# Not sure where to post this about Digger Dave Cutler



## andy g (Oct 10, 2012)

Many of you probably do not know or have never heard of Dave Cutler of Queens and formerly of the Empire Diner on Manhattan's West Side, but what you do understand was his desire to find treasure.  And he was extraordinarily good at the hunt, finding everything from coins to bottles to stoneware to marbles to gold and diamonds.  On Tuesday evening, after a relatively short fight with cancer, Dave passed away in his sleep and left us to treasure hunt for him.

 There are many from all over this country that do know Dave, as a fellow treasure hunter and digger.  Ted Botha wrote about him in Mongo (Botha book), and the pages of many bottle digging and metal detecting magazines chronicle his finds.  Daveâ€™s approach was unusual and wholly intuitive, rather than based on research and logic, but his results were the stuff of legends.  

 Dave found gobs of silver coins and even a few gold ones, too, wandering the parks of New York City with his metal detector starting in the early 1970s.  In fact, as I type this post, I remember that day in 1987 in Madison Square Park, which we metal detected as it was being renovated, when Dave called me and my buddy Dean Pollack over to show us a freshly excavated 1798/97 over date, 13 star variant Flowing Hair Liberty Bust Dime in extra fine condition.  (Look that up.)   I also recall the time that Dave picked up an intact Crolius stoneware jug with cobalt-painted grapes from a dredge pile in New Jersey.  (Look that up.)   Dave's apartment walls was lined with a display case that was a constantly changing collection of New York's finest colored pontiled bottles -- everything from Jerome's Hair Color Restorers to a run of 8 different colored Lyon's Powders to a feast of sided, cobalt and green mineral waters from New York and New Jersey.  (I think you get the idea.)  Interestingly, everything Dave found moved on to a new owner.  Dave was in it for the hunt and the find, and did not need to possess things for long to enjoy them.  (It is my understanding that many of his recoveries have found their way into the collections of fine institutions such as the New York Historical Society, Norwalk Historical Society, American Numismatic Society, Corning Museum of Glass, and the Queens Historical Society.) 

 However, all of these finds paled in comparison to his best treasure hunting adventure.  In 1996, Dave figured out that the old, brick-lined sewers of New York were being cleaned out and the scraped residue being dumped in storage bins until sent off for waste processing.  Normally something you might avoid -- but not Dave, who managed to talk me and Scott Jordan into building small sifters and going through the mucky, stinky gravel.  Scott and I both said that we would do it once but never after.  Wrong!  Over the course of the next few months, this muck produced tens of thousands of coins, marbles, toys, buttons, dentures, and pieces jewelry -- going as far back as the 1870s.  Indian Head cents, Buffalo nickels, Seated dimes, Barber quarters, Walking Liberty halves were everyday finds.  Literally compound buckets of clay and glass marbles were taken home.  And the jewelry was extraordinary as it could have outfitted a store in New York's famed 47th Street Diamond District.  Even in the wake of some remarkable carats and hundreds of ounces of precious metals, the best item recovered was a first issue Superman ring that Dave sold at auction and bought a new car (for digging, of course). 

 Dave had a remarkable talent for finding treasure anywhere and everywhere. However, what was also special about Dave was that he was always even keeled.  Nothing, and I mean nothing, got him upset. Yeah, he might whine or get squeaky about how it was too cold or that he was hungry or that some woman had not called him back but in 25 years that I knew Dave, he never once raised his voice or got angry.  There are not many people you can say that about.  Even when frustrated, he would just look at you, tilt his head sideways a bit, and â€œcome on.â€  He would share everything from his last bits of food, his last dollars, his last tank of gas, and literally the jacket on his back.  He had malice toward none â€“ he just wanted to find one more treasure. 

 Below are a few images of Dave from the relatively recent past, finding crucibles at the Gautier factory in Jersey City, breaking open a privy in Manhattan, showing a couple of sided cobalt sodas found in a Brooklyn cistern, and my last dig with Dave (along with Fireman Jack Fortmeyer, Buddy Nutwell, and Scott Jordan) when we dug at least 6 privies and cisterns dating from the 1830s to the 1870s on a construction site in Williamsburg.  






















 Dave, thanks for some great times and memories.  We will miss you.


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## Bottlehoe (Oct 10, 2012)

Sorry for loss of such good man.


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## NyDigger1 (Oct 10, 2012)

Rest In Peace Dave, you were a great friend and an extraordinary man.

 I met Dave while hunting on a beach a few years ago, when I was still young and didnt know what to look for in bottles. I saw him sifting along the shore line, without much luck, and decided to talk to him and ask if he knew anything about old bottles. We talked for an hour, then started sifting together, taking turns. He found a nice army hat pin, while I found a couple of old dog tags, and marbles. He saw how much I wanted the hat pin so he gave it to me. After that I found something, I dont remember what it was, and gave it to him as a thanks. We became friends after that.

 I had since then visited him from time to time buy a few local bottles. He told me stories of the many privies he had dug, and especially mentioned a dig that he did while they were fixing the west side highway a number of years ago, pulling out a rare Geo Eagle blob.

 The last time I saw him was a month ago at a flea market in Manhattan where he sets up a few isles away from Scott. I had stopped to talk to him for a couple of minutes and he had offered to let me sell my bottles along side him at the same flea market. I told him that we would definitely do that soon, after I had cleared everything up with college. That was the last time I saw him and spoke with him. Thanks for the fun times and great memories Dave, we will all certainly miss you.


