Frozen tundra dig

[cannibalfromhannibal]

Well, returned to my Hannibal soda sweet spot over the weekend and discovered yet a third and fourth hole. Each hole I dig I find a soda either I didn't have or even know about and this hole was to prove no different. In fact it produced an unknown company altogether! This time I chose the more obvious hole, another stone lined something. Not sure if it was a privy or a cistern as it was similar to the last one but on opposite side of the lot and loaded with bottles, dish and plate wares, whereas the other one was skimpy on glass in general. Yet there was still little sign of a use layer, though at a lower depth than the other stone liner was all the plate ware. Trouble was, a massive chunk of cement foundation was left over from the demo and was precariously above the hole. One end was still attached, so I propped my spudbar under the lesser supported end with the hopes of at least some false sense of security, but if you KNOW it is false, it really doesn't help much! It finally convinced me it was too dangerous and had to quit it sooner than I had preferred, but it was also getting too mucky to go much deeper. Still, I can't help but wonder.......Supposed to be upper 30's by Friday, so I might open up the 4th hole then, if I recover by then! I'm STILL thawing out! Hate this early freeze!

 

[cannibalfromhannibal]

Here is a shot of the hole with the cement overhead....see what I mean? But it was like a moth to a flame, as the demo crew scraped open a small part of the side, exposing glass & bones yet not really disturbing the pit itself. Got to about the 8' level before having to give it up.

 

[cannibalfromhannibal]

Here is the best find of the entire lot so far......an unknown soda from Hannibal! Fresh from the hole, embossed Wm. Mc Daniel, Hannibal, Mo. with W. Mc C & Co on backside! And in perfect condition! After researching, he was listed as a confectioner and variety store proprietor as early as 1859 and lasted until he disappears from the directories in 1901. This soda looks like a 60's true blob top and more crude than any I have found with a smooth base. Certainly made for a nice end to the year if I don't find another thing!

 

[cannibalfromhannibal]

Here is a shot of it cleaned up.....

 

[cannibalfromhannibal]

and the backside.....

 

[cannibalfromhannibal]

Dug a couple St. Louis meds from Dr. Harter's co., my favorite is a barely readable Lung Balm.

 

[cannibalfromhannibal]

The other is a common Iron Tonic, but both unknown to me until I dug them up, which is the magic in digging for me......

 

[cannibalfromhannibal]

Dug a couple cool inks. This one with a fancy monogram, L&B with sadly a lip chip.....still a nice looking ink I haven't seen before.

 

[cannibalfromhannibal]

Here is another ink with a real wonky lip and a pushed in side with a pointy bottom trying to impersonate a pontil, with W Mc. C & S, guessing William Mc. Cully & Son, though I have found no match for this particular marking on the base mark site.....

 

[cannibalfromhannibal]

Dug four nice sized local pharms from this company that are hard to come by and this smaller size is a new addition to my collection. They were strictly in business in the 70's only, and though I knew they came in amber, I dug a round cobalt shard from them in this pit! That one haunts me, thinking it is hiding at the bottom..........kept me going though!