Like many things in my old house, the electric works…but it is set up in a wonky way.

While following a wire up, around & thru we spied something tucked behind the wooden wall in the basement staircase.

A little glimmer shining thru the old slats.  

This is what we pulled out...

What a discovery!

The stash in the wall includes:

• A small beer flask with image of Elk
• a brown glass medicine bottle 
• a clear glass bottle
• a glass ink well
• Mason jar lids with porcelain inserts
• a rusty butter knife
• a bag of rusty screws

Pulling out the crumbling, small but heavy brown paper bag, I was certain it would contain Mrs. Hobbs's ( the first owner 1886 - 1901) special jewels.  

Alas, it was a bag of rusty screws.  Oh well, treasure of another kind!

The flask is really interesting.  I sent my mom the photo and she pulled an 'Antique Roadshow' immediately - coming up with this info on it:

It is a souvenir whiskey flask from the 1912 Elks convention held in Portland Oregon. It is shaped like an elk's tooth - on purpose!

See the clock on the front? The clock striking 11 is symbolic of the ritual of the Elk's to say their secret oath & toast when the clock strikes 11 pm.  

On the back is an image of a lotus & an address for The Lotus in Portland and reference to Rheingold Beer.  From what we have found, The Lotus is a bar in downtown Portland that hosted the Elk's during the 1912 convention & that is still in operation to this day.  Rheingold Beer was a sponsor of the convention.  Sponsors even back then! Have a look here.

There is an Elk's Lodge less than a mile from my house, so this makes sense. What doesn't make sense is how this random grouping of items got in the wall.  Not exactly "time capsule" material.

Think we will do one of those.  Maybe I will add in something from this find too.

Ok, so want to see what has been going on outside of the walls?  Have a look here at the state of things here at My Soulful Home, as we venture to Bring Back an American Beauty.

Think I might join the Elk's or at least visit The Lotus with my flask!

** Kelly **