Book Review: Where The Trail Turns South by Wendell Scott

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Book Review: Where The Trail Turns South by Wendell Scott

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Just got done with Wendell Scott's latest work (took about 40 minutes, but I did read it twice..lol)WHERE THE TRAIL TURNS SOUTH: Found Clue To the Lost Dutchman Mine and I figured I would give my 2 cents worth here. <br> <br>When we last left Mr Scott and his friend, Arizona Bob, they seemed to be up in the Carefree area, having located various clues and landmarks relating to the LDM in that vicinity. We were also treated to the solving of the Ruth Perfil Mapa (east of Weavers Needle, but wouldnt you know it, the terrain changed some cause the top of a mountain was destroyed by an earthquake), the Stone Tablets and the locating of Deerings Hole overlooking East Boulder canyon. Ambitious yes, but a sort of disjointed geographical reasoning seemed to pervade the first book. <br> <br>His latest venture, WHEN THE TRAIL TURNS SOUTH has Mr Scott and Arizona Bob <br>finding new clues and landmarks in the vicinity of Charlebois Spring and the Peters Trail up Peters Mesa. There is also an analysis of the "deathbed" clues related in the Holmes Manuscript and some of the Gassler Notes thrown in for good measure. I (and I am sure a good portion of you folks) have always been interested in those particular clues so I was interested in what Mr Scott had to say. <br> <br>Without giving it away, Mr Scott and Arizona Bob beleive they have found "the rock that looks like a man" clue related in the Holmes Manuscript. <br>There is purportedly a photo of this rock on the front cover of the book, but I'll be hanged if I can spot it (there are some nice rocks and bushes in the picture, if your interested in that sort of thing). <br> <br>There are some nice photos of the Charlebois area (black and white) and others showing Peters Trail, an interesting picture of a hat shaped rock, some holes in the ground and some supposed markers dating back to pioneer times. <br> <br>Are Scotts conclusions valid? I can not say. But I wasnt expecting to find the location of any treasure in his book (or any other). The old question begs an answer...if you had the location to a rich mine or photos to its location would you show it to the public in a book? <br> <br>That said, its another book for my collection. I just wish Mr Scott would make up his mind as to the location of the LDM. Carefree? Charlebois? East of Weavers Needle? <br> <br>I'd recommend it for the LDM collectors out there whether or not his conclusions <br>are valid. <br> <br>P
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Please see Peter's previous review of this new book. I too have just finished reading it and also have some comments. <br> <br>First, I want to preface what I have to say. Thomas Glover in his first book states there are people who are such LDM fanatics that they have standing orders with books store to have new books immediately shipped to them when they are available. I have to say I fall into that category. I am one of those referenced "fanatics." So, that should temper anything I might say. And, secondly, I perface any comments I might say about Mr. Scott's new book by saying my comments are only my humble opinion and I acknowledge the inevitable that others think: if I think I am so smart, then where is MY book. Sadly, I have no book. So, Mr. Scott is one up on most of us - he has a book (actually two now). And most of us do not. So, that says something. <br> <br>Like Peter, I think any student of Superstition / LDM lore should buy his book. It is brief and to the point - and is entertaining reading. However, like Peter, I personally disagree with some of his conclusions. Others might not. <br> <br>The "rock that looks like a man" on the cover of the book is hard find in the picture. And that is the basis of his manuscript: he found the "rock that looks like a man" mentioned by Waltz on his deathbed to Dick Holmes. Scott has bits in his book from the Holmes manuscript and from Gassler's manuscript. As stated on this forum and elsewhere, Gassler thought he found the mentioned rock. And, Scott thinks he found that same rock. <br> <br>As far as his ascertations of the clues thereafter is - to me - perhaps wishful thinking. I have said it here before, and I will say it again, you can find something that looks like anything in the Superstitions. Give me 15 minutes in any canyon in the Superstitions and I can also find a "rock that looks like a man." Or one that looks like a horse. Or one that looks like a coyote. The terrain is that diverse. Many people have read a lot into rock formations and "groups of rocks" that appear to be man-made and are interpreted as treasure signs or markers. Often they are of natural origin or are - at best - made by Sierra Club hikers. <br> <br>So, perhaps, I am the hardened skeptic. But, I found Mr. Scott's book entertaining reading. But, like other interpretations of clues or maps out there leading to "promising locations" I cannot take a lot of them too seriously. There is a lot of stuff to find out in the mountains. Unfortunately most of it has nothing at all to do with treasure or the LDM. <br> <br>Maybe Mr. Scott is correct and maybe he is not. Regardless, all we can do now is entertainingly speculate about things and have a good time doing so.
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I just finished Wendell Scott's book, and I liked it. There are no earth-shaking revelations, but so what. <br> <br>Here are some of the good points: <br>- He had an idea, went in and checked it out, and is sharing it in a book. <br>- He's not a wimp. He and Arizona Bob camped at Pistol Canyon, and I guarantee that if you can lug a backpack up there with enough stuff to camp a couple of days, you're pretty tough. <br>- He has an interesting speculation on page 15 about the cowboy who found Brownie's rock shaped like a man and toppled it over so Brownie wouldn't find it. I never thought of the statue of the German Soldier in Monument Canyon in relation to that story. Good thinking, Wendell! <br>- He tries to be friendly and conversational, which I like. <br>- Cool picture of him on the back. <br> <br>Whether I agree with his conclusions or not is immaterial. I think it was a good effort and he should keep it up. This is better than his first book, which I liked for much the same reasons. <br> <br>Re. the picture on the cover: There is a pointy boulder just left of center. Just to the right of it, there is what looks like a face with a long nose, looking up and to your right. Maybe that's what he meant. If not, I can't find it either.
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cont. Oops, I meant just to the left of the pointy boulder.
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I agree with Hiker. Why do so many Dutch hunters want to hinge their search on the shape of a rock, a clump of bushes, or an area that has been hunted for over a century to no avail? The weather has done more damage to the rocks than the earthquake ever did. Why continue to make excuses for a questionable theory? Do we believe that the early miners were so nieve that after finding significant sources of minerals that they would locate them via non-durable landmarks? When we analyze the Profil Map as if it is “real”, why do we assume a peak’s shape will still be the same shape after 100+ years? Do we forget that the wind, rain, and normal weathering of the terrain in the Superstitions will change the appearance? Perhaps the Spanish maps are exemplifying the topology and terrain profiles of the durable landmarks. Maybe that is why they created various stone maps as their permanent records and used parchment or animal skins for the maps they kept with them. <br> <br>Sometimes we seem to almost blindly follow the trails others have traveled (in vain) instead of “boldly going where no Dutch hunter man has traveled before”. I would think after 100+ years of searching the same basic areas we would begin to think maybe it is the wrong area. Maybe Scott was wrong about Carefree and even about Charlebois but he is at least exploring and writing what he thinks. Those of us who do write about the Superstitions should not be so afraid to open up and say what we truly think or know. <br> <br>azmula
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