Subliminal Messages within a Sculptor

Author: Devante Brooks

He was a self-taught builder of visionary sculptures, who was later giving the name "Postman Cheval". Ferdinand Cheval was very abstract about the way he delivered messages throughout his sculptors. In 1879, at 43 years old, Cheval began to build “The Temple of Nature”, later became known as “The Ideal Palace”. Ferdinand was an expert at subliminally sending messages within his sculptors. Every sculptor was significant to his present life and how he felt at the time. "The source of Life" is one his two pieces of work, his work is in close harmony with nature. It was built with seashells, snails, oysters and different stones. The second piece "St.Amadeu's Cave", honoring the patron saint of Hauterives. Since Ferdinand could not be buried in the tombs, he began to build a tomb in the village “The Tomb of silence and endless rest". According to the evidence, it’s said that the "ideal Palace" was not only a hymn to life, but it was to death that he defied by building a sculptor that will live on after him. It’s obvious that the work of the “postman” still exist in modern day agriculture. Ferdinand work was significant to him, because the palace reveals his morality. “The three Giants” Sculptor is considered to be one of the finest features of the palace. The head of the sculptor is a reminiscent of the Easter Island statues, while the hand pointed to heaven which is where he wants to go when he dies. The wheelbarrow that lies behind the three giants is where Ferdinand Cheval goes to share his affectionate and companioned side in times of need for him. The Temple of nature is surrounded by significant sculptors that tell a story within them around the North, East, West, and South Façade of the Palace. 

This Photo shows the Eastern Island statue which points to heaven, where wants to go.

According to evidence, Ferdinand wrote a letter in 1897 to Andre Lacroix, reporting the circumstances and the different stages it took to build the palace (“Ferdinand Cheval's letter to André Lacroix”). His letter further discuss why, when, where, and how he created the sculptors he did. As bizarre as it sounds, Ferdinand went through trials and tribulations as well. Although he went through obstacles, he never gave up hope. He was criticized by his fellow people, but the foreign visitors found his work to be amazing. 

This photo shows his darkest side of his creative soul through his vision.

Whether people like his work or still criticize his work, or against the subliminal messages that was put into his work, his work will forever exist in modern day agriculture. Still today there are concerts held at the Palace. The concerts give you a chance to experience the unique work in another perspective and enjoy the relation it has with other artist.  

Works Cited:

Es Van Henk. Joseph Ferdinand Cheval, le Palais Idéal/the Ideal Palace.outsider-enviroments.blogspot.com.N.p.8 Feb. 2009.Web.19 Oct.2013.

Ferdinand Cheval's Palace. “Ferdinand Cheval's Palace”.facteurcheval.com.N.p.n.d.Web.19 Oct 2013.

Links for Further Research:

Le facteur Cheval : où le songe devient la réalité.” Le facteur Cheval : où le songe devient la réalité”.ina.fr.N.p.1 Jan. 2001.Web.10 Oct. 2013. www.ina.fr/video/CPD01004563

The link shows a video of the Palace.

Obourn Nick.” Unusual Travel Destinations”.trueslant.com/nickobourn. Copyright True/Slant.15 July, 2010.Web.10 Oct.2013. http://trueslant.com/nickobourn/2010/07/15/unusual-travel-destinations-le-palais-ideal-in-hauterives-france/

 This link shares further information that was written by Nick Obourn

Valpard.”Le palais ideal du facteur Cheval”.youtube.com.N.p.11 Jan, 2010.Web.10 Oct 2013. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PORBy6-whWY

This link is just another inside look of the palace.

The Maco Light

Author: Rhett Barnard

Near the coastal areas of North Carolina, nestled in swampland, is the small town of Maco. In this quaint little town lies a legend, one of tragedy and searching from beyond the grave. That is the legend of the Maco light. In the years after the Civil War, the railroad was king. Joe Baldwin, a flagman for the trains out of Maco Depot Station, was asleep in the back of the caboose. He was awoken by a loud noise and a violent shake. The caboose had become unhinged. 

Joe ran to the back to the train to alert another train, which was traveling nearly top speed towards the caboose. Unfortunately, the conductor didn’t see Joe through the mist, and hit the caboose at full speed. He was decapitated, and after much searching for his head with no luck, he was buried without it. After his death, many sightings of a mysterious light were reported. It was said to be Joe with his lantern, looking for his head. Many people, including President Grover Cleveland, claimed to see this light. That is until 1977, when the railroad was torn up. The sightings stopped after this. The legend of Joe Baldwin has inspired legends, skeptics, even videos about the subject. 

