# Question about digging a privy



## Walker1200 (Jul 17, 2021)

Hi all, 

I'm new to digging bottles, and naturally, I've got some questions.  I've found that bottle digging is something my wife and kids enjoy doing too, so its definitely important to me to pursue the hobby.  I have access to an 1830s farmhouse and have permission to locate and dig the privy.  In theory, once its located (with a probe), does it make more sense to dig directly over where the opening was...or does it make more sense to dig right next to it and then go into the privy from the side?  From everything I've read, listened to, and watched so far...I haven't been able figure that one out. Thanks in advance!

Cheers!

-Kerry


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## hemihampton (Jul 17, 2021)

Privy's on Farm house's I've found be be harder to find then the City due to the much more wide open space & acres. BUT, Once you do find it go straight in from the top down. But, on many instances I've done this & dug out the privy, Then, many times you can probe the side walls & probe into another privy right next to it, SO, In that case you would be going in from the side. I've done this may times. LEON.


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## Walker1200 (Jul 18, 2021)

Hey Leon,

Thank you for the info!  That does make sense.  You're right that its going to be a challenge to locate the privy.  If I do find it, I'll dig into the sidewalls to see if there is an adjacent privy as well.  When you dig your initial hole, do you go wider than the privy hole or just wide enough to fit inside of it?

-Kerry


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## hemihampton (Jul 18, 2021)

Me & my Digging Buddy usually start by cutting out the sod in little squares, maybe 1 foot by 1 foot at a time until we got a  3'x3' or 4'x4' square. If it is bigger you'll find out when you get to the bottom & bottles or trash continue into the sidewalls. LEON.


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## Walker1200 (Jul 18, 2021)

How do you know when you reach the bottom of the privy?  Will the dirt look a certain way?

-Kerry


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## hemihampton (Jul 18, 2021)

YES, It does look a certain way, lots of times near the bottom just before you hit the bottles you'll come across a layer of white ash. under that layer at bottom is the bottles. Sometimes you'll run into bottles on your way down before you hit bottom but most of the good older stuff at very bottom, once you try to get past the bottom you'll notice the ground will get very hard. I always probe the bottom & walls when done, alot of guys I've dug with don't & miss stuff because of that. LEON.

P.S. that's my experience here in Michigan, other States will vary in many ways.


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## Walker1200 (Jul 18, 2021)

This is great info. Thank you for taking the time to reply!!  Hopefully I'll find some history to share soon!

-Kerry


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## Kevin S. (Jul 18, 2021)

Walker1200 said:


> How do you know when you reach the bottom of the privy?  Will the dirt look a certain way?
> 
> -Kerry



The bottom of an outhouse is the "seed layer". Once you begin running into a bit of a thick patch of assorted seeds, you know you've reached its bottom.  

I'd also check with the people living there and see if they may have old photos of the place, that makes it simple to find the privy.


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## Walker1200 (Jul 18, 2021)

So I went probing for the privy at the farmhouse today.  I probed all around the areas I thought it might be, based on the position of the house and the wind.  I didn't have much luck except near a set of telephone poles.  It was the only place the probe went all the way down.   Would this be because the area was disturbed to put in the poles, or is it worth digging a test hole?  The tip of the probe came out wet, so it was tough to know what the dirt looked like.


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## hemihampton (Jul 18, 2021)

A lot of the Privies I find are near Telephone Polls. That because many telephone poles are on the property line & mark corners of Property lines & that's where you are most likely to find them. That spot you found I'd do a small test hole, like maybe 2 feet by 2 feet diameter & head straight down till you hit glass or hit something? Good Luck. LEON.


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## Walker1200 (Jul 18, 2021)

I'd love for that to be the case.  Ill do a test hole and keep you updated.


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## hemihampton (Jul 18, 2021)

One of the last small test holes I did which did not look to Promising I ended pulling out this 1860's Civil War Flask & others. LEON.


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## Walker1200 (Jul 18, 2021)

Wow, yeah that does look like it was certainly worth it!  Shes a beauty! These  poles happen to be in the middle of this property, and also slightly on a decline. I dont know if that changes things.  It won't hurt to do a test dig though. At least then I'll be able to sleep at night. =)


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## hemihampton (Jul 18, 2021)

Are the poles on the property line, it looks like it, sides maybe? I usually start at a back corner & work my way across the back of the property line to the next corner. If I find nothing there I then work my way up the sides of the Property line from back corners, if nothing there you can try a straight line out from back Door. If nothing there then it could be anywhere & you gotta probe the whole back yard. LEON.


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## Walker1200 (Jul 18, 2021)

I think the property line is a bit further back.  Behind the poles is their fenced in horse paddock.  There is a bit of a stone wall just beyond the horse paddock, so I assumed that was the property line.  I could be wrong though. Things change over the years and we can only piece together the bits of information we know about the past.  Either way I'm going to investigate that area. =)


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## Tony Kendzior (Jul 21, 2021)

hemihampton said:


> Privy's on Farm house's I've found be be harder to find then the City due to the much more wide open space & acres. BUT, Once you do find it go straight in from the top down. But, on many instances I've done this & dug out the privy, Then, many times you can probe the side walls & probe into another privy right next to it, SO, In that case you would be going in from the side. I've done this may times. LEON.


