# Sundays Digging.....



## baltbottles (Sep 19, 2011)

Sundays dig went as follows. We had noticed that this one house had been  unoccupied all summer long and the grass in the back yard was about two  feet tall, so we decided it might be time to do a bit of yard clean up.  This weekend it was Phil, Greg, and myself. We arrived on site about  9:30 and started unloading our equipment. I quickly probed out a small  bricklined pit next to a rotting tree stump. The ground is really soft  now after all the rain we had over the past few weeks. So digging went  very quickly the pit opened up as a small oval shaped brickliner which  we were glad to see because Oval shaped brickliners are always pontiled  age holes in Baltimore. So if they didn't completely clean this one to  the bottom we should get some pontiled stuff. We got down about 4 and a  half feet when the clay and ash mixed fill dirt gave way to a rich dark  loamy layer loaded with 1840s and 1850s artifacts. A few damaged  pontiled puff type medicines camne out along with some nice hand painted  marbles and one small pontiled cologne. The heartbreakers from this pit  were a half pint open pontiled Corn For The World flask that was  smashed. A bright yellow green iron pontiled 3 piece mold Baltimore  Glass Works made porter. I took the shards home to glue anyway as its an  unlisted color for this mold. And a large aqua Porter embossed on the  shoulder C. F. Gobel with its top knocked off. I ended up finding that  this bottle is from Zainesville Ohio. It was a long way from home. While  digging the homeowner from next door came out curious what we were doing  and we quickly convinced him to let us dig his privy in his parking  area. It was packed gravel but wasn't super well maintained and had  quite a bit of grass growing along the edge where the privy should be. a  few stabs of the probe found the pit right inline with the one we had  just dug. This one took a bit longer to get open due to the packed  surface. Once we got it opened up we found it to be a small round  brickliner. This pit had quite a bit of brick thrown in the fill, making  digging quite a bit slower then the pit next door. But again at about 4  and a half feet the fill gave way to that rich brown loamy layer laden  with early artifacts. I quickly uncovered a pontiled Stewart's Pharmacy  Baltimore pontiled medicine a small redware save jar and a small hand  painted cup. Then out came a few pontiled puffs and the remains of a  yellow green Baltimore torpedo. Luckily it was just an unembossed  example, but the color would have been quite nice. Lots of nice pottery  shards for glueing back together and quite a few tobacco pipes. No real  heart breakers in this pit but it was still very fun to dig. 

 Chris


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## baltbottles (Sep 19, 2011)

digging


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## baltbottles (Sep 19, 2011)

digging


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## baltbottles (Sep 19, 2011)

pics


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## baltbottles (Sep 19, 2011)

pics


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## baltbottles (Sep 19, 2011)

pic


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## baltbottles (Sep 19, 2011)

pic


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## baltbottles (Sep 19, 2011)

pic


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## baltbottles (Sep 19, 2011)

filled in and done


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## JOETHECROW (Sep 19, 2011)

Thanks for sharing some interesting early privy dig pics, and a cool story to go with them...Would love to see the unembossed off colored torpedo, and the glueback(s) cleaned up if you get the time...


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## beendiggin (Sep 20, 2011)

Way to go...bummer about the broken ones.  Hope you post those anyway.


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 20, 2011)

Great story and cool pics, Chris. I also find it easy to convince curious neighbors to dig their yards. I have a question about the plastic G-cans. Isn't it a pain to manhandle those when full of dirt and frags? I can get plenty of used herbicide and pesticide barrels from our ranch, but have never made use of them. In fact, I have never seen that system used out West. I have used tarps extensively for many years, but that's it.


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## elmoleaf (Sep 20, 2011)

The house looks unoccupied so you just start digging in their yard? No permission?
 Do that here and you get arrested or end up looking down the wrong end of a gun barrel.


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## pjritter (Sep 20, 2011)

> ORIGINAL: elmoleaf
> 
> The house looks unoccupied so you just start digging in their yard? No permission?
> Do that here and you get arrested or end up looking down the wrong end of a gun barrel.


 
 ya not where they dig. they just gotta worry about crack addicts who use spoons as shivs.


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## brokenshovel (Sep 20, 2011)

Here's some smalls and glue backs.  It was a shame that most of the items were so damaged.  These pits also suffered heavy dipping as many items were missing large pieces of the item
 Pipes






 Half were marked with the same logo





 Couple of pontiled bottles, bulls eye marble, doll's candle stick, scent bottle with an "S" inside a 5 pointed leaf





 Glue back cups





 98% of a chamber pot





 Redware Bean pot, missing the bottom


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## brokenshovel (Sep 20, 2011)

Personal criers

 unlisted amber side strapped whiskey

 GUSTAV JOHN
 714 COLUMBIA AVE
 BALTO





 GVI-7  CORN FOR THE WORLD (ear of corn) / (Monument) BALTIMORE; pontiled 1/2 pint 










 Hopefully Chris will hurry up and glue back that Balto porter.


