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All Forums >> [Bottle Forums] >> Digging and Finding >> A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE

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A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/23/2007 11:27:11 PM    Digger George   Posts: 316 Joined: 10/5/2006 From: PHILAD'A PA Status: offline Just a few hours ago me and Matt(PhilaBottles) just got into a situation that I hope a bottle digger never has to go through. This afternoon we found a construction site, the size of a football field, that was being cut down about 5 feet. We went up to one of the workers to get permission to go on site. we explained to them we dig the old outhouse holes where they through all their trash. We said we recover these historical artifacts that will be lost forever after the site is built over. He was intrigued by this and said sure go look around and dig some holes. This was said by the owner of the property's son, who managed the site. Then the owner(dad) came over and said just make sure you fill in the holes and keep the surface level.   There where many blocks of row homes on this site, 1700's and 1800's. Right away we found a small wood lined privy that was destroyed and there was broken redware slip glaze plates and black glass shards all over. The bottom 3 inches were untouched but just left us with broken pottery. Very shortly after, about 15 ft away, we found clay and ash on the surface that was a different color from the rest of the ground, we probed it and it sunk in like butter. We dug it out and found a bricklined cilinder that was 8 feet across! This privy easily fit two people so we dug it down fast.   My brother came over to help, it was his first privy dig! We were digging and pulling buckets at a fast pace. We got down 10 feet and hit the trash layer with pontiled shards coming out. Then a minite later I heard the owner YO GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE I'M CALLIN THE COPS and his eyes were popping out of his head. His wife said YA THROW THOSE GUYS IN PRISON. Three minitues later 5 police cars pulled up to the site so fast I thought we might have been thrown against the cars, handcuffed and taken away but that didn't happen. We all got written up and questioned. We were very calm and explained to the cops and the property owner what we were doing there. The owner said I don't want a hole that big in here and I want the ground completely level. He said you guys don't have the right insurance and can sue me if you get hurt. We said your son did give us permission to dig earlier. Then the owner called his son and gave me the phone and his son was telling me he didn't say we can dig. Very weird because the owner said we could dig too. All the cops that were there knew we were digging out the old poop hole, which is what they called it. They actually respect this and know they have more important things to do. The cops said the owner doesn't want any offenses on us, just for us to never come back and dig. I could tell the cops were like, this is a joke, then they left. The owner then told me YOU GUYS SURE DO WORK HARD, I SHOULD PUT YOU ALL TO WORK. Then he said YA WE DIG UP HUNDERDS OF BOTTLES AND JUST THROW THEM AWAY, BUT I WILL PUT THEM ASIDE FOR YOU GUYS. I said do you want us to fill in the hole now. He said no I will do it tommorow. AAAAAHHHH right now I'm going insane, oh i just rememberd I left my favorite shovel on the site and also a very early sterling silver lighter that had more embossing then you can imagine, possibly masonic. AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH I'M SOOOO DEPRESSED!   There are dozens of privys to dig on this site, we thought we had permission to dig them, now it's over. Well I don't want to give up! Does anyone have any great ideas? Is it possible to get a release form for this kind of work. We have made our own Archaeological Site Surveys which we didn't have on us to show them. That father and son duo need to comunicate better with each other and us. I would love to make that work.   I was able to take some pics for ya'll before we were thrown out. LOOK AT THE OUTLINE OF THE HOUSE ON THE WALL _____________________________ "Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence." - Mourning Dove [Christine Quintasket] (1888-1936) Salish Post #: 1

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/24/2007 12:46:36 AM    richf   Posts: 379 Joined: 8/27/2006 From: Weatherly, PA Status: offline Oy ..... Rich (in reply to Digger George) Post #: 2

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/24/2007 12:55:59 AM    bottlediger Posts: 1446 Joined: 2/19/2006 From: York Pa Status: offline OMG that is more crazy than the dig chris and I just did! HOLY CRAP BRO!!!!! Im so glad i didnt come down thats just such a bummer! (in reply to richf) Post #: 3

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/24/2007 9:08:07 AM    appliedlips Posts: 1673 Joined: 1/30/2005 Status: online      Damn,That sucks!I have been in a few of those situations before and they can be pretty awkward.I never worry about getting arrested only the bottles that I will not be able to dig if thrown out.Alot of folks think because we only carry shovels we can't move much dirt and then see a bomb crater out back an hour later and go into shock.I would move onto the next site and tell a buddy about this one and let them return at night.They would probably just get thrown out again,while you might get arrested the next time.Good luck,Doug (in reply to Digger George) Post #: 4

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/24/2007 9:58:32 AM    PhilaBottles Posts: 1003 Joined: 9/25/2005 From: philad.A Status: offline UPDATE: I just drove by the hole, and they filled it in. The concrete should be poured by the end of the week. Doug, I always make sure i put the good bottles in a safe place anywhere im diggin. I just didnt wanna end up in a North Philly holding cell. Thats not fun. Thanks for the reply. Matt. _____________________________ http://www.youtube.com/user/iheartmykitten (in reply to Digger George) Post #: 5

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/24/2007 10:52:06 AM    epgorge Posts: 2422 Joined: 12/29/2006 Status: offline quote: We said we recover these historical artifacts that will be lost forever after the site is built over. He was intrigued Hell, and all this time I thought you boys were doing it for the money. < Message edited by epgorge -- 4/24/2007 11:03:34 AM > _____________________________ (in reply to Digger George) Post #: 6

