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Bottles And Extras The official publication of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors

Winter

Vol. 15 No. 1

Casper始s Whiskey Theme: Honesty First, Last, Always - Page 60 -

Let始s Talk About Ink Inks on the Web - Page 40 -

The Hillbilly and the Jug - Page 52 -

Goldenrod Beer Katzenjammer Kids Comicaps - Page 46 -

Collecting Ceramic Pot Lids - Page 42 -

2004

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2003

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The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors

Bottles And Extras Vol. 15 No. 1

Winter 2004

No. 157

Table of Contents

Recent Finds..............................................3

The Colorado Saloon Legacy of James Purcell Rob Goodson...............................37

Casper’s Whiskey Theme: Honesty First, Last, Always Clarence “Corky” Shore..........60

Follow-Up to Armour Cecil Munsey...............................4

Let’s Talk About Ink: Ink on the Web Ed & Lucy Faulkner......................40

Knox Glass and the Marks Toulouse Missed Bill Lockhart..........................62

On the Road with Ralph Ralph Van Brocklin....................6

Collecting Ceramic Pot Lids Bruce R. Pynn Ben Z. Swanson, Jr......................42

Bottle Buzz...................................................2

Georgia: Dr. Hatchett’s Drug Store Museum, A Time Capsule Allen Vegotsky, Ph.D..................11 The Vemo Ginger Beer Saga 1904-1906 Donald Yates.............................14 The Robinsons of Zanesville, 1893-1900 Marg Iwen................................19 Schlitz: The Beer and Bottles That Made Milwaukee Famous Cecil Munsey..........................25

Book Review: “Merchants of Medicine, Nostrum Peddlers - Yesterday & Today” Cecil Munsey...............................45

Colorado: Bottle Collecting, Walker & Eaton John Eatwell..........................64 Officer Listing...................................66 President’s Message...........................67

Goldenrod Beer, Katzenjammer Kids “Comicaps” Cecil Munsey.................................46 Names in the Glass: A Devoted Virginian’s Floating Coffin Don Denzin...............................48

Fruit Jars: A History Worth Remembering Melissa Milner.........................30

Collector Profiles: Dr. Jimmy and Mary Smith, Augusta Georgia; Preserving a slave potter’s legacy Bill Baab...................................50

Veterinary Collectibles Roundtable: The History of Dr. J. G. Lesure and his Veterinary Remedies Dr. Michael Smith..................34

The Hillbilly and the Jug Jack Sullivan..........................52

Regional Reports.................................68 Membership Info...

Display and Advertising Rates...72 Classified Ads.........................................73 Membership Benefits, Fed 4 Sale.............80 FOHBC Show-Biz Show Calendar Listings............81

Visit us on the Web at: www.FOHBC.com

Random Shots Howard Currier........................56 WHO DO I CONTACT ABOUT THE MAGAZINE? To ADVERTISE, SUBSCRIBE or RENEW a subscription, see PAGE 81 for DETAILS. To SUBMIT A STORY, send a letter to the Editor or have comments and concerns, Contact: Kathy Hopson, B&E Editor, 1966 King Springs Road, Johnson City, TN 37601 Phone: (423) 926-7160 or E-mail: kathy@thesodafizz.com BOTTLES AND EXTRAS (ISSN 1050-5598) is published quarterly (4 Issues per year) by the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, Inc. (a nonprofit IRS C3 educational organization) at 1021 W. Oakland Avenue, #109, Johnson City, TN 37604, (423) 282-5533; Website: http://www.fohbc.com. Periodicals Postage Paid at Johnson City, TN 37601. Pub #005062.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bottles & Extras, FOHBC, 1021 W. Oakland Ave, #109, Johnson City, TN 37601. Phone: 423-913-1378.

The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, Inc. assumes no responsibility for products and services advertised in this publication.

The names: Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, Inc., and Bottles and Extras, are registered ® names of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, Inc., and no use of either, other than as references, may be used without expressed written consent from the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, Inc. Certain material contained in this publication is copyrighted by, and remains the sole property of, the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, Inc., while others remain property of the submitting authors. Detailed information concerning a particular article may be obtained from the Editor. Printed by Central Plains Book Mfg., Winfield, KS 67156.

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Winter 2004

Bottle Buzz

News, Notes, Letters, etc.

Send Buzz Notes to: Kathy Hopson, E-mail: kathy@thesodafizz.com or write: Buzz Notes, 1966 King Springs Road, Johnson City TN 37601

From Melissa Milner, Johnson City, Tenn: Recently on eBay, a JFC CO PORCELAIN LINED miniature fruit jar with the correct lid sold for more than I thought it would bring. The ending bid was $5,275.80. Shown is the jar with the lid, and another photo of the base.

From Roger at Antique-Bottles.Net: Antique-Bottles.Net is a forum for antique bottle collectors, diggers, traders and anybody with an interest in old bottles to meet and exchange information on their interests.

There are currently 545 members and over four and a half thousand indexed pages of information.

Antique-Bottles.Net is non-commercial and wonderful free resource for novice and expert alike.

From Bristol, Tenn.: Dozens of old whiskey bottles were lined up in a window outside an accounting firm on State Street, in Bristol, Tennessee as part of a display by the Bristol Historical Association and the State of Franklin Antique Bottle and Collectibles Association in an effort to get more people interested in the history of bottles, particularly those products bottled and sold in Bristol.

According to the SFAB&CA president, Charlie Barnette (shown above arranging some of his bottles), there were over 100 whiskey bottles and probably close to 100 patent medicine bottles - all different. Many of the bottles on display were loaned by Barnette's own collection, as well as collectors Ralph Van Brocklin of Boones Creek; Kenneth Bryant of Bristol, Virginia; and Rob Kesner of Blountville.

The bottles displayed date from the 1870s to 1916 and were available for public appreciation through September, 2003.

From Art Miron, Philadelphia, Pa. : Thanks for the article by Don Denzin in the Summer 2003 issue of Bottles and Extras about Gibson Whiskey.

Here's a note about a bottle variant I'm pleased to have acquired. It is a Philadelphia James Kerr bottle with what appears to be a slightly shorter neck, same style and embossing as the one referenced in

Bottles and Extras the article, except that the address is '1628' Market St.! I haven't checked business records to determine which is the older bottle.

From Richard LaMotte: I am searching for someone who might have several good color photos of various Fire Grenades for use in a book I am working on. It's not a category shown in your list of online collectors but I thought maybe someone may be able to help out with their name or email address?

