Whistle Pig Solve.

[treasureoftruth]

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www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=195164

[theo]

Okay, you've definitely got my attention, but can you elaborate?

What I'm seeing here is a map with a triangle. Where does the triangle come from? Are you saying that our final destination is somewhere inside the triangle? Have you found the 'unique and unmistakable key'?

[catherwood]

in a town near Punxsutawney, that's nice. I'm not certain about how much of the area was there back when this hunt was first published, but I assume the coal mine is older.

Other than being a very on-the-nose search result, we would want to explain how all of the clues in the book match up before getting too excited.

[theo]

I'm intrigued by how the "Bare the cross" clue might relate to the scripture rocks.

Given what we know about Douglas Stahlman, the man who carved the rocks, it seems totally plausible that he made a spelling error and carved "bare" when he meant to carve "bear." (He seems to have led a very troubled life, with an obsession about religion, so one can imagine that he might compare his own sufferings to those of Jesus.) If there's a rock in the park that includes the words "bare the cross" or "cross to bare," it would seem to be almost an indisputable confirmation.

I'm sure some historian has a database preserving the text of all the rocks, but I haven't seen anything like that online.

[treasureoftruth]

1. Circle of Brookville within the larger circle.
2. Scripture Rocks Christian/Biblical related monument. "Bare The Cross".
3. Page 24, "sexton", (not the correct word "sextant"),
a person who looks after a church and churchyard, sometimes acting as bell-ringer and formerly as a gravedigger.
4. "Bare The Cross, Leave The Center, Find The Fruit".
5. Number 20 Rock is the "Altar Rock", no inscriptions. Number 12 rock inscription contains the words "the fruit".
6. "Bare the cross" to the center of the Altar Rock.
7. From the center of the Altar Rock to "the fruit" rock is 200 feet.
8. Pythagorean Theorum. Clue is on page 22 or x.
9. Page 11 missing. Page 22 is an x or "times" sign.
10. 11 x 22 is 242.
11. a=200x200=40,000;b=242x242=58,564; 40,000+58,564=98,564; square root of 98,564 is 313, the hypotenuse or c=313x313.
12. Apply theorum solution to Scripture Rocks site.
13. Eastern point is next to the head of The Whistle Pig coal mine. There is a rock at the eastern point, the exact spot that I believe the key was placed.
14. The numbers 0,1,2,3,4, are scattered in the book as clues and after the fact confirmers.
15. The "Diane ten years" clue I believe is because of highway 28 next to the site. 2+8 is 10, and page 28 has the phrase "hot pursuit".
16. Whistle pig on book cover is coal black and looking westward. The Scripture Rocks site is west of the coal mine.
17. The dates written in autograph copies of The Whistle Pig with the numbers in the theorum, 0,1,2,3,4, will have no dividing lines in the dates written, example: my book is 12 23 21, I've seen one posted written 1 3 23. Seen others posted written with dividing lines 12/24/19; 6/10/19, and 6/2/20.
18. As far as finding a key, I'll refer that question and answer to Mr. Miller.

[theo]

Very interesting! I think you're at least on the right track and in the right area.

What's your explanation of the "bare" part of "bare the cross"? If it's just a general reference to Christianity, why wouldn't it say "bear"?

[treasureoftruth]

I believe the key was placed at the eastern point of the triangle, at a rock next to the head of the coal mine. The coordinates are: 41.159394,-79.051819
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The only explanation for "bare" that I can think of might be that instead of the person solving the Whistle Pig treasure hunt actually "bearing" a cross, you would be "baring" your soul at the Altar Rock. Bare The Cross, bare your soul. The spiritual journey solving the puzzle. That's what happened for me.

Alternatively, "Bare The Cross" could mean to discover the Altar Rock. "Bare The Cross", "Bare The Altar" The Cross is a symbol of sacrifice, an altar is as well.