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## cobaltbot (Sep 20, 2011)

Man, love the pipe bowls and glue back cups.  Where's the Stewarts?  Looks like great weather for privy digging and that corn for the world would have been a major crier for me!


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## baltbottles (Sep 20, 2011)

Mike,

 I really like the trash cans the help keep the yard very neat and make the fill in time really quick. Its dump a can and pack then dump a can and pack then repeat until finished. Also we dig a very high percentage of wet privies. with the cans all the water and black muck goes back in the pit very well and keeps the yard clean. We lay the tarps down under the cans. its also a great system for digging in parking lots.

 Overall I like the small 30 gallon cans the best they are very easy to move. I wish we had more of them.

 Chris


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## beendiggin (Sep 20, 2011)

Thanks for the pics...great finds


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## baltbottles (Sep 20, 2011)

Here is that green porter glued back together. Its almost an Antifreeze green. I've never seen another 1840s iron pontiled beer in this color. Its pictured next to a lighter green example I dug across the street several years ago. I really wish this one had been whole. But even as a glue back its great as a example until when or if a whole one in this color ever turns up.

 Chris


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## Wheelah23 (Sep 20, 2011)

Really nice bottle! A crier for sure in that color. I dug a junky 1890's Bixby in an identical color.


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## baltbottles (Sep 20, 2011)

Connor,

 You know those green Bixbys bring decent money on ebay. Usually $40 and up.

 Chris


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## Wheelah23 (Sep 20, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  baltbottles
> 
> Connor,
> 
> ...


 
 !

 I did not know that. Haha thanks for letting me know! I thought it was just as common as the aqua ones. Live and learn...


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## baltbottles (Sep 20, 2011)

Nope Bixby's in any color other then amber and aqua do quite well. I've dug quite a few in shades of green and yellow and a couple shades of cobalt blue. The blue ones do really well.

 Chris


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## Penn Digger (Sep 20, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  elmoleaf
> 
> The house looks unoccupied so you just start digging in their yard? No permission?
> Do that here and you get arrested or end up looking down the wrong end of a gun barrel.


 


 I too was wondering about the permission aspect being omitted from the intro.  Still wondering if you will get a response elmoleaf?  Permission is important and  the lack of can give other bottle diggers a bad wrap.  Out in the middle of nowhere may be one thing, but an urban dig without permission would make me nervous.

 PD


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## cobaltbot (Sep 21, 2011)

Tom and elmoleaf,

 Baltimore is a city of something like 24,000 vacants this is not a small town or even small city, different rules apply..  These guys leave a place looking better or as good as they find them. Notice the neighbor didn't seem to mind them being there.


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## JOETHECROW (Sep 21, 2011)

> ORIGINAL: baltbottles
> 
> Here is that green porter glued back together. Its almost an Antifreeze green. I've never seen another 1840s iron pontiled beer in this color. Its pictured next to a lighter green example I dug across the street several years ago. I really wish this one had been whole. But even as a glue back its great as a example until when or if a whole one in this color ever turns up.
> 
> Chris


 
 Chris,...great color for sure. Do you mind if I ask about the labeled aqua bottle behind them? It looks really cool...[]


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## Penn Digger (Sep 21, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  cobaltbot
> 
> Tom and elmoleaf,
> 
> Baltimore is a city of something like 24,000 vacants this is not a small town or even small city, different rules apply..Â  These guys leave a place looking better or as good as they find them. Notice the neighbor didn't seem to mind them being there.


 

 I am not picking on any one here.  I have my views about public lands being open to public digging....  I personally am worried about digging on private property without permission.  I go through the hoops to get it and be legal.  Lack of permission could easily bring trespassing charges or worse, small town or large city.  If they can pull it off and not get in trouble, so be it.  I lived in NYC for 9 years before returning to the small town life.  I know and agree that larger cities ignore smaller crimes and focus on larger, "more important" ones.  Doesn't make it right or mean a citation won't come their way some day.

 This dig was not a vacant lot.  Could be a foreclosure or someone put in a nursing home...

 PD


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## cobaltbot (Sep 21, 2011)

I didn't say vacant lot, to me a vacant house in the city is usually the same thing, the city owns something like 10,000 or more of these vacant/ derelict houses.  If its in foreclosure or for some other reason you can tell someone still cares about the place, that's a different story.