The story of Joe Baldwin is a tragic one. It is said that after his death, he was viewed as a hero for giving his life trying to prevent a collision. Of course, as with most legends, the lines between what really happened and what people perceived became blurred. In this particular legend, even details about the ghost became skewed. There are variations of this story that say Joe’s ghost can be seen carrying a two light, one red and one green, to warn an oncoming train. This is a stark contrast to the most widely believed accounts of him carrying one lantern in search of his severed head. 

In a short documentary, those who claim to see it claimed that the light began to slowly recede as they moved closer. The legend, however, states that the light will suddenly disappear upon looking at it for more than a few seconds. As the years go by, and the legend diminishes, the crazy claims are sure to outweigh the long standing legend.

Though there will always be skeptics, the legend of the Maco Light will live on in the hearts of the people of Maco. The light is not predicted to ever be seen again, due to the railroad being pulled up. There are, however, those who remain loyal to the legend of Joe Baldwin. With the lack of reported sightings, it is a very large possibility that this legend may disappear in areas far from this sight. But this small town will surely never forget. 

Works Cited:

Steelman, Ben. “THE MACO LIGHT | BRUNSWICK'S ‘TRUE' GHOST STORY.” Star News. 10 October, 2008. Web. 14 October, 2013.

“The Maco Light.” Northcarolinaghosts.com. N.p. n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2013.

Will Davis. “The Maco Light ( & The Legend of Joe Baldwin)” Yotube.com. Web. 14 October, 2013.

Links for Further Research

The Maco Light

darkartsmedia.com/Maco_Light.html

Leads to a multimedia presentation on the Maco Light.

The Light at Maco Station

www.ibiblio.org/ghosts/maco.html

Gives detailed description on the Maco Light and leads to an interactive sight where multimedia can be viewd.

History of the Maco Light

www.thenbm.com/macolight.htm

Gives detailed description of the legend along with credible real life sources that can be found today.

The Bell Witch Project

Author: Bradford Roberts

Ghost stories are inherent with any culture. After all, who doesn’t love a good scare? There is, however, one story that stands out in American folklore. This story is of the spirit that plagued a family, shattering it, driving it across the country to seek refuge, only to dash its hopes yet again and leave the family a tattered ruin. This story is that of the Bell Witch.

As the legend goes, in the early 1800s there lived a man that went by the name of John Bell. He owned a plantation with slaves in old, old, North Carolina. One day, he killed one of his overseers over the his terrible and abusive treatment of Bell’s slaves. Then, that year, and the next, and the next, the crops were complete and horrible failures. His stock and cattle died by the droves to diseases the doctors had never seen and couldn’t begin to cure. Facing catastrophe, he sold all of his land and all of his slaves but one, an old woman, and moved with his family far away to Tennessee, not too far from where the retired Andrew Jackson was living, in fact.

Not long after the move, odd things began to occur, strange things. The children were often thrown from bed during the middle of the night, for no reason. The old woman said that it was the spirit of the overseer that had been killed, superstitiously. Then, supposedly, the old woman was attacked by the spirit in the dead of night, terrifying the family

Word got out, and, according to a site dedicated to the Bell Witch,  even Andrew Jackson, a contemporary respected citizen of Tennessee and the eventual 7^th president of the Union, heard about it and paid a visit:

 After enduring much, the Mr. Bell suggested they move to Mississippi, to escape the witch. But then Mrs. Bell asked “What is to stop the witch just from followin’ us.”

“Nothin’, and if you leave off for Mississippi you would wish you hadn’t!” quipped a suddenly audible corner chair.

According to the Journal of American Folk Lore, these constant interjections into the Bell’s family life never ceased. But, however, when the family decided against moving to Mississippi, the witch became, tolerable, even friendly. It was almost as if it had taken to them since they decided not to move away. Even almost as if it was rewarding them.

However, since Mary, Mr. Bell’s daughter, had adamantly demanded the move to Mississippi, the witch was rough on her, going so far as to torment her in the night and ruining her hair when she was about to go out. The witch even plagued and harassed Mary’s romantic pursuers, driving them away from the Bell house.

With one, however, it was different. His name was Gardner. He and her were mighty set to one another, as the Journal stated it. The witch, in the form of a tree, stopped him, demanding that he leave and never to come back, or die.

“Why?” Gardner asked.

