Maine woods digging on the first day of deer hunting season

[downeastdigger]

Went over to the turn of the Century dump I found last week in Kittery today. Brought a pair of branch cutters with me this time to cut through the briars. Big help. Not an old dump, or a great dump, but filled a milk crate with "dollar bottles".

As I entered the trail to the woods, I looked behind me, and saw a guy with a rifle. We chatted, and he asked me if I knew where the old railroad tressel was, and I told him thats where I'm going, so he followed me. He carried the gun so it was pointing ahead, like into my spine.

Me - "Maybe point that thing away from me?"
Armed guy #1 -" don't worry, it aint loaded"
Me - "still, it would make me feel better

Eventually, I got out ahead of him on the trail, and he disappeared out towards a meadow to shoot deer. I got to my dump and dug in the bushes below the railroad tressel. After about an hour, I hear a voice above me on the top of the tressel.

Armed guy #2 - " HEY" (Big old bearded Maine farmer dude, also with a rifle)
Me " Yeeoow! you scared the crap out of me!
Armed guy #2 - (killer Maine accent) What chew doin down theaya?"
Me "diggin bottles"
Armed guy #2 - " Diggin bottlz...Anybody know yore down theya diggin bottlz?"
Me "No, not really. I think it's Bill Davis' land.. I figured he'd be ok with it"
Armed guy #2 " NO , taint Bill Davis' land, It's a my land"
Me 'Oh, sorry, you want me to leave?"
Amred guy #2 " Naw, you're ok"
He leaves, and after a few seconds comes back and shouts down " Hey now, if you want to get real rambunctious, there's all kinds of dumps all along the tracks here for about 2 miles" and walked off laughin like an old Maine farmer.
You kind of had to be there, but it was a real classic "Maine moment"

 

[downeastdigger]

I got a bunch of newer cobalt stuff to sell at flea markets, a couple of real common ones, Rodericks cough balsam, American anodyne etc, and some aqua unembossed. I got this wild slag shard, it's purple/white, maybe a lamp base.

 

[downeastdigger]

I used to think slag was ugly, but I've grown to like it.

 

[downeastdigger]

I dug this years ago, and thought it was the rarest wildest looking mini insulator in the world. I was bummed to find it wasn't an insulator, but a bud vase, that went in the arm rest of an automobile or limo, back in the 1930s.

 

[downeastdigger]

A better pic of the bud vase. It went upside down, into the arm rest, with the rounded side down

 

[downeastdigger]

I wound up getting one really cool thing today though! It is a drinking glass, I almost tossed it behind me, until I looked at the base.

 

[downeastdigger]

Here is what you see when you look into the glass ! It reads "PROTECTION AND PLENTY". Turns out the guy you see there is a youngish President McKinley, and that was his campaign slogan, when he ran for President in 1896, I think. What a cool thing to dig the day before election day !

Turned out to be an interesting day.
All for now!

 

[JOETHECROW]

Wow Bram,...Loaded or not,carrying the gun behind you that way's a big no no...I probably wouldn't have handled it as graciously. We were always taught to treat them (guns) loaded even if we "knew" they weren't. Did you get down the tracks to check out the other dumps? Love the "farmer on the trestle" story. It probably felt good to be diigging enough bottles to fill your milk crate...The glass is pretty cool too.

 

[rockbot]

Great little cup Bram and that guy pointing that gun, that would have got me upset. Glad it all worked out for you.

 

[RICKJJ59W]

Im a deer hunter my self,anyone who points a gun at me, loaded or unloaded should expect some hot lead coming his way! j/k [8D]
Loaded or unloaded thats a no no.He must have never taken the hunter safety class when he was young.