We are adding the sunroom like many of you know, well we needed to run new electric around the old well,. Husband kept hitting something underground w/ the ditch digger. I got the metal detector out and started to dig,so far we have found a cast iron fry type pan 12 in. across 3 in. deep with a spout for pouring off on the left side .The handle has a decoration on it and the whole thing apears hand made.The really cool thing is a cast iron pot w/ lid. It is small maybe 8 in. across and 6 in. deep{maybe for beans?} The lid fits it. I can not figure for the life of me why they are down there,about 6ft. from the well and 8ft. from the smokehouse,the detector is still going off at about 24in down.Cant wait to start digging again!

-- renee oneill{md.} (oneillsr@home.com), December 01, 2000

Answers

Beware of the wee people. They can be quite a clever lot especially when there is gold. :O)

-- Storybook Farm (mumaw@socket.com), December 01, 2000.

Maybe the previous resident was into Tesla and if you could read up on it you wouldn't have to run the electricity to the main feed....well, maybe.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), December 01, 2000.

They sound like chicken friers. Maybe it is a filled area or an old root cellar/spring house that was filled years ago.

-- Hendo (redgate@echoweb.net), December 01, 2000.

Cool. Things were pitched down outhouses also,but it prob. wouldn't have been that, so close to the well.However,is the dirt really rich?

-- sharon wt (wildflower@ekyol.com), December 01, 2000.

Wow, Renee, sounds like you've hit a treasure trove! My husband will be drooling when I tell him about this -- he really has a thing for cast iron cooking stuff!! (Which is why we have so much of it!)

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), December 01, 2000.

Maybe the wife "lost" it so she could get the "new teflon non- stick" many years ago.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), December 01, 2000.

Maybe grandma got a little mad at Grandpa and had to quick hide the evidence? You know "the old hit the ol'coot over the head with the cast iron pan trick." Just Kidding, Laura

-- fred in wi (sixuvusmeyers@aol.com), December 01, 2000.

My great grandmother used to have a pit close to their well. She kept her biggest cast iron pan in it. Often she would take out some corbread and put it in there to cool. Could be another person did same and over time the pit collasped.

Could be....But I still might look for a Leprachan or two.

If you start hearing fine irish music...Call Me. I 'll rush right over..LOL

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), December 01, 2000.

Wow! What a find!!! Clean that stuff up and use it! I have been using cast iron cook ware off and on for years but during this past year have really become dependent on it. I only have a small skillet and a larger skillet now but would like more...but am holding out to get good stuff that is American made! I look carefully at the flea markets and drool a lot!!!

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), December 02, 2000.