Hi to all, this is my first post and I am very happy to have found this
group. Have never dug a privy but will soon!
Now live in Prescott AZ and have found an old town that used to be at the
intersection of a railroad line. The line has been removed and is now a public
trail. Hardly anyone ever uses it because it is very flat and not to senic.
Have found (5 or 6) 4x4 depressions about 20-30 feet from the track, they
are spaced only about 15 to 20 feet apart. From the looks of it the main mining
business/ post office / town store buildings were in this location. Unfortunately
there is a town dump about 200 feet away were I pulled out a broken SanFrancisco
Whiskey Merchant bottle amber flask 1880-90 from, the land is privately owned
and have ask the owner to dig and he said NO WAY!
The ground is very hard here and have not tryed to probe the ground yet. I was
thinking of welding up a spring steel probe with a removable slamming weight??
What do you think? Were all privies lined or if the dirt was firm enough did they
just take a chance it would not cave in?
My idea is to go real early in the morning just before sun up "sat or sun" and dig
one. Of course I will fill it back in and compact the soil, do any of you ever put
a plastic sign in the ones you have dug saying " privy has been dug" so no one
else in the future wastes there time?
Will take some pics and attach to this post soon. Thanks in advance for any help.
Karl
group. Have never dug a privy but will soon!
Now live in Prescott AZ and have found an old town that used to be at the
intersection of a railroad line. The line has been removed and is now a public
trail. Hardly anyone ever uses it because it is very flat and not to senic.
Have found (5 or 6) 4x4 depressions about 20-30 feet from the track, they
are spaced only about 15 to 20 feet apart. From the looks of it the main mining
business/ post office / town store buildings were in this location. Unfortunately
there is a town dump about 200 feet away were I pulled out a broken SanFrancisco
Whiskey Merchant bottle amber flask 1880-90 from, the land is privately owned
and have ask the owner to dig and he said NO WAY!
The ground is very hard here and have not tryed to probe the ground yet. I was
thinking of welding up a spring steel probe with a removable slamming weight??
What do you think? Were all privies lined or if the dirt was firm enough did they
just take a chance it would not cave in?
My idea is to go real early in the morning just before sun up "sat or sun" and dig
one. Of course I will fill it back in and compact the soil, do any of you ever put
a plastic sign in the ones you have dug saying " privy has been dug" so no one
else in the future wastes there time?
Will take some pics and attach to this post soon. Thanks in advance for any help.
Karl