Story

Back from town.

Linc took the stuff for Trudy from the truck, and went inside with it.
Lucas had gone upstairs to take a nap so link decided to look up
Cardiff, Colorado. From what he could tell on Google Earth, the
place where he figured the old lab would be, there was nothing left
there now. Looked like the area had been clear cut a few years ago.
He would have to fly to Denver and rent a rig there, to go on to
Cardiff. He Googled Lewis Hanks, and found one in Denver. It might
be the son, Who knows. He would check that out when he got there.
He heard Lucas going down the stairs, so he logged off the computer
and went on down himself.
As usual, Lucas was on the porch in the swing drinking ice tea. Linc
sat down beside him and said, "You ain't going to believe this but I
had another adventure on my way to town this morning." Linc told him
everything that had happened, and Lucas said he was darn glad he
didn't go to town with him. Linc said he had found where the mine was
that he got the crazy samples from, and sometime after John and Trudy
got back from their vacation, he was going to fly back there and see
what's what and maybe get more samples. He just didn't know yet for
sure,

Linc could hardly wait for Vernon and the kids to get here. He was
anxious to tell Vernon about the retreat, and take him there. He
also wanted to find out about the hidden hall, maybe Lucas and Vernon
could help him find a clue to open the pink notches.

The next morning after breakfast, Lucas went into the living room to
read the papers so Linc went up to the office and did some research on
the bell. He had read about the early Hanks family, but still was
surprised to learn how many of them were so talented.
He called Axel to ask about the bell. Axel told him he never knew just
where it went to. Said Edith wanted it and he wouldn't give it to
her. She took it and hid it somewhere and he never could find it.
Linc told him how he found it, and Axel could hardly believe it. Said
Edith hated to go in the barn, so he never looked there. He told
Linc to keep and use the bell, because he was giving it to him since
he never had kids of his own to give it to. Linc told him many
thanks, he would take very good care of it since it was a family
heirloom.
He had an e-mail from the professor. He said he had showed his
college the samples and they had a good discussion about them. No
Idea exactly what they were but they did know what they weren't. He
wanted to do some more experiments with them. He wondered if Linc had
more samples of the single rock he had sent, since the sample was
almost too small to do anything with. Linc e-mailed back, that he was
going to try and get more samples sometime in the next month, if he
was lucky.
He was reading other mail, when he heard a car coming in the yard. He
went downstairs and saw the kids flying out of Vernon's rig. Lucas
was out on the porch now and was swarmed by three very happy kids who
covered him with hugs and kisses, then they turned on Linc. After all
the greetings, the girls went to find Trudy. Vernon hugged Linc and
Lucas, and sat down on a lawn chair. Declared that he must be
getting old as he was already tired. He was looking forward to going
to the cabin and taking a good long rest.
Todd had stayed out on the porch with the men and had just seen the
bell, instead of the triangle. He asked about it, and just as Link
was about to tell him, the girls came back out of the house bringing a
tray of lemonade and glasses for all. After Jessica poured lemonade
for all, Linc explained that he had found the bell in the barn and it
belonged to Uncle Axel. It was a family heirloom, given to him by
their great grand parents. He went on to tell them how very talented
the Hanks that came to America first were.

