I have already written this to Paul, but I know it in use as a pin
holder. It is in no way, shape or form a spile for tapping maple
trees. It is a small turned wood container, with cap.
I have seen several instances where such containers were used to hold
pins. My grandmother kept her larger pins and needles in this exact piece
(same size and all).
My father, an avid insect collector purchased special pins for mounting the
insects, and the pins came various sized tubes just like this or if they
were more recent vintage from Montgomery Ward (now Ward's Scientific,
although Dad called them "Monkey Ward"), they had flat bottom and
top. Various sized pins, some several inches long were needed for splaying
wings and holding up probosciseseseseses, etc. while the insects dried, and
then when they were mounted.
I tried to search several science supply sites for these containers, but
was only able to find some multiple-holed pin cases made of wood (Dad had
one of those also).
http://wardsci.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_140380_A_Insect+Pinning+Accessories+Set
http://www.bioquip.com/html/view_catalog.asp?page=33
It seems that the pins now come in paper wraps (as they did way back when)
or plastic boxes.
Then again, lots of things came in cheaply made wooden containers ... now
they come in cheaply made plastic containers.
Dan W.
At 09:46 PM 10/10/2004 -0400, you wrote:
>I don't think this is a maple sap spile. While the 1830s date is before
>the large scale commercial production of metal spiles, the "homemade"
>wooden ones were, usually, single lengths and thickness of wood, made
>from elder or some other tree or bush that allowed easy extraction of
>the pith from the center of the stick, forming a hollow tube. Spiles
>also had to be made, or, later, bought, in large quantities, to tap
>enough trees to provide enough sap for worthwhile syrup or sugar
>production. Lathe work on such items would not be necessary, and would
>be most unusual.
>
>D. Babson.
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sean
>Dunham
>Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 2:11 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Artifact Indentification
>
>Do they do any maple syrup or sugar production in that part of NC?
>
>
>
>Sean B. Dunham, RPA
>Commonwealth Cultural Resources Group, Inc.
>Phone: 517-788-3550 / FAX: 517-788-6594
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>http://www.ccrginc.com
>
> >>> [log in to unmask] 10/06/04 01:40PM >>>
>To all:
>Once again, the Archaeology Unit of the NCDOT has the pleasure of
>trying to
>identify an artifact that was brought in by one of the biologists on
>our
>staff. A little background information to start: main structure of
>the
>biologist's grandmother property in Nash Co., NC was built circa 1830s.
> The
>artifact itself was found in an outbuilding, presumed to be a cookhouse
>and
>built during the same era. The item appears to be a small wooden tube,
>much
>like a cigar tube, separated into two pieces. One piece slides over
>the
>other piece. Piece 1 measures about 4.5" long with a collar measuring
>1.25"
>long over which Piece 2 slides. Piece 2 measures about 2.25" long.
>Interior diameter of Piece 1 measures 15/16" with an outer diameter of
>about
>1". Both pieces appear to have been turned on a lather because an
>indented
>point occurs at either end of the pieces. The item was located either
>in
>the material below the floorboards of the cookhouse or within its
>walls.
>Many have suspected that it is a tobacco holder given the agricultural
>nature of the region during the nineteenth century, but no one here as
>actually seen such an item. Photographs are available upon request.
>Please
>direct requests to [log in to unmask] and I will send them
>off-list.
>
>Thanks,
>Paul J. Mohler
>NCDOT Archaeologist
>
>_________________________________________________________________
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