Best regards, Richard LaMotte Chesapeake Seaglass To reach Richard, send your information to the Editor at: 1966 King Springs Rd., Johnson City, TN 37601; or E-mail: kathy@thesodafizz.com.

From Cecil Munsey: For an article I have in draft form, I am trying to find out whether or not GLASS POWDER HORNS were ever made commercially I do know for sure they were made for whimsical purposes and many were quite decorative.

I am thinking that there might be a glass company catalogue with glass powder horns listed for sale - I think that would indicate actual use by hunters and the like.

I have discovered two references that could be helpful but I do not have access to the actual documents: Book: Spillman, Jane Shadel. The Knopf Collectors Guides to American Antiques, Glass, Volume 2, 1983.

Periodical: Eller, Dr. E. R. “Pittsburgh Area Glass Powderhorns,� The Glass Club Bulletin, Number 40, June 1956.

Does anyone have access to any of the proof I seek?

I would certainly appreciate any help provided.

Dr. Cecil Munsey, 13541 Willow Run Road, Poway, CA 92064-1733; Phone: (858) 487-7036; E-mail: cecilmunsey@cox.net

Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004

Recent Finds One of the really fascinating aspects of working on a book is that friends keep you abreast of new items that they think will be of interest to you. This issue brings two flasks that were previously unlisted, a pint swirlbased shoofly from Colorado and a pint pumpkinseed flask from California.

The Colorado flask is embossed in a circular slug plate CHAS. HUMBURG / 1217 – 1219 – 15th St. / DENVER, COLO. Research in the liquor dealer listings in the Denver directories reveals Charles Humburg initially in the liquor business in Denver in 1890, with his initial establishment at the 1217-1219 15th Street address. He remained in this location throughout the period 1890 – 1912. In 1913 the listing changes to the Humburg Bar at the same location, with the same listing running through the 1915 directory. Prohibition came to Colorado in 1916.

In a business that typically saw Denver proprietors disappear within two to three years, his longevity is of note.

A telephone call from Mike Henness in California advised that his brother had turned up a nice San Francisco flask in a shop in Montana. This flask is embossed in a circular slug plate IMPORTED AND BOTTLED BY / JAMES GIBB / 617 MERCHANT ST. / S.F. Prior to this find, I knew of only one other, another pint example which has graced my shelves for several years.

Charles Humburg’s longevity in the liquor business pales by comparison to James Gibb. The earliest liquor listings available to me at the time of this writing are from 1873-1874 and James Gibb is listed at 617 Merchant Street at that time.

He continues at that address into the 1905 directory, with listings for retail trade at 615 Merchant Street. He re-established his business at 1844 Geary Street following the 1906 earthquake, an address he continued to do business at up until the advent of Prohibition. At the least, he operated in the San Francisco liquor trade for 45 years!

To the right is shown both sides of a THE GREAT / Dr CODDIN’S / COMPOUND GENTIAN / BITTERS / AMERICAN TONIC bottle, in amber, from Ronald Hinsley, found at the Greensboro, North Carolina show in November.

No information is available about this bottle at the current time. If anyone knows anything regarding this bottle, or “Dr. Coddin” and his tonic, please contact Ralph Van Brocklin at: 1021 W. Oakland Ave., #109, Johnson City, TN 37604, Phone: (423) 913-1378, or E-mail: thegenuine@comcast.net.

These, and other photos, may be included on the FOHBC.com website in full-color. Please feel free to visit our online home anytime - it is open 24-hours, seven days a week.

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Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004

ARMOUR’S VERIBEST ROOT BEER

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Follow-Up Comments & Illustrations From Cecil Munsey

For the recent issue of BOTTLES & EXTRAS (Vol. 14, No. 4 – Fall 2003, pp. 48-51), Donald Yates wrote an article entitled, “ARMOURS’S VERIBEST ROOT BEER.” It certainly was a nice presentation that covered not only Armour’s root beer but gave a good history of Armour & Company of Chicago.

I have been gathering research on Armour and his company for some time and thought it might be worthwhile to share some additional information and illustrations to compliment Donald’s article.

Comment #1: As was pointed out in the article, VERIBEST was the trademark used by Armour & Company from the pre-1900s until 1930. In addition to the root beer, the firm produced a substantial line of bottled products.

From “The Ladies’ Home Journal” for May, 1919 (page 64) presented here as (Figure A), is a full-page, full-color advertisement headed, “Armour Beverages.”

The ad pictures and proclaims: “HOUSEHOLD beverages form another of the groups of foods that you can buy with assurance of highest quality under the Armour Oval Label.Pictured here are: Cocoa, rich and satisfying; Coffee, delicious in aroma and flavor; Evaporated Milk from the choicest dairy regions; Grape Juice, pressed from the

A

pick of the Concord and Catawba crops; Extract of Beef, the housewife’s standby – all typical of the Armour purpose to bring you the best for your table prepared in the best way.

With the Armour Oval Label as a buying guide, you have the nation’s choicest foods to select from: packaged soups, fish, meats, vegetables, condiments, fruits, cooking fats, spreads, dairy products and meat alternatives. So wide is the range and variety that these groups help you meet every meal emergency. Your buying is simplified; your cooking likewise; and an Armour shelf in your pantry is a great aid in solving the ever-perplexing ‘What-to-Serve’ problem. Look for the Oval Label in blue and yellow on storefronts, in windows and on the goods on the dealers’ shelves.”

Comment #2: Of interest is a fact that I recently discovered. From an Internet document issued by American Heritage, “The Forty Wealthiest Americans of All Time,” I learned that Philip Danforth Armour (1831-1901) is listed as being in 31st place. The listing deals with the men’s phenomenal wealth in today’s

B D

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Winter 2004

E

F

G

dollars. At his position on the list, Armour was worth the equivalent of $20.2 billion.

John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) was the first place winner with $189.6 billion in today’s dollars. The list, by the way, includes today’s wealthy entrepreneurs.

Bill Gates of Microsoft (1955–), at 6th place, is reported to have $61.7 billion.

Sam Walton of Wal-Mart (1918-1992) at 11th place had $37.4 billion. Warren Buffet (1930–) came in at 13th place with a current $34.2 billion. And Paul Allen of Microsoft (1953–) was reported to have $25.4 billion.

Comment #3: Bottle collectors have long collected the glass and ceramic containers of Armour & Company.

Besides the rare paper labeled bottles illustrated in Figure A, there are numerous other collectible bottles and other memorabilia used by the great Chicago firm. Figure B features two Armour salad oil bottles. Figure C shows an Armour bottle for “Asperox,”– a sauce that was recommended for basting fowl and game.