“You might have guessed from all that’s happened round here. I’m in love with her myself. It’s going to be hard to get her consent and it may be harder to get the old man’s. But she’s not going to marry you, I’ll see to that. If you open your mouth about it tonight, you’ll be dead as a door-nail before morning.”

He left, never to return or write. Some think that it was due to the fact he was terrified to wit’s end. That would not be too outlandish, to say the least.

Now, this is where the tale begins to fork. Eventually, the Bell’s, driven by crop failure, did move to Mississippi out of desperation. It did not take long for the witch to find them. It was chasing Mary. In the dead of night, it asked Mr. and Mrs. Bell for Mary’s hand in marriage. John Bell vehemently refused to allow a stack of dust and wind to marry his daughter. The ghost ignored his refusal, outright.

Almost immediately, there was a change for the worse in Mary. She got up later and went to bed earlier every day, increasingly so. She stumbled around, lost and confused looking. She seemed as if she was looking for something far off that she couldn’t quite grasp. Then, one day, she didn’t get up at all, for she had come down with fever. She became raving mad. The witch, in its unending devotion to her, actually got a doctor there, somehow, even though the witch told them, straightforwardly, that it would do no good.

A month went by, and she only got worse, and worse. The family,  utterly helpless, merely waited and watched their daughter fade away before them.

In the words of the legend, one day, as Mrs. Bell sat with her, Mary sat up and said, “Mamma, I see him… at last… and I think… I’m going… to love him.”

She immediately expired, with an expression of happiness that they had not seen upon her face in months. Some believe that she went on to live with the witch, becoming a ghost herself. But, regardless, death is death.

This is the legend of the Bell Witch, or rather, the Mississippi legend. The differences between the states are in that one favors the witch being the caring yet obsessive lover of Mary, rather than her tormentor, torturer, and persecutor until her death. The former is the one most would rather believe, if any that is.

Works Cited:

Bell Witch Legend’s Sign. Photograph. n.d. http://blaine.org/jules/bw2.jpg. Blaine.org. Web. Oct. 19, 2013.

The Bell Residence. Photograph. n.d. Mentalfloss. Web. Oct. 19, 2013.

Iwanttobelievexfiles. “President Andrew Jackson encounter with the Bell Witch.” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, Aug. 4 2006. Web. Oct. 19 2013.

"Bell Witch." Bell Witch. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct ’13.<http://mtskeptics.homestead.com/BellWitch.html>.

Carrington, Hereward, Nandor Fodor, and August Derleth. "Haunted People: Story of the Poltergeist down the Centuries." Western Folklore 11.4 (1952): 296-97. JSTOR. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1496242?uid=3739896&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21102732366441>.

Fitzhugh, Pat. "The Bell Witch Haunting." The Legend of the Bell Witch of Tennessee. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2013.

Knight, W.F. Jackson. "Origins of Belief." Folklore 74.1 (1963): 289-304. JSTOR. Web. 15 Oct. 2013.

Palmer, Arthur, Pete McCarter. “The Bell Witch of Tennessee and Mississippi: A Folk Legend” The Journal of American Folklore , Vol. 47, No. 183 (Jan. - Mar., 1934), pp. 45-63. Web. 9 Oct. 2013.

LINKS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH:

http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4118

Attempts to debunk and challenge the folk tale.

http://paranormal.about.com/od/trueghoststories/a/aa041706.htm

An in depth overview of it, via a historical record.

http://www.bellwitchcave.com/

Devoted to the myth of the witch and the cave associated with it. 

Where is the Lost Dutchman Mines?

Author: Chad Swindell

My story of The Lost Dutchman Mines is a 120 year old story about an incredibly rich gold mine that has made 3 different groups of men rich. Many have died mysteriously trying to find and keep the mine a secret.  An article on Desertusa entitled “LostDutchman Mine”traces the beginning stories of the legend of the Superstition Mountains being a superstitious place the Apaches (this tale is one reason why it is called the “Superstition Mountains”).  There are also four different stone maps that are called the “Peralta Stone Maps”. These maps were found in Oregon and are debatably the genuine maps to the Lost Dutchman Mines.  There are many versions of The Lost Dutchman Mine story but I believe is presented by the expert Jim Hatt who writes 

During the 1840s, the Peralta family of northern Mexico supposedly developed rich gold mine(s) in the Superstition Mountains. In 1848, during a routine expedition to carry gold back to Mexico, the large party was ambushed by Apaches, and all were killed except for a few Peralta family members who escaped. According to the legend, the Apaches buried and hid the gold and covered up the mine. This area is known today as the Massacre Grounds. (Hatt)

In the 1870s, following a Peralta descendant, a man named Jacob “the Dutchman” Waltz and his partner Jacob Weiser started to collect gold out of Lost Dutchman Mine (named after Jacob Waltz) Weiser got killed by the Apaches, or in some stories by Waltz himself.  According to Hatt and others, Jacob Waltz was able to move an estimated to total $254,000 from the Superstition Mountains. Jacob Waltz ended up dying at the age of 83.  Julia Thomas, his widow neighbor, was the only person to hear from him where the mine was supposedly located. However, Julia and other would be prospectors never could find the mine.