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## Penn Digger (Sep 21, 2011)

So many cities have blighted properties that people still live in and would seem to most to be abandoned unless one drove by at night.    Across the street from my home there is a house where the grass hasn't been cut all summer, occupants haven't paid rent since the property was foreclosed by an out of state finance company 23 months ago. Finance company must have bigger problems to deal with.

 The past due tax properties in PA take nearly 3 years, if nobody bids on them, before they go into a County repository where the local government can then aquire them if they choose to.  In the mean time they are privately owned but often unoccupied an un-kept.

 I am not trying to start a pi$$ing match with you, but digging without permission on privately or even on unknown ownership property can give all of us diggers a bad name.  As I said before, if they can pull it off and not get in any trouble, so be it.  If it is publicly owned, unused vacant land (with out a dwelling or structure) then let them dig respectfully.

 PD


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## baltbottles (Sep 21, 2011)

Actually the vacant house the owner walked away from because he bought with no money down at the height of the market. Crackheads and vagrants had already broken into the place and were probably living in it at night.We cleaned up some trash in the yard and cut down the high weeds if anything we did a service to the bank that's now stuck with this property.

 We have dug hundreds of vacant houses over the years without hardly a boo from anyone. We have had the police called on us countless times and most of the time they don't even run us they just tell us to make sure the hole is filled in when we are done.

 We have had homeowners show up on us and workmen and more often then not it turns into real permission once we assure them that we will fill everything back in and return the property to its former condition.

 A large city like Baltimore has thousands of absentee landlords that never visit their property's and its almost impossible to get current contact information for. We always try to find out who owns a property before we dig it. And honestly if its in foreclosure or bank owned we just dig because you can't get permission from banks.

 The real key is to always fill your holes properly and make the place look better then when you arrived.

 Privy digging in a major city is very different then digging dumps in wooded areas. It takes a lot of time spent talking to people and research to be able to dig every week.

 Chris


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 21, 2011)

Our city is not "huge" but it is a fair size. There are a lot of absentee landlords and a lot of vacant buildings,but there is no way we could walk up and just dig the yard,even in the bad neighborhoods. There are to many  eyes, and some of them will call  the man in a heartbeat.  

 We have to get written "Indemification and  hold harmless agreements" from the Redevelopment Authority  for every house we do. Once we have that, we dont have to worry about  anything.  It's a hassle to go through all the motions but in the end we dig in peace. Except for the occasional gun shot lol.

 By the way nice dig there Chris,I hope we hit one of those nice old one soon,but I am just happy to be able to dig at my age []


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## Penn Digger (Sep 21, 2011)

"We have had homeowners show up on us" is the type of situation I can't fathom.  Sorry if we're not on the same page on this issue.

 PD


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 21, 2011)

As I have stated previously, if it's abandoned, bank owned, city owned, empty, full of crackheads, or otherwise blighted, then it's mine. I do not hesitate to dig any unoccupied house in this small city, especially if it is in an early neighborhood. Have I been caught doing this? You betcha, but no consequence has ever come of it. If some ogler calls the police that's no sweat either. They usually arrive, see what's happening and go on about their business. Bottle diggers are off the radar and they have much more to worry about than someone doing what we do. Owners sometimes show up, too., especially if a looky-loo dials them up. Occasionally they get a bit steamed, but it's cake to talk them down. After all, if they don't care enough to keep up their property, than why would a couple of bottle collectors be any bother? On a-hole went ballistic on us and started tossing probes and shovels in all directions, but when his head went through the fence he realized the folly of his ways and calmed down enough to be rational. Sometimes 'ya just gotta respond in the way they understand. One thing about bottle digging, there ain't too many dull moments in the city.[8D]


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## blade (Sep 21, 2011)

Digger Don and I usually give the owners of abandoned or condemned properties one of two choices........THE LEFT HAND OR THE RIGHT HAND ! []


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## Wheelah23 (Sep 21, 2011)

There's a REALLY promising abandoned house nearby, in Montclair. It's 1840's or earlier for certain, judging by the architecture and old maps of the town. It's sandwiched between two big newly constructed buildings. The problem is, it has a fence around it! The house is falling apart, and the plants are growing so high it looks like a jungle. The place has been abandoned for years. What do I do? Jump the fence? I have no idea who owns it, but there may be a way around if I'm lucky. I obviously need backup to dig it, but I have no idea where to start.


