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12/02/13, 09:23 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: North Central MN
Posts: 3,022
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Two Holer
I learned something new today. I have been familiar with outhouses all my life and always wondered why anyone would build a 2 holer. For a long time I thought the builder was just being sociable. They had a really close relationship with their significant other and/or friends.
Today I was watching a show called Alaska Frontier, I think. They had an episode about the outhouse. It seems that in really cold weather a frozen stalactite builds up directly under the hole. After a while it becomes intrusive. If this happens when you have a 2 holer, you just use the other one. I have experienced this in my own outhouse, although not to the point of intrusiveness. I do wish I had put in 2 holes when I built mine. Who knew?
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12/02/13, 09:35 PM
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Registered Users
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Indiana
Posts: 28
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I remember my grandmas joke about two holers. We live in southern Indiana and grampaws family was from Kentucky. Grandma used to say the Kentuckian went into a two holer and couldn't figure out what to do. He put a foot in each hole and went in the middle. No offense intended to any of the good people of Kentucky but grandma used to crack herself up with that one.
Last edited by Karen; 12/03/13 at 02:09 AM.
Reason: Substituting symbols is same as cussing
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12/02/13, 10:36 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Missouri Ozarks
Posts: 55
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FWIW, I asked my dad about this a while back. I vaguely remember my grandparents' farm had a two-holer. He said that one hole was smaller, and was meant to be used by children so they wouldn't fall in. No, he wasn't joking. I guess that makes sense, but the freezing idea works too. It could be one of those things that was done for so long that nobody knows the original reason.
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12/02/13, 10:56 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Central WI
Posts: 5,400
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When I was in fifth grade my folks bought a place thst had just been upgraded to an indoor toilet. Out back the outhouse was still in place and it was a three holer!
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Deja Moo; The feeling I've heard this bull before.
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12/02/13, 11:28 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 601
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I've seen and used a four hole outhouse, at one of the old township halls. Now thats Social alright! Lol! (wedding receptions & charity events)
I remember using a two hole'r and a one hole'r quite a bit until I was about 8 years old. And yes... Sears & Roebuck was there. 
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12/03/13, 04:25 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: southern hills of indiana
Posts: 2,541
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"Bout 15 years ago my brother built a log cabin and built a outhouse.Some inspector from the health department made him tear it down before he would sign off on his home.
Personally I thik it's a lot of overkill when officials are involve in things like this especially since he is 3/4 mile off the road,can not even be seen from the road and no neighbors.I'm sure some of you will think it's justified but to me it just intrusive. People fail to realize the constitution affords us liberty,even the liberty to be stupid if we so desire.
Wade
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12/03/13, 04:27 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Alaska
Posts: 2,675
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You southern folks...... I'll bet you don't even know about blue foam.
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12/03/13, 04:31 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Nebraska~ transplanted from South Texas
Posts: 3,669
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"Intrusive stalactites" ??? 
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Debi
Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you will be criticized anyway.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt
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12/03/13, 05:19 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Eastern N.C.
Posts: 8,834
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12/03/13, 05:36 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: South Central Missouri
Posts: 797
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nimrod
I learned something new today. I have been familiar with outhouses all my life and always wondered why anyone would build a 2 holer. For a long time I thought the builder was just being sociable. They had a really close relationship with their significant other and/or friends.
Today I was watching a show called Alaska Frontier, I think. They had an episode about the outhouse. It seems that in really cold weather a frozen stalactite builds up directly under the hole. After a while it becomes intrusive. If this happens when you have a 2 holer, you just use the other one. I have experienced this in my own outhouse, although not to the point of intrusiveness. I do wish I had put in 2 holes when I built mine. Who knew?
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Well, we live in mid-Missouri, so there's not much worry about frozen stalactites! But from my understanding, the reason for a "two-holer" comes from the origins of the "shovel-out" backhouse, which had lower doors designed to open up so that the manure could be shoveled out. You use one side until it becomes full, then switch holes and let the full one compost and dry enough so you can shovel the compost out.