Figure D is one of several ceramic bottles used by Armour & Company. Figure E features one of a numerous milk glass bottles used to contain Armour products.

Figure F shows one of a number of trade cards used to promote P. D. Armour goods.

And Figure G pictures a beautiful bullion cube cup advertising Armour Bullion Cubes.

Comment #4: At the end of his life, a Chicago newspaper described P. D. Armour as follows: “No one better personified the entrepreneurial spirit than Philip Danforth Armour, who helped build the meatpacking industry that would later prompt poet Carl Sandburg to dub Armour as the ‘Hog butcher for the world.’

Armour's recipe for success was less poetic. He built his empire by using all of the animal, pioneering refrigerated boxcars and working long hours.

A bull-like man with a bald head and sandy side whiskers, Armour arrived at the Union Stockyards--or Packingtown as it was called--at 7 a.m. every day.

‘I have no other interest in my life but business,’ Armour once said. ‘I do not love the money. What I do love is the getting of it, the making it.’

When he died Jan. 6 [1901] at age 68 in his mansion at 2115 S. Prairie, Armour was exporting food all over the globe and had earned more than $45 million [$20.2 billion in today’s dollars].

5 His legacy is mixed. He helped put Chicago on the map and create what would become the Illinois Institute of Technology. But he also was a mover in an industry that muckraker Upton Sinclair would show treated many workers little better than the animals they slaughtered.”

Comment #5: While a 1982 article by Annette O’Connoll (see references) is a very good one, as is the recent article by Donald Yates (see references), the 1938 Armour biography and history (see references and Figure H) is 377 pages, including an extensive listing of related books and articles, is most likely the best source of the Armour story.

References: Book Leech, Harper & Carroll, John Charles.

ARMOUR AND HIS TIMES. New York & London: D. Appleton-Century Company, Inc., 1938

H

Periodicals O’Connell, Annette. “Armour & Company of Chicago,” Old Bottle Magazine, Volume 15, No. 12, December, 1982, pp. 9-15.

Yates, Donald. “Amour’s Vertibest Root Beer,” Bottles and Extras, Volume 14, No. 4, Fall, 2003, pp. 48-51.

Cecil Munsey 13541 Willow Run Road Poway, CA 92064-1733 (858) 487-7036 cecilmunsey@cox.net

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Winter 2004

Asheville, N.C., Salt Lake City, Utah, Winchester, Va., Keene & the Norman Heckler Weekend, Greensboro, N.C.

by Ralph Van Brocklin Well, I may not be able to live up to the “Old Traveler”’s forays into Europe, but I’ve certainly been trying to keep up with him here in the States! I thought that I would provide a little glimpse of what goes on at shows around this country with some wheeling and dealing news, show photos and collections which were viewed along the way...

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA August 15-16, 2003 After a little hiatus from the National Show in Louisville, I took in Reno, reports of both shows appearing in the October issue of Bottles and Extras. I really had no plans to attend any other shows prior to flying to Salt Lake City in September, but a call from one of my friends, Rodney Leftwich intrigued me to the point that I just had to make a trip into the Asheville area. And, if I was going to be in the area anyway….. how could I resist not attending the show???!

Rodney is an advanced collector of Casper and Company whiskey bottles, jugs and advertising. Over the years he put together a collection unrivaled by the many others of us who take a fancy to the items from this concern. So, when I heard that he was considering selling his collection I decided to make a run over to Asheville and then on to his home in the nearby town of Horse Shoe, North Carolina.

I missed the Friday set-up for the Asheville show and when I got there on Saturday it had all the markings of a show where the comment “boys, this show’s been picked!” applies. I did not hold out much hope for purchasing anything, but sitting right there on Reggie Lynch’s table

Bottles and Extras

Running the Roads with Ralph for all the Tennessee dealers to buy was a rare Spencer Medicine Company variant of the Bakers Vegetable Blood and Liver Cure from Greeneville, Tennessee! It seems that none of my buddies noted that it was not the more common Lookout Mountain and all the “will you take $50.00 less “ pleas had fallen upon deaf ears. So, I went on my way the proud owner of a beautiful light yellow amber cure that nicely compliments my embossed/labeled Spencer Medicine Company and my dark amber Lookout Mountain examples. And, Reggie went home happy as he flip-flopped the money into assisting the purchase of a choice strap-sided flask embossed F.A. THOMAS / LEADING BAR / OF / MARION, N.C. which had been hiding under Tom Collier’s table!

The Asheville show has always been a hospitable one— Larry Glenn and his wife have hosted this show since its inception and they see to it that their dealers are comfortable and happy with their table arrangements. This show was a little different than the last of their shows I attended in the late 1990’s, with the show jointly shared by members of the regional license plate collectors club. I did not peruse the offerings on the tables, but when they started an auction of several hundred license plates, I could not resist listening in. Quite an education— I would not have figured that there would be a market for the newer plates, but there obviously was. Specialty plates and plates with animals commanded well.

Total number of tables was approximately 80 and if you are a collector of sodas or North Carolina items it is certainly a show well worth attending.

From the show I made a short jaunt over to Rodney’s home and pottery. His

property is a lovely one, mountainous and wooded, and a great location for creating and potting. My wife attends a lot of the local pottery and art shows and was well familiar with Rodney’s work, but I had never had the opportunity to see his endeavors. So, I enjoyed the opportunity to see his workplace, kilns and the resultant beautiful glazes and custom pottery he creates. Too, I got to see the reason for his decision to part with his Caspers collection— a choice early model T-Bird!

The collection was remarkable, with approximately a dozen jugs and thirty bottles. Advertising included corkscrews, shot glasses, matches, pamphlets, advertisements and a 1904 calendar featuring nudes, peacocks and examples of the Caspers bottles. Among the jugs was an extremely rare half gallon cone-topped example stenciled FROM THE CASPER CO. / WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. / LOWEST PRICE WHISKEY HOUSE / WRITE FOR CONFIDENTIAL LIST and rare large sized (3 and 5 gallon) jugs of the 4-cities variety. A number of labeled bottles were featured, some with rather plain black on white and others multicolored and featuring the Zulieka reclining nude, apples, peaches and corn.

