# Rock pile Bottle 1870s privy  any gusses?



## RICKJJ59W (Jun 29, 2007)

*Between me and my friend we dug 10 of these out of a 1870s pit, I never knew what was in the bottle, there is no word embossing,The only embossing is what looks to be a pile of stones or rocks, and some flowers and grass on either end, my guess is it was for piles,(Rock pile) any one have a guess? Or ever seen one of these before. Rick*[/align]


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## beendiggin (Jun 29, 2007)

I have not seen that one before.....maybe it was for gall stones or kidney stones[]


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## Bottleman (Jun 30, 2007)

My buddy dug one of those last year and I thought it was pretty cool so I bought one for $10 at a bottle show. I have no information on the bottle but I would like to know more about them. I guess the only way to find out more is if someone finds one with a label. 

 ~~Tom


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## RICKJJ59W (Jun 30, 2007)

Yea I know they cant be scarce or any thing, we found 10 wholes ones and a ton of broken, one thing I do know, they drank a lot of it!  so it must have been real gooooood!! or not working at all [8D] I sold a few on ebay for 10 bucks, and yet no one know's what was in  it. Rick


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## cowseatmaize (Jun 30, 2007)

Piles could be right, think where you found them.


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## RICKJJ59W (Jun 30, 2007)

Hey good guess!  where's all the research guru's when you need um lol,I dug these bottles 3 years ago and i still dont know.Rick


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## RICKJJ59W (Jun 30, 2007)

True true, thay could have been drinking the stuff on the seat! hahahahah


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## cowseatmaize (Jun 30, 2007)

I was thinking more topical but...


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## RICKJJ59W (Jun 30, 2007)

Hahahaha thats a lot of stuff to smear dont ya think?[:'(]


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## GuntherHess (Jun 30, 2007)

pile medicines were normally ointments in small wide mouth bottles or jars.
 can you post a closer photo? It looks a little like a bee hive.


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## cowseatmaize (Jun 30, 2007)

If ya wanna do a good job, use a lot I always say


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## Just Dig it (Jun 30, 2007)

maybe it was a laxative and the  rocks  represent  blockage the  flowers  relief?..or to make  it appealable to women as well? just throwing a theory out there


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## RICKJJ59W (Jun 30, 2007)

Yea! That sounds good to, you wonder what they where thinking back then, I hope someone know for sure IM curious. Rick


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## RICKJJ59W (Jun 30, 2007)

I think thay are Rocks, here are 2 pix the flowers are hard to see because they are very fine embossment.


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## RICKJJ59W (Jun 30, 2007)

pic 2


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## KBbottles (Apr 30, 2010)

I just dug one of these yesterday!  Still no info on them huh?


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## Digswithstick (Apr 30, 2010)

How about maybe a cure for kidney stones ?


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## madman (Apr 30, 2010)

its for piles lol


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## RICKJJ59W (May 4, 2010)

> ORIGINAL:  madman
> 
> its for piles lol


 
 Word [8D]


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## bottlelaw (Mar 31, 2013)

I just dug one yesterday. Did anyone ever figure out what this bottle was?


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## Diggin4Togas (Mar 31, 2013)

I think it might be some sort of an ancient egyptian oil and thats why they have the pyramid on the bottle[8|]


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## RICKJJ59W (Mar 31, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  GuntherHess
> 
> pile medicines were normally ointments in small wide mouth bottles or jars.
> can you post a closer photo? It looks a little like a bee hive.


 

 Humm I always said it was piles,but maybe Gunter has something. Maybe it is a bee hive. Im looking at the bottom now.Lets bring this thing back to life. "What the Hell is that thing!"  lol

 Can you post a pic of yours?


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## tftfan (Mar 31, 2013)

From the South East Bottle Club Newsletter 2003 , CATAWBA WINE BITTERS, maybe ?


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 1, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  tftfan
> 
> From the South East Bottle Club Newsletter 2003 , CATAWBA WINE BITTERS, maybe ?


