1955 Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt

Submitted by Joe Medallion (not verified) on Wed, 01/11/2012 - 10:44 PM

The treasure chest was magnetized and hidden under a green mailbox at the corner of Seventh and Robert. It was found by Mrs. Merrilla Paulson and her friend Mrs. Frances Rosner. Posing for a picture near the mailbox after the hunt was over were mailman John Schwietz and beat patrolman Dave Foley; they worked with and near the mailbox throughout the hunt and never had a clue (oops, bad pun). This hunt actually raised eyebrows on a federal level, since mailboxes are federal property and attaching something to the underside of one could be construed as tampering with the mail. Certainly something like this wouldn't be tolerated in modern times.

Hunt Information

Dates

Scheduled Dates

Saturday, January 29, 1955

Find Date

Thursday, February 3, 1955

Finders

Name

Merrilla Paulson

Hometown

Saint Paul

Name

Frances Rosner

Hometown

Saint Paul

Prize

Maximum Prize

$2000

Awarded Prize

$1500

Location

General Location

Downtown Saint Paul

Pinpointed Location

Underneath a mailbox at 7th and Robert Streets

Concealer

Magnetized under the mailbox

44.949, -93.0925

Clues

Clue 1

Published Date

Saturday, January 29, 1955, 6:00 PM

Welcome back to the treasure quest!
Ramsey County hides the chest.
Two thousand bucks is a lot to bank,
"Frosty Frolic" you should thank.

The official meaning of the clue.

The word "bank" was the key word. It referred to the American National Bank on one of the four corners at Robert and Seventh.

Our Thoughts

Risky. Very risky to make a reference to the location in the first clue. One could imagine that it wouldn't take long to check the public land in front of all the banks in the city. Kudos to the Press, because it worked.

Clue Rating

Clue 2

Published Date

Sunday, January 30, 1955, 6:00 PM

The hunt is on, the chest is hid,
We know you hope to lift the lid.
The treasure chest is in St. Paul,
And for the present that is all.

The official meaning of the clue.

The words "St. Paul" were intended to pull the hunt inside the city limits.

Our Thoughts

One could also presumably take "lift the lid" to be a reference to the mailbox.

Clue Rating

Clue 3

Published Date

Sunday, January 30, 1955, 6:00 PM

Safety first that has been our rule,
Ever since we went to school.
Don't risk your neck in dangerous pursuit;
Even a child could find this loot.

The official meaning of the clue.

The word "rule" meant the Golden Rule, on the second of the four corners. The word "child" was for Rothchild's store on the third corner of the intersection where the treasure was hidden.

Our Thoughts

They're still recycling lines for clues; not only lines, in fact, but entire clues. This one is actually Clue 3 of the 1954 Hunt.

Clue Rating

Clue 4

Published Date

Monday, January 31, 1955, 6:00 PM

Don't trespass on your neighbor's lawn,
It's not private property the treasure's on.
No body of water is in your view,
And that, my friends, is an important clue.

The official meaning of the clue.

Was intended to keep everyone away from lakes and the river. "No body of water" were the tip-off words.

Our Thoughts

Yup. More clue recycling. See 1955 clue 2.

Clue Rating

Clue 5

Published Date

Monday, January 31, 1955, 6:00 PM

In your view, towering high,
Six slender objects spike the sky;
A post's nearby and also a road,
Now you're near the treasure lode.

The official meaning of the clue.

The phrase "six slender objects spike the sky" describes six flag poles that could be seen from the corner. "Post" was a hint about the mailbox where the chest was hidden.

Our Thoughts

We're fans of British English, so in that context, "A post's nearby" makes sense for a mailbox. In United Statesian, however, post in grammar like this means post. As in something sunk into the ground to support something else. Nonetheless, a good clue.

Clue Rating

Clue 6

Published Date

Tuesday, February 1, 1955, 6:00 PM

A structure of red can be seen,
But more important is the color green;
Don't look here for another clue,
We've already been too good to you.

The official meaning of the clue.

