-by-side images on both the Boston illustration and the San Francisco illustration.
Do I know the significance? No. But it is interesting that both sets of paired images are on the woman’s robes.
Links to each below. Go to town, hive mind!
San Francisco:
https://imgur.com/a/ZLueo
Boston:
https://imgur.com/a/lUIWF

I’ve thought about that. My knee jerk reaction is street signs or mapping/surveying markers.
Or maybe they are BP hieroglyphics. Anyone have the Preissetta Stone?

Goldengate

I
noticed something new on this image:
There are two very similar (almost exact) side-by-side images on both the Boston illustration and the San Francisco illustration.
Do
I
know the significance? No. But it is interesting that both sets
of
paired images are on the woman’s robes.
Links to each below. Go to town, hive mind!
San Francisco:
https://imgur.com/a/ZLueo
Boston:
https://imgur.com/a/lUIWF

I
‘ve thought about that. My knee jerk reaction is street signs or mapping/surveying markers.
Or maybe they are BP hieroglyphics. Anyone have the Preissetta Stone?

Could be symbol for Masonic ? Symbol triangle with an eye in the middle??

gManTexas

Aaaahahahahaha! Best thing I’ve read all day

gManTexas

Aaaahahahahaha! Best thing
I
‘ve read all day

Goldengate

Catherwood — I think the link below demonstrates what you were referring to… — the similarity on the rock face is striking.

yeah, you must have missed the addendum to my post. I did my own flipflop to make it match.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/138673403 … 785875549/
The hook in the “nose” is what stands out for me. Also, thank you for the other historical photo above. I was never at the location when the totem pole was there, so any references are helpful, if I ever do find myself near that cliff in the future.

malted, what do you think about using verse 5 with this one?
washington street (the 222)  is right there not far away from alcatraz. the whole verse sounds like alcatraz to me. could the arc of lights be the golden gate bridge?  some tree on alcatraz? for sure you’d need to get permission.

malted, what do you think about using verse 5 with this one?
washington street (the 222)  is right there not far away from alcatraz. the whole verse sounds like alcatraz to me. could the arc
of
lights be the golden gate bridge?  some tree on alcatraz? for sure you’d need to get permission.

Alcatraz isnt called “The Rock” for Kicks.
I think the dirt for the garden on the rock was brought in so they would have a place to stick seeds…
But if you go to baker beach (due north on 34th from GGpark) and wait for dark
the Goldengate bridge forms a beautiful arc of lights…

Alcatraz isnt called “The Rock” for Kicks.
I
think the dirt for the garden on the rock was brought in so they would have a place to stick seeds…
But if you go to baker beach (due north on 34th from GGpark) and wait for dark
the Goldengate bridge forms a beautiful arc
of
lights…

erexere

I don’t disagree with many of your points, but there are gaps and problems with your approach that Ive resolved with a different approach.

This is where you keep losing me erexere.  These aren’t highly scientific theorems that can be worked out several ways….they are simply a puzzle that when solved…is solved.  My challenge for you is to take either the Chicago find or the Cleveland find and work them out a completely different way and come up with the same dig site.
I’m just confused…thats all  :-\

The puzzles arent uniformly consistent.  Cleveland presented actual numbers in print.  The other images have skewed numbers if any at all for lat/long.  Nothing to be confused about.  Some are easy and some are hard.  Paintings were rendered from photographs and spruced up with artististic license.  Recognizing the match worthy details is a more challenging in some cases than others and entirely subjective.
My approach with using a circle or a triangle isnt complicated or the least bit unreasonable if the situaton calls for it.  Continued objection to my methods by reference to how other images were solved is fine, but it sould be understood that there isnt any proof BP didnt vary his methods.

erexere

but it sould be understood that there isnt any proof BP didnt vary his methods.

True- yet it was by assuming he used a consistent method, that I was able to solve Image 1
to Lincoln Park.
The other thing that your solution requires is a aerial photograph or map. there would be no other way to draw your triangles and paths.
however  specifically we have been told , All you need is the image and a verse.
Everything you need to solve the puzzle is there.

maltedfalcon

The other thing that your solution requires is a aerial photograph or map. there would be no other way to draw your triangles and paths.
however  specifically we have been told , All you need is the image and a verse.
Everything you need to solve the puzzle is there.

