# My husband dug a privy by accident??!!!



## bottlejunky (May 22, 2008)

Hi everyone,
 A couple of weeks ago my husband came home from work with about 50 bottles. He runs equiptment and was working in Rhode Island.  He was digging into a slope and out spewed bottles galore.  I got online and found tons of info and can't believe the things he found. Open pontiled medecines, black glass, umbrella inks, stoneware, lots of food bottles. The weird thing is  as he dug everything seemed to be in groups of like items. Anyway, I am completely bit by the bug.  I am a mother of three and after a long boring winter needed a hobby, THIS IS IT for ever. I can't believe the history of these bottles.  I have bottles all over my house, dirt everywhere.  Where do I go from here, do I have to pro clean  them all?? How do I store them? I might sell some, what's the best way to price them, it seems like there are a lot of details like color, size pontil etc.  We took our family on a bike ride to a historic area in RI  and my husband and I could not stop looking around the river banks for a mound of something, Every old house i see i think BOTTLES,...............[:-] help... do they have a group therapy for this type of disorder?.[]  I am trying to post some pix but says the files too large.


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## sweetrelease (May 22, 2008)

oh boy theres no lookin back now[8|]. do you have any pictures? that helps alot. your husband got started the same way i did in construction. lets see some , matt


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## woody (May 22, 2008)

You'll never be the same. There is no cure.
 [8D]


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## zanes_antiques (May 22, 2008)

*Where's the photographs?*


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## cordilleran (May 22, 2008)

Welcome to the Forum "bottlejunky". At this site most all of your questions will be answered. I suggest that you visit your local library where books are available with regards to collecting antique glass. It sounds as if your husband clipped into an old dump site. Not unusual as construction sites usually deserve examination.

 The Internet also has a wealth of information (such as this website) on bottle collecting, cleaning, history and exhibition. Searches including all the aforementioned phrases and additonal word searches will yield results.

 Again, welcome and expect your new hobby to be addictive, adventuresome and educational.


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## bunchesofbottles (May 22, 2008)

Sounds like another OCD to me. 

 Sometimes these things find us. I have lived in my home for about 11years and a couple of years after we moved in, I was standing under my carport watching it storm like crazy. I heard glass breaking, it was rolling out of the hill, bottle after bottle, "tink". I now try to beat the rain to them.

 I have found the search feature on this site the most helpful. Chances are someone before you/us had a similar question. Lots of past posts with tons of info.
  Happy collecting, good luck with your new obsession.


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## bottlejunky (May 22, 2008)

I going to send some pics, I'm having a problem with the file.  Thanks for the response.


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## RICKJJ59W (May 22, 2008)

Hey Cord...
  How did you make out on that dig you said you where doing?The row homes? I forget what it was,but you said it was a number of pits. Rick


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## bunchesofbottles (May 22, 2008)

Check the Help topics on the main forum page. It unconfused me.


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## RICKJJ59W (May 22, 2008)

Sounds like your Husband hit some good old pits with the backhoe.We rarely ever get the opportunity to dig construction sites,because they are never doing any demolition around our area.We have to rely on good old fashioned permissions from home owners.Good luck on your (New hobby) and welcome to the insane bottle club[8D].Send in a few pix I would like to see the stuff he dug up.Rick


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## cordilleran (May 22, 2008)

Rick:

 Sorry I haven't responded in a timely manner. Between pits and myriad daily responsibilities, I've been strapped for time.

 Since my original post the Privy Posse and a crew from over the hill (Seattle area) have excavated about 20 additional pits. The pits in Walla Walla average five- to six-feet in depth so, excavation is not as time-consuming as other locations, particularly those in the eastern U.S.

 We've taken hundreds of bottles during this time including African Bitters, Hostetters Bitters, various cures, ground-lip fruit jars, whiskies (quarts, pumpkinseeds, coffin flasks in amber and clear), beers, wines, ales and medicines including Stewart and Holmes, J.C. Hockett (both Walla Walla embossed) and a good number of rare Washington Territory embossed medicines, Kennedy's Saltrheum, Dr. Miles Restorative Nervine, et. al. Most notably we dug a W.T. from Spokane Falls in aqua, of which there is only one other known. Unfortunately, the lip was broken...

