100 y/o logging camp pearl suspenders!

[highnam]

Had some luck the past few weeks in the 100 y/o logging camp that I have been detecting for the past two years. I found my 20th set of suspenders and it was a thrilling one. I took it home dirty and to my amazement the crust fell off with ease to reveal mother of pearl! I started to clean the back of the suspender clip and that it when I noticed I had previously found the other half, but it was missing the mother of pearl...i'm still sifting so it might turn up. I found my second silver coin and it was another dime only this one was from Canada...only in circulation 2 years before it went in the ground. A indian head penny and a half set of Bulldog extra heavy suspenders. I also found a couple more pipe bits. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what the orange pipe with the dark bubbles was made of? Also found a third color of amber whiskey. Thanks

 

[vpnavy]

Nice finds highnam!

 

[surf]

Hello highnam,

I believe the pipe stems are both hard rubber, and Bakelite for the faux tortoise shell look.

VINTAGE GERMAN BAKELITE PIPE HANDLE OR STEM IN ORI : Lot 254

Here's a few of my hard rubber ones:

 

[John Boy]

Great finds.Those suspender clips are cool.thanks for sharing.

 

[hamiddetecting]

Very nice congratulations

 

[highnam]

Hello highnam,

I believe the pipe stems are both hard rubber, and Bakelite for the faux tortoise shell look.

VINTAGE GERMAN BAKELITE PIPE HANDLE OR STEM IN ORI : Lot 254

Here's a few of my hard rubber ones:

Hey Surf- Looks like you have a bit just like the hard rubber one I found...I thought that bakelite was after 1912 and the translucent red and orange pipes were probably celluliod made to look like cherry amber and the other amber tortoise? The orange pipe has some mean bite marks on the tip and someone suggested those darker bubbles were tabbaco stains?

 

[John_Deere]

Nice finds! Congrats and HH!

 

[surf]

Hey highnam,

I think you'll find that Bakelite dates to 1907 New York.

"It was developed by Belgian-born chemist Leo Baekeland in New York in 1907.
One of the first plastics made from synthetic components, Bakelite was used for its electrical nonconductivity and heat-resistant properties in electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings, and such diverse products as kitchenware, jewelry, pipe stems, and children's toys. Bakelite was designated a National Historic Chemical Landmark in 1993 by the American Chemical Society in recognition of its significance as the world's first synthetic plastic." Bakelite

Some pipes, themselves, were made of Bakelite.

 

[hikeinmts]

Highnam, Where you hunting? My Dad (and Mom) was in the mts of NE Oregon, when he worked at a lumber camp, just after they were married. I have a feeling that there would be much to find in/around their camp. It had a cooks tent, and the men/wives lived in semi-permanent tents. BTW, I'm now living/hunting in S. Korea.

 

[63bkpkr]

Highnam, I read once that at least some of the logging camps paid in gold coin and the little ones are easily lost as they are so small. Neat finds so far, hope they continue and get even better............63bkpkr

 

[g-olden years]

Love your assortment of finds! Nice amber bottles! I also wonder which state you're hunting in No need to give us GPS coordinates though -- lol. HH Andi

 

[highnam]

Love your assortment of finds! Nice amber bottles! I also wonder which state you're hunting in No need to give us GPS coordinates though -- lol. HH Andi

Thanks golden years! I'm in western Washington state not far from the Canadian border, hunting a row of burned bunkhouses, pick'n out nails handful of dirt at a time...

 

[highnam]

Highnam, I read once that at least some of the logging camps paid in gold coin and the little ones are easily lost as they are so small. Neat finds so far, hope they continue and get even better............63bkpkr

I like the thought, I am surprised to see how small some of the gold coins are that I've seen on here...hopefully the finds do keep getting better, slowing preparing you for the golden moment....too much for a rookie to take in. I've paid my dues...I'm ready!

 

[63bkpkr]

You and I are alike as We'd paid our dues. I detect/prospect for gold and in 2010 I finally found my nugget patch/paystreak. It was a real thrill and an adventure I will live many times over. Pictures help the memories stay correct so I took a lot. Best of success with your row of bunk houses and the main camp itself, a daunting task but then so is metal detecting an entire river canyon to find gold. I found the gold long before and have not yet detected the entire canyon.

Recently I saw a video of a fellow detecting an abandoned home site. He was looking at the outside of the house where boards were loose, pulled one of them away and there was a fifty cent piece. Moral of the story, do not forget to detect the floor frames of the bunk houses.............63bkpkr

 

[highnam]

You and I are alike as We'd paid our dues. I detect/prospect for gold and in 2010 I finally found my nugget patch/paystreak. It was a real thrill and an adventure I will live many times over. Pictures help the memories stay correct so I took a lot. Best of success with your row of bunk houses and the main camp itself, a daunting task but then so is metal detecting an entire river canyon to find gold. I found the gold long before and have not yet detected the entire canyon.

Recently I saw a video of a fellow detecting an abandoned home site. He was looking at the outside of the house where boards were loose, pulled one of them away and there was a fifty cent piece. Moral of the story, do not forget to detect the floor frames of the bunk houses.............63bkpkr

Congrats on the pay streak...seems nothing comes easy in this hobby, but the more work that goes into finding good ground the sweeter the payoff!
I'm lucky to have some good ground with this row of bunkhouses, the fact that they burned is the only reason I'm finding what I have...otherwise the bunkhouses and other buildings would have been loaded onto the rail car and moved to the next camp. The result of the fire left no visual evidence the bunkhouses were ever there, I found were the row had been only by the nails left in the ground. Good luck to you 63bkpkr...we are no doubt alike.

 

[highnam]

Thanks surf for the info! Still enjoying the hard rubber items...crazy how hard rubber and early plastics were so popular around the turn of the century!

 

[Hendo0601]

I too am in western-ish WA (on the west side of the cascades at least) and I have been dying to find an old logging camp around here. I know there were a lot of them, but finding them on old maps is next to impossible. I will keep searching tho.

Super cool finds! That MOP suspender clip is the bees knees!!!!

 

[highnam]

Thanks Hendo!
I found my camp off info passed down through my family...the sight got me into MD'ing and I have passed 3 years hunting the camp...most camps were loaded onto rail cars and moved to the next location...check out old publications of "The Timberman" in your area and look for info in the "fire record" to get tips on camps that had a fire and that might have some goodies left over. Talk to local old timers with logging backgrounds, you never know!