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/24/2007 11:43:50 AM    CALDIGR2   Posts: 511 Joined: 6/20/2005 Status: offline Sorry, but there's nothing new there. That same scenerio has taken place across the country innumerable times. Hell, I've had it happen to me no less than a dozen times over the years. A slight miscommunication between relatives can be used a lever against you if they suddenly decide that you are no longer welcome on their property. Nothin' you can do about it 'cept leave with 'yer tail between 'yer legs. I have had folks give me the toss, and when I got in their faces over all the good bottles they were unnecessarily breakin', they had a change of heart and welcomed us to dig. It may not hurt to have another go at communicating with the owners. You got nothin' to lose. _____________________________ Mike Dig no privy before it's time. (in reply to epgorge) Post #: 7

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/24/2007 12:20:30 PM    baltbottles   Posts: 919 Joined: 11/25/2002 From: Baltimore Maryland Status: online Yeah construction sites can go either way I've been welcomed in to dig during the day while work was going on and on other sites given un offical permission to dig after they leave for the day and on other site told you are f***ing crazy now get out of here before i call the cops. Some people just don't care about anything other then money. Chris _____________________________ Please visit my website at : www.geocities.com/baltbottles/index.html (in reply to Digger George) Post #: 8

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/24/2007 2:13:36 PM    L C   Posts: 1550 Joined: 3/17/2007 From: Ohio Status: offline I never could get permission to dig on any construction site in Cincinnati when they had all the river front area dug up years ago, and was always run out if I tried to slip in on one. I always hated it when that happened !! (in reply to baltbottles) Post #: 9

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/26/2007 8:01:10 AM    swizzle   Posts: 1325 Joined: 3/2/2005 From: Upstate NY Status: offline To me it sounds like the owner just doesn't want to get sued. I'm not sure where you could get insured but that seems to me to be about your only route unless you both agree to sign a hand written statement that says you won't sue him if you get hurt. Even a hand written paper with 2 signatures is enough to hold up in court and cover the owners butt if you do get hurt. Maybe ask him for his e-mail address too and send him a few links of the digs you've done in the past and the pics you've posted and shared with others. Good luck getting back in there. Swizzle (in reply to L C) Post #: 10

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/28/2007 9:07:13 PM    kastoo   Posts: 1252 Joined: 9/7/2004 From: Lagrange, GA Status: offline That brick one was a cistern (in reply to swizzle) Post #: 11

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/29/2007 3:40:29 AM    bottlediger Posts: 1446 Joined: 2/19/2006 From: York Pa Status: offline Nope, that would be a shared philly bricklined privy. And how often do you see loam in a cistern ;) (in reply to kastoo) Post #: 12

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/29/2007 3:47:10 AM    L C   Posts: 1550 Joined: 3/17/2007 From: Ohio Status: offline Well, I have not made a fool of myself this morning as of yet, so here I go. What is loam ?? http://www.freewebs.com/yesterdaystreasures/whiskeys.htm (in reply to bottlediger) Post #: 13

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/29/2007 3:50:30 AM    bottlediger Posts: 1446 Joined: 2/19/2006 From: York Pa Status: offline Poop dirt and poop stain   (in reply to L C) Post #: 14

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/29/2007 4:03:50 AM    L C   Posts: 1550 Joined: 3/17/2007 From: Ohio Status: offline Well,,,,,,,,, thanks for making my dream come true............. http://www.freewebs.com/yesterdaystreasures/whiskeys.htm (in reply to bottlediger) Post #: 15

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/29/2007 10:42:41 AM    PhilaBottles Posts: 1003 Joined: 9/25/2005 From: philad.A Status: offline NOT A CISTERN! That there is a philly brickliner PRIVY. People often confuse them with WELLS, but they are privies. The wood privies in philly tend to be pre 1820's. eg., barrels or squares. Matt. _____________________________ http://www.youtube.com/user/iheartmykitten (in reply to L C) Post #: 16

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/29/2007 10:44:07 AM    PhilaBottles Posts: 1003 Joined: 9/25/2005 From: philad.A Status: offline LOAM is politically correct. _____________________________ http://www.youtube.com/user/iheartmykitten (in reply to PhilaBottles) Post #: 17

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/29/2007 10:59:34 AM    L C   Posts: 1550 Joined: 3/17/2007 From: Ohio Status: offline I don't know if that is politically correct or not. I have never heard anyone say,,,,,,,,, WELL, LOAM HAPPENS !   http://www.freewebs.com/yesterdaystreasures/index.htm (in reply to PhilaBottles) Post #: 18

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/29/2007 11:11:02 AM    CALDIGR2   Posts: 511 Joined: 6/20/2005 Status: offline Loam in not "poop dirt", it's natural soil with approximately even ingredients of sand, silt and clay. Most alluvial soils are loamy and drain well. Our local soil is sandy loam, which holds together well, but all privies had to be lined with either brick or redwood. _____________________________ Mike Dig no privy before it's time. (in reply to L C) Post #: 19

RE: A HEARTBREAKING PRIVY DIG NIGHTMARE - 4/29/2007 11:51:13 AM    bottlediger Posts: 1446 Joined: 2/19/2006 From: York Pa Status: offline Loam IS poop dirt in the privy digging book of terms  But Caldigr2 you are very correct on your physical geo term for loam. (in reply to CALDIGR2) Post #: 20

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