 Additionally, we've found your typical array of non-bottle artifacts including bisque doll's heads (with eyes), a Goodyear 1851 patent vulcanite ear syringe, coins, marbles (china, clay, Bennington, agates, a peppermint swirl, and a marble that is three inches in across), a brass lock, an undamaged English China transeferware bowl.

 Generally we will dig in one neighborhood block per weekend, hitting all the privies from house to house. The privies usually are but two to three feet apart along the alleyways and date from the 1870s to the early 1900s. Interesting to note that the early 1900s privies are usually only partially filled and probably due to that fact that folks were getting indoor plumbing about this time. Needless to say, digging is good in Walla Walla.

 I will attempt to post photos of this weekend's digs and cannot currently since I do not have a digital camera but will secure one.


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## bottlejunky (May 22, 2008)

Hey thanks for all the responses, i hope to gain some good relationships with you all, I have a feeling I could learn a lot.  It is funny how things come your way. I hopefully got the picture thing figured out, check out some inks. There is a nice black glass 8 sided umbrella.


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## bunchesofbottles (May 22, 2008)

beau-ti-ful. i'm lookin at the green on the right. cutie patootie.......I mean cool


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## woody (May 22, 2008)

Stop teasing us and show us some more pictures, esp. some of the pontil bases.


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## Digswithstick (May 22, 2008)

Hi Bottle Junkie , welcome ,very nice inks show us more pics please! Digsws


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## bottlejunky (May 22, 2008)

We found a Warnes safe kidney & liver cure, 4 Davis Pain Killers different sizes, Dr townsends Sarsasparilla,2 Dr Langley's Root & herb Bitters , Burnetts Cocaine and lots more. Does anyone know what the little mug base clear weird shaped bottle is???Thanks..


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## treasurekidd (May 22, 2008)

Welcome to the forum bottlejunky, and welcome to the worlds most addicting hobby. I'm from RI as well, and have been digging and bottle collecting for about 3 years. That is an outstanding looking pile of bottles you have there. I am a member of the Little Rhody Bottle Club - I'll send you a PM about it, let me know if you are interested. Happy hunting!!


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## RICKJJ59W (May 22, 2008)

If your talking about the thing that looks like a turtle,thats a turtle ink [8D]


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## RICKJJ59W (May 22, 2008)

Backhoe digging for bottle will spoil you.But if he does it on the job..... hey people have to work[]


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## tigue710 (May 22, 2008)

wow... it always gets me, and I by no means say this in a negative way, how many of us search 20 years for a hole like that and then boom, all of sudden someone who has never had an interest in bottles before hits the mother load!  It seems to happen all the time!  No I've dug some beautiful stuff actually and I'm very happy with all of it.

 A little warning though, that could be the best dig you folks ever have, and many many many of them will turn up nothing.  Have a little patient though, you'll find good stuff again!

 Congratulations![] 

  I'm in New London Ct, close to RI, if you ever want to talk bottles or want some digging tips drop me a private message through the forum here.  Also do appraisals too!


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## RICKJJ59W (May 22, 2008)

Hey Tigue...with a backhoe yet [8D][][]


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## beendiggin (May 22, 2008)

I hope you realize how lucky you are! Don't make the mistake of selling those beauties, just make a shelf or space for them and you'll never get tired of holding them up and telling the story of how you found them.   I always regret selling some of my first bottles because I thought that there would always be more of the same to come.  It 's not that easy to dig such nice bottles.  They are super nice! Great finds and all at once too. Wow. Keep posting, we can help you with many FAQs regarding history, identification, and approximate value if you need to know.


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## CazDigger (May 22, 2008)

Hi Kristen, is your husband hiring? I can't operate equipment, but I'm good with a potato rake and shovel. Great finds!!!
 Mark


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## Staunton Dan (May 22, 2008)

What truly amazes me is that when I am patiently digging a privy hole, I still tend to break a bottle or 2 by accident especially the pontiled ones which are so delicate. Your husband uses a backhoe no less and as we can all see, many bottles came out unscathed. What a testiment to being at the right place at the right time. Congratulations on the beginning of your new hobby. You are starting a little in reverse with great bottles 1st. Most of us don't get the chance to start that way. Hope you can post more of the finds. We all enjoy seeing the spoils of your labor. Great post and again... CONGRATULATIONS to you both.