 

The Peralta Stone Maps are believed to be able to take treasure hunters straight to the mines if they can decipher what they mean. 

These maps were found next to the Hood River in Oregon by Travis Tumlinson.  There is some serious controversy over if these tablets are genuine because no one knows who actually made them or when they were created.  I believe that they aren’t real.  Being so far away from the actual mines (Superstition Mountains, AZ), why would the Peralta Family (I don’t mention Jacob Waltz because he was German and I highly doubt he knew Spanish) or descendants go to Oregon which is so far away from their home in Northern Mexico. Also, I think their descendants wouldn’t go so far away from their gold mine in the Superstition Mountains. They would have to travel so far and leave their mother lode unprotected. I believe the Lost Dutchman Mines are real, but the Peralta stone maps are fake.

According to Jim Hatt, “Except for the maps themselves, the believers have little to nothing in the way of physical evidence to support their arguments that these maps are authentic records of a one hundred or more year old mining operation in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona.” (Jim Hatt)  it seems “Peralta Stone Maps” are nothing more than stone paper weights with childish drawings on them that people are trying to read too deeply into. “One consistent conclusion they come to, was that there were definitely two different authors using two different methods of making inscriptions on the faces of the stones.” (Jim Hatt) The 4 stones aren’t even made by the same people.  There are too many inconsistencies with the stone maps to make them genuine.  The Lost Dutchman Mines despite being a legend, do, however, have documentation “In 1916, two miners found an old Spanish saddle bag filled with $16,000 worth of smelted gold near the site of the Peralta Massacre. This evidence, along with the stories and records of gold transport issued by Waltz, confirms the legend of the Lost Dutchman.” (Jim Hatt)  The Peralta Stones may not be true because of all the lack of evidence like how they were found in Oregon and the mines and the Peralta family are down in Arizona/Mexico area.

Jacob Waltz was extremely lucky man to survive the Superstition Mountains without the Apaches coming after him for blood.  The clear documentation of his gold exchanges makes things interesting about how he was able to obtain so much gold. Would the Peralta Stone Maps lead the next generation of gold miners to the mother lode, or will no one be able to find what the Superstition Mountains have hidden within them.

Works Cited:

Bremner, Lynn. "Lost Dutchman Mine. - Part 1.” Desert USA. Digital West Media Inc., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.

Sims Ely. “The Lost Dutchman Mine.” Western States Folklore Society. 13.4 (1954): 298-300. Web.

Lyon, William H. “Tales of the Superstitions: The Origins of the Lost Dutchman Legend by Robert Blair Review.” Journal of the Southwest. 18.3 (1976): 293-294. Web

Bremner, Lyn. “Lost Dutchman Mine.” Desert USA. Digital West Media Inc. Web. 15 October 2013

Botts, Gene. “Peralta Stones and Lost Dutchman Gold Mine.” Desert USA. Digital West Media Inc. Web. 15 October 2013.

Hatt, Jim. “Discovery of the Peralta Stones.” Desert USA. Digital West Media Inc. Web. 15 October 2013.

Hatt, Jim. “Stone Horse Map.” Photograph. Desert USA. Digital West Media Inc. Web. 15 October 2013

Links for Further Research:

DestinationArizona. “Goldfield – The Lost Dutchman Gold!” Youtube. Google. 14 June 2011. Web. 13 October 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP9_VqOzYY8

This is a video on Youtube that will give another side of the legend of The Lost Dutchman Mine.

Beautystruck. “2-01 In Search Of... The Lost Dutchman Mine (Part 1 of 3).” Youtube. Google. 27 August 2012. Web. 13 October 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uXQ3ggBf6g

This is the first part of a documentary about the search for the Lost Dutchman Mine.

