THE OUTHOUSE
PASTE HERE
FROM Peter ................... Jun 21, 2000, 00:18 (EST)
Which was the "real" Sunnyridge outhouse? Was it the single hole outhouse that was there when we arrived? The one that contained a certificatge of admission to the California State Bar? Some people actually asked to see that and went to that outhouse for that and no other purpose!
Was it the three holer, with the chin high screen? Was it the one built higher up that took advantage of the gully and was probably least ecologically sound? Any good outhouse stories? How about those great days when the truck would come and pump the thing out? Or when it was festooned in pine boughs and actually smelled sweet?
Jimmy you copied my hair style. Very good!! The photo of Jimmy M. and the Memorial Day photos and the studio photos are good. Identify the people in the Mem. day pix. Eagerly waiting for Geller work. The "book" is happenning right here and now. See Demetra's Ohming piece, Peter's how I came to SR. Ted's answer to Questionnaire. Maybe Stan will write about the bust. Someone should write about their first ewxperience in the outhouse. I remembner someone of us who had a lot of trouble there because they were unable to see what they had "produced". Some folks were unable to stay at SR because they were not able to perform excretory functions in the presence of others.
FROM michelle...................Jun 21, 2000, 00:57 (EST)
we tied a string to a flash light to have a look. . .
FROM Teddy...................Jun 21, 2000, 09:27 (EST)
Oh michelle!!!!
FROM SIG ...................Jun 21, 2000, 16:00 (EST)
Ah, the outhouse....The cleanup truck (I called it the sh--sucker) used to come. The kids were fond of throwing things down the holes--usually rolls of toilet paper, but sometimes kerosine lamps, too. The poor guy who ran the sh--sucker would be heard cursing as he tried to remove a lamp globe from the hose....Before he came, we would hose water into the pit tll it almost reached the top. What fun! It was observed that a few inches of undigested rice would float to the top (is this grossing you out?)....Remember the cool candle flashlights Teddy used to make? A #10 can on its side, candle inside, wire handle. Well, one night Priscilla had an epiphany in the outhouse. Someone had seemingly dropped a candle down the hole, and it stuck down there upright and still burning. Priscilla walked in and saw light streaming up through the holes. ("What's it all mean, Mr. Natural?" "Don't mean shit, Flakey....").....
FROM jim...................Jun 23, 2000, 23:24 (EST)
how many seats in out house, were they all adult...if four what arrangement..??? l shape, or in a row....were there white toilet seats on all of them...i'm trying to get a feel for the sketch....the more we all remember...the more acurate.......when i finish the primary..i'll put a link of it on the page and you can all correct the drawing by copying the page and print it then email it back as attachment with corrections, if you have a scanner or a program...(one can always snailmail)..etc....is there a better way to do this ? i'll attempt an out-house memory recall...actualy betty's mother had some scene about it, i don't quite remember what...but it was funny................enough........
FROM SIG...................Jun 23, 2000, 23:38 (EST)
A three-seater...As you walk in, two in front of you, one on the right. All the same size.Don't recall the seat setup....
FROM Teddy...................Jun 24, 2000, 12:45 (EST)
Stew's right. I think the seats were just holes, no covers, but also not sure. there was a box for used paper...we were so ecological.
FROM jim...................Jun 24, 2000, 14:15 (EST)
...sensative subject "out-house"...i started sketching...the floor was about ?x? my guess 5'deep and 8'long....shed roof sloped towards the back...screened 100% in back, maybe all around ?....2x2 framing...no county standard codes applied....roof covering, tar paper...door ? home made ?.......
FROM SIG...................Jun 24, 2000, 14:29 (EST)
Wood siding to about 4 feet all around, except for door. In addition to adding pine boughs, Joel and I added boards to extend the roof a bit; rain used to blow in, especially on the mauka (Hawaiian for "up-mountain") side. That is, the door side...Yes, a box for tp, and a 50-gallon drum a few feet away in which to burn it....Also, a bag of lime inside to occasionally throw down the holes....Door swung toward the logging road (I think?). Peter--help!!
FROM SIG...................Jun 24, 2000, 14:32 (EST)
Oh, yes--Around the time we added the pine and boards, Joel collaged the whole inside.....Yes, shed roof, screened on all sides from four feet up....
FROM SIG...................Jun 25, 2000, 01:47 (EST)
Jimy--Door was on left, not center....Maybe more slope to roof, too...but very nice!
FROM jim...................Jun 25, 2000, 10:14 (EST)
....left,looking at it ? or left, looking out of it.....?....