No, I don’t base any of my solution on aerial work.  I do take advantage of it to convey my understanding of the puzzle.  My visualizations stem from looking for a particular perspective once the image gets us to the spot where the verse says “the air smells sweet”.  My virtual perspective shows me the fountain circle at a distance which matches the oval shape of the table top in the image.  I then count paces till I reach the fountain.  Then I walk around to it’s opposite side and count paces to the railing as I pass the Betsy Ross pole and the little pyramid shaped step monument stone (is that still there or was that also removed?).  I then climb over or walk to the other side of the railing and search for a visual on where the top of a lamp post just peeks over the rail above a balustrade and turn my head to view the sweet arch once again to check my perspective.  Then I double check my position by counting off the remaining paces between myself and the wall.

Verse 7.
I  don’t see a circle.  I see an oval.
Take a circular object like a dinner plate and hold it in front of you like you are driving and holding a steering wheel at 9 and 3 o’clock, then tilt it til you see it in the same perspective as the table top seen in the image.  How many degrees is that?  That will be the key to finding your distance above or below the plane.  How wide do you think the table is, 1 ft. diameter?
Modifying my original idea to fit perspective on the table being about the size of a dinner plate held by a person standing a couple meters away and estimating the diameter of the fountain at about 22 meters I find an arc can be drawn that puts us about 55 meters from the fountain.  Perhaps the green diamond just a bit farther away from the green box is about the right spot.
Remember the lamp top matches closely the top of the watch?
Here I noticed from street view that the top of the lamp post (yellow circle) nearly lines up just above the railing with the stanchions(or is it called a balustrade?).  Perhaps the Betsy Ross pole (Giant Pole).  At this distance the size of the fountain would fit an image perspective matching the size of the table top.  The only trick here is you can’t see the fountain from down below the plane, but you can fit the perspective and find the distance by going up top on the paved path on the other side of the fountain and count your steps, then you just see how many steps that is from the basic arc that follows the railing, then move along the arc, traversing the edge of Hole 15 (Near Ace is High – 15 is next to 14) and you find a spot where the arch of the Legion of Honor is just above and to the left of the head of a persons standing where the casque is buried.

MaltedFalcon, or anyone with a camera, would you please take a picture from about 2 meters away of a person standing in the archway of the Legion of Honor with just enough angle that the fountain is to the left of the person.  If I’m visualizing this correctly, it will match the image of the woman and table top.  This is a very easy thing to test.
I’m basically looking for the opposite version of this image only fountain and archway are reversed…so far i’ve been unable to find a good fountain picture from the archway perspective.

If, after following
this logical path
through the likeliest verse with plausible visual confirmers, you end up here…
…the only remaining question is, where is that place between two arms extended, below the bar that binds…?
I suppose the simplest answer would be between two tennis players, two [with] arms extended, below the bar surrounding the court. Here’s a close-up…
I’d check out the lie of the land by the edge of the court, in the middle, on the side of the house. Maybe you could even see one of those arched windows from there. Unless you decided the Legion of Honour arch was a better fit after all.
I’ll give it a rest now.  😉

hi maltedfalcon,
i
didnt realize how much boots and shovel,work you have done,
the table with the clock,every time
i
look,or think about it, it reminds me
of
a post clock
in the img the clock is on the wrong end
of
table,has there ever been one near the park,
or in the pk,or one now
a post clock
http://www.itsabouttime.ca/dbfiles/images/gf5.jpg

hi maltedfalcon,i didnt realize how much boots and shovel,work you have done,
the table with the clock,every time i look,or think about it, it reminds me of a post clock
in the img the clock is on the wrong end of table,has there ever been one near the park,
or in the pk,or one now
a post clock
http://www.itsabouttime.ca/dbfiles/images/gf5.jpg