Sample bottles included an embossed Checkers Medicine Company (a Casper concern) and labeled examples including a Zulieka. Several backbars, in a variety of forms, were included, as was a glass billy club that sported a label with a little boy peeing “Merry Christmas” in the snow. The collection was rounded out with the grouping of the bottles for which Casper is best known in the bottle collecting world— the clear and cobalt 4-Cities and the clear and cobalt Honest North Carolina People fifths. The clear

Bottles and Extras Honest North Carolina People cylinder was the bottle that really stood out, containing original contents, featuring original seal and still bearing the original label with still being fed by a black gentleman and a white gent sampling the goods.

I did not end up purchasing the collection, but I spent a wonderful afternoon enjoying a collection that had taken years to assemble and the hospitality of Rodney and his wife. Good coffee, great company, bluegrass music and a fine collection— hard to improve on that!

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH September 13, 2003 This is the second year running that I have made the jaunt out to Salt Lake. The show is a small one, comprising less than 40 tables, but it has at times had some wonderful Western glass offered and it is a nice show to get an idea of what Utah offers in the way of bottles and stoneware.

Among the items of note was a Sunnyside, Utah, gallon jug. A variety of Utah hutch sodas and Territorial sodas were offered by several dealers. David Emett had his usual three or four tables laden with goodies, including Utah whiskeys from several enterprises. (I did not land my California Wine Depot Salt Lake City flask, I am sad to say!)

The show featured several displays, including a grouping of early, applied top J. Moore E. Chielovich and Company fifths presented by Reid and Glenn Groberg and a fine array of “Wyoming dug” bottles presented by Warren Borton.

Each display had enough great bottles to make any whiskey collector drool!

As at any show, the opportunity to visit with friends makes the trip worthwhile.

Caught up with Shauna Murie and David Bone and found out that they had just been down to Jack Tapp’s to pick up his collection. Talk about a great grouping of IXL bitters, flasks and fifths— I have to admit tremendous envy and really look forward to seeing the bottles at David’s

Glenn & Reid Groberg showing Ivan Okeson the choice large design Miller’s Extra flask.

Winter 2004

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some trip in the future (next year?)

Discovered that much of the Lynn Carty collection of Utah stoneware went to a collector in Wyoming but that Steve Burgess had managed to land several of the ones he wanted before the final deal was cut. The Payson, Utah, mini-jug— well, that ended up in the hands of Jerry McKinley of Shelbyville, Kentucky.

In addition to the nice display of fifths, Reid and Glenn Groberg could not resist displaying to me the lightest, greenest and most whittled large design Millers flask I have seen! I own 9 of the rascals, but none that compare to theirs. All I got was laughs when I asked what it would take to fly the bottle back to Tennessee with me!

Enjoyable as the show has been to me each of the two years I have attended, the real reason for the trip was to spend time with my friend Stan Sanders and newlywed friends Ivan and Catherine Okeson. Ivan and I had a nice time discussing his thoughts of getting married when I stayed with him in 2002 and I was sure happy for him that when I stayed with him this year it was with him and his new bride!

Did a little digging while in the city, as a pit had been opened up downtown.

Visions of an intact California Wine Depot kept running through my mind as we were in the proper area of town and the right age of trash, but nothing any better than a “slickie” black turned up. Digging has been a little more productive since I left, from what I hear… ah, well, it was fun!

Stan Sanders and his wife graciously hosted me and my camera for the better part of two days. I was smart enough to enjoy the hospitality extended for a longer period, this year, having had no clue that

I could not come close to seeing the entire collection in the Stan Sanders Bottle Museum in the half day I visited last year.

I consider myself a lucky fellow to be included among their friends— the collection is incredible to behold, but the visiting is the reason to make the trip!

And, when it was time to make the return trip to Tennessee, I was given a send-off of my favorite meal—roast leg of lamb!

Wow!!!

Stan Sanders (seated) with Dave Emett.

Display at the Stan Sanders Museum.

WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA September 21, 2003 After flying back from Salt Lake City, I had the urge to take in a Southern show and see what I might add to that portion of my collection. My digging buddy, Charlie Barnette, indicated that he’d be interested in trying Winchester, a show neither he nor I had set up at in a number of years. So, last minute plans were made to head the three hundred miles north and see what it had to offer.

The show had been moved to a completely different venue since I had last been there in the mid-1990’s and I found the change to be a positive one. The show was held in a banquet room at the Hampton Inn and it was a warm and welllighted facility. The 6:00 am Sunday setup was to my liking, eliminating the extra day that so many shows entail and allowing me to make the show without having to schedule out of work on Friday afternoon.

The Show Chair, Ginny Bowers, was learning the ropes as she went, but she really did a nice job of running the show for the dealers who took a total of 45 tables and the 35 early admission /197 general admission collectors who came through

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Winter 2004

KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE The Norman Heckler Weekend October 11 -12, 2003 For several years Norman Heckler has been kind enough to invite me up to see his collection and to attend the auction/ tailgate dealing at his place held the day prior to the Keene Show. Always I have had other obligations that kept me from going and those obligations were no less imposing this year. But….. it really was time for me to check out what many in the hobby consider the best weekend in the bottle-collecting hobby! So, a flight into Manchester a couple of days prior and a most enjoyable weekend to follow!

Everything kind of works together for this show and auction combination. The color change of the leaves is at its peak in New England in mid-October and, if the weather cooperates, it is vivid and an inspiring spectacle! Unlike last year, when the weather was absolutely wicked, this year brought warm and sunny skies to the Heckler estate and the weekend was off to a start that would make one want to return again and again and again!!!

I was happy that I flew in a day early, allowing me to stop in at Norms before the crowds arrived. Friday was a quiet day, with most who were in visiting also

assisting with making arrangements for the festivities the following day and/or previewing the items to be offered in the mid-November absentee auction. Norm gave me a tour of the home, his office and the grounds and — most importantly – showed me the outstanding glass and pottery that comprise his collection.

Freeblown creamers and pitchers, early New England glass, pattern molded Midwestern glass, impressive flasks and stoneware ….. Colors that would knock your eyes out! Crudity and rarity without equal! What a totally unbelievable treat to behold this collection!!!

Norm and Norm, Jr., have a group of friends who assist in the auction and the tailgating in the pastures above the home.

John Pastor and Liz Maxbauer, Jeff Burkhardt and Jeanine Kral, Leo Goodreau, Rick Ciralli, Jeff and Holly Noordsy and Jim and Jodi Hall were all there helping to make a great time of it.

It was nice to finally get the opportunity to spend a little time chatting with Jeff, Holly and Rick, folks whom I had met but never really had the opportunity to visit with. In particular, it was great to have Rick’s input on the New England glass, a subject of which I knew next to nothing.

