We have so much to be thankful for in America. God has so richly blessed this nation we live in. The events of September 11th should serve to remind us of how precious our freedom is.

We should never take this freedom for granted and not neglect defending it at every opportunity. Many of our forefathers fought and died for the freedom we enjoy, yet today, all around us, we see good people sitting mute as special interest groups chip away at these freedoms little by little.

We must use our wonderful freedom of speech as a weapon to protect us from these attacks. Think about how powerful this freedom of speech is! It is really a tool used against us almost everyday. Small special interest groups make sure they are heard by our lawmakers. Even though they do not speak for the majority, they are the ones being heard. Why are they being heard over us? Sadly it's because we are silent!

Don't take your freedoms for granted! Speak out in any way you can to defend the great ideals which have made this nation great!

Our detecting hobby has grown in the last few years as many newcomers have found the enjoyment of metal detecting. While our numbers are the highest they have ever been, more and more states are closing their lands to the detectorist.

It is easy to assume that perhaps we are our own worst enemy. Certainly there are a few detectorists taking their metal detectors where they don't belong. Yes, some are not picking up the trash they dig or they are leaving behind uncovered holes. These are items of concern! Yes, we need to police each other.

I believe the greatest threat to our hobby comes from people who do not understand how our detectors work. I have actually talked to people who believe a detector can be waved over a gravesite detecting gold teeth and jewelry six feet deep!

I am convinced that many uninformed archeologists believe our hobby-type metal detectors will detect deep historic and prehistoric treasures . . . it's just not true!

Think about it. When we do find coins what are their dates? We occasionally detect items from the early 1800's, but that's usually because we are detecting behind heavy construction equipment. Who is a threat to the historical items in this picture? Is it you with your 10 inch digger or the 60 ton bulldozer?

When we do uncover a coin so old as to have been minted in the early 1800's in undisturbed ground, it was likely in circulation until the early 1900s before it was lost.

Later this month we are all invited to hunt a field where Keith McGrew has been finding some very old coins. One of his finds dates to the 1700's! Should Keith pick up his detector and give it a big kiss? No! If Keith owes anything a smacker, it's the farmer's plow which brought the old coin up within reach of his detector!

What does this have to do with Thanksgiving and our freedom? Everything! I believe that God has blessed America because its churches have been a launching pad for getting his precious message of salvation out to the whole world. God has always blessed our ACTION, not our indifference. We need to speak out against injustice. We need to protect with our voices and pen the freedoms we have enjoyed while the window of free speech is still open to us. If you cannot for some reason put your case into words, support those who can. And daily thank our veterans, and especially God, who have given us the prosperity and the freedom that we all enjoy!

After several of our club members searched the area, the Dopp treasure still remains unrecovered.

Several club members met at the former Ransom Dopp property near Cassopolis on a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon. We were invited by the land's current owner, Bill Westrate, to search the area.

The time we were to meet at the location was 2:30, but I was unable get there until 3:00. I was surprised to learn later that some hunters had already left before my arrival. They told me they were attacked! Just as the hunt started, a huge cloud of biting ladybugs swarmed over the treasure hunters! I guess the plague was quite bad! Some hunters were on the lookout for Moses and Aaron! The insects must have been just passing through because, by the time I arrived and until I headed home almost four hours later, I did not see insects of any kind . . . must have been my socks? Another possible theory is that the treasure has been cursed and is now guarded by mutant ladybugs!

At 2:30, Mr. Westrate briefed the hunters on the treasure story and told them what he had done so far regarding its possible recovery. His desire to find the treasure was peaked by a treasure hunter who asked permission to hunt the land with long-range locating equipment.

I have never believed these high tech dowsing rods had any value except to those selling them. And to the seller they are very valuable because they sell for unbelievable prices! Apparently, Mr. Westrate was skeptical of their value as well. However, keeping an open mind and without the dowser's knowledge, he baited the area with different metal items. And to his amazement, the operator was able to point out all of them! I have heard finding surface items are possible from many different and reliable people. I remain a skeptic because I have yet to see evidence of anyone locating a real lost treasure with them.

The operator, using his long range locator, narrowed his search for the hidden gold, to a spot which in my mind defied logic. This area was checked from several different compass points. Then he went through the process used for pinpointing with this equipment, which is called 'triangulating.' Each time the location was checked from different angles, the instrument indicated a strong target reading. Once the pinpointing was completed, the digging started. This was done by hand at first. From there, the digging became more and more aggressive. By the time the digging stopped, a power shovel and other heavy equipment was used.

When we reached the dig site, our first thought was, "This guy is serious!" The size of the hole is at least 30 feet deep and about 70 feet wide--- it may even be visible from the space shuttle! It's even more intriguing that, at the bottom of this huge hole, the diggers located, of all things . . . top-soil!

It is believed that the sand, through which the hole was dug, is blow sand. Mr. Westrate called in a soil expert to check the top soil found in the bottom of the hole. He felt the sand was blown in only since the early 1900s, after Ransom Dopp was already dead!

