# Echos of Y2K in a hole in my barn **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 31, 2015, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625 "2015-07-31T01:31:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/1 "2015-07-31T01:31:33Z")
Some of you may recall the first part of this tale, told a few times here in passing over the years. But now the tale has a 2nd, more bizarre part. Back about 1998 or so, the Mrs. and I rented out the old farmhouse (built circa 1850) on our property to a couple in their late 40’s. Let’s call them Mr. and Mrs. Frerint. They were religiously very conservative, suspicious of government, and active in the anti-abortion movement to the extreme. Yet they brought many good qualities as renters. They paid in cash, he was a handyman who could fix anything, and when we told them we were pro-choice they shut up about their ideas, and we got along quite well for the next few years. He did excellent work keeping up and even improving the rental property, and doing services and repairs elsewhere for me, speedily and economically. He was a good man with some odd (and to me unpalatable) ideas. But as Y2K approached, Mr. Frerint expressed his belief that world society would collapse, based both on man’s overweening pride, sins against god, and technological stupidity. He wasn’t overbearing in his viewpoint about this, but he let me know he was preparing. And that I should come to him after the apocalypse for help. I didn’t inquire as to the extent of his preparations, but I knew he’d gotten a generator and laid in some supplies. And had made _plans_. Lots of them. Well, Y2K came and went with nary a twitch, and Mr. Frerint was in public apparently only somewhat chagrined, and seemed to pick up and carry on with his life. Sadly, two years later he was killed in a traffic accident, and eventually his widow decided to move out. In helping her move, we found HUUUUUUGE supplies of food stores in the basement, including 55 gallon drums of dried beans, shelves and shelves of canned foods and preserves, etc. etc. But we got her loaded up and out, and the rest of the place was immaculate. She and her family disposed of their basement food stores, but where I do not know. Other renters moved in and out over the subsequent years, no troubles. Fast forward to a few weeks ago. My new renter has moved a lot of his equipment into the farmhouse, and my barn. he notices a damp spot in one corner of the barn, and digs deep enough to find a shaft filled with a couple of buckets, with water at the bottom. We think we’ve found an old, previously unknown (to me at least) well. We rent a digger, and while I’m away at work today, the renter and his fiancee and Mrs. Mercotan dig it out. They find: 58 three gallon plastic buckets set on wood pallets, in a deep hole, with a rubber mat floor, and covered over with rubber. It’s a huuuge hole, filled with water in which some of the buckets are floating. They are laboriously and muddily hauled out one by one, and found to have writing on them, labelling their contents: White rice, brown rice, hard white berries; hard red beans, dehydrated eggs, sugar, brown sugar, spelt, dehydrated milk, wheat, oats, salt, vanilla, pectin, baby lima beans, and 5 single gallon jugs of either molasses or maple syrup. Also one huge bucket of chocolate chips. (I tried one, it as mediocre.) In addition, there were a LOT of old coffee cans, which had rusted out and spilled their contents. Also a few illegibly marked buckets to be examined later. Now I’ve got a huge mudhole in the corner of my barn (slowly drying out, thankfully) and a sh\*\*load of buckets of mixed foodstuffs to dispose of. And the suspicion that perhaps I should search thru the content of the buckets to see if he’s squirreled away gold bullion or other valuables in all this crap. We did contact his widow, and she denies recalling anything about a secret cache in the barn. She told us to keep whatever we found and not worry about it. Well, Saturday is Dump Day (excuse me, Town recycling center day) and I have an ambitious renter who will haul all the stuff away for me, and fill in the hole with gravel once it’s dried out. Still, it’s a PITA to deal with. But even with that I had to laugh. That is so just like my old tenant. And I do wonder what else Mr. Frerint cached away on my property that’s still awaiting discovery. And if anyone wants some nearly 16 year old chocolate chips (3 gallons worth), speak up quick! ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/2 "2015-07-31T01:40:31Z")
They didn’t leave you any Vegemite?😃 This is one of the stangest stories I’ve heard in quite a while. There’s something missing though. It seems there was a LOT of food. What about health supplies, things like medicines, vitamins, medical tools, first aid and home health care books, that sort of thing? What about weapons? What about tools? Where are _they_ lurking?😉 ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/3 "2015-07-31T02:22:56Z")
Makes sense to me - they put up enough stores of the most critical supplies to last through the critical period. When all the “fear-mongering” worked - companies spent millions upgrading their code - they quietly moved on. And yes, I would check all the containers for bullion. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/4 "2015-07-31T05:26:40Z")
Mr. and Mrs. Frerint may even be the same people (or descendants) of the people who buried… something… on Oak Island, Nova Scotia. **Cecil** has the story [here](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/614/whats-the-scoop-on-the-mysterious-buried-treasure-at-oak-island). ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/5 "2015-07-31T05:48:41Z")
I bet you he has buried gold somewhere there. Go over the place with a metal detector. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/6 "2015-07-31T07:17:54Z")