Norm’s collection took on a whole different look with a little tutelage from him.

Fridays set-up led to a great time on Saturday! The fields were lined with dealers who offered a variety of items ranging from ‘just cleaned out of a barn’ to high-end, top-notch colored glass. This is an event that certainly offered a little something for everyone! Buyers from across the country were in attendance, including a number of my Western and Southern friends. Bob Ferraro was there hoping to duplicate his success in adding more of the type of barrels he had acquired the previous year. George Mross, who is known for the quality glass he puts on his table at the Western shows was there as both a buyer and a dealer. Ran into Billy Kiebala whom I had not seen since the last party I made on his houseboat in Sausalito—had no idea about his New

Creighton Hall, Show Chair in Keene.

Some of the crowd at Keene.

the doors. Hurricane Isabel kept many of the Coastal Virginia dealers and buyers away, and I know that was a disappointment to her, but those of us who made it to the show were certainly pleased with her efforts!

Attendees included collectors from the states of West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. They were treated to a nice variety of local bottles and jugs and collectors interested in jars should have been especially happy at this show. A lot of rare jars, including a large number of wax sealers were available for purchase.

The Hampton Inn has already been reserved for the Apple Valley Bottle Collector’s next show, to be held on Sunday, September 19, 2004.

Bottles and Extras England roots and love for the glass of that region. Bill Ham, Jim Scharnagel, Jim and Jack Hewitt…. It was homeaway-from-home!

Following two hours of wheeling, dealing, sipping coffee and visiting it was time for the auction in the barn! Norm had assembled 78 lots comprising items in all categories and over two hundred folks crowded about to try to add some items to their shelves or sales stock. It is a large barn, but be forewarned— if you go, get there early enough to look things over before the auction starts, as you won’t get much opportunity to see once the calling begins! A number of historical flasks hit the auction block, as well as New England chestnuts and inks. A Diamond Dyes advertising cabinet went at a very reasonable $275.00 and an Abrosial BM & EAW & C applied seal flattened and handled whiskey went at a steal for $100.00. In addition to the individual bottles offered, several nice lots of hair bottles and jars were offered, with my friend Larry Munson of Montana giving no quarter on the jars. I did not buy anything, in large part due to the difficulty shipping anything in a plane these days, but it was fun watching all the happy winners. An event to remember in a day and age where live auctions of bottles are now so infrequent! I hope to make the Norman Heckler Show many times in the upcoming years!

Norm’s office was open to the

Young collector obtaining funding from his dad for his purchase.

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9 collecting public throughout the two days I was there and many took advantage of the opportunity to personally preview the items he was to offer in the November catalogued sale. One of the discoveries made at the viewing is why Ed and Kathy Gray never seem to have a problem with undiscovered flaws— meticulous to the tee, there was Ed “louping” every bottle and Kathy noting the results. When I note the number of flaws I suddenly discover after an item has been on my shelf for ten years I think a lesson should be learned!

I had a secret reason for wanting to view the items in this sale— someone I know had picked up a beautiful bright amethyst GIV-1 Masonic flask off of an “instant buy” on EBay and I just had to see what that flask looked like! And….

What a gorgeous bottle!!! Crisp, flawless and just a super color— unbelievable!

Keene was a treat, as well. I spent Saturday evening at a bed and breakfast place named Pillars and Porches which had just opened in Walpole, a few minutes north. The proprietors had spent a couple of years getting the home completely remodeled and their alpaca farm up and running. Interesting combination, but it seemed to work pretty well and they were certainly hospitable. I was up and out before I could take advantage of my breakfast in order to be in line for early admission Sunday morning at 7:00. Early arrival put me at the head of a very long line when the doors opened and gave me the opportunity to get some perusing done before the lines really got long.

I have to admit that I was not at all prepared for the quantity of good glass that I saw in the show. It seemed that every table had items that you just never see at Southern shows and seldom see in the West. I came to an understanding regarding why the Northeastern collectors do not really understand why those of us

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Photos: 1. Norman Heckler’s private office, Woodstock Valley, Conn.

2. Recording bids, Leo Goodreau, Norm Heckler, Jr. and John Pastor.

3. John Pastor and Rick Ciralli in the Heckler barn.

4. Line of Heckler auction items.

5. Norman Heckler obviously enjoying his live auction at Woodstock Valley.

6. Collectors admire GIV-1 flask.

7. Viewing in the Heckler office, catalog sale for November, 2003.

8. Viewing the Heckler field of offerings.

9. Ed Gray (left) and Leo Goodreau enjoy the weather in Woodstock Valley.

10. Demi-john lot at Heckler Auctions.

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from newer areas put such stock in our clear flasks and amber cylinders. Color and crudity; color and crudity and rarity; color and crudity and rarity and age… remarkable! I am pleased that I finally made the trip and got to experience this show. And, with folks like Jack Pelletier taking some time to show me some of the things to look for in the early New England glass….. this was a weekend to hold in fond memory! I hope that all our members and readers make it there at least once!

GREENSBORO, N.C. November 9, 2003 My four hour drive to Greensboro was one of the more interesting night-time drives I have made. I had to watch the Tennessee-Miami game (got ‘em Vols!) and so could not leave early on Saturday for this Sunday morning show. Getting on the road about 5:30 allowed me to watch the entirety of the total lunar eclipse, an event I have never previously

had the fortitude to watch other than in little spurts. An important Vols win and the viewing of this celestial event kept me energized and rolling down the road!

Held at the Greensboro Farmer’s Curb Market, a comfortable indoor market, David Jackson and Reggie Lynch put on a very nice show. This is a show which has a great deal of appeal to those who collect from the region. I have never seen as many North Carolina hutch sodas in one show and there was a smattering of pharmacies and large groupings of milk bottles from the state. Sodas and Whitehouse were in ample supply.

Howard Crowe and Jim Scharnagel provided bitters and other early glass from out of region. All told, 50 dealers took 114 tables.

David Jackson provided a lot of the excitement at this show, placing his collection of approximately 25 North Carolina strap-sided flasks up for sale.

Had I not just added a very nice green bitters from Los Angeles to my collection,

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3 Photos: 1. David Jackson at his table, holding a Casper Company jug.

2. Lindsay Tuttle takes a moment to pose for the camera behind his table.

3. Collecting is a family affair with Reggie Lynch,.

4. Kevin Kissel had a good assortment of embossed and painted label soda bottles for offer on his table.

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Bottles and Extras I do believe I would have had to bring them all home with me. But… A modicum of sense prevailed and, instead, a number of other folks were happy that they had made the drive to the show! In addition to the flasks, he put a number of good bitters and whiskeys out to entice.

