Is this a good book for a beginner?

[Tessellations]

Hello Everyone,

I am a newbian when it comes to digging. I have been reading the message boards on digging and am soooo excited to start this exciting adventure. I purchased a book on ebay, titled "The Secret of Privy Digging" by John Odell. Has anyone read this book, and if so, is it informative? Do you have any other literature suggestions when it comes to digging for bottles? I have a gift shop on the Erie Canal that was built in the 1790's. By chance, I found a really neat bottle sticking out of the edge of the canal, about four feet from the rear of the house. Would this be a good place to dig? There is parking that ia paved to the front and side of the house. I have been continuously scouring the canal now that it has been partially drained for the winter. I am constantly coming up with broken pottery, glass and a few buttons. Would bottles be covered up by mud and pebbles, or would they most likely be broken? Are the intact ones likely to be at the deepest part of the canal which has at leat 8 feet of really gross dark brown water? Any inisght would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks...Lauren

 

[JohnRoy]

Lauren,
I'm a newbie, too, but not quite as new as you, so I can answer a few of your questions. The book you have by Odell is gold; great purchase. He is an expert in this field. You will need a probe, too, for locating old outhouses. And yes, intact bottles would, and should, be found in the canal. The only thing is that you'll have to go down a foot or two to find them. Well, that is at least one local bottle collector told me when he went through the Augusta Canal after it was drained (Augusta, GA). He showed me a rare cobalt blue Sheenan's bottle that he found, as well as a flask. A whole bunch of them got together and found some stuff. The job is probably too big for one person, so if I were you I'd ask for help just so that it would be funner for you, and you could learn a lot, too.
Good luck! -John

 

[Tessellations]

Hi John,

Thanks for your response. When you said I would have to go down a foot or so do you mean into the water or to dig a foot down? This sounds like a dumb question, but I have been seriously wondering if bottles could actually be covered up by mud, stones and debris? I know that when it comes to dumps and privys that people actually cover them up with dirt, so you would have to dig to uncover anything. With the canal, water is reaised and lowered. Do you think this process can cover bottles up?

Thanks, Lauren

 

[JohnRoy]

In regards to the canal question, the answer is "yes," bottles do get covered up by mud and silt over time. He mentioned that they had to feel around for them with a tool, but I do not remember what it was. If no one else here can help with looking for bottles in a canal, I can call him up and ask him. I'm digging my first privy out on an old plantation here in Georgia. I know it sounds romantic, but I tell you that I've encountered some problems with my privy because it has been filled in with rocks, but the family legend is that the family filled it in with an old library first (bunch of books) before adding the rocks later. I'm hoping to find something down there. So far, I have found some interested pieces of a pottery jug, and a blob top. -John

 

[Yooper14]

Interesting discussion going on. I'm also eyeing a canal here in Ohio, Tess. I've not had any experience digging a canal, but to answer you general question, YES, bottles do get covered up with mud and debris. Not all of them will survive...you'll find broken ones as often as not. But enough do survive to make it worth your while. I would get a probe (a slender spring-steel stick) to poke around with to help you find bottles. I would guess the trouble in a canal is that people didn't necessarily always throw their bottles in the same spot. I would guess they are rather random, but that's just a guess.
Good luck as you get started. Keep us informed!
Yooper

 

[capsoda]

Hi Lauren, Welcome to the Disease And the Forum. Read every single thing you can get your hands on. Scour this forum, It is a wealth of information and experiance and the folks here are very helpful. Don't get disapointed if you don't get an answer to a question right away, Its a big forum, some people check in every day and some check in when time permits. Check out the Resources page of this web site, there are some great sites there and you will also notice in the forum that many people have there own sites.

Check out this site, Meech has listed some basic tool and safety needs.
Flaschenjager

Then go and dig,dig,dig and have fun.[]

 

[Tessellations]

Thank you so much everyone for your thoughts and advice. I will keep everyone informed of what I find!

 

[lexdigger]

Hey Lauren, you need to get a probe and a shovel!!! I'm sure Digger's book tell's you about a probe rod and how to use it??? You'd be surprised at how many bottles are laying just below the surface of the dirt!!! All you have to do is poke around and feel for them, dig them up, and they're all yours!!! I just got into digging bottles this year so I'm a begginer to. I dug well over a thousand bottles up over the past ten or eleven months though! Good luck and let us know when you find that historic flask!!! Chris Capley

 

[southern Maine diver]

Hi Lauren and welcome to the forum...

As far as finding bottles in the canal... look for areas that are near old buildings, dwellings and keep this in mind... why would a person throw his trash in a privy when he could just walk a few feet and throw it into the canal? Our ancesters were hard workers, no doubt, but when it comes to trash... lets face it, they were as lazy as the next guy! Most of the trash they threw out just sank to the bottom... it was glass and metal! It all went to the bottom believe me. The broken bottle fragments and chards are just evidence of where they threw their trash. Look for areas where there are several old houses or housing areas "row" houses, businesses, markets, wharfs, docks... a "cluster" of old buildings.


Dig where you see the fragments and keep diggin until you hit paydirt!!! Then put photographs up on the forum so you can make us all jealous!! Good luck...[]

Diving and digging for bottles underwater in mud and zero visibility is a different ballgame... you can do it, but it takes a bit more time, patience and experience...
good luck.

Wayne[]

 

[CanadianBoy]

This canal your searching could and likley will produce alot of great stuff.Back in the distant past when I used to dive (70's) the best place for bottles was at the entrance to a lock.The boats would be there waiting to go through,having a few brews,when finished throw it in the canal.
A buddy and I brought 3500 bottles and crocks up from the entrance to just one lock,this was on the Trent Severn Waterway in Canada.Good luck with this canal.I'm sure you'll be amazed.