 
 That is not the same shape of pile but it is on the same page. I wonder what the heck that means. No hard proof yet. Guesses but no proof. nice bottle by the way


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## downeastdigger (Apr 2, 2013)

I remember digging a similar bottle YEARS ago.  Not exactly the same, but I vaguely remember it having an unexplained dot formation on it like that. Something like that.  It was crudely embossed "SMOLANDERS PREPARATIONS".

 Now I'm going to go google that to see if I'm right, or totally off base


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 2, 2013)

The mystery of the "rock pile" bottle lives on[]


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## cowseatmaize (Apr 2, 2013)

The Bitters is a bunch of grapes. Tilt you head to the left and look at it standing upright.


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 2, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  cowseatmaize
> 
> The Bitters is a bunch of grapes. Tilt you head to the left and look at it standing upright.


 
 yeah thats what it looks like. Mine don't look like grapes


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## andy volkerts (Apr 3, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  downeastdigger
> 
> I remember digging a similar bottle YEARS ago.  Not exactly the same, but I vaguely remember it having an unexplained dot formation on it like that. Something like that.  It was crudely embossed "SMOLANDERS PREPARATIONS".
> 
> Now I'm going to go google that to see if I'm right, or totally off base


 I think you are correct, and it was a smolanders laxative or pile remedy


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## SAbottles (Apr 4, 2013)

Hey Rick, just thought I'd toss my 2 cents in ! This is on a small bottle I bought as part of a lovely old collection - thought it looked familiar :


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## SAbottles (Apr 4, 2013)

Definitely grapes this one. Bottle says "Cantine Vaselli" .


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 4, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  SAbottles
> 
> Hey Rick, just thought I'd toss my 2 cents in ! This is on a small bottle I bought as part of a lovely old collection - thought it looked familiar :


 
 I don't think mine are grapes though.But the shape looks close.  mine looks like they are stacked up,not hanging like grapes. there is a base on mine also


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## cobaltbot (Apr 4, 2013)

I'm going with rock pile: maybe stood for a fort, redoubt, or stone wall something?

 "A little more rock, Capt. Bragg"


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## cowseatmaize (Apr 4, 2013)

> I'm going with rock pile: maybe stood for a fort, redoubt, or stone wall something?


Not grapes for sure. Perhaps something in the line of a native North or South American  stone mound. Definitely not of the Egyptian pyramid revival with all straight lines. Yours is much different.


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## tftfan (Apr 4, 2013)

am I seeing things ? is that some ghost embossing ?


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## tftfan (Apr 4, 2013)

maybe just TRADE MARK ?  in that spot, looks like numbers also.


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## diggerdirect (Apr 4, 2013)

Sure looks like ghosted embossing TRADE MARK, the rock pile resembles a 'cairn', used for various purposes throughout history, if we could only figure out which purpose. [8|]

 Al


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## cowseatmaize (Apr 4, 2013)

> cairn


There's one of the thousands of words I didn't know. It's kind of what I meant though.
From Wikipedia


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## cowseatmaize (Apr 4, 2013)

I don't suppose the privy was behind a funeral parlor, were they? Embalming fluid?


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## SAbottles (Apr 4, 2013)

Cows, if you lived in GlenCAIRN, like me, you would know it ! LOL The people who settled this area were very Scottish, hence Glencairn, Burnbrae Rd etc ! Och Aye !!


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## frozenmonkeyface (Apr 4, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  cowseatmaize
> 
> I don't suppose the privy was behind a funeral parlor, were they? Embalming fluid?


 
 That's what I was wondering, if maybe it represents a grave with stones on top?


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 4, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  KBbottles
> 
> I just dug one of these yesterday!Â  Still no info on them huh?Â


 
 post the picture I want to see it.


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 4, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  tftfan
> 
> am I seeing things ? is that some ghost embossing ?


 
 LOL I see it!!! BOO []


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 4, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  frozenmonkeyface
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 No this was dug in a 22 foot deep 6 foot wide brick liner. The guy was a "Daisy flour" king of "Clapboard town" what it was called back then. The wife was a healer and made medicine. Some good chit, no doubt []

 Here is the story on that dig."The privy/well" It is after "privy's by the yard"



 http://members.webs.com/MembersB/editAppPage.jsp?app=blog&pageID=114109020&token=null#


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## cowseatmaize (Apr 4, 2013)

Good eyes Micah, I'd have never seen that.
 http://www.mauritsonwines.com/farming.php


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 4, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  cowseatmaize
> 
> Good eyes Micah, I'd have never seen that.
> http://www.mauritsonwines.com/farming.php


 
 What does it say though?