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## carobran (Sep 21, 2011)

go there wearing a suit,tie and carrying a briefcase and pretend to be a (really young)bank agent[sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif]


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## elmoleaf (Sep 21, 2011)

Thanks for the responses and commentary regarding the permission question.  
 I think all of the breaking/entering that's going on around here in recent years (people looking for copper/scrap metal to strip & sell) makes neighbors very wary of any activity.


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## lexdigger (Sep 21, 2011)

Sweet dig guys! Wish we could get into some older holes like that more often down around here.


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 22, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  Wheelah23
> 
> There's a REALLY promising abandoned house nearby, in Montclair. It's 1840's or earlier for certain, judging by the architecture and old maps of the town. It's sandwiched between two big newly constructed buildings. The problem is, it has a fence around it! The house is falling apart, and the plants are growing so high it looks like a jungle. The place has been abandoned for years. What do I do? Jump the fence? I have no idea who owns it, but there may be a way around if I'm lucky. I obviously need backup to dig it, but I have no idea where to start.


  No, don't jump the fence, knock it down. Remove boards quietly and walk in like you own the place. Not a soul will know the difference.


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## cyberdigger (Sep 22, 2011)

..on the right coast we use chain-link fence.. []..


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## Penn Digger (Sep 22, 2011)

If a dig spot is not on public property then it is privately owned.  If it is privately owned by an individual or bank and one digs on the property without permission then it is trespass.  If one gets away with digging on private property without permission, so be it.

 If I personally would enconter somebody digging on my property without permission, (I live on a 130 year old estate) I would let them chew on some cold steel for a bit.  I love my pistols a bit less than I love my bottles.


 PD


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 22, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  Penn Digger
> 
> If a dig spot is not on public property then it is privately owned.  If it is privately owned by an individual or bank and one digs on the property without permission then it is trespass.  If one gets away with digging on private property without permission, so be it.
> 
> ...


 
 Ground control to Mayor Tom,ground control to mayor Tom--load your 45 and make sure your sights are on.pull  that hammer and may god be with you.[8D]


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 22, 2011)

Occasionally I do carry my licensed .45 but only if venturing into a "bad 'hood". It tends to make some officers jumpy until the CCWP is produced.


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## KBbottles (Sep 22, 2011)

In most neighborhoods of old abandoned houses in large cities, there is usually not large enough of a police force as it is to control actual crime in that city.  Kind friendly bottle diggers are the least the cops have to worry about.  Most of them see us as "amateur archaeologists" anyway, often get interested in what we do, and as others have said tell us to just fill 'er in when we're done.  Dug a 23 foot cylinder last weekend with some buddies and two different neighbors stopped by.  They were very pleased that we could use some of their old branches and junk in their yards as fill.  []


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 22, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  cyberdigger
> 
> ..on the right coast we use chain-link fence.. []..


 Chain link fence? What good is that? All we do is wait for the homeless and street derelicts to cut an access hole and it's diggin' time. If it's a temporary construction fence and it can't be easily picked up and moved I cut the chain and add my own. Works every time. Guards, if present, are easily bribed with food or alcohol.

 The best way is to talk to the construction super or engineer. One developer just told me to bring a case of cold beer after hours and they would use the trackhoe to dig wherever we told 'em to. Excellent! PU loads of bottles came out of that one. I have become tight with one demolition contractor and he usually lets me know when they are doing a job in the zone.[8D]


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## Wheelah23 (Sep 22, 2011)

Well, it's in a heavily traversed part of the town, right on the main thoroughfare of the town... Jumping the fence would be pretty obvious, and cutting a hole would be even more obvious... Hopefully it will work out! Gotta dig some pontils eventually!


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## baltbottles (Sep 22, 2011)

> One thing about bottle digging, there ain't too many dull moments in the city.


 
 This is so true......

 Do you think many diggers were asking for permission to dig 30 years ago? Every old digger I have met says years ago everything was open for the picking. "Construction sites weren't fenced and there was so many more abandoned houses we would just walk down the allys and pick the easy ones to dig". 

 Chris


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## cyberdigger (Sep 22, 2011)

That's the way it was in the 1970's and into the 80's.. it has been getting steadily worse ever since.. now you can't take a pee on a tree without some camera filming you..


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## sem_yeto (Sep 22, 2011)

Well, it appears pretty obvious that the guys with balls find the bottles in the big cities on a regular basis.  If you try and second guess every situation, you're never gonna dig lots of bottles. Slum lords and banks who misused the govt bailout money deserve to be dug and dug hard !


