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I FINALLY GOT OUT THERE!
An adventure with Master Digger Ivan Oakeson
It has been many years since I have picked up a shovel.  When the dumps went away, so did my efforts.  What is left requires too much time and skill for me.  But when I got the call from Ivan, "Let's go diggin", it was hard to resist.  I have watched Ivan work before. He has a second sense,  He doesn't miss a detail and when the probe comes out, it is almost always  successful. 
This time we were driving to a place he had already located.  It was an old railroad stop.  One that has probably been picked over for many years.  And yet my friend Ivan found a "layer". 

The layer was less than a foot deep with about 6 inches of top soil on it.  So we started.  Mostly ash and bones.  But out fell a ginger beer.   Our first item!  Visions of many yet to come danced in our heads.  We also found many broken dishes.  It was apparent that this was a restaurant or eating establishment of some sort.  It was also apparent that this was a very old layer.  The broken pieces were 1870's.  For Utah, it was remarkably old.  Each piece had to be examined. 
Next it was a small extract bottle. This added to the belief that there was cooking going on here.  But it became clear that the bottles would be few and far between.  But while there is a layer, every digger MUST follow it .  Each piece of glass was so old, that it kept our interest. 
Next came a Pierces. Common except for the sloppy fused top. 

Our layer was diminishing but it sank deeper on the other side, so moving over we started on the next part of the layer.  Dusty digging but a perfect fall day.   A top peaks out.  Looks like a sauce.
Probably another Lea and Perrins.  But a nice Sloppy one.
 
Slowly we uncover it hoping it's not just a part of one.  Slowly it emerges and.....
Surprise!  It's a different sauce and a US one, not an import!  It's wonderfully old!

Lots of rust now.  One more crock peaks out.  This one is sitting atop a very old shovel.  A nice English master ink.  Also a great railroad car pin shown above.

Continuing this layer was going a bit deeper.  Much more interesting.  Still many bones and plates.  Right on the mud, could it be a nice black glass?  
No such luck.  A very old champaign.

It was now into the afternoon.  Constant digging.  As I said, I haven't dug in a long time.  When the layer ran out, I stopped for a bit and found that I was unable to lift my arms up above my waist!  I am way out of shape!  I hurt all over. 
All in all, not may bottles but the ones we got were much older that anything I had ever found and the other artifacts and pieces found along the way made it a rich experience.  I would love to try it again if I ever recover......