From: Gary Tefft / locustent@aol.com
Location: Menomonee Falls, WI
Date: 19 Oct 1998
Time: 22:31:04
There are a couple of posibilities. One is that it is a jug which somebody carefully grilled a hole in the front of. If the inside of the hole is not glazed this is most likely what happened. The other possibility is that the piece was made that way. Such a style of water cooler is known as a"Field Jug" or "Threshing Jug", as they were practical for use when working on the farm and having to supply drinking water for a large crew, like you would have while threshing wheat. The inside of the spigot hole would be glazed and the hole might have a circular or hexagonal reinforcing ring around it as well.
-Gary-