Found an Old Privy ( I Think)

[diggerjeff]

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follow this link to see probes

 

[Sir Digalot]

Thanks Rick, that's very insightful. So I assume you know you've found a privy when the soil is soft, with little resistance in a round area, especially in a visibly sunken spot. I'm ready to go try this, but the only old homestead sites I know of are on State Forest lands. I suspect it's unlawful to dig these, (?) Please advise, thanks. ( I live in PA, too - Carlisle.)

 

[RICKJJ59W]

you are right, you can not dig on state game lands, I always say if you can't get permission then its a NO GO, I like to dig in peace, not having to watch over my shoulder, not saying I haven't done it before, live and learn, I just dig where I get permission now, if you do it that way you get paid off in the long run, but that's just me every one is different. Rick

 

[zanes_antiques]

Sir,
I think I would try to stay in the larger earlier settled towns to dig privies. It has been my experience that farm privies are pretty sparse on the goodies. They didn't use the privy for a dump because they had one. On the other hand in the city they had nowhere to dump so sometimes it went into the privy. These are only my educated assumptions they aren't anything I've been told.
The best place to start looking in the city are right along the alleys behind lots that would have been in use between 1850-1900. Lokk for depressions in asphalt and concrete. Those are sure ways to know it's not been dug before. I concentrate on recently demolished garages they are the best!

 

[capsoda]

Hey Zaner, that Supporter shield looks pretty good dude.[]

 

[California Dream N]

Yes, Congrats to Zane for the Supporter title. [] He definately deserves it.. Norene

 

[zanes_antiques]

Thank You and Thank You,

I figured I had "Freeloaded" long enough. I'm happy to be among those who have contributed to the site. i feel i owed it to you all after gaining so much free knowledge. I was thinking of putting my shards and sherds into a forum auction. These things are starting to pile up as I have a hard time throwing anything away that is rare, even if it's in pieces and incomplete. Something tells me that I should probably just chuck 'em though.

 

[RICKJJ59W]

Hey Zane when we did that 22 footer, we had eight roughneck trash can's full of shards, we gave them to a lady that does mosaic art with them, I never did go back and see what she did with them. i may just do that this spring and take pix, oh that bottle i said my buddy had, it was not what you had the name on this one is Stubnmiller it was a beer but differnt name,hey IM getting old what do you want hahah Rick

 

[zanes_antiques]

Do some more digging on the name of that bottle because i've never heard that name before. It may be a really good bottle.

 

[RICKJJ59W]

Zane Its a phila beer 1880s not to rare, not even scarce, just a good bottle lol, hey where do you live again ? In Ohio? its gets cold there right? So you must dig in the winter right? I posted a dig we did in Feb 2007, we dug through over a foot of solid ground and hit some good chit!this one local advertising flask was a rare one $$$$$, I posted a post with the subject (Am I the only wacky winter privy digger?)(solid ground) and no one wants to look at it hahah, if that's the case, I must be right, no one digs in the winter but me haha, that's the way its looking. we are going to make Mike Polak's new book the 7th edition It called Antique Trader ...Bottles identification & price Guide. By Mike Polak, because of that feb 2007dig, go check it be the first one, haha that's OK if no one digs in the winter, I like it!! RickJ

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