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Across the Fence:  It seems so strange....  |
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Horseyrider
True Blue Farmgirl
1045 Posts
Mary Ann
Illinois
1045 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 05 2007 : 6:49:34 PM
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Out in my back yard, behind the cob house and tool shed, there's a huge old maple tree. It's so big there's no way that two people could reach around it's trunk and touch each other. I've planted irises and day lilies underneath, and over the years many odd pieces of metal and debris come to the surface. It's pretty clear that it was someone's dump a long time ago, and a tree sprouted up in the middle. There has been someone farming here for about 140+ years.
One of the things that came up the other day was a ringlike piece of glass. It was in pristine shape, so I took it in the house and scrubbed it. It looked like a bushing, but it was made of glass. No way would a glass bushing survive.
It sat around the house for awhile. Hubby and I both mused on what it might be. There was a bit of writing on it: it said "Patent Aug 7th, 83---- 1884-3." On a whim, I sat down to the computer, and put "Patent August 7th, 1883" in a google search engine.
Would you believe that the first hit to come up was pictures of this piece of glass?
It's a glass pump valve seat, for hand powered water pumps.
I couldn't help but think of the people who threw this thing in the dump, discarding it as useless. I thought of how it waited under the dirt for decades and went forward in time, and into the hands of someone who had no clue what it was. And also the effortlessness of finding out.
It's a funny little bridge to the past. |
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RachelLeigh
True Blue Farmgirl
635 Posts
Rachel
Rainier
WA
USA
635 Posts |
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Bee Haven Maven
True Blue Farmgirl
1862 Posts
Beverly
Pennsylvania
USA
1862 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 05 2007 : 7:28:53 PM
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That is an amazing find! I am sure that they are pretty hard to find intact! What are you going to do with it?
Alee |
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nut4fabric
True Blue Farmgirl
885 Posts
Kathy
Morgan Hill
CA
USA
885 Posts |
Posted - Jun 05 2007 : 8:15:15 PM
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How cool is that!!! I love just finding old stuff that has been hanging around in the dirt for years. One year when living in California we had several days of really hard rain and an old medicine bottle washed down from a hill behind our house. Hope you find a great way to desplay it.
Hugs, Kathy |
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Horseyrider
True Blue Farmgirl
1045 Posts
Mary Ann
Illinois
1045 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2007 : 04:47:17 AM
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I'm sure it's relatively worthless, but I'll probably put it with some bottles we've found.
When we moved here there was a wooden box in the basement. It says "GLOVE BRAND RUBBERS." I thought it was kewl. My high school age daughters were embarrassed when I used it for a TV stand. Inside were the merchant's instructions for how to display the merchandise, which at that time went on the feet. Once I saw the same type of box for sale in an antique store for $375. It made me laugh. |
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junkjunkie
True Blue Farmgirl
1306 Posts
Judy
Lawrenceville
NJ
USA
1306 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2007 : 06:13:09 AM
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| I love that story! How cool that remnants of past lives come to the surface to give a history of an old home. You should display it....it's a lot of fun! |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2007 : 06:24:56 AM
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That's soooo cool! Maybe you could tie a pretty ribbon or something through it and hang it in a window?
I also love the story about the "rubbers" crate, but having lived in England, my mind went straight to the tootsies!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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Tracey
True Blue Farmgirl
766 Posts
Tracey
State of Confusion
USA
766 Posts |
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2007 : 06:37:16 AM
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That's my dream as well, Tracey. To live in a place that has history that you can be a part of. Mary Ann- LOL Your box story made me laugh!! I remember when I was a little girl I had red rubbers for rainy days! I loved them! Hope you keep finding really cool stuff!
Karin
Wherever you go, there you are.
Come visit me at:
www.madrekarin.etsy.com
www.madrekarin.blogspot.com |
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Bee Haven Maven
True Blue Farmgirl
1862 Posts
Beverly
Pennsylvania
USA
1862 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2007 : 06:51:46 AM
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That "rubbers" story made me laugh and reminded me of my Nana.....born in 1901, she tried to be as "hip" to the language as possible.....She once was telling me about some young lady in town who had gotten herself "knocked Up" as she put it. She then went on to tell me it was because her boyfriend had not worn his "boots". I had to laugh, she was dead serious!
Keep Smiling.....Bev
Check out my shoppe at www.honeybeez.etsy.com
www.beehavenacres.blogspot.com , www.beehavenmaven.blogspot.com |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2007 : 08:23:30 AM
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Bev-
Your story is so funny! I bet you have a few of those stories, don't you? Your Nana sounds like she was a kick!
Alee |
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Firemama
True Blue Farmgirl
1731 Posts
Amanda
Medical Lake
WA
USA
1731 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2007 : 12:40:26 PM
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That so cool of a find, we havent found anything here at our place except old reciepts from when they built the house in the 40s. Over at my dads place though, they have found several very smalls glass bottles.
Mommy to 2
Your FreckleFaced Farm Girl!!
Help when you can, Pray when you can't. |
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Across the Fence: It seems so strange.... |
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It seems so strange....