Unknown

Unknown:
After reviewing a copy of Etiquette Faux Pas and Other Misconceptions About Afternoon Tea by Ellen Easton, sources in the British Royal Household confirm the information as correct with the comments: “We would not make any amendments to the text” and “What a good article.” – September, 2004
Due to the new popularity of Afternoon Tea many people have jumped on the bandwagon, including hotels, caterers, party planners and protocol & etiquette “experts”.  While their enthusiasm is well intended, unfortunately a great deal of misinformation is being perpetuated by these “experts”.
While etiquette and customs do evolve over time, some issues are not negotiable. Just because some customs are practiced does not validate the behavior. Of course the tea police will not be lurking behind your kettles, but if one is going to embrace such a lovely and genteel genre I would like to set the record straight. As a descendant of one of Europe’s old line aristocratic families, I feel privileged to be able to share the protocols that have been passed down from century to century with you.
1. Pinkies Up! Originally, all porcelain teacups were made in China, starting around 620 A.D. These small cups had no handles. In order for one not to spill the hot liquid onto oneself, the proper way to hold the vessel was to place ones
thumb at the six o’clock position and ones index and middle fingers at the twelve o’clock position,
while gently raising ones pinkie up for balance.
…

I keep wondering about the clock and the two hands, big hand (thumb) at 6 o’clock and little hand (pinky) at 12 o’clock and still I find this ettiquette reference the best as it also incorporates other elements, tea in Chinese culture and Tee time in Golf culture (white orbs as plausible golf ball reference).

WhiteRabbit

If, after following
this logical path
through the likeliest verse with plausible visual confirmers, you end up here…

WR,
My trouble with this theory is it is based on the verse alone, not the image,
You are using the RLS quote to start at Portsmouth square,
Then jumping to the picture path method to go from Portsmouth square to Lafayette Park.
Then jumping back into the verse.
If this does work then you have to explain away the GGpark in the image.  In the two found casques the Windmill and the bowman, and the Terminal Tower and the triangle, All were located along the logical route to the treasure ground.  GGpark is not anywhere near the route from Portsmith square to Lafayette.
Then when you get there There is nothing in the image that are site confirmers
The arched windows on the white building are too flat along the top and are not barred.  What else in the image is matched in the park?

I
posted something along these lines already, but
I
hadn’t considered the strong triangle approach.
I
‘m guessing he used the Betsy Ross pole as the 90 degree portion
of
a right triangle which is usually denoted by a small square, the Flag in this case.  He then went over the rail to a spot that lines up the top
of
a lamp post with the center
of
fountain.  The archway completes the triangle and has perspective with the fountain as the gate and table in the image just as you see them with respect to the woman.  The yellow dots are lamp posts.  The green box is the area where the casque might be found.
Falc, did you dig in that area?

I posted something along these lines already, but I hadn’t considered the strong triangle approach.  I’m guessing he used the Betsy Ross pole as the 90 degree portion of a right triangle which is usually denoted by a small square, the Flag in this case.  He then went over the rail to a spot that lines up the top of a lamp post with the center of fountain.  The archway completes the triangle and has perspective with the fountain as the gate and table in the image just as you see them with respect to the woman.  The yellow dots are lamp posts.  The green box is the area where the casque might be found.
Falc, did you dig in that area?

cw0909

has there ever been one near the park,
or in the pk,or one now
a post clock

I thought that it loooked like that too! but no I have not found one in Lincoln park or GGpark and as far as I know there has never been a post clock in those places, however there is a large floral clock at the Conservatory of flowers in ggpark.
The nearest post clock is on market street near powell
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=post+clo … 29,r:3,s:0

erexere

Verse 7.
I  don’t see a circle.  I see an oval.

I don’t get quite why you are choosing to use this method, while a neat idea, nothing like that was used in Chicago or Cleveland
Beyond site confirmers The image wasnt used for digging up the treasure the verse was.
So how does the verse apply to this? and which verse are you applying?

erexere

Verse 7.

In this image the flagpole is too far to the left, It would have been about where the right side of the yellow circle crosses the railing.

fox

I was thinking more in the area around the large tree almost directly right of your square….just over the railing.

