Robby Raccoon
Trash Digger
As it had rained, I didn't go dump-digging the '60s dump I've been hitting-up here. So, I went down to a Turn of the Century house by the airport that is being cleared out and looked into the dumpster. I saw a few wrecked wooden pieces, bunches of boxes and crates, a bottle with a plastic label, and then a pull-down wall-map from the '80s. I grabbed it, saw that the cardboard box had taken all the water that had fallen early this morning and saved the map! Setting it atop a long, wide board, I walked around the ledge of the base of the dumpster and spotted a few items. Then, an odd wooden box I noticed, and grabbed the poster to try and move it closer. Failing, I climbed in (first dumpster-dive) and walked to it across wood and soggy cardboard, crouching down and picking it up. Unknowing how it would open, the top slipped off in my hands and poured forth numerous little cards. I packed them into the box which was sadly wet inside and set it by the roll-out map. Then I spotted something beneath some wood. Reaching in, something had spilled all over and I found myself covered in black powder (it smelled sulfurous! Anyone know what it might be?) Not caring in the moment, I moved aside some stuff and pulled the book out. It was a dictionary from 1965. Under it, I grabbed a dictionary from 1929 in poor condition. Another 1980s dictionary, soaked, and finally a Comprehensive Dictionary of Psychological and Psychoanalytical Terms from 1958. I was so shocked they threw out books! Disgusted, really. It was obviously apparent that there were two generations of teachers, if not more. In the '20s dictionary is an 1994 obituary for one Miss Harris, who taught at Muskegon Heights in Special Ed. (discovered clearly it was Special Ed before seeing the obituary taped in from all the stuff in there) and really lead an interesting life.
I also brought out a Muskegon Public Schools metal newspaper plate(?) from 1968 with one more piece stuck to it's back. More are in the dumpster, covered in powder. Everything had powder. Oh my gosh! it got all over me. The--I think 47 is for 1947, but could be wrong-- pencil sharpener has a beautiful wooden handle in three tones from whatever kind they used, and the wood-grain makes it excellent but won't show in photos. The stamps might be useful--but have a Puerto Rican man on them, or something? And I was hoping the calculator would be in it, but I was wrong (everything else was in the scientific calculator's pack from the late 1970s.) I think I'll go back tomorrow morning, and dig deeper. Mostly 1970s school stuff was in there.
Here is some on the circa 1943 cards.
I also brought out a Muskegon Public Schools metal newspaper plate(?) from 1968 with one more piece stuck to it's back. More are in the dumpster, covered in powder. Everything had powder. Oh my gosh! it got all over me. The--I think 47 is for 1947, but could be wrong-- pencil sharpener has a beautiful wooden handle in three tones from whatever kind they used, and the wood-grain makes it excellent but won't show in photos. The stamps might be useful--but have a Puerto Rican man on them, or something? And I was hoping the calculator would be in it, but I was wrong (everything else was in the scientific calculator's pack from the late 1970s.) I think I'll go back tomorrow morning, and dig deeper. Mostly 1970s school stuff was in there.
Here is some on the circa 1943 cards.
