Cracker Jack Carriage, Indian Trade Bead? And some other stuff

[Old Pueblo]

Today's finds. Had to cut it short as I caught some lowlife attempting to break into my car, and had to leave. Can anyone put a date on this cracker jack carriage? And what is this little clay bead? Native American? Its definitely clay, and looks like something tribal people would wear, and there were broken pieces of red O'odham trade pottery sherds from the late 1800s/early 1900s all over the place. I was thinking trade bead, because of the pottery I was seeing, and because it doesnt look to me like something a pioneer would have worn. The American Southwest is also where the old North American Indian bead and pottery trade died off, in the early 1900s, so finding Indian trade beads in turn of the century ghost towns and places like that is certainly possible. (Ive found them before, just never a clay one). Please let me know what you think. If the "white man" was making clay beads like this for use by settlers and so forth (and not Native Americans), I would really like to know. Thank you

 

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[Professor of Engineering]

Congratualtions on the very productive relic hunt!

 

[Old Pueblo]

I think that is a chunk of fools gold on the left. Ill take a better pic and post it later. I was having a really difficult time getting these shots.

 

[diggingthe1]

I'm glad you ended up with that great prize!! Congrats!!!!

 

[Old Pueblo]

Thanks guys

 

[Old Pueblo]

Since I brought it up, here are a few pieces of red O'odham (Papago) trade pottery sherds, which were made in the late 1800s or early 1900s, and purchased from the O'odham by American settlers, and found in an old RR town in what used to be O'odham country. Also some Indian beads (trade and homemade), including 2 and 1/2 blue glass padre trade beads, which were very commonly used among the O'odham people, along with white ones like this. All of the beads were found in O'odham country. The O'odham, who were always peaceful with American settlers, used to travel around in caravans across Southern Arizona, selling their wares to settlers as one of their only means of income. The closer you are to O'odham land, the more of this stuff you see. And it was the O'odham and other tribes here in the Southwest that kept the age old bead trade alive into the early 20th century. The place where I found it was a RR siding/station since 1880 and a town since about 1898. And if this clay bead is not a "white man" made trade bead, could it have been made by the Native Americans? Again, let me know what you think.



Ive found other trade beads as well, but they were tossed back into the dirt because I didnt know what they were at the time (I didnt think they were very old).

 

[Old Pueblo]

Oh and those padre beads werent actually made by the "white man", but hand swirled in China and shipped over the Pacific back in the 1800s/early 1900s.

 

[Old Pueblo]

Lowlife was searching my car from the windows, even went around both sides. There was nothing important in there, though, and he took off as soon as he heard me yelling at him from a distance and saw me rushing toward him. I didnt catch up with him, though, He was a couple minutes ahead of me, down the road, and after seeing me he went around the end of this fence on the side of the road and went off into a mesquite thicket, where I couldnt see anything.

 

[Old Pueblo]

I should also mention that this place was not the site of an Indian village or anything like that, just an old RR town. The pottery sherds are definitely trade pottery sherds, c. 1900. Very commonly found stuff, I even have some whole pots that were found (not by me) out here or saved by others over the years.

 

[trapperart]

Congrats on some nice finds

 

[RVRoamer74]

Very nice hunt. Always a Good hunt, anytime you get a chance to !!...

 

[Old Pueblo]

Some more shots of the Cracker Jack Wagon, after a little cleaning with a toothpick. I found it near where that little lead train car and most of these clay marbles came from. Its funny because I thought the little train car might be a Cracker Jack toy when I found it, and now Ive found this one. And that little half circle thing is another piece of an old watch, like you see in my case here. There is a bunch of writing, including what looks like a Jun 1909 date, but its very hard to make out.



And the other side of the wagon is the same, just not as nice looking.

 

[creskol]

That's a very cool little Cracker Jack wagon!

 

[A2coins]

Im starting to wish I saved all my cracker jack prizes that is really cool. what part of AZ are you in.

 

[Old Pueblo]

Im starting to wish I saved all my cracker jack prizes that is really cool. what part of AZ are you in. I lived there for years and then came back to MI

Southeastern Arizona, near Tucson (The Old Pueblo).

 

[A2coins]

I worked near MT Lemon for a while

 

[Old Pueblo]

Another user here suggested to me in private that this clay bead might be from a rosary, the cross necklaces Catholics wear. I think he may be on to something. What does everyone else think?

 

[Old Pueblo]

I worker near MT Lemon for a while

Nice, I met a lady friend up there a couple weeks ago, and hope to do so again very soon.

 

[dirtlooter]

glad you got back in time to save the car, a friend of mine was hopping mad, he heard the guy break out a window in his truck and the door wasn't even locked. those are some very cool finds

 

[Old Pueblo]

glad you got back in time to save the car, a friend of mine was hopping mad, he heard the guy break out a window in his truck and the door wasn't even locked. those are some very cool finds

I was pretty upset too, my headhunter Indian blood in me was definitely coming out. I saw the vehicle he jumped into, a white pickup one the other side of the thicket, with someone else in it. I made sure I stopped in front of them and showed them my hunting knife in the rear view window. So maybe next time the little lowlife will think twice about attempting to steal in rural Arizona.