Moving the outhouse

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

When I was about 10 years old I went up to Uncle Edgars to help him move his outhouse. If you lived on a steep hillside, you had it lucky (unless you were down the hill), but if not, you had to periodically clean out the hole, or dig a new one and move the privy to it. Digging a new hole was usually preferred. Uncle Edgar backed the old John Deere MT up to it, and I grabbed the chain and wrapped around the outhouse, with the intention of using the hydralics to rock it over toward the tractor and haul it to the site of the new hole. Suddenly there was a panicked baning from the inside of the outhouse. Aunt Marjorie was in it. We never did have the courage to remind her of that event in later years.

[beaconlight]

I bet you did it on purpose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then again maybe your umcle did it on purpose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Living in the country 45 years ago you sometimes had to make your own fun.

[beaconlight]

I knew it. It was something I would do too. in 1973 we stayed at a friends small old farm house in Romulus NY. It had never had electricity in it and only had a phone during WWII while 2 sons were in the service. There was a hand pump in the yard and of course the old half moon hotel. It was a 2 holer. My 17 year old daughter was doing her business when she saw a snake crawling in the door. The scream could be heard 5 miles away. Her 10 year old brother didn't hesitate but ran in. Here was sister standing on the seat screaming, pointing and unable to speak. Bill just grabed the black snake behind the head and carried it out. Daughter Beverly has only one brother but she still says that he is her hero and favorite brother. Says no one ever had a better one. My daughter Kathryn, age 15 had the same thing happen a couple of days later. She just said I stomped his head and put him down the hole. Course both Beverlys were afraid to sit after that. Had a tough time convincing them that if Kathryn stomped it, it was dead.

Bill
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Bill

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

My Aunt Dorothy was visiting us one time when we heard a yell form the privvy. She had been wasp stung in a sensitive area. Dad took a mirror and looked under the bench to discover a huge wasp nest with several wasps on it. guess they just didn't like a strange "face".

[Eugene]

I was rereading "Backwoods Home" magazine Jan/Feb 2003. It has an article Titled "The Vanishing Outhouse".

Article states that at a recent Canadian auction an outhouse sold for $5600.00.

[Brent]

My neighbor asked his son and I if we would move the outhouse. We said sure cause there was a couple of bucks in it for us which was alot of money in those days. Anyway, we dug a new hole, preferable method, started to fill the old hole in but that was too much work so we put old boards over the top along with some old tar paper, than put dirt on top of that. Outhouse holes where we lived were only about three feet deep. Had about that much soil then you would hit shale. About a month later his dad ran the Fordson into the old hole. Thankfully he didn't get hurt. Guess who ramped the hole so we could drive the tractor out? Messy, messy. Lesson learned! DIG A RAMP IN ALL NEW OUTHOUSE HOLES. Can't say I don't learn!