The Robert W Campbell Bottle

Dumpdiggers visits the Toronto Archives

Three Tuesdays ago, Malcolm Mcleod surprised me with a Toronto druggist bottle on which my full name appears in the embossing. After beholding this relic, I set about a quest for more insight into my own genealogy.

Have a look at this 5 oz medicine bottle. Although a little dirty, its in good condition. The stain from the original contents is still visible inside, and that’s perfect. That’s just how I intend to preserve the treasures – as found. The slug plate on this transparent piece of Canadian history reads: ROBERT W CAMPBELL / PHARMACIST / TORONTO ONTARIO.

It actually doesn’t surprise me that there are historic objects bearing my name. As one of Scotland’s most notorious clans, the Campbells dominated the Highlands for hundreds of years, and their great leaders included several Roberts, the most famous of which is Robert Campbell of Argyll.

Today, when I type my name into Google, I find there are hundreds of contemporary examples – an actor, an architect, a fiction author and a real estate agent in southern Alabama are the most prolific; the latter owns the web domain RobCampbell.com

Generally speaking, the Campbells were always pretty good soldiers, and the surname appears on the rolls of almost every British military episode from 1709 forward… In most cases however, the highlanders fought for King and Country with an eye on settling their own farms in the colonies. Indeed the Canadian government funded a popular TV show about a family of British settlers called The Campbells in the 1980's.

This particular pharmacist, Robert W Campbell lived and worked in the City of Toronto in 1895, and I found that information and more while visiting the Toronto Archives on Friday 13^th of June, 2008.

I was the first official visitor to sign into the building that morning – the doors open at 9am, and I was there at 9:05.

The City of Toronto Archives is located at 255 Spadina Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 2V3. This building is a short walk north of Dupont Station on the University subway line – TELEPHONE – To talk to an archivist anytime during business hours, simply call 416-397-0778. Fax the experts at 416-392-9685.

Ask for an archivist named Steve Mackinnon – he’s terrific.

Are cameras allowed inside the archives?

Don’t even mention the word ‘camera’ when you visit the Toronto Archives. It’s a bad word. It triggers a conditioned response of ‘No Cameras Allowed!’ This clause ‘special permission required’ is peppered with words like ‘appointment’, ‘request forms’ and ‘fees’… yes the Toronto Archives profits by making photographic reproductions. They charge $25 to lens each piece of public property.

Robert W Campbell appears the 1896 City of Toronto records as a Druggist with a business at 398 Spadina Ave, and a house at 41 Willcock St. Below his name appears Sarah Campbell, the widow of another Robert Campbell at 1214 King st West. Then a lawyer named Samuel Campbell, and a school teacher named Sophie Campbell follows him . Thomas S Campbell was a buyer for the T Eaton Company, while another man simply known as Tom Campbell was the chef at the Rossin Hotel. In all, there were over two dozen professionals named Campbell living and working in Toronto in the summer of 1896. I'd like to think this little bottle represents them all, and how hard they each worked to make a name for themselves…

WWII Canada Meat Ration Token

meat ration token1
Originally uploaded by roberrific

This stiff navy blue cardboard token was issued to the Canadian people during and after World War II. There were several reasons why food was tightly rationed during the 'war years'. This is a reminder of that time. Sugar, coffee and tea were strictly limited because they were imported products. Meat was another story altogether. It was exported to feed the troops.

Dumpdiggers found this token while rooting through old cupboards in a farm work shed. I wondered what something like this might be worth? Its made of cardboard, ugly and mass produced... what do you think?

Here is this same Canada Meat Ration token offered for sale on eBay. At the time of this post, there's three days left in the auction... The Seller started the item at 1$ and there have been NO bids yet.

Albert from Golden Treasure Metal Detectors

Earlier this spring, Dumpdiggers met Albert Anderson, the charismatic proprietor of Golden Treasure Metal Detectors - Canada's premier metal detector dealership.

On the phone Albert’s voice crackles like Jim Rockford’s answering machine, but the resemblance is purely audio; Albert doesn’t look anything like James Garner.

On Tuesday May 6th 2008, Dumpdiggers tripped around to to test some gear with Albert Anderson. We visited a strange site in close proximity to his home. Mr. Anderson was equipped with Troy Custom Detectors, Shadow X5, while Timbits used the Tesoro, Cibola.

Here's a picture of Albert holding a two-box detector along with his trusty Troy X5, and some other accessories.

Our hunt happened out on the Scarborough Bluffs in the vicinity of East Point Park. The property in question had once belonged to the Bennett Family - they were granted the land in the early 1800's. One hundred years later, the land was appropriated by the City of Toronto for municipal purposes and this site is the scene of some environmentally questionable activity today.

