1956 Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt

Submitted by Joe Medallion (not verified) on Wed, 01/11/2012 - 11:42 PM

The treasure chest was found in a hollow log in Como Park after just eight clues by Harold Mantoen, Miss Lee Kosek, and Dale Ulmer. Harold was a strapping 26-year-old railroad machinist at the time, Miss Kosek was his 29-year-old girlfriend, and Dale his 7-year-old nephew whom he promised to take treasure hunting. What a guy—popular with the older women and the favorite uncle.

Hunt Information

Dates

Scheduled Dates

Sunday, January 29, 1956

Find Date

Thursday, February 2, 1956

Finders

Name

Harold Mantoen

Hometown

Saint Paul

Name

Leonora Kosek

Hometown

Saint Paul

Name

Dale Ulmer

Hometown

Saint Paul

Prize

Maximum Prize

$2500

Awarded Prize

$2500

Location

General Location

Como Park

Pinpointed Location

Near the Old Stone Fireplace

Concealer

Inside a Hollow Log

44.9768, -93.1527

Clues

Clue 1

Published Date

Sunday, January 29, 1956, 12:00 AM

Today begins the annual hunt,
Another wonderful Carnival stunt.
So go abroad and find the bounty,
We always hide it in Ramsey County.

The official meaning of the clue.

"Ramsey County" were the only meaningful words.

Clue Rating

Clue 2

Published Date

Monday, January 30, 1956, 12:00 AM

The button you buy means more than pleasure;
It can add more dough to Boreas' treasure.
St. Paul is the boundary of your quest
If you would find the treasure chest.

The official meaning of the clue.

The word button referred to the polar bear on the carnival button and the bears at Como Zoo. The second clue also confined the search to St. Paul.

Clue Rating

Clue 3

Published Date

Monday, January 30, 1956, 4:00 PM

The treasure's nook, well hid from view,
On public property waits for you.
Our safety rule must be repeated:
No danger's involved where it's secreted.

The official meaning of the clue.

"Nook" meant the treasure was hidden in a recess and "On public property." The word "secreted" emphasized how well it was hidden from view.

Our Thoughts

Secreted? Where exactly has it secreted and what specifically has it secreted?

Clue Rating

Clue 4

Published Date

Tuesday, January 31, 1956, 12:00 AM

A body of water lies in the distance,
Out of sight but still of assistance.
Unless a thaw should cause a trickle,
Seeing water's not worth a plugged nickel.

The official meaning of the clue.

"A body of water lies in the distance" meant Lake Como, and "plugged nickel" referred to the plugged log.

Our Thoughts

Plugged we get. Nickel, not so much.

Clue Rating

Clue 5

Published Date

Tuesday, January 31, 1956, 4:09 PM

We hope we are fair in the way we play;
We try to hint without giving away.
But if more help is what you need,
Wheels and boxes we will concede.

The official meaning of the clue.

The words "fair" and "way" together meant the fairways at Como Golf Course. "Wheels and boxes" pointed to the Northern Pacific railway yards.

Our Thoughts

You always have to love a word play clue. And this one is a two-fer.

Clue Rating

Clue 6

Published Date

Wednesday, February 1, 1956, 12:00 AM

A dirty finger points to the sky;
It's not on the spot, but stands nearby.
And if your eyes are really keen,
A second look will show you green.

The official meaning of the clue.

A "dirty finger" was the smokestack at St. Paul workhouse and "a second look will show you green" indicated the cupola atop the workhouse.

Our Thoughts

A cool landmarking clue.

Clue Rating

Clue 7

Published Date

Wednesday, February 1, 1956, 4:00 PM

Near the spot, fifty yards or so,
Runs a road covered with snow.
Trees surround the treasure's site;
This should make you work all night.

The official meaning of the clue.

The "road covered with snow" was an old railroad bed, and the "work" once again referred to the workhouse.

Our Thoughts

The "road" specifically was the old Como-Harriet Streetcar line whose right-of-way ran very near the treasure site.

Clue Rating

Clue 8

Published Date

Thursday, February 2, 1956, 12:00 AM

Bugs at times crawl near the spot;
Generally pests, they now mean a lot.
A woodsman skilled in nature lore
Would be a help and not a bore.

The official meaning of the clue.

"Bugs at times crawl near the spot" meant box elder bugs. A box elder bush was near the treasure site. And "bore" again referred to the hollow log.

Our Thoughts

Combine this with "Wheels and boxes" from above and you've got an awesome box elder reference. Without them, the bugs could really be anything.

Clue Rating

Clue 9

The water referred to in number four clue
Is a famous name that means much to you.
In order to get a bit more specific,
The water's a lake and not the Pacific.

The official meaning of the clue.

The "water" and the "famous name" both meant Como.

Our Thoughts

This is the only example of a clue we can find that references another clue in the same hunt.

Clue Rating

Clue 10

A structure of red is not too far,
About ninety degrees from the Polar Star.
Get out your compass, we suggest,
It will help you find the treasure chest.

The official meaning of the clue.

"The structure of red" 90 degrees "from the polar star" meant the workhouse was east of the treasure site.

Our Thoughts

But 90 degrees could also mean west, couldn't it?

Clue Rating

Clue 11

Stones are near the treasure site,
Cemented together to hold them tight.
This time of year you'd stay away,
But that's not true on a summer's day.

The official meaning of the clue.

"Stones" referred to an old stone fireplace near the treasure site.

Our Thoughts

We like the stone fireplace reference due to its proximity to the treasure. But wouldn't you think that "this time of year" you'd want to be closer to a fire place than on a summer's day?

Clue Rating

Clue 12

Two names could mean an awful lot,
In helping you to find the spot.
One is Dutch, you will agree,
Part of the other is on T.V.

The official meaning of the clue.

"Two names" referred to Van Slyke ("one is Dutch") and Beulah Lane. "Part of the other is on T.V." referred to a television show titled Beulah

Our Thoughts

Interestingly enough, a lot of people nowadays call the fireplace a "Dutch Oven".

Clue Rating

Clue 13

A crossing was built not far away
To serve the needs of another day.
Near the place there is a knoll,
Nearer still there is a hole.

The official meaning of the clue.

The "crossing" was an old street car crossing "to serve the needs of another day". The "knoll" painted a small hill west of the workhouse and "hole" pinpointed a low area at the base of the knoll as well as hinting at the hole in the long.

Our Thoughts

Nice. Several landmarks to zero in on the treasure site near the end of the hunt.

Clue Rating

Clue 14

From an acorn this once grew,
And it means a lot to you.
Now dead and lying there dismembered,
To someone it will be long remembered.

The official meaning of the clue.

"From an acorn this once grew" meant of course, the oak stump in which the treasure chest was secreted.

Our Thoughts

There's that word secreted again. What exactly secreted the treasure here?

Clue Rating

Clue 15

The trunk of a dead tree helps mark the spot,
But the log lying near is really hot.
Look for a plug which pulls away;
This can be your lucky day.

The official meaning of the clue.

"The trunk of a dead tree" referred to a tree which had fallen near the log containing the chest. The "plug which pulls away" meant the end of the log which covered the chest.

Our Thoughts

A pin-pointer clue.

Clue Rating