The problem that I have with these long range locators isn't that I don't believe they are wrong in theory. I do believe that someday the problems which make these instruments so unreliable will be solved. It may take some real doing to get the bugs out of these instruments, because there are many. These instruments are affected by certain atmospheric conditions, lunar and solar activity, mineralization consistency, the operator's body chemistry, whether the target is oxidized or ionized, and the fact that they are so sensitive that they could be misled from miles away! I would rather stick with known science, a metal detector!

What I brought to the scene was a Fisher Gemini III. This type of detector is known as a 'Two-Box detector' and it has a depth range of up to 20 feet deep! Just like with a regular detector, how deep a target can be detected depends on how large it is. This type of detector will not pick up the small items, like single coins and jewelry. In order for it to detect any type of metal, it really has to be about the size of a tennis ball or larger. If you had a metal object the size of a cigar box, it could be detected about 3 feet deep. However, if the metal object was the size of a refrigerator, it could be detected at 20 or more feet deep.

If I were to re-write the laws regarding detecting at historic sites, I would make it clear that standard hobby-type detectors would be allowed, but not the industrial two-box types. This is the type of detector that the archeologist should have fears about, but again it is not a hobby- type detector.

I checked the bottom and around the sides of the large hole with the Gemini III without a signal. But, frankly, the location wasn't right as I saw it. I reached that conclusion because the location was about one half mile as the crow flies from the Dopp home. Many experts who have made a study of recovered caches have found a pattern.

Remember playing the game "Hot and Cold?" At least that's what we called it. Someone picks an item in their sight, then the other player has to guess the item. If the guesser is way off, he is told that he is freezing! As his guess comes closer and closer, he is told that he is warmer and warmer and when he is right near the object he is HOT! I know, it is a child's game, but it applies well to cache hunting. The hottest hiding spots are within the home of the hider. Michigan cellars are common locations. The next hottest hiding site is within barns or other dirt floor buildings. Next in line would be outdoors locations near the house, but within site of the master bedroom window. A site like this would be chosen so that if the cache's owner heard the dog barking in the middle of the night, he could quickly look out at his site . . .shotgun in hand!

I read one book which suggested the best old-time burglar alarm was a chicken coop full of hens! The one big cache I was privileged to investigate, was unearthed by a bulldozer. It was indeed buried before 1906 in the dirt floor of a hen house! Next, but considerably cooler, would be behind out-buildings where the hider would not be seen by the neighbors.

Unfortunately, the only Ransom Dopp property that Mr. Westrate does not own is the Dopp mansion and the two acres around it. I told him that if I owned the land that bordered this house which he does, I would start at the property line and then work away from the house. But I believe if the treasure is there, it is probably closer to the home.

Well, again we had a great time. Also, there were a few rather interesting items found around the old stagecoach-stop foundation. I am sure you will see some at this meeting!

Please read this very carefully! Our president, Keith McGrew, has invited club members (members only) to hunt with him at a large farm site where he has the owner's permission. But, please note, this is not an open invitation to go there without Keith's presence! Also, this hunt has a start and finish time. Sound a bit harsh? It's not harsh at all. With the permission granted by the landowner to Keith, also comes responsibility. We need to respect that. This hunt will be held Sunday, November 25, at 2:30. That means 2:30 . . . not 1:00 or 1:30 . . it means 2:30 Sunday . . . not Saturday or Friday . . . get the picture?

What a guy! How many people are willing to share their hot spots with the club? And a hot spot it is! Keith has recovered a beautiful 1820 Bust Dime, 1772 Spanish Reale, three Large Cents, 1 Civil War Store Card, six early Indian Head Pennies, a 1917 Half Dollar, and one railroad baggage check token!

This location, which is used as a farmer's field, gets planted each year. This season's crop was corn, so there will be corn stalks to work around. This will be another great club activity filled with fun and fellowship. Don't forget that this is a primitive location with no restrooms, so be sure that you take care of that before you leave home.

No purchase necessary to win! Only one winner per household, must be over one week old to qualify! The only kicker--- you must be present to win!

That's correct, just show up at the meeting, make sure you latch onto a 100% free door prize ticket, and you could win one of two big, fat turkeys! It even gets better! Gene has already fattened them up, did the chopping block thing and removed feathers! That leaves only the stuffing, cooking and eating to you!

Remember, Thanksgiving follows our meeting by only two days! Were you thinking of doing the Spam thing again this season? If so, you, my friend, have another good reason to be at this meeting! May your luck exceed that of the turkeys!

Yes, folks, we do have a winner! Our friend Dan Mollohan carried off a beautiful uncirculated 2 ½ dollar gold coin from the early 1900s! Congratulations, Dan! Keith pointed out that Dan really tries hard to win the silver dollar raffles each month! Even though he has been supporting the club's checkbook with his raffle ticket purchases, he hasn't won much lately. So it sounds to me like the gold coin win was much deserved!