Yes we dug there and and then to the area below that near/in front of the yellow dot.

maltedfalcon

WR,
My trouble with this theory is it is based on the verse alone, not the image

My problem with your theory is the opposite!

I
was thinking more in the area around the large tree almost directly right
of
your square….just over the railing.

I was thinking more in the area around the large tree almost directly right of your square….just over the railing.

maltedfalcon

I don’t get quite why you are choosing to use this method, while a neat idea, nothing like that was used in Chicago or Cleveland
Beyond site confirmers The image wasnt used for digging up the treasure the verse was.
So how does the verse apply to this? and which verse are you applying?

Correct.  You understand exactly where I am deviating.  I am using verse 7.  I am operating on an adaptive theory based on the methods being variable as opposed to empirically static as you have defined your approach.  I don’t disagree with many of your points, but there are gaps and problems with your approach that Ive resolved with a different approach.

erexere

Image 1 seems to give us a lamp post and surely the archway entrance to the Legion of Honor. The Fountain too.

How exactly does the verse work for this spot? If you can decide what verse it is?  😛
Most of these image matches are highly generic. I mean, which of these arches is a better match, the Legion of Honour, or the “white house”…?
As for the fountain/tabletop comparison, it’s basically a circle.
Even if you can find image matches, it means nothing without a verse. We know from puzzles like New Orleans that references could be anywhere in the city.
The verse is the key. It’s not a bolt-on.

Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Darmok and Jalad on the ocean

A few more things to add to my theory and image connection, the finger that points down…..Using the Dragon as reference to Lombard ST, 3 blocks down line you up with Washington Square, her finger points to the Corner of the third block, this would line you up with Union Street(between the third and fourth block). In the image the Yin and Yang symbol could possible be a hint to Union, the symbol does represent a union of two.
Also an observation to the finger pointing down, if you look at the way it is positioned, it looks like the gesture when you use your finger to mimic someone walking or maybe a hint to cross walk
You would need to cross the street from Filbert to Columbus to get you to the corner of the park, where the Giant step is, and from the step up and over, “To the place Where the casque is kept”
There is a bench just outside Marini Plaza (on Union st) ,which looks like a Giant step, from that bench you can see Coit Tower (Giant Pole) up and over the bench you possibly could be on treasure grounds. The bench is a rectangle shape and has the same pattern as the dress of the Gal, a rectangle with a inner rectangle. On the bench is a iron spiral fixture, hmm this kind of has the same feel as Chicago?? From this spot, you have man made objects, you can see the Giant Pole and step, you see the clues Running north, but first across, Twain’s Object and a few more image confirmers. The bench also has bars (in the process of confirming these where there in 1980) I know this place is fenced off, and a lot of traffic around but if dug early enough under the blue hour maybe this is doable?

The thorns and stem of the rose may form a sharp-pointed shovel.
If the horizontal lines on that wall match the lines pictured below and that wall existed 40 years ago then the position of the shovel may be the spot.

Choice

The thorns and stem of the rose may form a sharp-pointed shovel.
If the horizontal lines on that wall match the lines pictured below and that wall existed 40 years ago then the position of the shovel may be the spot.

The bench has been there ,or at that park from 1930’s, but not sure if the placement was at that location, but from the looks of the fence it could of been (I have seen this up close, the fence) If you connect the leafs they form a triangle almost an exact match of the shape of the park. The shadow leaf points down to the X which I believe that is to the west from the location, in the verse “in jewel’s direction” This is simply saying West. The jewel for SF is in the West. You would line yourself up with the center of the pole on the bench 4’O clock as the shadow leaf points, west to the X.

That’s a very nice shot. Thank you for that.

i enjoy that there is apparently a site on the Internet that felt the need to provide a definition of “hole-in-one” in golf. We need to get that information out there.

Goldengate

Hey bbi! Thanks for sharing! I absolutely think it will take this kind of resourcefulness, transparency and teamwork to uncover the clues we need! Just for the purposes of having your image visible, I’ve attached it here. One of these days, somebody’s going to see something that strikes a nerve. Thanks again!

