In these parts, the outhouse often was called the "Chick Sale" after a
popular humorist who wrote a book called "The Specialist." It is
hilarious, and somehow missing from my library!  Chick Sale did a
monologue about a "specialist" outhouse builder.  Sometimes we still
hear references to his "standard eight family three holer" or the
reason you plant the grape vine in front of the privy.  If you can find
the book you will obtain a deeper understanding of privy culture.

My mother's bridge club once did a reading of the book, and the
city-bred members were totally floored at the hilarity among the
countryfolk.



Edward F. Heite
Heite Consulting, Inc.
Archaeologists and Historians
P O Box 53, Camden, Delaware 19934
www.heite.org