Mentioned the "red structure" which was the Ryan hotel, and "green" referred to the mailbox itself.

Our Thoughts

Whew. It came close, but they didn't recycle the line from 1953's Seventh Clue.

Clue Rating

Clue 7

Published Date

Tuesday, February 1, 1955, 6:00 PM

The birds above don't sing of love,
But don't let this confuse you;
This seventh clue means more to you,
Than simply to amuse you.

The official meaning of the clue.

"The birds above don't sing of love" - Those birds are sculptured ones on the top of the Golden Rule building. The second key word in that jingle was "seventh", which referred to the street.

Our Thoughts

A clever use of the word seventh. It would be interesting to see if a clue like this would stimulate our modern-day over-noodling to see if seventh meant Seventh Street or if we'd employ Occam's Razor.

Clue Rating

Clue 8

Published Date

Wednesday, February 2, 1955, 6:00 PM

If the vision you have is extra keen,
The top of a bridge can be seen;
Don't venture forth for a closer look,
For where you are is the treasure's nook.

The official meaning of the clue.

Mentioned a bridge, and that was the Robert Street bridge.

Our Thoughts

This is actually an interesting clue. In the context of the time, before Seventh Street was rerouted onto Eighth (and for a short time Ninth) Street, and Seventh Street between Jackson and Minnesota Streets became Seventh Place, Seventh Street was 4 blocks away from the Robert Street Bridge. The arches of this bridge are probably six or seven blocks away. A nice reference, particularly since it mentions only the top of the bridge, since the rest of the bridge isn't really visible from the intersection.

Clue Rating

Clue 9

Published Date

Wednesday, February 2, 1955, 6:00 PM

About this time you need this aid,
So look for a place where you can trade.
It's not far from the treasure site.

The official meaning of the clue.

Spoke of "a place you can trade" and that meant The Emporium. The word "emporium" in the dictionary is defined as a place where one may trade.

Our Thoughts

Um, where's the fourth line to this clue. We looked behind the curtain and couldn't find it.

Clue Rating

Clue 10

Published Date

Thursday, February 3, 1955, 6:00 PM

Read these words to find the spot,
Each letter might mean an awful lot:
Robert Q. and the Cavaliers,
Came to town and brought forth cheers.
Can you solve this clue tonight?

The official meaning of the clue.

Had two key words. "Robert" was the actual street name and "letter" was one more attempt to bring the mailbox into the picture.

Our Thoughts

We think we found the missing line from clue 9. Too bad it's in the wrong spot to make rhyming sense.

Clue Rating

Clue 11

Stones are near the treasure site,
Cemented together to hold them tight;
A sign appears when you arrive,
With figures on it that total five.

The official meaning of the clue.

The sign with "figures on it that total five" is the Hwy. 212 junction sign with the figures adding up to five.

Our Thoughts

Don't go looking for the Highway 212 sign nowadays. In the 50's it ran through to Stillwater via what is now Minnesota Highway 5. Back in the 80's it got shortened and now ends in Eden Prairie. We want to know what the stones were though. Cobblestones perhaps?

Clue Rating

Clue 12

Regular visits are made to the spot,
To help someone improve his lot;
A palace was built not far away,
To serve the needs of another day.

The official meaning of the clue.

The phrase "regular visits" was intended to suggest the mailman who visited the mailbox and "palace" was a reference to the old name of the Rothchild building.

Our Thoughts

This clue would have better served the hunt had it been placed a few clues earlier.

Clue Rating

Clue 13

And here it is the final clue,
Telling you what exactly to do;
Go up Seventh in the heart of the loop,
Stop at Robert, then give a whoop.
The chest, you'll find, can easily be seen,
If you look below a structure of green,
Hanging there but not kinetic,
Held by things which are MAGNETIC;
We've had much fun, we must confess,
Good hunting from the Dispatch-Pioneer Press.

The official meaning of the clue.

It is a dead giveaway. There you have the magnetized box clinging to the green mailbox at the bank corner of Seventh and Robert.

Our Thoughts

The best giveaway to date.

Clue Rating