 I see the rock pile link. But I don't see the rock pile logo. That would be a trip if that was it. it would go back to my original guess. "The Rock Pile Bottle" []


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## cowseatmaize (Apr 4, 2013)

TRADE on the left, MARK on the right.


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 4, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  cowseatmaize
> 
> TRADE on the left, MARK on the right.


 

 ohhh yeah I knew that was there I studied that bottle to death when I dug it. I also see what looks like weeds or flowers on the bottom.
   I am talking about on the web site you put up. Where do you see that "rock pile" is connected to my bottle? I don't see anything but the word rock pile.


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## cowseatmaize (Apr 4, 2013)

That was just grasping for straws. Not even that really, it's a region in California.
 http://www.mauritsonwines.com/rockpile.php


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 4, 2013)

There is no location on the bottle so who knows [8D]


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 4, 2013)

Guess what I found on Google? A rock pile bottle! only one problem,its mine  lol


 https://www.google.com/search?q=rock+pile+bottle&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=zQpeUaS7Labk4APZzoDYBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CE4QsAQ&biw=1024&bih=548


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## Steve/sewell (Apr 4, 2013)

All right Rick time for some sharper in tight pictures from you!!!!. Study the areas I have outlined in red. It sure looks like some sort of additional writing at the bottom.  Is this a pyramid possibly? How large is the bottle?


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## cowseatmaize (Apr 4, 2013)

WOW Steve, you blow my mind! Same with Micah, I couldn't tell until I saw it pointed out. I just couldn't get a sharp enough image and gave up.
 Then again, I hadn't noticed the stones look like the indent rather that the bulge. That's a lot different than any bunch or grapes I've ever seen. Is that the case or am I seeing things?


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## myersdiggers1998 (Apr 4, 2013)

looking at your circled animal figure , it looks like the last part is 3 letters to me  T Y N


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## Steve/sewell (Apr 4, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  cowseatmaize
> 
> WOW Steve, you blow my mind! Same with Micah, I couldn't tell until I saw it pointed out. I just couldn't get a sharp enough image and gave up.
> Then again, I hadn't noticed the stones look like the indent rather that the bulge. That's a lot different than any bunch or grapes I've ever seen. Is that the case or am I seeing things?


 Maybe Masonic Eric? ,Gordon I see that now Look over here too!!


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## myersdiggers1998 (Apr 4, 2013)

I see a Y B IN THE SQUARED AREA , ANOTHER LETTER THERE TOO.


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## Steve/sewell (Apr 4, 2013)

I see that also Gordon,Wheres Rick I hope he is taking pictures with his new Spectroscope MRI Digital Advanced Camera he got for Christmas!!![8D] So what we may have is a 14th degree Masonic bottle.....but Why[8|]


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## myersdiggers1998 (Apr 4, 2013)

There are 2 words below the rock pile and they apear to be ghosted in an up ward position.


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 4, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  Steve/sewell
> 
> I see that also Gordon,Wheres Rick I hope he is taking pictures with his new Spectroscope MRI Digital Advanced Camera he got for Christmas!!![8D] So what we may have is a 14th degree Masonic bottle.....but Why[8|]


 
 Im here, but im eating fresh coconut cream pie. No taking pix tonight [8D]


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## myersdiggers1998 (Apr 4, 2013)

your gonna get fat!


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## myersdiggers1998 (Apr 4, 2013)

the bottom right word could be   I or T X R  something?


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 4, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  myersdiggers1998
> 
> your gonna get fat!


 

 Nope im down to 183 and the winter has just ended   I deserve it []


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 4, 2013)

I see a face in there not an animal.

 I will take some pix tomorrow but I doubt I will get them as close as you did.


