I recall from American Folklore that certain stories actually have their
roots in themes that span back two hundred or more years into European history.
These tales change with the times, but the shock value and lessons are
essentially the same. I am sure the thread of two innocents walking into an illegal
operation out in the forest has evolved from cow thieves, to moonshine, to
archaeologists getting killed by marijuana planters. It always goes like this: I
have a friend, who on good authority, told me that his friend heard...." The
difference here is that we actually do find marijuana plants, pots, irrigation
systems, trip wires, and plastic bags from drug drops. I also once encountered
the remains of a steel boiler and copper pipe still in a remote range of what
was Camp Kearny during World War I and II. That still was inside a mock water
tank, but the whole shebang had mature creosote bushes grown up inside,
suggesting it had been out there about fifty years or more. The point here is that
there needs to be just enough evidence to make the Urban Legend or folklore seem
plausible, thus continuing to be passed along from one gullible person to
another over time.

Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.