As can happen, the shows came full circle for me at Greensboro. The Leftwich collection, which pulled me over to the Asheville show in August was placed out at the show and, just as David Jackson’s flasks put smiles upon a lot of collectors faces, so too did Rodney Leftwich’s offerings. A choice show for the North Carolina whiskey collector!!!

Greensboro photos by Reggie Lynch.

Other photos by Ralph Van Brocklin and John Pastor.

(See also pages 60-61.)

Bottles and Extras

GEORGIA Dr. Hatchettʼs Drug Store Museum

Winter 2004 was locked up by his widow, Emogene, and kept intact. More recently, the town of Lumpkin, Georgia restored the shell of an old drug store to a close facsimile of the original Fort Gaines store and accepted the entire collection. Dr. Hatchett’s Drug Store Museum is a wonderful time capsule of a rural drug store in the middle of the twentieth century, yet the collection has a sizable component of early twentieth century and late nineteenth century products dating back to the 1870s.

Several years ago I visited the museum and was struck by its extensive collection of drug store bottles and memorabilia and by the uniqueness of the museum.

Rather than a mixture of donated collections from different places and different times, Dr. Hatchett’s Drug Store Museum is a model of a real drug store that transforms the visitor to a particular time in the past. The visitor almost expects Samuel Hatchett or “Pope,” as he was called, to step out from behind the counter and offer to show his remedies for female ailments or dyspepsia.

I inquired about the collection and learned that it had not been inventoried.

After retirement, I accepted the “inventory challenge” and have been studying the museum collection for the last few years.

Dr. Hatchett’s Drug Store Museum covers a very important time span in the history of American pharmacy. It tells the story of dramatic changes in medicine.

Many of the medicines are in their

A Time Capsule

by Allen Vegotsky, Ph.D. Dr. James Marion Hatchett opened a drug store in Fort Gaines, a small town in southwest Georgia, in the 1870s. He had been a Civil War surgeon as well as a pharmacist.

On the death of Dr. Hatchett in 1894, his son, Samuel Pope Callaway Hatchett, took over the store. Figure 1, copied from an old postcard, shows the drugstore as it appeared about 1915. Samuel Hatchett can be seen in the back of the store on the left.

He began to manage the store as a young man in his early twenties and continued to operate the drug store for an amazing 63 years until he died in 1957.

After Samuel Hatchett died, the entire collection entailing thousands of products Fig. 1

11 original cardboard containers and even have the original paper inserts describing their products.

For example, Figure 2 shows the museum specimen of EN-AR-CO complete with original container, bottle with paper label, and the descriptive brochure that was folded and included with the package. Together these three sources provide a treasure trove of information about the product. We learn that EN-AR-CO was composed of fusel oil, capsicum (the “hot” stuff in red pepper), turpentine, camphor oil, chlorothymol along with perfumes and essential oils. The advertising reports that the product was on the market “for over 50 years” and that it had been used since 1884. This would date the product in the museum to 1934 or later. (Since the company name was changed in 1944, we can date the product more closely from 1934-1944.)

The product was essentially a liniment and antiseptic for treating “muscular stiffness, aches and soreness, neuralgia…” and so on. EN-AR-CO was also used as a vapor for treating head colds and respiratory problems. Before 1900, the product had been known as “Japanese Oil.” Through this collection, it is possible to follow the evolution of over-the-counter products from a pre-FDA period characterized by secret remedies and exaggerated claims to relatively modern times with carefully defined medicines and more modest claims.

The more recent products frequently contained synthetic organic compounds made in the laboratory.

One of the many interesting observations from research on Hatchett’s Drug Store Museum was the finding of a large number of products that Mr. Hatchett sold with his own trademark. These included Hatchett’s Antiseptic for Wounds (Figure 3), Hatchett’s Baby Bowel Remedy, Hatchett’s Compound Extract Buchu with Acetate of Potash, Hatchett’s Laxative Liver Salts, and many other products. Until relatively recent years, it was common practice for pharmacists to concoct their own medicines for their customers. It was only a small step to go from such preparations to packaged, trademarked medicines, as Mr. Hatchett exemplified.

With a little bit of luck and some clever advertising, these medicines could attract

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Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004 Fig. 2

local, regional, national, and even international appeal. In fact, this is probably how many of the patent medicines with household names originated. At the time when Samuel Hatchett was selling his remedies, there was a series of popular medicinal products in the south with the surprising trademark of “666.” The Monticello Drug Company of Jacksonville, Florida made these products and one of them was sold as “666 Malarial Preparation.”

When Mr. Hatchett wanted to market a similar product, he could not use the numbers “666” for legal reasons, so he called his product “Hatchett’s 222 Chill and Fever Tonic.”

From a study of this sort, one can learn not only about medicines and concepts of disease, but also one can learn how drug manufacturers regarded people. I found the different attitudes towards males and females particularly interesting.

One of the more unusual products in this collection has the unlikely name of “Pigeon’s Milk.” The medicine had a milky white color explaining part of the name, but the reference to a pigeon is perplexing. Containers of Pigeon's Milk and one of the bottles of this product can be seen in Figure 4.

Pigeon’s Milk was the creation of a Dr. Rust, who operated the Rust Medical Company out of Philadelphia and St. Paul. Pigeon’s Milk sold for $2.00 a container, a lot of money for its time, but it contained an entire kit for the treatment of gonorrhea.

The base of the container had two 2.5-cent revenue stamps required during the Spanish-American War, dating this product to very close to 1900. Each package contained a rectangular bottle, a tin with 50 large pills, a unique syringe, and three separate paper inserts or fliers.

The fliers described the product and its virtues and provided a lot of advice for the male patient with gonorrhea, who was told to “live well, but do not use a drop of spirituous liquors, or coffee, or spiced foods, and as little tobacco, in any form, as possible, none if possible.” The consumer was also told to “avoid ladies’ society, and sustain from any sexual excitement, absolutely, until entirely cured.”

As an example of one of the museum’s products for women, we can consider Dr. J. Bradfield’s Female Regulator. This medicine was, as the name implies, intended strictly for woman. It was manufactured by the Bradfield Regulator Company of 89 ½ Forsyth Street in Atlanta. The package indicated that

the product was “entered according to the act of congress of 1869 by Joshua Bradfield…” so it is one of the older products in the museum. If you’re wondering what was being “regulated” by this medicine, it was the menstrual cycle.