FROM Teddy...................Jun 25, 2000, 12:02 (EST)
left as you look at it, I would say.
FROM jim...................Jun 25, 2000, 12:07 (EST)
wasn't it wrapped in tar paper ?
FROM jim...................Jun 25, 2000, 12:10 (EST)
or sheets of plywood ?
FROM SIG...................Jun 25, 2000, 14:08 (EST)
Maybe plywood, but not tarpaper, I would say. Just funky SR board siding, I think....Yes, door on left as you enter.....
FROM Teddy...................Jun 25, 2000, 20:17 (EST)
jaf's next version:
OUTHOUSE
Looks much more like what I remember. got a flashback of the flies and the hot Oregon summer days.
FROM Peter...................Jun 25, 2000, 23:08 (EST)
The representation ot the outhouse is quit good, though the door is to the left as you face the entrance from the outside. I believe the hole on the right side was smaller than the ones straight a head to accommodate children and their smaller behinds. Tjhe holes had covers that were hinged with leather straps and were plain plywood. Occasionally there would be shout of "TOILET PAPER!!" from there and occasionally the roll of paper would wind up in one of the holes. The newspapers we got from the Library in Cave Junction were kept there and in times of extreme poverty were sometimes used as tioilet paper. The out house sometimes served as a "filter" of people who would have liked to stay at Sunnyridge, but were unable to handle the communal aspect of performing such basic bodily functions in the presence of others, be they of the same or opposite sex, or children. Defecating and urinating in the presence of others was really difficult for many and took some getting used to. It was a test of communal spirit akin to giving up ones car, dog, or one's money. Perhaps we should address some ot these issues in the chat. By the way I think the roof was tin.
I remember a Teddy (?) built fly trap in there one or more summers. Another fun thing about the out house was toilet training a little kid in there. Quit a feat!!
FROM SIG...................Jun 25, 2000, 23:18 (EST)
JAF--This one is quite excellent -- though the door, I'm 99% sure was NOT screened.....
FROM jim...................Jun 26, 2000, 09:53 (EST)
.......screened or not screened?....it would make sence that it was not, where else could there be a solid space for joel's collage ?......does everyone agree ?.....
FROM Peter...................Jun 26, 2000, 14:17 (EST)
There was no screen on the door.
FROM SIG...................Jun 26, 2000, 18:46 (EST)
JAF--This is very good....The collage did indeed cover the door, also inside walls from bottom of screens to hole platform, and to floor on left (behind tp box) and right (on courtyard side) of door, looking out.....
FROM Joel...................Jun 27, 2000, 15:20 (EST)
I finally answered Peter's questions of a month or so ago. You can find it, if you are interested, among the answers to question 20 of the questionairre.
I seem to recall, by the way, that the outhouse door was on the side away from the kitchen and facing the woods, not the driveway. But I could be wrong.
FROM SIG...................Jun 27, 2000, 16:31 (EST)
Hi, Joel! You are correct about the door...but what made you believe we thought otherwise?
FROM Peter...................Jun 27, 2000, 19:30 (EST)
Second sketch is quite good. Maybe a little too square. the side with the door was a little wider than the sloping side. Also the screen to the right of the door looking at it may have been divided in two. The uprights< I believe were poles. Joel too bad. Try again. this has happenned to me a couple of times and it is very discouraging.
FROM: Nina, on Aug 9, 2000
At some point the kids created a skit about the outhouse. It went something like: 2 guys are in the outhouse smoking pot. The joint falls in. They plan and scheme and figure out a way to get it out. One takes a toke and says "good shit, man!" The end.
From: Ted ted@pilger.com 11/9/2002
10:05 A.M.
Jim Melnik considers the out-house to be Sunnyridge's greatest contribution to the "alternative lifestyle". It was a challenge to our sensibilities and is an enigma to outsiders. Another amusing note is that the outhouse seemed to be designed to keep the flys in rather than out.
From: Peter 11/11/2002
7:56 A.M.
What do you mean: Designed to keep the flies in? how would you design it to keep the flies out?
From: Ted 11/11/2002
7:54 P.M.
Mmmm. Guess that's like which came first, the chicken or the egg. Couldn't very well put screening on the seats. Ooooo that's bad.
From: Peter 11/12/2002
10:42 A.M.
By the way, I am glad to see that Melnik agrees with me about the outhouse (see my first post in this rubric). There is no doubt about it, people often freaked out when they first came there and I venture to say that some people were at SR many months and probably managed to avoid company when using the outhouse.
From: kathy 7/9/2004
8:30 P.M.
would anyone here know how much an 18th century three seater outhouse would go for if someone were to sell it?