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## Steve/sewell (Apr 4, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  RICKJJ59W
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Only one other person I am aware of eats coconut cream pie Giligan


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## Steve/sewell (Apr 4, 2013)

You may have stumbled upon the Illuminati bottle Rick...........


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 5, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  Steve/sewell
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 LOL your using that pic to much steve it is starting to get distorted. Or is because of your photo shop skillz?[8D]


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## Steve/sewell (Apr 5, 2013)

Yes losing my skills as I age no doubt!![8D] Also rushed to get it done, these comedic thoughts in my head are very spontaneous and only hang around for a little while......so I need to act fast hence the poor quality of the Photo-shopping....but its the thought that counts,isn't it Rick[8D] Dont forget to take that picture when you find time. It is a very neat bottle with a lot of cryptic embossing and messaging all over it. Try and stay dry today its raining out you know[8D]


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## tftfan (Apr 5, 2013)

On the left side, under the "of" I see a face  with a guys face with a hat on. Looks like he is holding a sword that is going into the top of the rock pile. Someone please tell me you see it !......or I am just seeing things. []


> ORIGINAL:  Steve/sewell
> 
> All right Rick time for some sharper in tight pictures from you!!!!. Study the areas I have outlined in red. It sure looks like some sort of additional writing at the bottom.  Is this a pyramid possibly? How large is the bottle?


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 5, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  Steve/sewell
> 
> Yes losing my skills as I age no doubt!![8D] Also rushed to get it done, these comedic thoughts in my head are very spontaneous and only hang around for a little while......so I need to act fast hence the poor quality of the Photo-shopping....but its the thought that counts,isn't it Rick[8D] Dont forget to take that picture when you find time. It is a very neat bottle with a lot of cryptic embossing and messaging all over it. Try and stay dry today its raining out you know[8D]


 

 Ill try and take a close shot but how can I get any closer then what you have done? Zoom in on the picture you have up.


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 5, 2013)

Ok I took a few pix and this one came out the best. When I dug this I noticed something that  looked like grass and flowers on both sides of the rock pile. It is hard to get a real good pic that shows what my eyes see. This is what I have.


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## Steve/sewell (Apr 5, 2013)

Rick a couple of more photo's please and don't take them 90 degrees skew them at a softer 70 to 45 degree angles. This will allow glare to disappear and other hidden areas to suddenly to appear.Try also to post the entire bottle both sides as there are more hidden items on this then any other bottle I have ever encountered


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## diggerdirect (Apr 5, 2013)

Were the other 9 of these lightly embossed as well? Just curious as to the status of the others. I seen the post where someone else said they had just dug one but no pic posted. Sure is an interesting piece!


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## JohnN (Apr 5, 2013)

To me, those almost look like coffee cups. Notice the handles.


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 5, 2013)

I will take some more pix in the sun light tomorrow.

 but by looking at the bottle right now as I sit here.I can say 110% that the things I marked on the sides of the pile with the  arrows are  grass patches with long stem flowers growing out of the grass. No doubt. The long stems are very weak strike.

 As for the rest of the things I have no clue. 

 Coffee cups  LOL


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 5, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  diggerdirect
> 
> Were the other 9 of these lightly embossed as well? Just curious as to the status of the others. I seen the post where someone else said they had just dug one but no pic posted. Sure is an interesting piece!


 
 I have 2 left my buddy has 2 we gave the rest to people we know. The ones I have are identical.


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## JohnN (Apr 5, 2013)

Has anyone analyzed a bottle this much on this website? Anyway, I do like this. It is interesting to see what is ghostly embossed.


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## elmoleaf (Apr 5, 2013)

I'd guess it is a beehive. Honey is a pretty common cough medicine ingredient.
 Honey Tolu is one embossed beehive bottle I've seen a picture of online.


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## JohnN (Apr 5, 2013)

I think a beehive would be more rounded, rather than a triangle.


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 5, 2013)

I dug this bottle 5 years ago and no one had a clue what is was then. Maybe now I will find out. Guesses aren't going to make it fact though. It has to be written down or recorded some where. I also don't think its a bee hive,to pointy at the top.


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## epackage (Apr 5, 2013)

Have you tried a pencil rub Rick, it might help...