He told them about Benjamin Hanks

In 1808 Benjamin Hanks became a partner in a foundry with his son
Julius Hanks in Troy, New York. They took out a newspaper
advertisement describing the brass cannons and church bells they
manufactured. Their foundry also made goldsmith's items, stocking
looms, clocks, and surveyor's compasses based on David Rittenhouse's
designs. Hanks obtained a patent for "Molding and Casting Bells" in
1816. The Troy foundry manufactured large church bells under this
patent. The Troy foundry also manufactured tower clocks and surveying
tools. After Hanks' first large church tower bell was mounted in
The Old Dutch Church in New York City in 1780 when he was contracted
to make the church tower clock. Hanks obtained a fourteen-year
intellectual rights patent in 1783 on this tower clock that
automatically wound itself by air. The patent said the clock would
wind itself up to operate by the use of air. It would automatically
continue to wind itself up and operate until the mechanical parts wore
out due to friction.
Hanks made the first two bronze cannons made in the United States in
1797. The First Company of Connecticut Artillery carried them. Hanks'
death in 1824, the Troy foundry was operated for a year by his son
Julius By 1777, at the age of twenty-two, Benjamin Hanks advertises
form Windham, Connecticut as a Clock and Watchmaker and that he
continued in the metal-smith's trade making (according to an
advertisement from the late 1770s) spurs, buckles, beads, hilts,
clocks and watches, as well as general silver and gold work. In 1780,
Benjamin moves to Litchfield, CT and builds a house and shop at 39
South Street to carry on his businesses. It is in the town of
Litchfield that he performs the following accomplishments. Shortly
after the move Benjamin is awarded the contract to make the clock for
the Old Dutch Church at Nassau and Liberty Streets in New York City.
In 1783, he petitioned the General Assembly for a patent for his
invention of a clock wound automatically by air, and in 1785
advertised his clocks, Church clocks, pneumatic clocks, watches with
center sweep seconds, surveyors' compasses, etc. In 1786 he
established a foundry and began casting large church bells. On the 6th
of August 1787, Benjamin installs a bell in the Litchfield meeting
house. The original one was broken. This bell was paid for by the
society. In 1790, Benjamin moves to Mansfield where he continued to
make clocks, bells and carried on the woolen business. In 1808 he and
his son Truman form a partnership in the bell business and build a
foundry in Troy, NY. The foundry made an assortment of items,
including tower clocks, surveying tools, and church bells. On the 4th
of November, Benjamin was granted a patent for Molding and Casting
bells.

Benjamin Hanks Served as a drummer in Revolutionary War. In addition
to clockmaking business, carried on goldsmith trade; made stockings,
looms, compasses, brass cannon and large church bells. In 1779 removed
to Litchfield, where in 1780 he built his home from which he carried
on his business until 1790. His home served as one of Litchfield's
early hotels. Removed to Mansfield CT where he "continued to make
Clocks and Bells." In 1793 sold Amherst church its first bell. Set up
second foundry for bell casting in Troy NY with son Truman, under firm
name of BENJAMIN HANKS & SON. Advertised from 1777 to 1779 (Windham
CT), as watch and clockmaker and gold- and silversmith offering beads,
buckles, spurs, spring lancets, etc. 3 He worked from 1780 to 1790 as
a silversmith and bell founder in Litchfield CT 3 He worked after 1790
as a silversmith and bell founder in Mansfield Center CT 3
Their foundry also made goldsmith's items, stocking looms, clocks, and
surveyor's compasses based on David Rittenhouse's designs. Hanks
obtained a patent for "Molding and Casting Bells" in 1816. The Troy
foundry manufactured large church bells under this patent. The Troy
foundry also manufactured tower clocks and surveying tools.
This is where he cast these house bells. He presented a bell to each
member of the Hanks family, as keepsake. Each family has passed the
bells to later members of their family as heirlooms. This is how
Axel got this bell, and now I have it. I'm proud to be a member of
the Hanks family, and you should be too.
Todd piped up and said, " My name is Hanks now, does that include me"?
" You bet your boot's it does little Brother, and that goes for the
girls as well," exclaimed Linc. Todd said, " what he liked about
the bell, is it didn't go clang, clang. It went ring a ding, ding.
I'm glad Uncle Axel gave it to you, so we could learn about it and
the Hanks family". "So do I", Amy, piped up.
John came out on the porch and said, " grab your glass, lunch is
ready". Leslie said to Vernon, " Trudy has made our favorite soup".
" You wouldn't kid an old man, now would you", he asked. "Nope, " she
replied.
Trudy was just setting a big tureen of soup on the table as they
entered the dining room. " Aw me! " Vernon sighed. ' Trudy my dear.
You are the only person I know who puts navy beans in vegetable soup.
That's what makes it so much better than any other. If you were not
already married, I'd be kneeling at your feet." Trudy waved at him
and said, "Go on now, eat your soup." " And cornbread too. Now I
know I'm in heaven" , Vernon grinned.
He looked over at Leslie, and said, " take a lesson here darlin, she
knows the way to a man's heart".

After eating, Vernon said he was full as a tick, as Linc and the kids
gathered up the dirty dishes to take to the kitchen.

Later as they were all out on the porch, Linc told them to get all
their stuff together and in the trucks, they would be heading up to
the cabin with in the hour. Just the guys, the girls were going to
stay with Trudy and learn to bake.

To be continued.