JUNE 19th digging results

Dan And I finally got back to finish this privy after waiting all spring for the water table to go down. We started it a few monthes ago, and right when we got down to the use layer, hit water. The hole at the time was about 4 feet deep, and then filled in with water at the bottom. We were able to pull two bottles out, an 1880's umbrella ink (strange size), and a not so common milk glass medicine bottle.
We were excited about those two finds because both pieces were different, maybe hinting towards a flamboyant purchaser. The hole was easy to re-dig since we had basically already outlined the spot and excavated the site earlier. When we got down to the use layer again it was still pretty wet, but not so much as to halt digging. The glass was plentiful, there were about 100 small 3 piece mold pill bottles popping out every second. Then Dan's voice spoke up from the depths, "WOW"! It was a really cool TRAVELERS COMPANION/STAR, RAVENNA flask. Perfect shape except it was missing the last inch of the neck!.

As we worked our way through the years of use layer, we started noticing glass syringes and doctor looking type items. Then about a foot from the bottom our favorite sign came out, a nice pontiled puff. The further we excavated the hole the more pontiled stuff came out. Lots of interesting shapes of pontiled puffs came out, square, 6 sided and dome shaped too.
Pontiled dark aqua green utillities, a Dr. MITCHEL'S IPECAC SYRUP PERRY N.Y. and quite a few pontiled flasks. Two PIKES PEAK, GENERAL TAYLOR, SCROLL, and a few more we couldn't make out.
Dan was doing most the work in this hole because I had a headache for some reason, and he really worked his tail off. I really wasn't much help, but it was fun watching!

Our assumption was right about this hole having odd ball stuff in it. Everything in it was an odd ball color or shape. One of the most fantastic things we've seen to date was in this pit. A DR. LOVERIDGES WAHOO BITTERS, it is a cabin style bitters with a bird on one roof panel and stars on the others. The real kicker is that it was...........ummmm PINK. Yea really, it was pink. Almost like pink depression glass! Dan said he has never seen that color on ANY bottle before, and it was a rare bitters even in amber!!! You guessed it though it was broken. Enough said.

One more surprise would come out, an iron pontiled cobalt TELLER'S MINERAL WATER (ten pin) squat soda from DETROIT. This one was just cracked a bit, but worth a top shelf slot.

These types of pits really tell a story of the personality traits these early settlers had. I think that this was a bachelor doctor's house, that was really into living it up and some what of a show off. Luky us.









Dan holding up an *1840's* (ten pin) TELLER'S MINERAL WATER from DETROIT @WOW@

Other finds: a stoneware master ink, a local FLINT MICH. early blob beer,.. still full by the way, a nice lavender colored MAGNOLIA BALM and other assorted weird shaped or colored bottles. Definetely a show off. Till next time, Scott.