Thank you also Goldengate for sharing you’re batch of images the other day. Thanks to those images I was able to see for the first time a building I’d been trying to see for quite a while. Back in 1947 the San Francisco City Department of Public Works constructed a sewage pumping plant to alleviate the sewage problem that had plagued the water quality in the cove for over a decade. It was built on the northeast corner of the Aquatic Park. All thats there now is a grassy area, up and till last year there had been 4 monkey puzzle trees. These trees were planted to surround the pump station along with shrubs. Just looked like a great place to bury something. I contacted the San Francisco City Department of Public Works and they provided me a bunch of old plans but no photo images of what it looked like (but they were very prompt at providing such information). There was no mention of when it was removed, I just wanted to know what it looked like. Anyway, I’ve uploaded one of those plans and have embedded part of an image you provided highlighting the pump station.

bbi

I just wanted to know what it looked like…

On Google Earth they show it in 1987 but not in 1993. Those are the only two years going bak.

Choice

On Google Earth they show it in 1987 but not in 1993. Those are the only two years going bak.

Nice, thanks Choice.

I guess whilst I’m at it. I managed to obtain a hard copy of an 1981 Visitor’s Guide Map to San Francisco:
Front –
https://imgur.com/4GBM0DT
Back-
https://imgur.com/VGYwxBG

prospector

Thanks Choice, Let me see if this works.
https://imgur.com/7LEsxbP
In case it doesn’t work.
AND:
The word Gate on this rock caught my attention. I looked up Gate in
https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/gate
and guess what? Gate = Door
Need I say more?

Almost, sooo close! Just make sure your image link ends with correct image extension i.e. .JPG or .PNG or .GIF
Stonewall’s door has been interpreted as GoldenGate park, GG bridge, Dragon’s Gate, dragon’s mouth, stone seawall, brick wall, any old concrete or granite wall and I’m sure a bunch more I’m missing. Let’s add bolder to the list!

prospector

Yes, a hole in one is called an ace and the triangle it the symbol used on the scorecard. The square is also a symbol on a golf scorecard. This may seem unimportant at this point to some, but I believe the golf course is on the path to an area I want to dig.
The golf course photo I altered I posted the other day. The moons are the greens.

The triangle for ace is high works, I forgot a triangle is sometimes a hole in one.
My main issue, and this applies to the entire verse, is that “ace is high” can refer to a million games. Ace is high in bridge, and you sit at a square table. Maybe we should find one of the million bridges in SF. Ace is high in poker, maybe it’s near a fireplace or fire station, etc. Last summer we walked the length of GGP attaching everything to the verse, then walked back, also finding great matches to the verse. One can start anywhere in SF and find everything in the verse if you walk a little.
Same with the square: There are squares EVERYWHERE in every city. But triangles? Not so much. So a triangle for an ace blips my radar just a bit.
And, yeah, seconding that that golf course is super casual. Or at least it was in the 80s and 90s when I used to golf there.

I understand the word Ace in golf meaning one, put if we are to apply “is high” to ace with in the context of Golf, then this doesn’t fit very well. In golf an “ace” is low. The verse is giving direction to: High is something elevated a direction….so what has the number one and is “high” Now one could argue that the greens are elevated , but the green would be high before the “ace” occurs, so the verse would read “High is ace” ?
Squares and a Triangle are geometric shapes that are presented to us in the painting, in the image we have lots and lots of squares or blocks, squares with dots, but only one triangle with dot. Let’s think about this from a map perspective, SF has many area’s named So in So Square, which is surrounded by blocks (squares) also the Triangle from a map perspective, there are a few places in the City that have this shape. The image shows us a triangle a basic shape of geometry , used by the Egyptians (Pyramid) oh and with Dot in the triangle could suggest “the all seeing eye” Masonic hint to Pyramid???? Where in SF would there be a Pyramid…next to a square……hhhhmmmm??????? Anyone????