In the 19th century, physicians worried a lot about any deviations from what they considered normal in menstruation and these deviations were interpreted as diseases. The trademark on the container is a woman in a lacy Victorian period dress with flowers in her hands and flowers in her hair. Typical of the time of manufacture, the container gives no clue to the medicinal contents of Dr. Bradfield’s Female Regulator other than the presence of 15% alcohol. Dr. Bradfield’s medicine was to be used “for the treatment of non-surgical cases of weaknesses and disorders of the female generative organs, such as depressed or delayed menses, and at the change of life.”

We can get a better indication of Victorian attitudes towards the two sexes by considering a medical product designed for both males and females. Dr. Hatchett’s Drug Store Museum has a container of Allan’s Headache Wafers, sold in a small cylindrical container for twenty-five cents a package. The multi-colored flowery design of the package is suggestive of old-fashioned bedroom wallpaper. The manufacturer was the Allan-Pfeiffer Chemical Company of St. Louis. The contents of the container are dime-shaped

Fig. 3

Bottles and Extras wafers to be swallowed with a drink of water. The statement on the container that Allan’s Headache Wafers are “a positive cure for headaches, neuralgia, dizziness, sick or nervous headache, hysterical headache, bilious headache, and brain fatigue” suggests a date of manufacture prior to the enactment of the Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906. Men and women users were addressed differently on the label. The former was told that “Business and professional men who suffer from headache or overwork will find instant relief by use of this wafer.”

On the other hand, female users were told that: “Ladies whose social duties cause them to encroach on the hours of Morpheus will find that a wafer taken in the morning will clear the brain, dispel that ‘don’t care’ feeling, and equip them for the duties of the day.”

The creation of an inventory of the drug store museum has been an educational experience for me. Rather than create a simple listing of products, I chose to prepare a summary of each product (cost, history, medical use, composition, advertising, etc.) using the information

Fig. 4

Winter 2004 from paper labels, containers of products, brochures inserted in these containers, and additional research based on reference books.

The summary contains an inventory and description of almost 2,000 products housed in Dr. Hatchett’s Drug Store Museum in Lumpkin, Georgia. It is about 180 pages and available as a CD-Rom from: Stewart County Historical Commission Box 818 Lumpkin, Ga., 31815 The cost is $12 for mailing to addresses within the United States.

Allen Vegotsky can be reached by mail at: 2215 Greencrest Drive, Atlanta, GA 30345-2629, by phone: (770) 270-1034, or by E-mail: vegotsky@worldnet.att.net

13 References: Bergevin, Al. 1990, Drugstore Tins and Their Prices; Wallace-Homestead Book Co., Radnor, Pa. Bingham, A. Walker. 1994, The SnakeOil Syndrome: Patent Medicine Advertising. The Christopher Publishing House.

Fike, Richard E. 1987, The Bottle Book: A Comprehensive Guide to Historic, Embossed Medicine Bottles. Gibbs M. Smith, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah.

Griffenhagen, George and Mary Bogard.

1999, History of Drug Containers and Their Labels. American Institute of the History of Pharmacy, Madison, Wis. Richardson, Lillian C. and Charles G. The Pill Rollers: A Book on Apothecary Antiques and Drug Store Collectibles, 3rd Edition. Old Fort Press, Harrisonburg, Va.

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THE VIMO GINGER BEER SAGA 1904 TO 1909 INCLUDES EXCITING GREAT LAKES MARITIME ADVENTURES

by Donald Yates The VIMO Ginger Beer Company was Cleveland’s fourth ginger beer brewery.

VIMO started production in 1904 and continued through 1909, only for about a six year period.

In the late 1800’s, ginger beer was shipped to Cleveland by rail and also by merchant steam ships. It usually was brewed in England or in western New York. English ginger beer was shipped across the Atlantic Ocean by steamship to the eastern United States. Buffalo was a rapidly growing city, and it was convenient by both modes of transportation.

The Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Company, founded in 1892, operated two steamships at the turn of the century.

These were named the “CITY OF ERIE” and the “CITY OF BUFFALO”; they operated on Lake Erie and were advertised as the Largest, Finest, and Fastest Steamers of their class in the world. Each ship would leave Cleveland and Buffalo every evening at 8 o’clock, Central Standard Time. Each ship also had its own orchestra and other passenger amenities. These ships also handled some commercial freight, including freshly brewed ginger beer in stoneware bottles; as well as the empty bottles on the return trips. Passenger tickets for these ships could be purchased in Downtown Cleveland, at the new Williamson Building - 10 Public Square. Their freight terminal was located at 137 River Road.

The Williamson Building was located on the eastern side of Public Square, on the north side of Euclid Avenue. It was built in 1900 and it remained a cornerstone of Downtown business until it was demolished in 1982 for the Standard Oil (SOHIO) Building, which graciously took its place. This new building was re-named in 1989 as the British Petroleum of America Building.

During the 11 hour steamship cruise to Buffalo or Cleveland, the passengers could get a good night sleep in their state rooms prior to their 7 AM arrival in port.

The steamships had ornate dining rooms 1

and lounges where passengers could get an excellent meal or snack at any time.

The lounges had a long mahogany bar where drinks were served all night. They offered quite a variety of hard and soft drinks, and one of their specialties was New York ginger beer from Buffalo. The orchestra played in the ball room for dancing past midnight by the more energetic, or passengers who were in love.

The VIMO Ginger Beer Company was started in 1904 by Charles A. Barnes, along with two officers of The Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Company - the steamship company. These gentlemen were Thomas F. Newman, the Vice President of VIMO, who was the General Manager of the C & B Transit Company.

Also, Harry R. Rogers, the Secretary of VIMO, who was the General Freight Agent of the C & B Transit Company.

Charles A. Barnes served at the President and Treasurer of VIMO. The VIMO Ginger Beer Brewery was located at 66 Perry Avenue in Cleveland.

This group of energetic entrepreneurs felt that it would be economically feasible to start this new ginger beer brewery in Cleveland, rather than shipping it in by steamship from Buffalo.

The VIMO stoneware bottles were produced in Akron, Ohio by the Robinson Clay Products Company. Robinson was one of the major producers of stone ginger beer bottles for the eastern United States.

Toledo was another Lake Erie port city which imported ginger beer by steamer, and started two of their own ginger beer breweries.

The 1904 Cleveland City Directory also listed W.H. Chrisfield as the General Manager of VIMO. Their advertisement stated: “Bottlers of English Brewed Ginger Beer”. The telephone number was Cuyahoga Central #7313W. Note that most residences did not have telephones, and still used oil lamps for lighting at that time. Telephones were almost exclusively for commercial use.