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 22, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  baltbottles
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 Chris, many things were different 30 years ago. In retrospect, we all had it made. Construction was performed differently, with piles left on site for days if not weeks. Most sites were fenced but usually only locked to protect valuable equipment left there. These days things are proceeding at a much faster pace with pilings driven BEFORE earth removal and existing soil compacted when sufficient to carry the projected loads. The sites are seriously fenced and patrolled, so digging is often not an option. Thankfully, residential demo is still the same as it was. Mow down the building, clear the lot and go to the next one. This leaves a wide open chance to maybe excavate a privy or two or three. 

 We have had one site open for over 4 years because the developer shot his wad too quickly and lost the construction loans. We have dug over 40 pits from that entire one city block. There are undoubtedly more, but finding them will take time. Most of the ground has 18" of heavily compacted gravel that was under the blacktop and lots of rubble from demolition of homes 60 years ago. 

 Any site that even LOOKS like it has potential cannot be left untested. The way I see it if we don't slam it someone else darned sure will. Fences be damned, man the probes and shovels!


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## rockbot (Sep 22, 2011)

Those cups are really nice.


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## baltbottles (Sep 22, 2011)

> Any site that even LOOKS like it has potential cannot be left untested. The way I see it if we don't slam it someone else darned sure will. Fences be damned, man the probes and shovels!


 
 Mike, I totally agree with you on this one. Digging in the city comes with serious competition. There are several teams of diggers just in my city. Luckily for me most of them suck at using a probe. []

 Chris


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 22, 2011)

Getting permission is an art in it self,its a little harder then jumping a lot or a bank house.


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## Penn Digger (Sep 23, 2011)

Ghetto digging with a ghetto mentality?

 PD


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## baltbottles (Sep 23, 2011)

Rick I agree and we dig probably about 70 percent permissions anymore. But those weekends when we have nothing lined up we just go find something. We try to get permissions but if we don't get one by noon we just find something to dig.

 Chris


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 23, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  baltbottles
> 
> 
> 
> ...


  Ain't that the truth. Same here, with a few qualified exceptions.[]


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## rockbot (Sep 23, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  CALDIGR2
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 you cracking me up Mike![][]


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## rockbot (Sep 23, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  Wheelah23
> 
> There's a REALLY promising abandoned house nearby, in Montclair. It's 1840's or earlier for certain, judging by the architecture and old maps of the town. It's sandwiched between two big newly constructed buildings. The problem is, it has a fence around it! The house is falling apart, and the plants are growing so high it looks like a jungle. The place has been abandoned for years. What do I do? Jump the fence? I have no idea who owns it, but there may be a way around if I'm lucky. I obviously need backup to dig it, but I have no idea where to start.


 
 Darn! that be a great place to dig. Once inside no one would every now you're there![][]

 I would have dug that place years ago....[8D]


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## tigue710 (Sep 23, 2011)

Wtf, why does every post have to turn into a political debate here?  It's getting old... Go dig some freaking bottles...

 That porter is like 7up green, I can't recall seeing any bottle besides specialty bottles in that color from before 1870 or so... Nice digs Chris, thanks for posting...


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## deldig (Sep 23, 2011)

PD - Let it go. You are coming off "holier than thou". You've stated your opinion, now shut up. It doesn't affect you and you don't have to dig a non-permission if you don't want to. Spend your time on finding a good spot to dig bottles. Let others do their thing as they see fit. Have a happy day.[8|]


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## Penn Digger (Sep 23, 2011)

Alan,

 It's not about being holy, but more about being legal.  What's right is right and what's wrong is wrong.  Sorry if expressing my opinion bothers you, but I feel I am entitled to it as we all are even if you have to be rude about it.  Digging on private property with out permission can and does give by the book diggers a bad rap.  There's a great old dump near here that the owner won't let anybody dig because of non-permisson digger's decades ago.  As I have said before, if those who don't get permission can get away with it, so be it.  Have an exceptional day.

 PD


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## baltbottles (Sep 23, 2011)

> Digging on private property with out permission can and does give by the book diggers a bad rap. There's a great old dump near here that the owner won't let anybody dig because of non-permisson digger's decades ago.


 
 And I would bet that is because those diggers made a mess of the sight and left holes open and had no care for returning the property to its original condition. We fill our holes and within in a couple days you usually can't tell anyone has even dug at all. And even if those diggers years ago did fill their holes, You just have to realize that there are some people who just won't let you dig no matter what. Some people just hate the idea that you might get something of value for free off their property.

 There are different types of people in this world, If I came home and found someone digging in my yard and they were finding interesting stuff I would let them dig just to see what they find. As long as they filled their hole in when they were finished and put the grass back. What harm does it do me? I say good for them if they found something I never knew was there and probably never would find myself.