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12/03/13, 06:05 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 192
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We had a 3 holer, two adult size and one shorter and smaller hole. I was always told to look before you set down! Wellllll I didn't one and only one time! After I had already set I remembered and looked to find a really big black snake stretched across the back of my set I was on. Didn't need to finish and left my drawers on the floor of the outhouse!! Makes me laugh even after all these years.
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12/03/13, 07:01 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: White Mountains, Arizona
Posts: 2,480
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I grew up in North Dakota and we had an outhouse until I was fifteen. Adult hole and child hole (smaller) until I was about 6 or 7 when Dad built a new outhouse. Only one larger hole and I felt like some rite of passage had occurred - I was an adult.
As to the frozen stalactite they were not a problem as we just used a shovel down the hole to tip them over. With four in the family and a long winter this happened a couple times a year. It was a common event on all the farms.
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Mess with me? I may let karma take care of it. Mess with my family? I become Karma.
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12/03/13, 09:59 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 16,334
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Ive seen and used a FEW 2 holers. 2 diff size holes. Once when I was in GS, after noon recess we boys went to the outhouse. All the rest had to P in the V trough and when they got done they shut the door and locked it on me. I knew they shut it and didn't think much about it, until I was done and got up to leave. Couldn't get out. I was in there for maybe 10/15 mins before somebody came to get me out.
When I was REAL little, BEFORE GS, I went to the outhouse. Had to be careful then cause the hole was for adults, and tho I doubt I could have fell in, I mighta could have got wedged in, and unable to get out. ANYWAY, I got stung by a B. Dad was mowing the lawn with a rotary mower with a Clinton engine, and making a lot of racket. I ran out the outhouse, with my overhalls to my ankles , ran to the house, and round and round the table for mom caught and stopped me. She started yelling at dad as she thought he had flung something out of the mower that hit me.
We had a line ring once that a fire was at a next door neighbors. This was also in the early 50s. Dad went to help. Came back laughing and telling us that mice had bit off the match heads and lit up the outhouse.
Dad said my great granddad had either got senile or faked it. When he went to the outhouse at night, if it was real dark, dad could hear him hollering he was lost, and dad would have to take him there. Dad always thought he was faking.
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12/03/13, 11:21 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Posts: 1,411
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My 4-year-old daughter wanted to know, if our friends had an outhouse, did that mean we had an inhouse??
Kit
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12/03/13, 11:26 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: here, there, anywhere
Posts: 2,296
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A bag of lime inside the door way,,,,1 scoop after a poop,,,,,
melts it = no pyramiding poo
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12/03/13, 12:00 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: southern hills of indiana
Posts: 2,541
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Whow! This is exiting! I never dreamed I'd be sitting here reading posts about sitt'n on the crapper!!
Wade
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12/03/13, 12:58 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 601
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L.A.
A bag of lime inside the door way,,,,1 scoop after a poop,,,,,
melts it = no pyramiding poo
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That and the carbon provided by Sears and Roebuck and mother earth... no nasty lingering smells... unlike todays portapotties at fairs and other "social" events! :what: 
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12/03/13, 01:40 PM
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Just howling at the moon
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 5,530
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KIT.S
My 4-year-old daughter wanted to know, if our friends had an outhouse, did that mean we had an inhouse??
Kit
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Grandparents had an indoor outhouse. The cabin had been built onto a couple of times and during one of them a hallway was built leading to the outhouse.
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If the grass looks greener it is probably over the septic tank. - troy n sarah tx
Our existance here is soley for the expoitation of CMG
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12/03/13, 02:19 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: S. Louisiana
Posts: 2,279
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In the 70's I read a Swedish mystery story where the hero was fixated on building a 2-holer outhouse at his camp; for him and his wife! Very social.
I'd rather use an outhouse when I'm working outside, instead of bringing all the dirt inside with me!
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12/03/13, 02:24 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: near Abilene,TX
Posts: 5,323
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O.....forget the colored pages......wasps and bees in summer....and we had a poem in ours...after the visit by the city folks...
This is like home, treat it like your own, and keep it clean and neat....
And please be kind, with your behind, and don't mess up this seat...
Of course, I am being nice....Mom used another word.....LOL
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