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## RICKJJ59W (May 22, 2008)

Thats right don't think they are going top pop out of the ground like tomato's lol We thought when we hit that pit with 35 cobalt iron pontil's we would find a ton more in that town,that didn't happen, we found a few 70s blues but no more 50s Ips. (yet) lol hold on to what you got.


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## bottlejunky (May 23, 2008)

In response to tique 710, I'm sure it will be one of our best finds.  I understand where you are coming from.  I also know that digging with a machine is a lot different than by hand.  You know it is just something that came to me and my husband, almost a response to my prayers. It's wacky, God works in mysterious ways, especially in my life.
 Thanks for the encouragement even though you would probably slap us if you could[]


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## bottlejunky (May 23, 2008)

Hi everyone, by the sounds of all your responses I feel luckier than ever.  MY husband did break some stuff, as soon as he saw bottles he did get in the whole and dig with his hands. Well hand, his left arm is paralized.  he came home with his fingers scraped to hell because he had no tools.  Im sure we would be tempted to sell some, thinking we could always find more, because they just fell into our hands.   But I think we will keep them, your all right, we'll probably never find the things we did again.
 Thanks, I have much respect for you all.  I think it takes nerve just to ask permission, never mind dig 15' with a shovel.


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## jesster64 (May 23, 2008)

"a nice black 8 sided ink" , to me thats like saying a "nice" lamborgini. Beautiful inks and I'm looking forward to seeing more pictures. I guess its like pulling the handle and seeing 3 jackpots on a slot machine. Glad your husband stopped the back hoe and rescued the bottles.


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## idigjars (May 23, 2008)

Welcome to the forum Kristen and congrats on your finds.  Awesome bottles!!  Colored pontiled inks, you are blessed.  Best regards            Paul


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## E (May 23, 2008)

Congratz and welcome to the jungle.  If you are like me you will never recover from your infection with the bottle bug.  You are fortunate to have a spouse who understands/shares in your new bizarre passion (my wife is a lovely/tolerate lady, but she will never completely fathom my obsession with bottles).

 I would be interested to hear how others first contracted the "bottle bug," I won't post my memoirs here, but I will say that I became an instant bottle hound at the age of 8 (almost 40 years ago).  I recall toting my shovel with me to school every day and digging (and yes actually finding) bottles/crocks during recess.  Ahhh, if I could just go back to the late 60's again for just a day or two...


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## jesster64 (May 23, 2008)

bottlejunky. You said you have 3 kids. start them off by having them research the bottles on the web. the history of the area, the history of the bottles. Also have them check ebay for similar bottles. nothing like seeing a dollar value to get the kids excited. finally, go out and dig with them this summer. its better than sitting in front of the TV. take them to the library and get some bottle books out. kids love to get dirty, cleaning bottles on a hot day is a great way to cool off with the hose. also check for local bottle clubs and possible shows. you've stepped into now and there's no going back. you're only problem is you've hit the mother lode on the first try, its not always that easy but it is always fun.


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## Staunton Dan (May 23, 2008)

Here's a picture of me and my son sifting a privy hole. You're never too young or too old. He is nearly 3 and I am nearly 63. He loves digging with his daddy and I love having him along. Actually, he watches and plays with his trucks while daddy digs. Mom took this picture to show what the future will bring. There will be plenty of time real soon when he will actually be in the hole along side of me really digging and sifting.


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## idig (May 23, 2008)

> ORIGINAL: Staunton Dan
> 
> Here's a picture of me and my son sifting a privy hole. You're never too young or too old. He is nearly 3 and I am nearly 63. He loves digging with his daddy and I love having him along. Actually, he watches and plays with his trucks while daddy digs. Mom took this picture to show what the future will bring. There will be plenty of time real soon when he will actually be in the hole along side of me really digging and sifting.


 
 I bet he can out-dig you! is that a cane I see in the background? hahaha! thats a joke!


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## RICKJJ59W (May 23, 2008)

There is always a bigger mother load,but when?[]


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## tigue710 (May 23, 2008)

I wouldnt slap ya!  I'd just bother you to see them over and over....


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