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 5, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  epackage
> 
> Have you tried a pencil rub Rick, it might help...


 
 Yeah thats a good idea,I'll try it


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## epackage (Apr 5, 2013)

I'm full of good ideas...[8D]


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## Steve/sewell (Apr 6, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  epackage
> 
> I'm full of good ideas...[8D]


 That's not all your full of Jim.....[8D]


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 6, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  Steve/sewell
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 Steve does have a point []


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 6, 2013)

The embossing is way to weak to show up with the pencil trick


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## epackage (Apr 6, 2013)

Full 0f handsome!!! It was worth a shot, good luck trying to find WTH it is....[]


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## Steve/sewell (Apr 6, 2013)

I'm seeing Englebert Humperdink now.........Anybody else see this[8|]    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkIVo9tKqTM


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## Steve/sewell (Apr 6, 2013)

Tomorrow Rick take some pictures from skewed angles it will help,it is a good piece of conversation that is for sure[8D] Neat bottle you can probably sell one now for at least a couple of hundred. Maybe you can ask for the others back you gave away[8D]


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 6, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  Steve/sewell
> 
> Tomorrow Rick take some pictures from skewed angles it will help,it is a good piece of conversation that is for sure[8D] Neat bottle you can probably sell one now for at least a couple of hundred. Maybe you can ask for the others back you gave away[8D]


 
 I lied I only dug 1 , its rare now right[8D]


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## Steve/sewell (Apr 6, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  RICKJJ59W
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 [8D][8D][8D][8D] That is funny Ric!!!k   Go Englebert,you know he knocked the Beatles out of the number 1 spot in 1967........ Blue Spanish Eyes........... 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTUpWwDRrv8  Women used to throw their underwear and bras at him during his shows...... My wife does the same thing to me when I sing this except...she tells me to wash them with the rest of the dirty laundry[8|][8D][8D]


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## Bottleman (Apr 6, 2013)

Remindes me on an iron furnace. I wonder if it was some type of "iron bitters"


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## RICKJJ59W (Apr 6, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  epackage
> 
> Full 0f handsome!!! It was worth a shot, good luck trying to find WTH it is....[]


 
 Yeah your the GQ of the ABN world []


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## andy volkerts (May 6, 2013)

Its known as Rock Rose, has a pile of rocks with the words trade mark up and down besides the pile of rocks, and on each side of the words are rose plants. went to google and rock rose plants were used in medicine, have been for a long time. So it may be a liniment or might of been for internal consumption. there is a bottle on e-bay right now that shows the embossing perfectly.........


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## oaks6810 (May 6, 2013)

Its Sick Rick from YouBoob.  I have been wondering about that bottle?  A bunch of grapes?  Maybe the forman at the Glass House had the Sh^ts one week and the employess made it for him as a get well Joke??      If I find one I'll post it here.


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## andy volkerts (May 6, 2013)

I am too computer illiterate to post the e-bay auction here but I found the bottle by searching rock pile bottle, and it showed up. The embossing is clear as day..........


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## oaks6810 (May 6, 2013)

Im always watching for new dig vids from glass from the past on youtub..  That badger guy I don't know about him LOL.  Keep Diggin!!!!


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## coreya (May 6, 2013)

here you go,

ROCK PILE


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## epackage (May 6, 2013)

.


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## andy volkerts (May 6, 2013)

Thanx guys.  I will have to take computer lessons soon, if I can find a class close by..........


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## RICKJJ59W (May 6, 2013)

Well at least I knew they were rocks & flowers!  []  


 The year 2013 the Rock pile Bottle is verified[] 


 Thanks for searching that out. I didn't think of Google. You can find your lost socks if you Google it. [8D]


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## RICKJJ59W (May 6, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  oaks6810
> 
> Im always watching for new dig vids from glass from the past on youtub..  That badger guy I don't know about him LOL.  Keep Diggin!!!!


 
 Yeah new ones should be coming soon. Things are brewing []


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## myersdiggers1998 (May 7, 2013)

Finally!


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## RICKJJ59W (May 11, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  myersdiggers1998
> 
> Finally!


 

 lol and It only took 5 years


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