Goonie68

I understand the word Ace in golf meaning one, put if we are to apply “is high” to ace with in the context of Golf, then this doesn’t fit very well. In golf an “ace” is low. The verse is giving direction to: High is something elevated a direction….so what has the number one and is “high” Now one could argue that the greens are elevated , but the green would be high before the “ace” occurs, so the verse would read “High is ace” ?
Squares and a Triangle are geometric shapes that are presented to us in the painting, in the image we have lots and lots of squares or blocks, squares with dots, but only one triangle with dot. Let’s think about this from a map perspective, SF has many area’s named So in So Square, which is surrounded by blocks (squares) also the Triangle from a map perspective, there are a few places in the City that have this shape. The image shows us a triangle a basic shape of geometry , used by the Egyptians (Pyramid) oh and with Dot in the triangle could suggest “the all seeing eye” Masonic hint to Pyramid???? Where in SF would there be a Pyramid…next to a square……hhhhmmmm??????? Anyone????

The redwood park that abuts the Transamerica pyramid?
https://pyramidcenter.com/point-of-inte … wood-park/
It’s got jumping frogs and a plaque memorializing a dog whom Twain wrote a eulogy for.\
That’s true about golf. I forget that their scoring is all backwards (why is below par bad in life but good in golf?) Thinking about it more, there have to be a million better ways to hint towards a golf course, as Goonie pointed out Ace is Low would be a better way and makes for a much trickier solve because Aces aren’t traditionally low. But I do like that it connects the verse to the image, not a lot of solvers are trying to anchor their verse solve with an image match.

drunknerds

The redwood park that abuts the Transamerica pyramid?
https://pyramidcenter.com/point-of-inte … wood-park/
It’s got jumping frogs and a plaque memorializing a dog whom Twain wrote a eulogy for.

That page literally begins with “Privately owned Redwood Park…” which I think automatically rules it out.

catherwood

That page literally begins with “Privately owned Redwood Park…” which I think automatically rules it out.

I don’t think Goonie was implying that the casque is buried there.

gManTexas

I don’t think Goonie was implying that the casque is buried there.

whoops, sorry, my bad, you’re right. In the direction of private land is acceptable for navigation purposes. Carry on!

I think he means Gh.
Also a couple of flashbacks:
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=770&start=3460
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=770&start=3471

Choice

On Google Earth they show it in 1987 but not in 1993. Those are the only two years going bak.

Call the city permit office and ask for construction site plans and architectural drawings.
They are public record.

Looking at the architectural drawings it’s just a trailer with a vent stack on top. I don’t see any significance to the hunt.

Let me clarify this instead of speaking in riddle
My theory is:
“Running north, but first across”
If you look at the hand that points down to the 3 blocks, the finger has the same direction or angle as Columbus Ave. Think about this for a minute, Running north, Columbus Ave runs North and South, first across, we were taught back in the 80’s Columbus was the first to cross to the America’s, Columbus Ave runs into Montgomery st or The Transamerica Pyramid (symbol on the dress collar) The Transamerica Pyramid is named after Transamerica Corp. The founder of the Bank of Italy AP Giannini helped emigrants after the 1906 earthquake to get loans and bank when all other Banks would not. Giannini would go onto turning the Bank of Italy to what we know now as the Bank of America. Columbus Ave runs into basically (the bank of America, Transamerica Pyramid) Columbus, America, first across. Also where the Transamerica Pyramid stands is on the old Montgomery Block. This is where the Twain’s verse plays into the puzzle (IMO)
“is an object of Twain’s attention”
Montgomery Block is where Samuel Clemmons became Mark Twain, he sharpened his craft as a writer during his time in SF and the people he hung out with. The “object” is the Pyramid which stands tall (attention) over most of the area. Washington Square is adjacent to Columbus AVE, standing at Washington Square you get a view of the Pyramid, you have a Square and a Triangle next to each other (reasonably close) as depicted on the collar Square/Triangle , from Washington Square you see Giant Pole, (Coit Tower) I am fine tuning the rest of this theory but it play’s down to and x marks the spot. This is a portion of the theory.