Allen, Robert Joseph. Story of Superstition Mountain and the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine. June 1987. Pocket Books. 2013

http://www.amazon.com/Story-Superstition-Mountain-Lost-Dutchman/dp/0671662686/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382232268&sr=8-1&keywords=the+lost+dutchman+gold+mine

This is a link to an Amazon dealer that has a book specifically for the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine.

King Solomon’s Mines: Real or Make-believe?

Author: Kimberly Gentry

King Solomon, a figure in the bible, is well known for his extreme wealth and wisdom. With his abundance of wealth he was able to build the first Temple in Jerusalem and adorn it with many high-value fixtures. According to the Holy Bible in 1 Chronicles 29:2, Solomon is supplied with an abundant supply of precious metals and materials to build his temple.  

“² With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.” (1 Chronicles 29:2)

The Holy Bible also mentions a place called Ophir. It was at Ophir that Solomon was supplied with most of his valuable materials to use in building the temple. Archaeologists have wondered for years whether or not Ophir really exists and where it is. The most common belief is that all of King Solomon’s riches are located in Africa.

            The book King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard sparked many people’s interest as it detailed the finding of King Solomon’s mines. In King Solomon’s Mines a group of three men set out to find the brother of one of the group members. The brother was searching for King Solomon’s mines. The group encountered many hardships along the way, including rough terrain, fighting battles, and dehydration. In the end they all find the mines and get rich from the treasure inside. Published in 1885, this book influenced many people into going to Africa to search for the alleged mines.

An ancient copper mine in Southern Jordan

Currently, people are still searching for King Solomon’s mines. Archaeologists have, however, found large copper mines close to the area to where King Solomon might have lived. According to Rebecca Carroll for National Geographic News, metal production was happening in these mines in the tenth century B.C. This is when King Solomon supposedly lived (Carroll). Thomas Levy, an anthropologist, was interviewed by Rebecca Carroll for her article. He said that “According to the Bible, God chose King Solomon to build Jerusalem's first temple. Hundreds of tons of copper were given to the project, as well as smaller amounts of gold and silver, the Bible says. Some English versions of the Old Testament use the word bronze instead of copper as a result of a mistranslation.” With that information we can infer that Jerusalem’s first temple was built using a lot of copper. Coincidentally, large copper mines that have been dated back to King Solomon’s time are located close to the site of the temple. Though not the Ophir that everyone hoped it would be, these copper mines did provide more information on life during King Solomon’s reign.

Some people believe the copper mines that have been found are indeed King Solomon’s. But others believe that the copper mines are just one piece of the puzzle. Somewhere, King Solomon’s treasure is hidden out of sight. The mystery of King Solomon’s mines will live on forever. There is no record of the location of Ophir , and the copper mines that have been found don’t exactly fit the description of Ophir. It is even possible that King Solomon didn’t exist. That is why King Solomon’s mines will remain a mystery.  

 Works Cited:

Carroll, Rebecca. “King Solomon’s Mines Rediscovered?” National Geographic. National Geographic, 28 Oct. 2008. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.

Haggard, H. Rider. King Solomon’s Mines. 1885. London: Penguin, 1994. Print.

“King Solomon’s Mines Rediscovered?” National Geographic.  National Geographic, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.

Links for Further Research:

Internet Movie Database

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042646/

The link above takes you to the Internet Movie Database listing for the feature-length film, King Solomon’s Mines.

YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4jL-MISXV4

The link above takes you to Youtube.com where the documentary Quest for Solomon’s Mines is shown.

Popular Archaeology

http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/april-2011/article/archaeologists-return-to-king-solomon-s-mines-of-biblical-edom

The link above takes you to an informative article about an excavation done by archaeologists relating to King Solomon. 

The Shanghai Tunnels

Author: Ridge Phelps

Along the Willamette River in Portland Oregon, in the recesses of Chinatown lie the Shanghai Tunnels.  Built around 1850 and thriving till 1941 the Shanghai tunnels stands as a modern marvel to both the genius engineering and sinister plot that it would befall. Originally built for the fast travel of purchased goods from the docks the tunnels allowed for hotel and brothel owner to avoid not only customs, taxes but also traffic that crowed the streets of Portland at the time. Built by the Chinese gangs or tongs the tunnels also served as a gambling den and escape route via trap doors and alleyway exits. Years pass and the tunnels go unchecked due to “special police” who of course have been paid to keep their noses out of tong business.

Known as the north end underworld these tunnels would remain unchecked until the 1980’s. When police officers finally brought in sledge hammers and began cracking down walls in pursuit of illegal activity. In 1913 the city council created the secret passages ordinance.  Introduced by Mayor Albee and passed unanimously the ordinance made it illegal for anyone to own or maintain trap doors or other contrivances (Oregonian). 

