Question about digging a privy

[treeguyfred]

Some 50 years ago I was digging behind an abandoned house near downtown Charleston. Dug in the corner where I assumed the privy was and found lots of good stuff. When it was empty, I started by removing some of the bricks to the side thinking the next house over might have had a privy there. Almost raw sand but in that sand was this Charles Clark bottle. I've always assumed it was left there by whomever was laying the bricks when the privy was built. Tony View attachment 227697View attachment 227698

This is sweet find tony!

 

[Jimmy Langford]

Respectfully, you may want to hold off on something that old until you are more experienced. Also, I would not dig beside a utility pole unless proper precautions were taken. Toxic preservatives such as arsenic, creosote, and pentachlorophenol, still remain in most power poles made before 2003. pentachlorophenol
can cause cancer.

 

[willong]

Hello @Walker1200 great topic question and terrific advice from one of our more currently active digging members Leon!
Just a bit of caution and a question... are there service and or pole to pole wires on these utility poles? if so, please be exceptionally careful to not drastically undermine the pole bases which could cause tipping or out right felling.
Good luck and look forward to hearing any news from this hunt!
~Fred

Good advice Fred.

 

[willong]

I'd love for that to be the case. Ill do a test hole and keep you updated.

I would add to tother good advice you've already received: go slowly if the privy is located. Select tools carefully to eliminate damage and take time to gingerly excavate any glass, pottery or metal encountered--don't wrench on a bottle to dislodge it from the matrix like one sees some of the dolts* on YouTube doing. Have plenty of newspaper on hand to wrap finds as soon as they are unearthed--it will insulate bottles against worst thermal shock as well as pad against mechanical damage. Thermal shock is riskiest when bringing warmer bottles out of ground and laying them onto snow--I broke one of my own first embossed patent medicine finds that way (a hard lesson)--but could conceivably occur with a cold bottle laid upon hot sand in sunshine.

* Backhoe bottle diggers are even worse. We've all pulled and pried bottles after gaining enough experience to gauge the vintage, type and probable identity of a bottle from seeing just a portion exposed. But my caution, like that of TxBottleDigger, is directed at a neophyte who potentially might encounter some rare and valuable relics.

I think we are all looking forward to following your adventure--I know that I am. Good luck and happy digging!

 

[Walker1200]

Hey Fred,

Thank you for the kind words and for the advice. I will be sure not to disturb too much ground under the poles. I believe they are active.

I appreciate everyone's experience!

-Kerry

 

[Walker1200]

Thanks for the guidance Willong. I will make sure that I am prepared and go slowly if in fact I do locate antique bottles in their (or any) privy. I'm sure there are going to be some heart-breaking broken glass bottles, but I hope to minimize them.

Cheers!

-Kerry

 

[Palani]

It is always good when you are digging down to find the side walls a lot of bottles roll to the side.

 

[hemihampton]

I wanted to point out I never dig right next to any telephone polls & never would. I never get any closer then maybe 3 feet of them as seen in these 2 pics. LEON.