buried treasure

It’s curious how one thing leads to another, and little unanticipated discoveries can be made at anytime. Call it serendipity.

Recently, my hot water heater went out and I had to call a plumber. The sick appliance lives quietly in my basement where it does its job 24/7 with little fanfare. I like its dedication, especially when I climb into a hot bath at the end of a long day. While its illness was being diagnosed, I spent some time downstairs where I have a set of shelves with an odd mishmash of books. For some reason they do not merit being upstairs on the good bookcases. Beats me, but it was the books' owner (that would be me), who made the distinction.

As I was waiting on the plumber’s prognosis, I perused the volumes and discovered an old book, “Birds in the Garden,” by Margaret McKenny published in 1939. I don’t remember buying it but I’m sure it must have been at a yard sale sometime in the past 15 years or so. As I leafed through it, a card fell out. Buried treasure!

The unexpected booty was a little bigger than a post card and had a color illustration of a mockingbird. At the top it read “The American Singer Series: No. 12” The copyright date was 1899.

Turns out it was produced as a promotional handout by the Singer Sewing Machine Company and was given away at the “National Conservation Exposition” held in Knoxville in 1913. The “No. 12” indicates that it’s part of series.

Wow! And it had been living in my basement unknown by the basement’s owner (that also would be me) for years. I wonder what else is hidden down there?
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