Mystery of the hidden staircase

I truly was intrigued when I read “Living Inside a Mystery” (April 10). As a building contractor I have always stood near our demolition stages in older homes on the small chance I may come across hidden mysteries.

The most common item we find is old newspapers, usually used to repair wall plaster. It is fun to find old advertisements and the associated costs.

The most intriguing item we found was in a home in Pasadena, which no one had lived in for years. The original owner’s daughter, who owns the home, never wanted to sell her childhood home [even though] her permanent residence was back East. We were there to remodel and update the home. In one of the bedrooms was a hidden door in a small closet. It opened into an extremely small spiral wooden staircase -- old and worn. We entered and found old letters, clothing and a white box containing, among other items, human hair.

Not only do I like uncovering these mysteries, but I am now playing the other side. Every time we build a new wall, I will always enclose magazines, newspapers, photos and, yes, I will stuff small amounts of money.

Steven Miller

Encino

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