Bill,
The voltage on the end of the wire will be something
between 120 vac and 0 vac. Depends on how long the wire
is and the resistance of your 'dirt'. I wouldn't expect
the light bulb to be as bright as it could be (back to the
resistance and length thingys again), but I would expect
it to have some 'glow' to it...
'Doc

PS - Rubber gloves and boots would be 'nice' if you try
that experiment.