This isn’t really a comment on Cecil’s column, although it is inspired by it.
I remember the ad that announced the case hidden in DC from when it was first published. Amazingly, it can be found at Google Books. The puzzle portion said:
I have vague memories of reading an article describing how this one was solved. I especially remember the “three banks” clue turned out to be two actual financial institutions and a restaurant called Rive Gauche, French for “left bank.”). (Why I’m spoiler-boxing this thing after 35 years, who knows?)
Anyway – does anyone remember any more detail or perhaps have a link to the in-depth story?
After spending quite some time on Google Earth, if Rive Gauche is indeed one of the banks, then the most likely spot seems to be the park on the northeastern side of the Key Bridge. There are also bridges over the C&O canal, but 100 paces “back” from those bridges would put you right over a sidewalk. I suppose the hidden case could have been in one of those sidewalk service elevators, like right outside what is now Filomena’s restaurant.
(Caveat: Riggs Bank is also located at Wisconsin and M, but I can’t figure out what the third bank would be. I’m assuming Riggs Bank would be the “highest.”)
Having grown up in Arlington, Va., and knowing a bit about Georgetown, assuming that the clues are correct, and that Rive Gauche was correct, then, when you reached Rive Gauche, and then headed in the direction of the nearest bridge(Key), the clue says "When you’ve reached it, walk back 100 paces and you’ll be right over the hidden treasure: a whole case of Canadian Club. "
This is one poor clue. “When you’ve reached it” means what?. When you’ve actually set foot on Key Bridge? I doubt it. Probably it meant the sidewalk on M street, and then go back 100 paces, 300ft?, and you might, just might have been at one of the best discount liquor stores which a poor college kid living in Arlington might go to to buy a case of cheep booze. I think the case was in a discount liquor store on M Street in Georgetown. Not buried at all. A quick newspaper database search from the period turns up nothing.
Maybe the “nearest bridge” wasn’t Key Bridge. Maybe it was one of those little bridges that go over the canal as you head dwon from M Street towards the harbor.
Not exactly on topic, but if I were to embark on a wild-goose chase like that today for the same prize, I know what my earworm for the occasion would be: “Sober” by Muse:
“Royal Canadian blended,
the spicy aroma had mended me.
Matured for years and imported,
into my glass you poured it.
And you’re the only reason that I remain unfrozen.
Suppose it stands to reason
that you would turn on me…”
I was wondering why they’d take the risk that an underage kid would find it. I know times were different then, but still, that seems a bit much. If you have to speak with a liquor store owner/clerk to getit, that would make sense.
It was solved by two 20-somethings from Oakton. They went to the Rive Gauche, then headed to the C&O bridge over the canal, and backtracked 100 paces. At that point, they stood over the steel cellar doors to Nathan’s, a bar in Georgetown. They entered and said to the general manager(who was the only person who knew about the secret) “CC, please.”
The night manager, who had no knowledge of what was going on, said that perhaps a dozen people had come in before this but didn’t know who/what to ask for.
Hey Bricker, how did you find that old ad? I’d be thrilled if anyone could post a link to the one from Chicago. (Maybe we could start a thread in the Game Room.) All I remember about it was that it included “rocks from around the world”, or words to that effect, which was a reference to the collection of historic stones in the Tribune Tower.
The first clue bothers me. “Start at a place that was named for America’s most important city.” Aren’t most of the places named Washington named for the president and not the city? (Although it just occurred to me that the clue could refer to Washington National Airport.) As for the “bark,” isn’t that some type of boat?
One sunny day, my wife (girlfriend at the time) and I decided to search for the case of CC in DC. We guessed that it would be in Georgetown, not somewhere in Anacostia. Starting with that assumption, the initial clues immediately made sense. We wandered around Georgetown probing here and there. I remember going in the liquor store across from Key Bridge (Dixie Liquors?) and saying “CC please” to the clerk - who looked at me like I had two heads.
Walking up M Street towards Wisconsin, the “three banks” and “when the time is right” immediately became apparent. The remaining clues then fell into place, and we landed in front of a restaurant on Wisconsin just below M. We knew this was it. But the restaurant (someone here ID’d it as Nathans) had not yet opened for the day. We went to every other business on that block and I said “CC, please”, but to no avail.
We knew we had found it, and planned to go back later in the afternoon - when the restaurant opened - to claim our case of CC. But we got distracted, and didn’t do it.
Later, when someone found the CCt and they announced the location, we gave ourselves a number of (straight-) dope slaps for not going back later that day.
I guess “when the time is right” had a double meaning.