Golden Treasure Metal Detectors is almost certainly Canada’s premier treasure hunting gadget retailer; so it fits that GMTD occupies a converted residential garage in East Scarborough. Although the business has been around for twenty five years, Albert only bought the name and contents ten years ago... Before he owned the place it was operated by a real old timer who was also named Albert. The switch fooled Tim who had purchased gear from the old Albert back in the 80’s. He did a double take when he saw and heard the new proprietor answer to the name Albert - he must have wondered if the old timer had found Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth? Sorry blatant keyword acquisition tactic there.

Together we tested Albert's machines in the open fields near his house. Because it’s only May, there's no grass or shrubbery to impede the coil swinging or impair the quality of the signal. As we worked, Albert explained that Golden Treasure Metal Detectors is the official Canadian Distributor for White's Electronics. He is an official Dealer for DetectorPro, Fisher, Garrett, Minelab, and Tesoro. He has something for everyone and commented on how the high price of gold is creating more amateur prospectors – one nugget could pay for your hobby. Other popular trends include scuba diving with underwater metal detectors – Albert stocks everything necessary for this activity too, except the scuba gear.

Local Toronto Treasure Story As we walking along the bluffs Albert related a tenacious local myth - the Lost Treasure of Highland Creek. I find it highly unlikely, but the story that took place during the war of 1812: It seems a British sailing vessel was being pursued by an American gunboat and rather than risk capture, they put in to the mouth of Highland Creek on the Eastern most edge of what is today East Point Park. Here the Captain dumped or somehow buried or hid his ship’s cargo. It has been suggested that it was a wide range of treasures, from gold coins to copper kettles and pots. Many people have looked, but nobody has ever recovered any items from this creek. Hurricane Hazel in 1954 altered the course of the river and now the items maybe anywhere in that estuary, if in fact they ever existed.

What did we find? Well for once we found exactly what we were looking for, an excellent local metal detector connection.

Introducing Malcolm Mcleod

This picture perfectly describes Malcolm Mcleod . He’s an ace in the hole. His toothy smile raises moral. His sharp tongue keeps everyone honest. At one time Malcolm was called ‘The Captain’, but now seems to have outgrown the title, as well as the hat with the ship’s wheel that inspired the moniker.

On Sunday April 26th the Dumpdiggers were in a secret spot which I cannot reveal (yet…) But I can report the occasion. The day was hot and bright and became a red letter day for all Canadian diggers as Timbits and Malcolm reunited; they dug a hole together in a secluded ravine in Toronto's Treasure Triangle.

Toronto's Treasure Triangle?

Do you know what it means when I say they dug a hole together in the triangle? That's the area all along the Lakeshore from The Distillery to Church and Dundas st. That's the oldest and historically richest (albeit the economically poorest) section of Toronto - inside this huge right angled triangle is where you find the oldest stuff in the city.

But let me tell you about the initial walk and talk over the property as these two great veterans did a general survey of this secluded century old dump. With only their boots and spade shovels they probed the area. Then came two separate historical reports as they each recounted what secrets they knew about the site. Next they sunk some test pits to peak under the top soil. And then finally it happened...

The two great men pitched a hole together.

Timbits and Malcolm Mcleod are among the best and most prolific diggers in the Canada. They rule the Southern Ontario scene and have contacts all over this great nation. They are also childhood friends and adventure companions. Nothing could keep them apart, but something did. What was it? Who cares because that's old news and they're together again now.

Taking turns we all dug hard until noon – nothing of value was recovered, but I took home the best of what was found and that included a ceramic master ink, a cobalt blue Bromo Seltzer 2 oz jar and a Union Soda bottle. Malcolm also gave me a Toronto druggist bottle with my name on it. How cool is that? I promise to photograph that piece and blog that story soon.

Big Larry digs a hole in Toronto's history

Big Larry is a professional excavator with a backhoe and a reputation for finding early Canadian glass and pottery. He brings thirty years of digging experience to the Diggers' collective. He also brings a healthy sense of humor - here's a picture of Big Larry on the job, in the oldest part of Toronto (east of Yonge st, south of Queen).

April 25^th 2008 was an exciting day. Big Larry was removing some suspicious soil under the parking lot behind 252 Adelaide St E, which any knowledgeable local historian will tell you is the site of Toronto’s very first post office (circa 1834).

The Town of York website hosts the story of Toronto's first post office amid the trappings of so many dedicated historians; this page is a veritable treasure trove of facts and information concerning James Scott Howard. The dig site also contained something valuable - what Larry found in the ground is important.

It was a small hole, and not even that deep, but look at the stratigraphy. On the morning of April 25^th 2008 it was possible to see the shifting sands under this great city right back to 1834 when this exact spot was a mini marsh with cattails and bullfrogs.