During the 1850’s to 1920’s an illegal practice was also performed within the Shanghai Tunnels. Shanghaiing is nautical term which is defined as: to enroll or obtain (a sailor) for the crew of a ship by unscrupulous means, as by force or the use of liquor and drugs (Webster). The reason this was called shanghaiing and not Impressment (the same thing really) is due to the fact that these men were not being recruited for the Royal Navy of Great Brittan for the purpose of manning warships.  They were taken for the purpose of being free slaves on clipper ships. The men taken hostage or shanghaied were white men who were generally hobos or the low lives of Portland.  Seen for years by the public of Portland as a public service Crimps (men who worked in boarding houses, pubs, bars, brothels and other inns or hotels used drugs or whatever means necessary to get “bodies” on ships) or “boarding masters” as they liked to be called would often wait inside local inns and areas where sailors from foreign or native ships would come to “unwind”. Waiting for hours until the sailor was good and drunk off booze known as gutrot (the lowest grade of alcohol a man could purchase roughly about 2 pennies at the time: remember to account for inflated rates for sailors, as the boarding houses and inns knew sailors would pay the high prices just  for one drink.).  

Works Cited

“SECRET PASSAGES BARRED.”  Oregon News. Historic Oregonian Newspapers. N.D. Web. 14 Oct 2013

Dankers, Clarice. “Shanghaied in Portland.” Story mentor. Word Press. 2012. Web. 15 Oct 2013.

Blalock, Barney-Athanasius. “The Portland Waterfront History Blog.” Portland Waterfront. Blogger. 21 Feb 2013. Web. 6 Oct 2013.

Finn J.D John. “the Mysterious Portland Shanghaiing Scene:” Wicked-Portland. The History Press. 7 Aug 2012. Web. 7 Oct 2013.

“The History of Clipper Ships.” Think Quest. Oracle Think Quest. N.D. Web. 13 Oct 2013.

Blalock, Barney-Athanasius. “The Shanghai Dock in Black and White.” Portland Waterfront. Blogger. 15 mar 2013. Web. 18 Oct 2013

Links for further research

Portland Waterfront

http://portlandwaterfront.blogspot.com/2013/03/shanghai-dock-in-black-and-white.html

Goes more in depth about the secrets of the Shanghai Tunnels

Shanghai Tunnels

http://www.uniquely-portland-oregon.com/shanghai-tunnels.html

The dark secrets of Portland’s past

Haunted Portland

http://www.haunted-places-to-go.com/shanghai-tunnels.html

History of hauntings for the Shanghai Tunnels 

The Kidney Heist

Author: Rasheda A. Cobb

Original image by Lindsey Humes 

 Since 1991, there have been rumors of people who wake up with their kidney(s) stolen, as the name of this tale suggests.   As described by Jerry Mayfield in You’ve Got to be Kidneying Me, business travelers fall prey to organ- harvesting criminals.  Although there are reported variations of the nature of these incidents, the scenarios are normally as follows:  Jonathan, a pseudonym for this article’s sake, took a business trip to Las Vegas, ironically known as Sin City!   After a very exhausting, long day of work, Jonathan went to a lounge to relax.  Just as Jonathan was about to order a drink, an attractive brunette walked up to him and began to flirt.  She told Jonathan she noticed that he looked tired and offered to buy him a drink.  As anyone would, Jonathan took the offer.  He had no recollection of anything past his first sip of the “potion!”

            Jonathan woke up in a hotel with his body submerged in a tub filled with ice.  He then noticed a note on the wall that instructed him not to move and call 911.  Jonathan reached for the phone on a nearby table and dialed 911.  As he began to explain his emergency, he noticed that the operator seemed familiar with his case.  The operator told Jonathan to feel his lower back to see if there was a tube protruding from his back, and there was.  The operator told Jonathan that his kidney had been stolen!  She then told him not to move and she was sending paramedics to the hotel.  

            I can only imagine that the victims of the kidney heist wake up frightened to death, as an actor portrayed on an episode of Law and Order.  When the victim from the episode (Sonata for Solo Organ) was rushed to the hospital.  The doctor expressed that criminal had sewn the victim back up well.  Meticulousness is evident at that point.  As stated in You’ve Got to be Kidneying me,  “The story went with a well- financed, highly organized gang operating in various major U.S. cities was drugging business travelers and making off with the kidneys to sell on the organ transplant black market.”  This statement also supports the many claims that the criminals were sophisticated and meticulous.