 Chris


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## deldig (Sep 23, 2011)

PD _ I am all for people expressing their opinions, but I don't want to be preached to over and over again. As for being legal, if you dig on public lands without express permission from the municipality that manages that land, you are most likely taking a chance of being in the wrong. Try digging a Civil War site and explaining to the ranger that it's OK because it's public land. Also, I live next to a State Park. I can't collect a bottle off the surface. I can't keep an arrowhead if I find one. But, I can kill a deer if I have a permit, because hunters have have political clout. All I'm trying to say is, express your opinions freely and let others do as they may at their own risk.


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## sem_yeto (Sep 23, 2011)

You guys who dont approve of digging vacant unkept bank homes or abandoned slum lord properties, are all entitled to your opinions.  But you do a disservice to the forum to rag on guys who do clean work at dirty sites, like Chris who took the time to post pics and an interesting dig story. Do you think people will want to post their digs, when arm-chair quarterbacks who probably hardly ever dig, are going to crucify them for not obtaining permish from a bank? (which by the way is unobtainable).
 Different situations call for different types of permissions or non-permissions.  Every seasoned digger knows this.  That's what separates the successfull diggers from the unsuccessful.  Like Rick said, backyard digging in occupied homes is a different ballgame, and I'm sure Chris brings his A-game in for those types of digs as well.  Bottom line: You have to be able to dig and adapt your gameplan to all situations, and on those non-permits at vacant unkept houses, if you leave it as well or better than you found it = no harm done.  History saved, weeds cut, garbage tossed in hole. End of story.


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## Penn Digger (Sep 24, 2011)

On a more possitive note.  I like the plastic garbage can method of  collecting the fill for much easier back fill.  Even just putting it on tarps as we have done is still a major pain.  We dug a simple 13-14 footer earlier this summer and it was a gruesome back fill job in the extreme heat reshoveling most of it.  I know Sick Rick has used the plastic barrel system for many years.  Would like to try it the next time we dig a deep one.

 PD


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## lexdigger (Sep 24, 2011)

The fact is that if you get caught digging on private property and you are prosecuted, you will get a trespassing charge and destruction of private property at the most. Get caught digging on public lands and watch what happens! You could be convicted with a prison sentence... not to mention your ENTIRE collection and all of your equipment confiscated. I would much rather take my chances asking a property owner to forgive me than to deal with forest services or park rangers. There is NO WAY I would hike around in the woods on public property looking for old bottles to dig... like some diggers HERE have posted in the past. Don't throw stones when you live in glass houses.


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## digger don (Sep 24, 2011)

Nice dig Chris. We've done that many times. It's only a hole not like your robbing the place. I would be more worried about a guy that makes people chew on a gun than some one digging a hole. Keep posting most people look forward to seeing your posts . Blade , Stony and I have a dig coming this weekend . Blades bringing a camera so will post some pics.


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 24, 2011)

In reality, the chance of being prosecuted for digging in a non-permission back yard, whether it be bank owned or just abandoned, is somewhere between slim and none. Not to worry, buckeroos, hit it a soon as the opportunity arises. Let the feint of heart wander in circles gnashing their teeth over your transgressions.  Many times it's those who are afraid to walk on private property who are willing to drop a dime on those who have no such fear. [8D]


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## sem_yeto (Sep 24, 2011)

I agree with Lex. Stay out of the parks and public national state and federal lands. The Man will try to accuse you of all kinds of stuff for diggin a hole in those places, everything from destroying an archeological site to hurtin some Indians' feelins !  This will give the rea bad publicity, when Feds or State catch someone on their  (yeah I know... it's not ours anymore. Thanks the Dems for that...).


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 24, 2011)

A number of years ago a friend was arrested and cited for bottle digging at a site that is on railroad property, but adjacent to Fed land. He went before the BLM Magistrate in Reno and received a $450 fine. Being the diligent digger that he was, and knowing well and good that he was not on Fed property, he refused to pay the fine and requested a hearing at US District Court. That judge tossed the case out, which frosted the BLM Magistrate, but there was nothing that could be done about it. It was a contrived pony show by overzealous BLM employees who also received admonishment for their illegal arrest of the evil digger. 

 That being said, it is never a good idea to take the chance to dig on "public property", especially within eyesight of well traveled roads. I also hunt Native American artifacts and do so freely on BLM and USFC property, simply because the vast majority of western states land falls under their purview. Don't look obvious and don't telegraph your activity. If questioned you are looking for minerals.


