RIBottleguy
Well-Known Member
After three visits to my productive river site, the bottles were starting to peter out. But, luck was with me. The workers finished removing the old dam, and took out the last temporary one. This lowered the water an additional foot or more, exposing even more goodies!
At first I only got some BIM foods and other plain bottles that just passed the take home test. I found a nice Koca-Nola soda which was sadly cracked in half (somehow it is still in one piece). I managed to dig down in a little crevice and found a 12-sided bottle which I expected to be a common Dr. Hayne's Balsam, but after washing if off saw that it was pontiled! Only my second dug pontil. I also found a nice ruby red glass, a yellow lamp globe, and a very cool milk glass (blue and white) tile of sorts. It had the English patent mark on the bottom (like those seen on Durkee bottles). My favorite of the day was one I missed before. I went to a spot I searched before, and under a flat rock I found a shoe! A glass one, to be precise. It was even embossed "Phalon & Sons NY" in a shield. An embossed figural cosmetic bottle? That and the pontil definitely made the day worth it.
Closer shot of Koca-Nola, pontil, and figural shoe.
Ah, the story isn't over! The next weekend I came back, resolved to clean out the site thoroughly. After some lackluster digging that produced a Moxie and some Narragansett beers, I decided to trek upriver. I had been eyeing this rapid-ish looking spot in the distance. I almost didn't make it. I got stuck in mud approaching my waist (luckily I had hip waders) for a moment. After escaping the mud, I quickly found the green wine(?) and a slick med. I continued upriver until I came to a slight bend covered with rocks and glass. I quickly pulled out a strange looking slick, then spotted a local soda in the water. It was an unlisted Westerly soda with an embossed flag on it. Next to it was the best find, a J.H. Brangahan Pawtucket, RI whiskey half pint. Both bottles were in very good condition.
A final dust off of my original site produced a J.S. Hazard Westerly squat and a decent looking pitcher.
At first I only got some BIM foods and other plain bottles that just passed the take home test. I found a nice Koca-Nola soda which was sadly cracked in half (somehow it is still in one piece). I managed to dig down in a little crevice and found a 12-sided bottle which I expected to be a common Dr. Hayne's Balsam, but after washing if off saw that it was pontiled! Only my second dug pontil. I also found a nice ruby red glass, a yellow lamp globe, and a very cool milk glass (blue and white) tile of sorts. It had the English patent mark on the bottom (like those seen on Durkee bottles). My favorite of the day was one I missed before. I went to a spot I searched before, and under a flat rock I found a shoe! A glass one, to be precise. It was even embossed "Phalon & Sons NY" in a shield. An embossed figural cosmetic bottle? That and the pontil definitely made the day worth it.
Closer shot of Koca-Nola, pontil, and figural shoe.
Ah, the story isn't over! The next weekend I came back, resolved to clean out the site thoroughly. After some lackluster digging that produced a Moxie and some Narragansett beers, I decided to trek upriver. I had been eyeing this rapid-ish looking spot in the distance. I almost didn't make it. I got stuck in mud approaching my waist (luckily I had hip waders) for a moment. After escaping the mud, I quickly found the green wine(?) and a slick med. I continued upriver until I came to a slight bend covered with rocks and glass. I quickly pulled out a strange looking slick, then spotted a local soda in the water. It was an unlisted Westerly soda with an embossed flag on it. Next to it was the best find, a J.H. Brangahan Pawtucket, RI whiskey half pint. Both bottles were in very good condition.
A final dust off of my original site produced a J.S. Hazard Westerly squat and a decent looking pitcher.