According to Fred Hubert, Chairman of the National Kidney Society, the effects of the rumor, The  Kidney Heist  are detrimental in that it keeps people from becoming kidney donors.   According to Hubert in THE NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION DISPELS RUMORS ABOUT ILLEGALLY HARVESTED KIDNEYS, “…more than 68,000 Americans are awaiting life-saving organ transplants and 13 to 14 people on the waiting list die each day.”   So, obviously, this tale is not helping the betterment of the world.  Dispelling this rumor is key and attainable with research.   Research can go in so many other directions for this topic such as the origin of the tale, or even comparing the kidney (renal) transplant done by the thief and an actual surgeon.  For even more leads than this article provides visit:    

Other References for Research:

Urban Legend  

http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Urban_legend.html

This web source, from Princeton University, gives you information on how Urban Legends have played a role in shaping into what it is today. 

Debunking the Kidney Heist Hoax 

http://www.transplantliving.org/community/newsroom/1997/02/debunking-the-kidney-heist-hoax/

This web source provides information on the origin of the rumor.  The Washington post ran a story about The Kidney Heist in 1991.  A rejected movie script inspired the story written by The Washington Press. 

Kidney Heist -- And Other Urban Myths It`s Really The Truth, We Swear It: Another Urban Legend Is Born.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1991-04-08/features/9101170939_1_story-legend-kidney-heist

This web source provides insight from Jan Brunvand, a folklore professor at the University of Utah.  Brunvand feels the story is an American version of cases where kids in 3^rd world countries were kidnapped and killed for their organs.   

Works Cited:

 Humes, Lindsey. Magazine spread ideas for the Urban Legend "The Kidney Heist.”  Cartoon.  N.d.  Behance.net. Web.  19 Oct. 2013.       

“The National Kidney Foundation Dispels Rumors About Illegally Harvested Kidneys.”  Kidney.org. National Kidney Foundation. 2 Apr. 2000. Web. 9 Oct. 2013.

“Sonata for Solo Organ.” Law and Order. Dir. Fred Gerber. NBC.  2 Apr. 2001.  Television. 

“You’ve Got to Be Kidneying.” Snopes.com. N.p., 12 Mar, 2008. Web. 9 Oct. 2013.

The Ghost Town of Kolmanskop

Author: Kelsey Hattaway

Kolmanskop, Namibia, from National Geographic

Looking at this photograph, one may be curious as to where this interesting location is, and how it ended up this way. This is the deserted ghost town of Kolmanskop. Kolmanskop is a town located in Southern Namibia . It is accepted as one of the creepiest ghost towns in the world, and is said to be haunted.

             Kolmanskop was once a very prosperous diamond mine. In 1908, Zacharias Lewala discovered a “glimmering stone in the sand” (Kolmanskop). This glimmering stone was actually a diamond. The discovery of diamonds led to a “diamond boom,” and many German miners flocked to the area to seek their fortune (Martin). Many miners’ families moved there, which helped to greatly develop the town. Houses, hotels, businesses, hospitals, schools, and even theaters were built.

            However, when the value of diamonds slowly began to decrease, so did the miners. They left the area one by one, until the town was completely abandoned in 1954. The once booming, profitable town transitioned quickly into a creepy, barren ghost town. Being in the desert, buildings started to completely fill with sand. Every room now has sand pouring through the doorways, halfway filling the entire building. Soon the buildings may be buried entirely (McLachlan). The desert is forcefully overtaking the whole city (Martin).

            It is an eerie site, which is now a very popular tourist attraction. Southern Africa has received a significant escalation of tourists in these past few years, solely because of Kolmanskop. Perhaps one of the reasons this ghost town is one of the creepiest and most popular in the world, may be because of how recently it was abandoned- just a little under sixty years ago (McLaughlan). Although the buildings have been halfway filled with sand for the past sixty years, the desert environment has proven to well-preserve the area (McLaughlan). No rain or natural disasters can damage the buildings. One thing is for sure: Kolmanskop, Namibia is an intriguing location. Some people find the location to be more interesting than creepy. Justin Delaney is one of these, a publisher onto a travel website, who claims “The sight of a decaying German town in the shifting sands of the Namib desert is anachronistically delightful” (Delaney). This seems like an accurate way to describe the present state of Kolmanskop, Namibia. So if you would like to take a trip to one of the world’s creepiest but yet beautiful ghost towns, I suggest Kolmanskop!