[treasureoftruth]

Last but not least, a most curious finding in the book is on page 10, the last reference to Townsand Banks. He is referenced using only the letter T and it's the only time using one letter concerning him. On the next page, page 12, is the only place referencing money, ($5.50). Also of course, page 11 is missing here as well. The numbers 2,5,and, 6 can be found on page 12. Interesting enough, S&T Bank is located in Brookville @ 256 Main Street. Of course this leads me to believe that the key that was placed may have been a safe deposit box key.

[theo]

Interesting!

Let me say right off the bat that I've never seen a copy of the book. My only knowledge of the whole puzzle is from the little bits that people post here, and this is the first time I've seen pages 10 and 12.

I don't know about the connection to the bank, but my first impression of these two pages is that there are a lot of numbers that seem deliberately placed between references to turns. It reads like a guide to making it through a maze (or a minefield). The storyline is obviously contrived to include certain words in a particular sequence. The question is which words are the important ones.


Here's a minimal list for each page:

Page 10: left "pass first" 2 21 22 1 3 3

Page 12: turn right 6 turn 3 1 2 "turning ever so slightly" half angle right 20 550

Edit: It does look like a pattern of repeating digits.  221 221 33 631 220 550

(Sherlock Holmes lived at 221B Baker street, for whatever that's worth.)

Here's a more detailed collection that includes more directional words:

Page 10 (more detail): left line "pass first" 2 21 22 top 1 landing between top out 3 angle next 3 behind

Page 12 (more detail): pace more landing turn second right 6 right turn 3 circular circular 1 top 2 turning slightly half angle right 20 550


Is the whole story written this way? Could this be a walking guide through Brookville?

[theo]

My only other knowledge of "Black Heart Cherry" comes from the first three pages that are posted on the Whistle Pig Twitter account: twitter.com/The_Whistle_Pig

Those pages are clearly playing a different game, trying to fit in capital letters for some sequence ("Department of Game and Resources" "New York ... Nantucket ... West" "June ... Amanita"). The only number I see is "One" (which might actually be there for the capital "O"). So, somewhere between page three and page ten, the game changes to one involving numbers.

[treasureoftruth]

My Whistle Pig treasure hunt is probably over. I believe I solved it, found the location where the key was placed, but the problem is the park was developed after the key was placed. If it wasn't discovered by some random person exploring the location before it was developed, it was most certainly discovered when the park was being developed. I contacted the folks who developed the park, explained about the treasure hunt, and I asked if a key had been discovered near The Whistle Pig coal mine or anywhere in the park. The person I talked to took my info and said they would look into it and contact me. Haven't heard from them. Honestly, I don't expect to.

Mr. Duck Miller, what say you about this solve ? "Keep Searching" ?

[theo]

Do you have reason to think that Duck Miller checks the mysteriouswritings forum? (I wonder if we would even have a way to know about it if the author died?)

Totally unrelated, but... wow... this puzzle would have been SO much harder back in 2003! I can see why the author provided that circle on the map. Even knowing the tiny area by Brookville, it still would have been incredibly difficult to find the right rocks. The Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology only started looking for the carvings in 2009, and Scripture Rocks Heritage Park was dedicated in 2016. How would anyone have even known about Whistle Pig Coal Mine before that point? Was there a historical marker somewhere?

[treasureoftruth]

Unfortunately, I believe the treasure hunt has been compromised by the development of the park and finding a key there is no longer part of the treasure hunt. It's not the park's fault, or Mr. Miller's fault. However, I believe if this is the case, then Mr. Miller should step forward and address it.

[treasureoftruth]

Yes it would have been quite the challenge to figure this out before the development of the park. Of course Mr. Miller would have known this at the time. I believe he created it hoping and believing that it would be that level of a challenge and perhaps would take decades for someone to come along and solve it.

[treasureoftruth]

The Altar Rock, "The Fruit" rock, (rock no. 12), The Whistle Pig coal mine, and the rock at the eastern point of the Pythagorean Theorum triangle, next to the Whistle Pig coal mine.

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