Some 50 years ago I was digging behind an abandoned house near downtown Charleston. Dug in the corner where I assumed the privy was and found lots of good stuff. When it was empty, I started by removing some of the bricks to the side thinking the next house over might have had a privy there. Almost raw sand but in that sand was this Charles Clark bottle. I've always assumed it was left there by whomever was laying the bricks when the privy was built. Tony


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## Walker1200 (Jul 21, 2021)

Wow, she's amazing! Yeah I bet you're right. Good thing you checked the sand.  I assume its always good to check the sides of the hole while you're in it.

-Kerry


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## willong (Jul 21, 2021)

hemihampton said:


> Are the poles on the property line, it looks like it, sides maybe? I usually start at a back corner & work my way across the back of the property line to the next corner. If I find nothing there I then work my way up the sides of the Property line from back corners, if nothing there you can try a straight line out from back Door. If nothing there then it could be anywhere & you gotta probe the whole back yard. LEON.



Leon, it warms my heart to see how much good advice you are freely offering this new digger. Thank you.


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## TxBottleDigger (Jul 21, 2021)

Respectfully, you may want to hold off on something that old until you are more experienced. Also, I would not dig beside a utility pole unless proper precautions were taken. Toxic preservatives such as arsenic, creosote, and pentachlorophenol, still remain in most power poles made before 2003.  Pentachlorophenol
can cause cancer.


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## treeguyfred (Jul 21, 2021)

Hello @Walker1200 great topic question and terrific advice from one of our more currently active digging members Leon!
Just a bit of caution and a question... are there service and or pole to pole wires on these utility poles? if so, please be exceptionally careful to not drastically undermine the pole bases which could cause tipping or out right felling.
Good luck and look forward to hearing any news from this hunt!
~Fred


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## treeguyfred (Jul 21, 2021)

Tony Kendzior said:


> Some 50 years ago I was digging behind an abandoned house near downtown Charleston. Dug in the corner where I assumed the privy was and found lots of good stuff. When it was empty, I started by removing some of the bricks to the side thinking the next house over might have had a privy there. Almost raw sand but in that sand was this Charles Clark bottle. I've always assumed it was left there by whomever was laying the bricks when the privy was built. Tony   View attachment 227697View attachment 227698


This is sweet find tony!


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## TxBottleDigger (Jul 21, 2021)

TxBottleDigger said:


> Respectfully, you may want to hold off on something that old until you are more experienced. Also, I would not dig beside a utility pole unless proper precautions were taken. Toxic preservatives such as arsenic, creosote, and pentachlorophenol, still remain in most power poles made before 2003.  pentachlorophenol
> can cause cancer.


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## willong (Jul 21, 2021)

treeguyfred said:


> Hello @Walker1200 great topic question and terrific advice from one of our more currently active digging members Leon!
> Just a bit of caution and a question... are there service and or pole to pole wires on these utility poles? if so, please be exceptionally careful to not drastically undermine the pole bases which could cause tipping or out right felling.
> Good luck and look forward to hearing any news from this hunt!
> ~Fred


Good advice Fred.


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## willong (Jul 21, 2021)

Walker1200 said:


> I'd love for that to be the case.  Ill do a test hole and keep you updated.


I would add to tother good advice you've already received: go slowly if the privy is located. Select tools carefully to eliminate damage and take time to gingerly excavate any glass, pottery or metal encountered--don't wrench on a bottle to dislodge it from the matrix like one sees some of the dolts* on YouTube doing. Have plenty of newspaper on hand to wrap finds as soon as they are unearthed--it will insulate bottles against worst thermal shock as well as pad against mechanical damage. Thermal shock is riskiest when bringing warmer bottles out of ground and laying them onto snow--I broke one of my own first embossed patent medicine finds that way (a hard lesson)--but could conceivably occur with a cold bottle laid upon hot sand in sunshine.

* Backhoe bottle diggers are even worse. We've all pulled and pried bottles after gaining enough experience to gauge the vintage, type and probable identity of a bottle from seeing just a portion exposed. But my caution, like that of TxBottleDigger, is directed at a neophyte who potentially might encounter some rare and valuable relics.

I think we are all looking forward to following your adventure--I know that I am. Good luck and happy digging!


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## Walker1200 (Jul 21, 2021)

Hey Fred,

Thank you for the kind words and for the advice.  I will be sure not to disturb too much ground under the poles.  I believe they are active.  

I appreciate everyone's experience!

-Kerry


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## Walker1200 (Jul 21, 2021)

Thanks for the guidance Willong.  I will make sure that I am prepared and go slowly if in fact I do locate antique bottles in their (or any) privy.  I'm sure there are going to be some heart-breaking broken glass bottles, but I hope to minimize them.  

Cheers!

-Kerry


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## Palani (Jul 21, 2021)

It is always good when you are digging down to find the side walls a lot of bottles roll to the side.


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## hemihampton (Jul 21, 2021)

I wanted to point out I never dig right next to any telephone polls & never would. I never get any closer then maybe 3 feet of them as seen in these 2 pics. LEON.


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