How To Locate A Privy

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Alabama

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My buddy just bought a home that was built in 1865 and we are trying to find the privys, we have a probe but the whole back yard is soft dirt, the whole probe sinks with out much pushing on it.
 

RICKJJ59W

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Look on the tip of the probe for signs of ash or darker ground.That is a sign that says it is nor (regular) earth.That is the only thing you can do if the probe sinks everywhere with ease.
Was your yard dug up at anytime? Maybe it was filled in with (newer) dirt.How long is your probe?
If someone did dig out your yard and fill it in with fresh soil,chances are they didn't get to the bottom of the privy's.
I had a case where a guy that we asked permission from said you can try it but a D-9 tore up that whole yard and I know you wont find any privy's there. We never go by what people say unless we saw it happen with our own eyes.That yard produced 5 pits, so the D-9 must have just skimmed the surface.
 

RICKJJ59W

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daeldred

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It depends on several things. First, we dig in Memphis and I am sure that the dirt isn't any different for most of Alabama. Here, we usually find that the hard clay (relative) is at about 4-5'. We use 6' probes as a minimum. We have a 9' that we use when necessary. You have to feel it out. If you probe the yard and find that it is the same all over you have then keep looking. You have to feel for a wall (from a brickliner or cistern) or the crunch layer of a woodliner or trash pit. Usually, when you find a privy your probe will drop to the handle and you will feel a scratchy cruch that wasn't anywhere else in the yard. That crunch layer or use layer is what you are looking for. That lets you know that something is down there. About the yard being dug up, it's possible, but unlikely that it would mess up any privies or cisterns. If privies in Alabama are like the ones in Memphis (and I bet they are) they go from 6-12' for woodliners and up to 25' for brickliners.

P.S. It's all in the probe!!
 

RedGinger

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Rick that privy probing video was great! It helped me understand exactly what you were talking about. Would you make another one next time so I can see everything you're doing? Thanks for the help.
Laur
 

RICKJJ59W

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Nothing is (unlikely) in the privy digging world.[;)]Ya don't know what ya got until you start digging.
 

RICKJJ59W

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Me and Paul were just messing around when we found that pit.Next time I might do a step by step clip.That one was to short,but to the point I guess.

I am digging with Dave(Badger) this weekend at a dump he has been hacking into.Paul is taking his kid fishing so I will get a little change of pace.Next week I will make a longer clip,when we do that pit.
 

daeldred

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Hey, cool video. This is a great example of how privy digging is different around the country. Our style of probe is even different because of the soil type. Here in the Mid South you will almost never find a privy where your probe falls in by itself. It's POSSIBLE, but unlikely. In the summer time, the dirt here gets so hard that it is very difficult to probe. We have to find our diggin' spots before mid-summer. It's neat how people adapted to their evnironments.

P.S. This is a reponse to the original poster from Alabama. I wouldn't pretend to know the nuances of probing the Mid-Atlantic and New England states.
 

RedGinger

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Sounds good Rick. We watched the video a few times and we were like, "Now I get it!" I'm not afraid to sound like I'm new to this, because it hasn't been that long. When I went privy digging before, I never did the probing. Plus, I think I am slightly ADD. [:D]
What kind of stuff does Paul get to keep? Seems like you always get the cream of the crop. Anyway, I would love to see another video about it. Thanks.
Laur
 

RICKJJ59W

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We both always end up with good stuff that we like.or nothing at all. I tried to do it the flip the coin way but if he doesn't dig it,he doesn't want it.So thats the way it is.But like I said it works out most of the time,and we are cool with it. The end [:D]
 

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