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## mr.fred (Sep 24, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  sem_yeto
> 
> I agree with Lex. Stay out of the parks and public national state and federal lands. The Man will try to accuse you of all kinds of stuff for diggin a hole in those places, everything from destroying an archeological site to hurtin some Indians' feelins !  This will give the rea bad publicity, when Feds or State catch someone on their  (yeah I know... it's not ours anymore. Thanks the Dems for that...).
> [/quote     I happen to be 1 of  those Indians[>:]-----so choose your words carefully White Man  []


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## mr.fred (Sep 24, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  brokenshovel
> 
> Here's some smalls and glue backs.  It was a shame that most of the items were so damaged.  These pits also suffered heavy dipping as many items were missing large pieces of the item
> Pipes
> ...


Some nice looking stuff you got!----the pipes are awesome[].are those Dutch scenes on the bowls?---thanks for posting your dig[]


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 24, 2011)

I have never done any gluing of broken privy objects. Sorry, but it just doesn't interest me. If it's whole it's kept, otherwise they just get tossed back in with the rest of the fill. Same for pipe bowls, unless they are face pipes or of the stemless variety. If the stem is gone, the pipe is returned.


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## rockbot (Sep 24, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  mr.fred
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## tftfan (Sep 24, 2011)

Nice Glass....


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 24, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  CALDIGR2
> 
> I have never done any gluing of broken privy objects. Sorry, but it just doesn't interest me. If it's whole it's kept, otherwise they just get tossed back in with the rest of the fill. Same for pipe bowls, unless they are face pipes or of the stemless variety. If the stem is gone, the pipe is returned.


 
 I  don't do to much of the "gluing back" but I like to see the finished pieces of others,its like a internet museum,something I dont do,but cool to look at []


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## Penn Digger (Sep 24, 2011)

> [/quote     I happen to be 1 of  those Indians-----so choose your words carefully White Man


 
 [sm=tongue.gif]


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## pjritter (Sep 24, 2011)

> ORIGINAL: Penn Digger
> 
> Alan,
> 
> ...


 
 In the situation of this particular dump owner - 

 if he doesnt want anyone digging because of previous diggers then you werent trying hard enough !! thats an easy one.

 As for digging without permission - 

 just put it back the way it was and nothing will come of it. not sure how that would give us a bad 'rap'.

 deldig - that smiley face at the end of your post looks like you. [8|]


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## baltbottles (Sep 24, 2011)

I like gluing broken pottery almost as much as digging. I have found it to be very rewarding...... The picture is from my Baltimore redware display at the Baltimore show this year it won both prizes, best of show, and peoples choice.... 90 percent of the pottery in the display is broken and glued back from dug shards. the other 10 percent is intact pieces I have dug.

 Digging in the AM wish me luck......

 Chris


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## rockbot (Sep 24, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  baltbottles
> 
> I like gluing broken pottery almost as much as digging. I have found it to be very rewarding...... The picture is from my Baltimore redware display at the Baltimore show this year it won both prizes, best of show, and peoples choice.... 90 percent of the pottery in the display is broken and glued back from dug shards. the other 10 percent is intact pieces I have dug.
> 
> ...


 
 Spectacular!
 what a beautiful and historic display.


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## Wheelah23 (Sep 24, 2011)

I've never had the time to glue back stuff, even though I've found some real criers of stoneware... I usually just toss the pieces aside, unless it's something truly spectacular.


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 24, 2011)

VERY NICE display. If I could find broken mocha or redware I would probably save it for sure. None of that out here, we are too "new" for that. About all we find are an occasional yellowware piece and piles of busted ironstone. None of that is "keeper" material.


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## cyberdigger (Sep 24, 2011)

I'd hate to think what I tossed aside while digging just because it was broke.. I was only interested in whole specimens, but after seeing the above pic, I'm feeling thicker than the offspring of a village idiot and a TV weather girl.. [8|]


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## tigue710 (Sep 25, 2011)

Break a leg!  Damn that is a fine display.  Wish I could have seen that in person.  

 I'll I can say is your a hell of a credit to our hobby and I believe to early American history in general... Keep the posts coming


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## RedGinger (Sep 26, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  Penn Digger
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 Maybe some diggers could help restore it to its grandeur.[]  I'll put it my two cents, here.  I have dug in Baltimore City and it is not like it is in Bradford.  An abandoned crack house that is falling down, with a tiny backyard is not on the top of the polices' list.  My first privy dig there, with Baltbottles, a policeman pulled up and was curious about what we found.  Then, he left.  It is a much bigger city, so there is a lot more for the police to be concerned about.  One time, a neighbor bought us all a pizza and thought it was cool.  Another time, when nothing abandoned could be found, a homeowner gave permission in exchange for a huge tree stump they couldn't remove themselves, and a little cleaning up of their small "yard".  The people in the area are what you need to be concerned with when digging there.  The police are fine as long as you are respectful and explain what you are doing.  I don't know how else to explain the way it is there.

