WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND IN A DUG BOTTLE?

[whiskeyman]

I thought this may be an interesting topic. We've all dug bottles/jars that contained a snake, insects, a salamander, rats nest, etc..even some original contents. I was wondering if anything "else" had been found.
I once was digging an area where I had found numerous circa 1900 bottles and old stoneware. There was a more modern trash pile nearby and I figured I'd dig it and see if any older stuff was beneath.
I dug quite a few marbles, and a bunch of junk, then out popped a large peanut butter jar with the lid still on it. I started to toss it ,and saw there was something inside the jar.
Removing the lid I pulled out an old bread wrapper for Hechts or Kerns bread, can't recall which...It was neatly folded and perfectly preserved. For some reason I unfolded it and to my surprise the paper end label was a picture of Gene Autry...a cowboy western star of movies and TV, in the 40's & 50's...It was in excellent condition, and I sold it for $20 to collector of western stuff. Didn't find anything else...
But I can't help but wonder now as I did then: what young kid placed it in the jar and why ? and ....how did it come to be tossed away?

 

[BRIAN S.]

Hi whiskeyman !
I saw this story today and thought HOW GREAT this would be if I dug something like this while digging for bottles . http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/27/treasure.found.ap/index.html

 

[whiskeyman]

BRIAN...we all need some luck like that...[8D]
Best I ever did was a $2 & 1/2 dollar gold piece from a dump....tickled me....Of course I sold it.

 

[madman]

wow thats a great story about the gene autry pix in the vintage bread wrapper nice mike

 

[baltbottles]

I can't believe thoes guys that found that money went on tv if it was me i would have never told anyone. I bet they won't be laughing when the tax man shows up at there door.

Chris

 

[kastoo]

That's a great point! DOH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[CanadianBoy]

I found a jug once,but it was really dirty,I was rubbing it clean when all of a sudden there was a big PUFF OF SMOKE,and there was this old bottle digger floating there,I figured right away I'd get 3 wishes,but he was really ticked off, it seemed it was is dump and I had to clear off and NEVER COME BACK.I never did.
If you can believe it.
So now every time I find a jug I just lay it to one side.

 

[whiskeyman]

LOL @ DAVE...

I can't believe no one else has any tales....Guess I'll have to painstakingly type out another one. This wasn't actually a diggin' expedition, more like a "Search & Salvage Operation."

Johnson City,TN...about 10 years ago....Harold & I were scouting out a cluster of old houses about to be moved or demolished to make way for the expansion of a major highway. This one house had a front porch with a trap door. Harold went down in the hole and I handed him the flashlight. He was silent for a while, so I asked him if he had found anything. He replied just a buncha jars.
So, I went down into the small celler, which had clay dirt banks...partially walled with cinderblocks. I was feeling around in the dark, behind the blocks...and felt a jar. I lifted it up & out and it was heavy...I figured it still had food preserved in it...but it kinda "clinked." When Harold shined the light upon it, we saw it was an Atlas Strong Shoulder Mason & was over half full of dimes....
I reached behind the blocks again, felt another larger jar and removed it - it was a half gallon Ball Perfect mason and filled with pennies....
Harold was just a bit irritated with me as he had been down there about 10-15 minutes and found neither one...[&:]

 

[whiskeyman]

AND...he had the only flashlight....heheh.[]

 

[IRISH]

Hey Dave J. you hadn't been inhailing that "other" smoke had you ? [] [:-] .
I tipped a penny out of a broken stone ginger beer not long ago, also found an advertising card in a dug jar c1900. I've got a small plain green bottle with a few pills still in it, they look a lot like sheep poop and still smell strange (not at all like sheep poop [] ).