Look carefully and note the bottom is clay and layers of top soil and finally gravel and asphalt as each generation used and improved the property. And of course let’s notice that log at the very bottom of the hole. That’s not a fence post, or a foundation beam…

According to Big Larry that post is the mooring of a small dock which may have existed here on the south side of a swampy pond almost two hundred years ago. The piles may have once supported a wooden dock or retaining wall – the whole mess was covered in and filled over in the 1830s and the land supported the busy post office and Toronto dentist.

Big Larry was just doing his job; he was digging a hole in a construction site. But like the wise old man, Larry keeps his eyes open all the time – especially when he’s working in history. As I watched him, he watched the hole. After a glimpse of ash, and the flash of glass, Larry jumped out of the cab and down into the pit, to grub knee deep in the mud on a hunt for the prize.

And it was worth it – from the depths of time Big Larry retrieved a ‘Riddel & Burns / 406 Yonge St / Toronto’ aqua torpedo bottle.

How did this bottle get here? The site is not a dump, but may have been dumped on all the same... This bottle was probably pitched into a water filled ditch sometime in the late 1860's or early 1870s by someone who wasn't interested in collecting the deposit. TimBits tells me that the bottle was made in 1869 by Francis Ridell and AW Burns, the proprietors of the beaver soda company. It was one of the last torpedo bottles made, before they came back into fashion again briefly in the early 1900s.

This is a very rare bottle; even good information is hard to find.

When Dumpdiggers went searching about for data on these two early Toronto beverage makers, we rediscovered the Canadian Bottle Lover's pages, and their wonderful photo gallery collection of early Toronto sodas.

But there's no Riddel & Burns torpedos on display here; the only similar specimen is a broken 'bowling pin' squat soda.

When Larry cleans and tumbles this piece I hope to do a follow-up on Francis Riddel & AW Burns. Anyway Big Larry, nice find.

Watermarks on Wood Furniture

There was a time not long ago when I moved deeper into the heart of Toronto on a quest for a better apartment. I made the switch in the middle of winter, and in the middle of a snowstorm; it was painful on so many levels. But I live downtown now, and all I left behind were bad memories.

Like this one particular bad memory I shall relate here:

Do you have any watermarks on your wood furniture?

Inside my old apartment I had kept an avocado tree in the window.

I had raised this plant from a seed. One of the first avocados I ever consumed no doubt. The plant is a good friend and almost ten years old.

See here how it has wept for me... But I did not know this.

For many months, I did not realize that the water leaked from a tiny hole in the bottom of the pot to leave a circular ring underneath. The water had scared the top of the white oak window ledge. Honestly, I did not know the urn had been compromised.

The wise old man has taught me that anyone can turn any disaster into a learning opportunity.

And as a blogger with a popular domain, I can learn and teach at the same time.

Here's an article I wrote last year that's devoted to the subject of How To Get Watermarks off Wood Surfaces. This was just the second hand knowledge I needed, and so I followed my own 'terrific' advice.

Without any hesitation, I retrieved my camera and a jar of mayonnaise and I set about rubbing the smelly stuff into the wood using an old rag (which I threw out after as it was so disgusting) .

I worked up quite a steam and soon the whole room smelled like a chip wagon.

In summary, although the author of this Gomestic article is a genius, the work is just not accurate in many respects, and it fails to note how long term damage cannot be cured by any miracle polish short of paint. The only remedy here is to sand the watermarks out of the surface and reapply lacquer.

Dumpdiggers finds a new voice on Squidoo

The earth has turned; all living things are starting fresh again outside my window. The leaves on the trees are green and the entire cityscape is suddenly alive with spring.

Timbits has been calling me, and Ace of Spades and even Chester Huff in Kenora – there’s a big dig brewing somewhere and these veterans are eager to pitch a hole.

There's excitement surrounding Dumpdiggers.com, and as many of you know there'll soon be an awesome social networking website at this domain; the launch date is June 1st 2008.

In the meantime, I, Rob Campbell would like to show readers the official Dumpdiggers Lens on Squidoo. Remember Squidoo? This is a multi-platform web publishing site that was created by Seth Godin to offer free media to anyone that wants it, for ANYTHING they want.

I discovered the site last year and used it for the first time last week, when searching for new and innovative mediums in which to market the Margaret Laurence book turned movie, The Stone Angel , and so I created The Stone Angel Squidoo Lens.

Big deal. Its free right?

Even though Squidoo is totally free to use, there's value here for readers and that creates a purpose for authors. Dumpdiggers just loves the flickr photo slide show widget, and the youtube.com channel, the eBay widget and the Google Blog search engine are also remarkably on topic. Check the official Dumpdiggers Lens.

Have a look and tell me what you think - I will respond to all queries.