The Tower Treasure

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**Title** **The Tower Treasure**

Author	Franklin W. Dixon
Language	English
Series	The Hardy Boys
Genre(s)	Children's literature/Young adult literature
Publisher	Grosset & Dunlap
Released	June 1,1927 (Updated Release in 1959)
Pages	192 (Updated release page count: 180)
ISBN	ISBN 0-448-08901-7
Followed by	The House on the Cliff

The Tower Treasure is the first volume in the original Hardy Boys book series published by Grosset & Dunlap. The book ranks 55th on Publisher's Weekly's All-Time Bestselling Children's Book List with 2,209,774 copies sold as of 2001. [1]

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The story begins with Frank and Joe Hardy barely avoiding being hit by a red-haired speeding driver. Later, this same red-haired driver attempts a ferryboat ticket office robbery and successfully steals a yellow jalopy called the Queen from the Hardy's friend, Chet Morton. Due to one witness thinking the villain had dark hair, the Hardy's assume he is using a red wig. It is learned that the thief returned to Chet's home to steal a tire helping Frank and Joe to find the Queen abandoned in a swampy area.

The excitement of finding the Queen is quickly gone when it is reported that there has been a robbery of forty thousand dollars in securities and jewels from the Tower Mansion owned by siblings Hurd and Adelia Applegate. Hurd Applegate is convinced that the Tower's caretaker, Henry Robinson is the guilty party. The Hardy's are especially concerned by this accusation because Henry's son, Perry, is a friend of theirs who will have to quit school to work since his father can no longer get a job due to Applegate's accusation. A big reason for the belief that Henry Robinson is guilty is due to a debt he was suddenly able to pay off. Henry refuses to reveal where he got the money to pay off the debt.

The Hardy's suspect that the red-haired man may be involved with the Tower robbery and search the Queen finding the red wig. The Hardy's dad, detective Fenton Hardy, learns that the wig was manufactured in New York City. The three Hardy's go to New York and learn of a criminal fond of using disguises named John "Red" Jackley. Soon, Jackley is injured in a train accident causing him to be hospitalized. About to die, Jackley confesses that he committed the Tower Mansion robbery and put the loot "in the old tower..." Jackley dies before he is able to explain further. After searches inside and outside of the Tower Mansion the stolen loot is still not found.

Frank and Joe decide to go to the railroad that Jackley used to work at to find out more information. While investigating, they see two water towers nearby. The Hardy's realize that Jackley was referring to the old water tower and not the Tower Mansion as being the location of the stolen loot. Inside the water tower they find the stolen items but are locked in the tower by a man calling himself Hobo Johnny who feels anything in the tower belongs to him. Frank and Joe manage to break out of the water tower to return the securities and jewelery. Adelia reveals that she loaned Henry Robinson the money to pay off his debt. With his sister's revelation and the stolen loot being returned, Hurd re-hires Henry with an increase in salary. This first Hardy Boy adventure ends with Frank and Joe hoping "another mystery would soon come their way, and one did at THE HOUSE ON THE CLIFF and with the two brothers deciding to build a crime lab in their barn.

[edit] Trivia

"The Tower Treasure" became the basis of the serial shown on the "Mickey Mouse Club" back in 1956-57 as the "Mystery of the Applegate Treasure", named for the descendant of the pirate, who was searching for the priceless treasure. The introduction, which was sung and spoken, went like this:

Gold Doubloons and pieces Of Eight,
all belonged to Applegate,
from buccaneers,
who fought for years,
for Gold Doubloons, and Pieces Of Eight.
Handed down in a pirate's chest,
the gold they sailed for east and west,
the treasure blight,
that made men fight,
until no one was left,
to bury the chest.
So now the gold and Pieces Of Eight,
all belonged to Applegate,
the chest is here,
but, wait,
where are all the Gold Doubloons
and Pieces of Eight, Pieces of Eight, Pieces of Eight.

Though this book was modern for its time, it is clearly not written in a timeless way. The illustrations appearing throughout the book and on the cover show a 1950's - 1960's style of dress and hairstyles. Also, much of the language is outdated and show the strictly noble intentions of Frank and Joe. When referring to Callie Shaw, a girl Frank liked, the text reads, "Frank often dated Callie and like her better than any girl he knew." Joe liked Chet's sister, Iola Morton. When talking about her, the book says that Joe "thought she was quite the nicest girl in Bayport High and dater her regularly."