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## RICKJJ59W (Oct 10, 2012)

Oh man sorry to hear about Dave. R.I.P 

 This is a good picture. "Hard Core"


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## twowheelfan (Oct 10, 2012)

sad to hear, dug a little with him in JC. good guy. thanks for sharing with us. i will miss him.


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## epackage (Oct 10, 2012)

You wrote a great tribute to your friend, may he rest in peace...


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## MDdigger (Oct 10, 2012)

Great post Andy.  I'm sure Dave is smiling.


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## CWBookAuthor (Oct 10, 2012)

*May Dave rest in peace...*

Our prayers are with him.


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## epackage (Oct 10, 2012)

.


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## AntiqueMeds (Oct 10, 2012)

The best place to celebrate the life of a person is among their family and friends. The second best place is among people who share the same hobby.[] 
 THanks for taking time to post it here.


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## cowseatmaize (Oct 10, 2012)

I've seen some pics but never met the guy. He looks like an FZ fan so I like and miss him already. (insert emoticon here 'cause I don't know if any are appropriate). Eric


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## tftfan (Oct 10, 2012)

Sad news...  Thanks for the post and pics.


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## Plumbata (Oct 10, 2012)

Sorry for the loss, he sounds like one heckuva guy. Regardless, his spirit and stories will live on and continue to enrich lives for many years to come. The ripples of positivity that he started with his life will continue fanning out and spreading goodness, in one way or form or another, until the end of time. That's what matters.




> ORIGINAL:  andy g
> 
> However, all of these finds paled in comparison to his best treasure hunting adventure.  In 1996, Dave figured out that the old, brick-lined sewers of New York were being cleaned out and the scraped residue being dumped in storage bins until sent off for waste processing.  Normally something you might avoid -- but not Dave, who managed to talk me and Scott Jordan into building small sifters and going through the mucky, stinky gravel.


 

 Awesome. I had never heard of anyone doing this before, but a little while back had independently arrived at the idea and started exploring storm sewers with a folding shovel and small sieve and sifting the hydraulically sorted concentrates for coins and jewelry. Certainly not something I personally would avoid. [] Really kills your legs and back to be hunched in the pipes for too long though, and so far I've found far more brass marijuana hitter pipes than good old finds. Found 2 pipes in 1 single sifter load before. Must be a lot of potheads around here, hehe. []

 Got some leads on some good old brick sewers that I plan to search next. Even 1% of his/your haul would blow my mind. Super impressive, and an inspiration for me and the like-minded quest for sewer treasures. I had a feeling it was a good idea. []


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## twowheelfan (Oct 10, 2012)

you should read Botha's book Mongo. the story on dave is great! some other ones there as well are good.


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## AntiqueMeds (Oct 10, 2012)

> Botha's book Mongo


 
 http://www.amazon.com/Mongo-Ted-Botha/dp/1582345678


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## twowheelfan (Oct 10, 2012)

Andy has a link to the book in his post as well. definately a fun read.


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## timepeeks (Oct 10, 2012)

Im sad to hear about the loss of such a good friend. It appears he had a very fortunate life, and deservedly so.


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## myersdiggers1998 (Oct 10, 2012)

[]


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## surfaceone (Oct 10, 2012)

Hello Andy,

 Thanks for a wonderful tribute to your friend Dave. He sounds and looks like a guy I would have enjoyed. Your evocative portrait of the man, and friend behind some legendary adventures stirs the emotions. 

 I've always enjoyed your posts. Wish you would do more...

 Thanks for this one.






 Alex Karras wuz Mongo!


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## DIGGIN DOC (Oct 10, 2012)

R.I.P. DAVE. I'VE EATEN IN THE EMPIRE DINER SEVERAL TIMES (NOW NAMED "THE HIGHLINER DINER").


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## JOETHECROW (Oct 10, 2012)

Great tribute, pictures and story to a great hard core digger ,
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





...Great post. R.I.P. Digger Dave.


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## idigjars (Oct 11, 2012)

Sad news but a great tribute to your friend.  R.I.P. Dave.     Paul


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## druggistnut (Oct 12, 2012)

I wish I had met the man. The energy from folks like him is contagious. It makes the next day even more bearable.
 Andy, if anyone takes the time to write from the heart like you did about Dave, we all know you'll sincerely miss your friend. I can only hope I leave some type of good feelings and good will, as he did, in many ways.
 Bill


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## DIGS CHESCO (Oct 12, 2012)

What a remarkable tribute, I'm sorry for your loss.   Thanks for taking the time to write.

 Tom


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## beendiggin (Oct 12, 2012)

Sorry to hear this sad news.  He has obviously left an indelible mark with many many people in a very positive way. You can't expect more than that from any man - I wish I had known him personally.  Thanks for remembering him for us.


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## digger dun (Oct 16, 2012)

I bumped into dave "sludge" lots of times these past few years. The dumpsters where the sewer sludge he sifted through were stored around the block from the place I lived in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, so I would see him fairly often. I replaced the radiator in his subaru once in trade for some bottles, and he invited me to join him sometime for some sewer sludge sifting. I should have taken him up on his offer. I got to join him on a few construction site piles over the years, but more often I would find his foot prints on the ashy trash piles of the industrial wilds of New Jersey, him having once again got to them only hours before me.


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