Date:         Sat, 10 Aug 1996 14:33:51 -0500 (CDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Bob Hufford <bhufford@mail.orion.org>
Subject:      The Lost Treasure of Linden Lure (Part1, very long)

Sorry for the cross posting.  That's what you get for suscribing to two 
or more lists.  ;-)

--------

I met Tom M. after he posted a for-sale ad for his '66 Low Rider Beetle 
at the local VW FLAPS.  My Dad was in the market for a '66 (to put his 
66RT66 personalized plate on after selling his '66 Chevelle 'vert), so I 
told him about the ad.  Dad went to look at the Beetle while I was at 
work and when he returned he said "Strange kid."  Later that evening I 
travelled the 20 miles to Ozark, MO to view the Beetle.  This *was* a 
strange kid.  He talked incessantly about his talents as a car painter, 
though he was currently unemployed and the clear-coat on the Beetle was 
peeling.  He also said that he knew of several old Volkswagens that 
belonged to a defunct VW repair shop "way out in the woods".  He said 
that there was a 23-Window Deluxe Bus, a couple of other Splitties, a Bay 
Window or two and several Beetles from the '50s.  The owner apparently 
was in trouble with the IRS and needed to sell everything to pay for 
some back taxes.  He wanted $400 for the 23-Win, $200 for the other 
Splits, and he had about 25 VW motors (engines?) that he would take 
$25 each for.  When I asked if he had the owner's phone number he stated 
"Oh, he doesn't have a phone and its real hard to find his place.  I'll 
have to take you there."  I told him to make arrangements as I was very 
interested.  I said that I would call back on the weekend.

The weekend came and he was not to be found.  A couple of weeks of trying 
finally located him and he stated that he had a new job and couldn't take 
me to the VW stash on the weekends.  He also told me at this time of 
several VW s that *he* owned back in his home town in Arkansas.  A '51 
Beetle, a '55 Sunroof Beetle, a 23-Window Bus and a Splitty Panel.  
Hmmm.. thought I.  Could this be true?  

I couldn't find time in my schedule during the week for a while, and 
when I thought we could do it, I called and his phone was no longer in 
service.  When  I drove to his house on the weekend, I found that he had 
moved.  I thought that was that. (I had always had a nagging suspicion 
that this kid was full of hot air anyway.)

A few months passed and I received a call from Tom.  He had moved to 
Springfield and was looking for a Beetle body for some project he had 
going.  I said that *he* had bought most of the VW stash and it was stored 
out at his in-laws farm near Linden Lure, MO.  He told me at this time 
that he would sell the 23-Window for $300.  He gave me a cellular phone 
number and said to call him on the weekend.  Of course, no answer...for 
weeks.

Then another call out of the blue.  Tom said that he had gotten divorced 
and he was going to file for bankruptcy (his daughter has liver problems 
and the bills were in the $300,000 range).  He said that since the 
divorce his former in-laws were not too keen on his storing old VWs at 
their farm.  He said they had to go and he would *give* me the two 
Splitties and the Bubble Window and sell me the 23-Win for $800 (!?).  I 
asked for directions to the stash and he rattled them off.  From the 
description it didn't sound too hard to find (two farm roads off of a 
major highway, 5 miles to an old abandoned church and they were across 
the road).  

We were headed out of town for the weekend and I persuaded my wife to 
take a short detour.  We went right on the 2nd farm road (as described), 
but couldn't find the church or the VWs.  We tried the 1st and 3rd 
roads.  We tried a couple of lefts.  No Busses.  I gave up.  

We tried again on the return trip.  No Busses.  I was beginning to think 
that this kid was FOS and playing with my head.  I phoned him when we got 
home and he couldn't believe that I didn't find them.  "Didn't you see 
the church?"  "No."  I asked him to draw a map and I would come by and 
pick it up.  That evening I went to his house and he (and the map) were 
not there.  The next day I called and he said that he had an emergency 
and had to leave.  He said that he would leave the map in the mailbox.  
I was too busy to pick it up so I asked my Dad to swing by.  No map.  
When I call again Tom said that his ex-wife was going to come and pick 
up divorce papers and he didn't want her to accidently get the map or me 
to get the papers.  OK.  I would come get the map that evening (again to 
be placed in the mailbox).  I had a chance to leave a little early and 
as I arrived at Toms's he was just leaving ... and had forgotten to draw 
the map.  He hurriedly scribbled out the words and pictures and sped off.  

When I got home I studied the map.  The written directions stated left 
turns, but the drawing showed right turns.  Hmmm.  I went to the local 
Highway Department and purchased a county map.  Well, the roads did appear 
to go to the right (as drawn).  That weekend I gave it another shot.  
Same major highway, 2nd farm road on the right.  But wait a minute!  He 
has farm road 114 written down and this is farm road 196.  In fact, if 
there *was* a farm road 114, it would be about 10 miles south or 15 miles 
west.  Again, no Busses.

I called Tom again the next week.  "Tom, I can't seem to follow your 
directions".  "Well Bob, you just didn't go far enough after the turn."  
"Tom, I followed that road until it hit the Interstate."  "Oh.  Let me 
give you directions from the town of Ozark.  That's closer anyway". !?

My vacation/conference was fast approaching.  The only way I was going to 
have time to find these Busses was to try to zoom out there on my lunch 
hour.  I made an attempt, but could not find the Busses.  Tom stated that 
there was only one right turn before this restaurant and that is where I 
wanted to go.  Wrong.  I called again the next day.  "Bob, I can't 
believe you haven't found these".  "Tom, I took the first right turn, but 
it took me out of town with no Busses or old church in sight."  "Sorry, I 
meant the 2nd right."  Grrrr.

My second lunch hour attempt again failed to turn up any Busses.  I 
followed the 2nd right until it ended up back at the starting point 
originally given (the major highway and the road to Linden Lure).  Very 
frustrated and with no time left to search, I called a couple of buddies 
and devulged the secret.  I made them swear that I would get first choice 
if they found the treasure.  I also called Tom and told him of yet 
another missed cue.  He said "Did you see the big brick house on the 
hill?" "Yeah".  "There is a road that goes up the hill next to it."  
(Another turn!?) "They are just across from the house."   This seemed 
odd, no church was in sight.  I thought for sure that I finally had it 
pin-pointed.  I gave the details to my friends saying that *they* could 
surely find them now.  Sadly, I left for vacation.

Two weeks later I return and find out that the buddies were unable to 
find the Lost Treasure.  I couldn't believe it.  "Did you call Tom?"
"Well, no.  We wanted to wait for you." :(   The Treasure remains Lost.

-------

I've been very busy with the backlog of work this week and I called Tom 
yesterday.  He was wondering why no one had called him.  I said that he 
was just going to have to *lead* us to the Busses.  He said that he had 
now pulled them up to the road and they must be gone by the end of the 
month.  The plan is to meet him and go see them tomorrow.  
     
I'll keep you posted.  (Why do I have a feeling that I'll never see or 
hear from him again?) :(

       Bob Hufford             \\  //              YardBusses (for sale)
    "Back Yard Busses"     \\   \\//   //   '60 Double-Door Panel     
                            \\   \/   //    '81 Vanagon L (Sunroof)
  bhufford@mail.orion.org    \\ //\\ //     '61,'61,'63,'63,'71 Bones
                              \\/  \\/      
-- "Dedicated to the Storage and Degradation of Vintage Transporters" --