This started out like a **Skald The Rhymer** story. You seem bemused, but I would be thrilled. Buried treasure! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/7 "2015-07-31T12:09:54Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > What about weapons? What about tools? Where are _they_ lurking?😉 I can’t see a self-respecting survivalist failing to bury one or more weapons in preparation for the Apocalypse. I read an article in a survivalist magazine\* awhile back that was all about how and where to bury guns that would survive a search by government agents and be recoverable in good shape. A key point was remembering where you buried them (apparently, even skilled gun squirrelers can have trouble locating their buried weaponry). \*a fun read, including the ads. Also some good tips on growing food crops and recipes. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/8 "2015-07-31T13:04:18Z")
Pass on the chocolate chips but thank you for the great read, QtM. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/9 "2015-07-31T13:16:00Z")
Great story Qadgop. Hope you can fit a backhoe through the barn door. I kind of feel sorry for that old guy, all dressed up an no where to go. Also, do one of those mnemonic for your user name threads. Yours is readily recognizable but I could never get it right without looking. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/10 "2015-07-31T13:30:51Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > This started out like a **Skald The Rhymer** story. > > You seem bemused, but I would be thrilled. Buried treasure! Old icky grain foods that are now nothing but mush …with the possibility of prizes at the bottom of the [del]box/del] bucket…? Hmmm… where have I heard of this before… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/11 "2015-07-31T15:08:26Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Makes sense to me - they put up enough stores of the most critical supplies to last through the critical period. When all the “fear-mongering” worked - companies spent millions upgrading their code - they quietly moved on. > > And yes, I would check all the containers for bullion. Odds are good it would just be [this kind.](http://startcooking.com/whats-a-bouillon-cube) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/12 "2015-07-31T15:09:25Z")
Oh, I think I know where he kept the weaponry. There was an ingenious hidey-hole built into the framework of the farmhouse, which I noted he made improvements on during his tenancy. I’m sure it was full of weaponry and valuables at that point. In addition to the initially listed supplies we found pinto beans, calico beans, potato flakes, popcorn, egg noodles, green peas, lentils, and a few buckets damaged and icky from the extraction process leaking misc grains and goo. Also baking powder. The barn was indeed big enough to allow a small backhoe in, and they can be tough on plastic containers. I was disappointed to see his oats were of the quick, rolled variety rather than whole oat groats. A metal detector? There’s over 165 years of farm debris scattered over the whole area, including former buildings, junked cars, junked buggies and horse drawn sleighs. The metal detector would never stop going off! ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/13 "2015-07-31T16:07:59Z")
Have any grandkids coming down to visit soon? It’d keep 'em busy for days. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/14 "2015-07-31T17:06:50Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > Have any grandkids coming down to visit soon? It’d keep 'em busy for days. And if they’re naughty, the hole gives you someplace to put 'em until they behave. 😃 (Assuming that doesn’t take too long, because pretty evidently you have a water infiltration issue there.) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/15 "2022-11-06T17:30:14Z")
So, in the ensuing 7 years, have you or any tenants found anything else, assuming you still own the property? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/16 "2022-11-06T17:41:56Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > assuming you still own the property? This is Stately Mercotan Manor we’re talking about, here. I’m pretty sure that in a thousand years from now, Qadgop’s descendants will still be living there. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/17 "2022-11-06T17:52:03Z")
I was hoping this thread was bumped because [Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan] found out that his tenants had unearthed some Lovecraftian horror that emerged from the pit in the barn, and it consumed them entirely. Or maybe a barrel of vegemite. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/18 "2022-11-06T18:17:36Z")
What would happen if gold was found in a container, legally who owns it the property owner or the original renters? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/19 "2022-11-06T18:18:58Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > What would happen if gold was found in a container, legally who owns it the property owner or the original renters? > [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > We did contact his widow, and she denies recalling anything about a secret cache in the barn. She told us to keep whatever we found and not worry about it. In this case already answered. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2022, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625/20 "2022-11-06T18:36:32Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > What would happen if gold was found in a container, legally who owns it the property owner or the original renters? In general, if the treasure was originally hidden with the intention of being recovered it belongs to the person who placed it or their heirs. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/echos-of-y2k-in-a-hole-in-my-barn/726625.md?page=2)