 Obviously, you're not going to just start digging in a yard with a well kept house and people inhabiting it.  These are very very old rowhomes that no one cares about.  The city was selling them for $1 each to get rid of them and get something done with the properties awhile ago.


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## RedGinger (Sep 26, 2011)

No offense to anyone intended. I guess it's my Sagitarrian nature to say whatever I'm thinking and sometimes, things look untoward when they are not meant to be.  Anyway, good luck to the privy diggers.  There's nothing like digging privies.


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## brokenshovel (Sep 26, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  RICKJJ59W
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 I'm sort of a puzzle or building freak.  I was one of those kids that took everything apart and put it back together.  Now on the side I restore cars, make motorcycles etc so I love to put things back together.

 99% of my glue backs are given away.  
 Do I like historical flasks? Yes, but would I spend the $$$ on a Corn for the World flask? No. So Now I have one somebody may find interesting and when I give it to them it helps me get calls or other bottles because they remember when I gave it to them.

 Here's one of my mechanical "glue backs"


 Funny part about this bike is it has changed hands three times since I sold it and now belongs to the President of the Baltimore Antique Bottle Club


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## sem_yeto (Sep 26, 2011)

No offense meant to any Indians on the site here.  My reference was meant to reflect the Fed Govt's all inclusive Antiquities Act law, enacted to protect Indian sites. Unfortunately  this law was painted with such a big brush, that the BLM and Forest Service rangers interpret it to include sites where there are no (zero) traces of Indian graves, etc....   The law adversely impacts diggers trying to dig in old mining camps in the Cal Nevada high sierra, etc... The Feds hide behind the Indian law to further control any type of digging and run bottle diggers out of ghost town sites etc...


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 26, 2011)

You are correctomundo, sem_yeto. The 1906 Antiquities Act did not have a broad enough spectrum of coverage so the know-it-alls at the BLM, USFC, and other Gov't Agencies decide to create something that covered all bases, so to speak. The Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 was created to do just that. The ARPA basically takes away anyone's right to explore old mining camps and walk the desert looking at anything. If you do so you are at risk of harassment by overzealous and undertrained wannabe police. Most are indoctrinated at their schools into believing that no "civilian" has the right to walk on land that they pay taxes for and that all persons doing so are suspect. I call them "Arrowhead Po-lice", because that is their main focus, not the criminals actually doing bad things. No sir, those guys might fight back and they can't have that now can they? "F" them, I do what we've always done anyway. It's called "trash removal", plain and simple.


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## RICKJJ59W (Sep 26, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  brokenshovel
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 Who owns that now?


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## rockbot (Sep 27, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  RedGinger
> 
> 
> Obviously, you're not going to just start digging in a yard with a well kept house and people inhabiting it.Â


 

 I've done that too![][]


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## appliedlips (Sep 27, 2011)

Nothing worse than finding out a vacant isn't really vacant.[]


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 27, 2011)

A buddy and I once dug a pit under a house where people were walking around above us. The house had been added onto and the addition covered the oldest privy. Chairs were scraping around and you could hear them eating lunch. It was nerve wracking but sure worth it at the time. Several killer whiskeys in that thing. They never had a clue.


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## pjritter (Sep 27, 2011)

> ORIGINAL: appliedlips
> 
> Nothing worse than finding out a vacant isn't really vacant.[]


 
 yeah....wait till they go to the supermarket then punch a hole in the driveway.


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## pjritter (Sep 27, 2011)

> ORIGINAL: CALDIGR2
> 
> A buddy and I once dug a pit under a house where people were walking around above us. The house had been added onto and the addition covered the oldest privy. Chairs were scraping around and you could hear them eating lunch. It was nerve wracking but sure worth it at the time. Several killer whiskeys in that thing. They never had a clue.


 
 hahahahahahahahahahahaha


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 27, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  pjritter
> 
> 
> 
> ...


  If I had waited several years we could've dug that privy with ease 'cause the house was torn out. Oh well, if we hadn't hit it someone else sure would have. A brew pub now sits on the site, so I can go back and drink a few to the memory of the dig.


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## pjritter (Sep 27, 2011)

> ORIGINAL: CALDIGR2
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 I remember one time digging with chris behind a board up. He went aound the side to take a pee and some dude came running out the side of the house asking him how he would feel if he did that next to his house. Chris apologized and we returned to digging the pit in the guys back yard!! He still had no idea.


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