Find BadBird's Treasure

Since the second clue was on a Deposit slip from the Hotel Indian River and Bell wrote that he worked there, a party searched to the North from the location of the Hotel, now the Indian River Condominiums in Rockledge.

No "Monkey" ornament or lawn statue from the period was found so the party returned to the Hotel location to brainstorm a different approach.

As they discussed the clue, a society member* noticed a growth on a very old tree that looked like a monkey or gorilla face. Another member suggested that it was Homer Simpson. The group decided to again move North in search of "another bell" from 1911.

We considered churches, schools, and decorative bells to no avail.

In front of the former bank building at Delannoy Ave. and Harrison Street, a Society member pointed out the street manhole cover that was labeled "Bell Systems". The cover is recent but led us to seek the location of the Telephone exchange in 1911. A group visited the Historical Society on Brevard Ave and determined (to our surprise) that the original frame building at 318 Delannoy had been the Bell Telephone exchange and Western Union telegraph building. The original building was razed and replaced around 1918 so this led to yet another dead end.

At the BadBird’s Treasure Hunting Society meeting on Friday the 15th, a member pointed out that most Circa 1911 businesses would have a "ring bell for service" bell.

Another member studying a painting of the Fish market that replaced the telephone/Western Union building noted that the Fish market had a small bell outside mounted on a post at the 1911 waters edge. The post (without bell) still exists and metal detectors where used to search the area. Detector hits indicated a coin near the post and after some digging a bottle and 1903 Indian Head penny wrapped in rotting sailcloth was unearthed. (see photo)

Inside the bottle were two more deposit slips with the following message:

TRANSCRIPTION OF DEPOSIT SLIPS NUMBERED 4 and 5

It was here that we agreed that we would do the evil deed.
I carefully measured inside the drawer and took a sliver of wood.
Bell made the false drawer bottom and the fit was very good.

The First of December the accountant came and when he left we started the game.
Gold and Silver, paper too, would slip inside my ‘falsefoot’ shoe.
Deposit slips then would hide in the drawer but deep inside.  

The Head** checked the drawers at the end of the day, but he never saw what was hid away.
It worked out well as no one knew of my shark-bit-off foot, and Bell’s special shoe.

BadBird  

                                                5 P.S.

I know you are waiting for a clue so let me drop my other shoe.
To the Tavern you should steer, to sip a cool and frosty beer.
And when you smell a bobtail cat that is where the next clue is at.

END OF TRANSCRIPTION

We adjourned to the 401 Tavern to follow the instructions and discuss the clue.

Note: The 401 Tavern was the bank in 1911 so someone should determine where any taverns or saloons where in Cocoa back then and seek meaning to the "Bobtail Cat" comment in the clue.

The Society will meet again at 6:00 PM, on Friday the 22nd of August, at BadBirds gallery, to discuss progress in the search for BadBirds Treasure.

As always, the public is invited to attend. There are no dues or membership requirements other than curiosity or greed.

* For safety reasons BTHS member identifies are confidential..

** Presumed to mean Head Teller that J.T. Bell mentioned in the clue