Dunes reclaim a house in Kolmanskop

Works Cited:

“Kolmanskop.” The Basement Geographer. N.p. 07 Feb. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

“Kolmanskop Ghost Town Tour.” The Cardboard Box. Cardboard Box Travel Shop, n.d.     Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

AM. “Kolmanskop Slideshow.” Online video clip. Trip Advisor.com. Trip Advisor, n.d.        Web. 18 Oct. 2013.

Delaney, Justin. “The World’s Ten Creepiest Abandoned Cities.” Gadling.com. AOL, 27     Apr. 2011. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

Gray, Chris. Kolmanskop, Namibia. 2009. National Geographic, New York.             Nationalgeographic.com. Web. 18 Oct. 2013.

MagicOlf. Kolmanskop Ghost Town. 2003. Flickr.com. Web. 18 Oct. 2013.

Martin, Grant. “New Photos from Kolmanskop, Namibia’s Diamond Ghost Town.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 03 Sept. 2013. Web. 10. Oct. 2013.

McLachlan, Sean. “Kolmanskop: Namibia’s Eerie Ghost Town.” Gadling.com. AOL, 17       May 2012. Web. 10. Oct. 2013.

Links for Further Research:

http://www.yourghoststories.com/ghost-stories-countries.php?country=NA&page=1

The link above directs you to ghost stories published by writers that supposedly occurred in Kolmanskop, Namibia.

RoomsForAfrica. “Kolmanskop Ghost Town Near Luderitz.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 23 Aug. 2010. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jL4zUBK-dk

The link above is a YouTube video explaining the history of Kolmanskop, included with a slideshow of pictures.

The King is Alive. Dir. Kristian Levring. Perf. Miles Anderson, Romane Bohringer, David Bradley. Nordisk Film, 2000. Film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0208911/

The above link is a movie that was filmed entirely in the town of Kolmanskop, Namibia.

The Legend of Alice Flagg

Author: Disaiah Whack

Why do ghosts roam the Earth afterlife? I believe that a spirit cannot leave this Earth if it is holding on to someone or something. In Alice Flagg’s case she holds on to something a special someone gave her. Love is one of the strongest emotions that humans hold on to, and in this case so do ghosts.

            Alice Flagg grew up in a wealthy family consisting of a long line of doctors. Her family lived in The Hermitage on  Murrells, Inlet. The Hermitage still stands and is now a tourist attraction. Traditionally, it would only make sense for her to find love in a young man from a wealthy family. Unfortunately, Alice found true love in a local lumberman, which her family disapproved of. During this time (mid 1800s) it was unpopular for women of a wealthy family to marry someone outside of their social status. Alice, being in love, decided to continued her relationship with the lumberman. Over a period of time her lover gave her the gift of a ring tied on a ribbon, which she wore around her neck underneath her clothes so that her family could not see.  She kept her relationship with the lumberman a secret from her family for months. Using the ring as a reminder and symbol of her love. Once her mother discovered the hidden ring, Alice was shipped off to a boarding school in Charleston, South Carolina.  Her brother took the ring and through it into the marsh so she could not wear it anymore.

While away at the boarding school Alice became sick from a terrible fever. Once her brother found out about her illness, he rushed to Charleston to retrieve his sister from the boarding school and bring her home. Unfortunately, Alice died by the next day. Some say as Alice was on her death bed she reached and grabbed for the ring on a ribbon that had been snatched from her neck. The tale tellers say that Alice’s ghost, to this day, still roams the land where The Hermitage once stood in search of her ring on a ribbon.

Many people travel to see Alice Flagg’s grave, and some locals pay a monthly visit to her grave site. Sometimes, local schools take field trips to her grave in search for the ghost. They leave rings, flowers, and money. They say if you walk backwards around Alice Flagg’s grave 13 times her ghost will appear unto you. What would you do if you came in contact with the ghost of Alice Flagg? Could you relate to her story? Do you feel as though her sickness could have been prevented if her family would have let her make her own decisions about dating?

Further Research

AngelFire. http://www.angelfire.com/sc3/mytrip/alice.html

This website provide further research of the life of Alice Flagg not listed in the article.

The Digitel. http://www.thedigitel.com/business/charleston-area-ghosts-alice-flagg-1833-1849-38942-0415

This website provides further information on Charleston area ghosts.

Georgetown Paranormal. http://www.georgetownparanormal.com/alice-flagg.html

This website provides further research on ghost hunts.