Tom on the phone, "Gotta go, I'm digging the best dump of my life!"

[JOETHECROW]

RE: PLEASE STAY TUNED...

Meanwhile, what's the debossing on these stalwart stone guys?

Whatta nice group.

Surfaceone,....The bottle to the left is debossed "MODY &CO LONDON" It's the only one that didn't come from this dig... The three to the right are unmarked except for the darker one which has that simple dash, or 1 near the neck.
Thank you,... Joe

 

[Digswithstick]

ORIGINAL: casperwhiskey

Old Saratoga Mini whiskey from Rosskam,Gertsley & Co.
Good Bottle!

Joe did you miss CasperWhiskey's reply about your sample bottle ? Wanted to make sure you saw it, page 16

 

[JOETHECROW]

Thanks Rick! (Digswithstick) Just noticed it recently,....thank you ....I just came upstairs to post a few last pics,....These are the last two items of interest to come out from under the building.....(What might be inside?...I think we'll find out soon, but for now she's "dug out")...Fred and I went back again yesterday and dug our hearts out, but other than a Bromo Caffiene and an opium vial,...well, we sure didn't find much. The day we found the large stoneware ink, This small barrel, (or cask) came out about five feet down....the banding crumbled when we dug it out, (It was severely impacted in a hard layer)...I wanted to reassemble it before I showed it here. I've never dug one of these,...still had liquid paint in it, and was preserved in a layer of crude oil about 5' down.... I sure have new respect for barrel makers, or "coopers"? It took me alot of ingenuity and patience to reassemble this little guy! (About three hours) Joe

 

[JOETHECROW]

Here's one to show the size...[]

 

[JOETHECROW]

I spent more time than I care to admit "working" this neck, thinking it might be whole.....[] Can you imagine if it was?...Turns out I couldn't wiggle it because it was jammed between some debris....

 

[JOETHECROW]

Well,...till we find out if theres any goodies inside, that's the latest update.

P.S.Forgot to mention that the wooden "staves" on the little barrel are close to 5/8" thick, if anyones interested Joe

 

[swizzle]

Very cool Joe. I hope you guys do manage to get inside and save a ton of old tin signs and bottles with the paper labels still fully intact. An old drugstore can be a treasure trove of antiquity. if you do get in through that trap door then find a good stiff board to prop it shut in case they do one last walk through before knocking it over. Hopefully the trap door is out of sight out of mind and not right in the middle of the store. Swiz

 

[mr.fred]

ORIGINAL: JOETHECROW

Thanks Rick! (Digswithstick) Just noticed it recently,....thank you ....I just came upstairs to post a few last pics,....These are the last two items of interest to come out from under the building.....(What might be inside?...I think we'll find out soon, but for now she's "dug out")...Fred and I went back again yesterday and dug our hearts out, but other than a Bromo Caffiene and an opium vial,...well, we sure didn't find much. The day we found the large stoneware ink, This small barrel, (or cask) came out about five feet down....the banding crumbled when we dug it out, (It was severely impacted in a hard layer)...I wanted to reassemble it before I showed it here. I've never dug one of these,...still had liquid paint in it, and was preserved in a layer of crude oil about 5' down.... I sure have new respect for barrel makers, or "coopers"? It took me alot of ingenuity and patience to reassemble this little guy! (About three hours) Joe

Good job on it Joe[8|]------Fred.

 

[Wangan]

ORIGINAL: JOETHECROW

I sure have new respect for barrel makers, or "coopers"? It took me alot of ingenuity and patience to reassemble this little guy! (About three hours) Joe

Very cool barrel Joe,and yes we Coopers were barrel makers.The place of our business was a Cooperage.

The smallest Wine volume is a Rundlet at 18 gallons.The smallest Ale or Beer volume is a Firkin at 8 gallons.Standard "barrel" volume sizes are Wine/31 1/2 Gal. and Ale or Beer/32 Gallons.The largest being the Tun at 256 gallons originally,then reduced to 252 Gallons for division purposes.

Then there are food barrels,crackers,pickles,etc.The shape allowed them to be rolled with the tapered ends allowing for easy turning,although some held bottles inside and were not meant to roll. I believe yours probably held bottles for the drug store and is smaller than some for easier handling and if it were full of glass bottles with liquid in them,Im sure it would have been hefty.I saw a picture of a small barrel packed with bottles once and should have kept it.[&o]

There is a shaper tool that made exact bevels on the staves.I have a friend who either has one or knows where there is one.I would think the bigger the barrel,the less of an angle,so there must be an adjustment or a different angle similar tool.I have been looking for tools to build my own barrel.Its one of the things on my "bucket list". I have seen the wire "hoops" like yours,the metal bands and even wooden ones like on some of the potato barrels they use up in the "County" here in Maine.Too bad that hadnt been stored in the corner full of bottles! Thanks for showing us.

 

[RedGinger]

That is cool little barrel. We have found some cool stuff there, frozen in time. I want to get through that trap door too, Swiz. If we do, I will take lots of pictures. My imagination is running wild! I'll be lifting up floorboards, maybe I'll be able to put a whole in a wall too, since it's being torn down anyway.