For a while, the tickets for this last gold coin drawing were selling frightfully slow. We had even discussed not continuing with the gold coin raffle. Then, in the last two weeks before the drawing, ticket sales were brisk! After all of the accounting work was finished, it looked pretty good for the club coffers! So good, in fact, we have decided to go at it again! Only this time we are fattening up the prize from a 2 ½ dollar U.S. gold coin to a real honest-to-goodness, old fashioned 5 dollar U.S. gold coin! These are not modern, no character, gold bullion coins either! What we have at stake here are old U.S. coins . . .the real McCoy! Tickets are only a buck each and, may I suggest buying a few at each meeting to get a good mixture of numbers!

At this meeting, Gene tells me that he will have these sweet 5 dollar gold pieces on display! Another great reason to be there !

COIN FINDS!

1. 1916 U.S. Barber Dime                                                                By:Daniel Goraj

2. 1877 Seated Liberty 25¢                                                       By: Minnie Cathcart

3. 2-"V" & 1 Shield 5¢(1-dig)                                                         By: Patrick Goraj

4. 1887 "V" U.S. 5 ¢                                                                       By: Mike Walker

5. 1916 Wheat Cent                                                                  By: Don Benedict, Sr

6. 1925 Wheat Cent                                                                   By: Stephen Jellison

7. Indian Head Cent Cache                                                       By: Brian Crittendon

8. 1935 Wheat Cent                                                                     By: Greg Stonerock

This number of coin entries is far less than we usually see in October. However, Brian Crittendon's cache of Indian Head pennies sure made up for it! The cache consisted of 40 Indian Cents ranging from the 1860's to the 1900's. Brian really worked for these however . . . a lazy hunter he is not! My friend, Don Benedict, Jr made a visit to the old stone wall foundation and was very surprised! "You cannot believe the amount of metal trash Brian removed from this cellar and had neatly piled up! When you see the area in the wall where the jar of coins was hidden, it's inspiring!"

Even though Brian enjoys coin shooting like the rest of us, he is even more interested in an aspect of treasure hunting which I have often said is ignored, cache hunting! They are out there, but it takes work! Great Job, Brian!

1. Antique Locket                                                                     By: Daniel Goraj

2. 1860's Copper Cuff Link                                                      By: Mike Walker

3. Antique Gent's Ring                                                       By: Don Benedict, Jr.

4. Early 14-K Plated Ring                                                      By: Greg Stonerock

The beautiful antique picture locket found by that high ranking professional treasure hunter, Daniel Goraj, was our winner! Daniel and dad have an ongoing contest to see who can find the great treasure and dad has to really work at keeping up! Keep up the great hunting, guys!

1.Palmolive Soap Token                                                           By: Daniel Goraj

2. Victorian Era Watch Fob                                                      By: Mike Walker

3. Alabama Tax Token                                                        By: Don Benedict,Jr

4. PatrioticToken"Old Glory"                                                   By: John Dudley

5. 1920's Slot Machine Token                                                 By: Patrick Goraj

All of these items were so neat, I couldn't recall who won! But a look at the score sheet and the answer is clear! It was the beautiful Victorian Era watch fob entered by Mike Walker that was voted "people's choice!" Great find, Mike!

1. What is it?                                                                   By: Stephen Jellison

2. Cock Fight Spur                                                         By: Brian Crittendon

3. Wallet with $72.82                                                        By: Linda Randolph

4. Police Button                                                              By: Don Benedict, Jr.

5. Another What's it?                                                      By: Don Benedict, Sr.

6. 1880 Army Button                                                          By: Greg Stonerock

7. Old Glory Padlock                                                         By: Joshua Stonerock

A quick look at the score sheet tells me the winner was Linda Randolph's water-logged man's wallet. The wallet as I recall contained no ID. And the bills were almost completely destroyed. However, Linda plans on sending in the currency for replacement. Finding something like this when water hunting gives me the creeps! Our lakes and rivers have been favorite hiding spots for criminals. I just hope the wallet's owner is safe and dry! Your find is truly, Most Unusual, Linda!

1. Gold Award Watch                                                             By: Brian Crittendon

2. 40's Gene Autry Cap Gun                                                         By: Dick Rogers

3. 50 German Berlin Marks                                                  By: Joshua Stonerock

Each of these items comes with a story. The gold-award watch was given to Brian Crittendon as a keepsake from his mother. It was an award to Brian's father for continuing to work at his job in Detroit during the terrible race riots of the 60's.

 The war time paper currency from Germany was a gift to young Joshua Stonerock from one of our senior members, Gordan Sampsell. I don't know about you, but it touches my heart to see the family-like friendships in this great club!

It was Dick Roger's who was the prize winner, however. The Gene Autry six shooter cap pistol complete with original holster is in very good condition and clearly a highly collectable item! I forgot how Dick came by this great item . . . perhaps it was passed down from his uncle Roy or aunt Dale? Thanks for entering it, Dick!