University of Brattleboro

As readers of this column know, T. P. James was a spiritualist (and apparent conman) who lived in Brattleboro in the 1870s. (If you would like to learn more about him, you can check out his Wikipedia entry). When T. P. James fled town in 1878, he left behind his notebooks full of drawings, puzzles, poems, and treasure maps. We periodically interview the man responsible for the preservation of these notebooks, Dr. Balderdash, of the University of Brattleboro, to learn about his latest discoveries among the musty volumes. So, you called us this morning to let us know you had something new to share? Dr. Balderdash: Oh yes, this is a fun one. So, simple, so short, so sweet. And it's in Keene. Oh, is there a treasure to find? Balderdash: Yes, but you know I always point out, that's only half the fun. Anyone who can crack this puzzle has a chance of finding it, but more importantly they are GUARANTEED of finding a good place to BURY treasure. Because that's really the point. Sure, it's fun to crack a code, and dig up treasure, but you also don't know if someone got there before you, right? And it's not fun to search and not find. That's sort of a metaphor for one of the challenges in life. And just like in life, anyone who cracks the code gets a chance to hide a treasure for another person to find. So, what wasn't fun, can become the MOST fun. And that is magic. But, what is the treasure, I mean the treasure that T. P. James put out there originally? Balderdash: Well, let's back up a bit. Because, yes, T. P. James did bury the treasure, and appears to have done so in 1876, i.e. 150 years ago. We feel this proves his psychic powers, since, how could he know that the spot he choose would become the PERFECT spot for people to find a treasure today, unless he was psychic? That makes absolutely no sense. Balderdash: Then I won't bother to explain that further. Your question as to what was buried is easier to answer. He placed a beautiful, highly polished stone egg, a beautiful object of art, a keepsake, an heirloom. Also, I really like that people with a metal detector can't find it. So, no coins this time? Balderdash: None. But the stone egg is waiting for whoever wants to find it. And here is the image that T. P. James provided. It's a treasure map. There are no words to decode. But would you believe it tells us exactly where in Keene to find the egg, if we are willing to take a risk, and guess? It seems impossible, and especially since you are saying there are no words to decode, just guesses to be made. Guessing seems fraught with peril. Balderdash: Guessing is fraught with peril, but we do it every day. And not only is it mostly harmless, it also serves us very well. In fact, without relying on guess work all day long, we would go mad trying to be sure our constant story making was tightly tied to reality. You are making less and less sense. Balderdash: It's a form of logic, weak logic, but logic, nonetheless. You may have come across this in Geometry class, where it is called ABDUCTION. It's the kind of logic used by police and shows up a lot in detective novels, or movies. Here is my favorite example. You hear loud bangs. A goose falls from the sky and hits your parked car. And you say, "Who shot that goose?," not knowing if it died of some disease while it was flying by, just as someone's car backfired. You're guessing. You don't know. But you're playing creatively with probabilities and telling a story that is probably true. Letting ourselves acknowledge that we are "just guessing" is essential in life. But as T. P. James wrote in his notebook, "Sometimes acting on a guess in a manner others feel is reckless, is the only way forward, and can yield rewards, and even in extreme cases, avert disasters." How does that help us with this treasure map? Balderdash: I don't want to give too much away, but, based on this picture, there is a best guess as to where in Keene this treasure is hidden. And, once you get to the location, once you get there, there is only one BEST place on the piece of land that is the best for digging up a treasure. The map includes a prominent N and an arrow. So, obviously that was put there for a reason. And there is even an X in the corner, so, obviously, he indicated exactly where the treasure can be found. I get it. I know where the treasure is. Am I allowed to go out and find the egg? Balderdash: Of course not. But if you do go, be sure to bring a treasure made of stone, or some other natural material, to put there for the next curious guesser to find. Great treasures can be found at More Than A Thrift Store in Keene, or Experienced Goods, or Beadniks in Brattleboro. Rolf Parker lives in Brattleboro, where he runs the University of Brattleboro, the oldest non-existent university in New England. He also runs Third Thursday Poetry at the Harmony Gallery at 49 Elliot St., Brattleboro, a free event that is made possible by sales of the University's T-Shirts, which are available in the gallery.