In 1908, the City Directory listing was VIMO Ginger Beer & Ale Company, and they had relocated the brewery to 912 Webster Avenue SE. This is at the intersection of E 9th Street and Webster.

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They had a change in key officers, with W.P. Cushman as President and L.F. Rosenberry as Secretary-Treasurer. We may speculate as to the reason VIMO was in business for such a short period of time.

Perhaps their ginger beer was not of superior quality and could not compete with those of proven taste. Another possibility may be associated with the Pure Food & Drug Act of 1906; since VIMO’s bottles stated their beverage was “English Brewed”, implying a natural alcohol content, yet their labels also stated that it was non-alcoholic???

Unfortunately, the VIMO Ginger Beer Brewery, located on Webster Avenue was razed for highway construction in the late 1950’s. Today Webster is a brick-paved dead end. If you take a moment to take a deep breath at the site, you will notice that there is not a trace of brewery smell in the air, as there was 90 years ago. Several VIMO stone ginger beer bottles were excavated during the construction of the Cleveland Gateway Stadium in 1993.

This new stadium is a few hundred yards from the VIMO site.

The first location of the VIMO Ginger Beer Company was 66 Perry St. Perry was a Pre-Civil War street which ran north and south, on the near east side of Cleveland. If you place today’s Cleveland map on top of the Civil War map, you will find that Perry is now East 22nd Street, near Cleveland State University. More recent information indicated that VIMO made a final move in 1909, which turned out to be its last year of production, ending a very short life of six years. Their location was at 3939 St. Clair Avenue, NE. The President was Pearson Cushman; and the Secretary-Treasurer was Frank Rosenberry.

One of the important steamship lines operating on Lake Erie at the turn of the century was The Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Company - C & B Lines. This steamship company started their business in 1892 and bought their first two ships that year. These were second hand ships purchased from the Detroit & Cleveland Steam Navigation Company - D & C Lines. These ships were the “CITY OF MACKINAC” and the “CITY OF ALPENA”. The CITY OF MACKINAC 3

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was an iron side-wheeler, launched in 1883, and designed by Frank E. Kirby.

In 1893, she was renamed “STATE OF NEW YORK”.

The first two steamships built for the Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Company were the “CITY OF ERIE” and the “CITY OF BUFFALO”. These side-wheeler steamships were completed and commissioned in 1895 & 1898. As previously indicated, these ships were first class luxury liners. Post cards are a great historical resource, especially for steamships. Post cards were usually dated with a post mark and they could be purchased on-board and mailed from the ship.

STEAMSHIP: CITY OF BUFFALO The steel hull side paddle wheeler, “CITY OF BUFFALO” was the first ship built for the C & B Transit Co. This passenger and freight steamer was launched on Christmas Day, 1895 for over-night service between Cleveland and Buffalo. 1901 was her best season when she made 306 excursions, transporting passengers to the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo. The “CITY OF BUFFALO” was built by Detroit Dry Dock Company in Wyandotte, Michigan; her original length was 298 feet. The steam engine was a three stage beam-condensing type, built by W & A Fletcher Co. of Hoboken, New Jersey. During the winter of 1903, she was lengthened 40 feet by the Detroit Ship Building Co. Her main itinerary was the trip between Cleveland and Buffalo during her lifetime.

In 1915, she made an occasional Lake Erie cruise and a few trips to Cedar Point.

On June 6, 1915, she used the new East 9th Street Pier in Cleveland for the first time. She had a fairly good safety record, however, she was subjected to storm damage on a couple of occasions. On one trip to Cleveland, around midnight, on June 23, 1923, her forward mast was shattered by lightning off Erie, PA. That and other storm damage required repairs.

During a storm on May 2, 1929 she developed a crack in her boiler’s high pressure steam chest. Propulsion was lost and she drifted in a 75 knot gale, until her anchors finally set off Ashtabula, Ohio.

About 50 passengers were on board at the time. They danced, listened to the Victrola, and played cards until they could be rescued. She was towed into Conneaut and passengers were transferred to her 4

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sister ship the - “CITY OF ERIE”.

Repairs were completed on May 21 by the American Ship Building Co. in Lorain.

Between 1934 and 1937, the “CITY OF BUFFALO” added other itinerary to her Cleveland and Buffalo trips; a few trips were made from Cleveland to Port Stanley, Ontario. Her life unfortunately came to a sudden end in 1937, when she was destroyed by fire, while moored at the East 9th Street Pier in Cleveland harbor.

STEAMSHIP - CITY OF ERIE The C & B Transit Company’s second new steamship, “CITY OF ERIE”, was launched on February 26, 1898. Like her sister ship, the “CITY OF BUFFALO”, she provided overnight transportation for freight and passengers between Cleveland and Buffalo. She replaced an older ship, the “CITY OF THE STRAITS” on that route on June 19, 1898. She was also called “The Honeymoon Special” for newlyweds heading to Niagara Falls. Her fame expanded on June 4, 1901, when she won an important 100 mile race between Cleveland and Erie. Her captain, Hugh McAlpine beat the White Star Line’s best steamer “TASHMOO” by only 45 seconds.

The “CITY OF ERIE” continued the Cleveland to Buffalo service from 1898 to 1938, with only a two year break during 1914 and 1915, when she went from Cleveland to Cedar Point and Put-In Bay. During 1916 through 1927 she began moonlight cruises and lake trips. In 1928 business was slow, even during mid season due to the serious effects of Prohibition and the start of the Great Depression. From 1929 through 1938, she provided Lake Erie service between Cleveland and Port Stanley, Ontario.

After completing the 1938 season, she was mored in Cleveland, which ended her exciting career. She was towed up the Cuyahoga River to the Otis Steel Company in 1941 for salvage of the steel.

STEAMSHIP - SEEANDBEE The high quality service of the C & B Lines proved to be a profitable endeavor in the early years. They decided to add a third ship to their fleet. This new great ship was named the “SEEANDBEE”, a reverse acronym for the C & B Line. In their tradition of excellence, this ship was launched in 1912 and commissioned in 1913. It was the largest and most expensive passenger steamer on inland waters world wide. It could accommodate 5

1500 passengers, with 510 staterooms and parlors; or 6000 day passengers. The steel hull was painted dark green and the cabins were white. Her length was 500 feet and beam 99 feet. She was designed by naval architect Frank E. Kirby.

The “SEEANDBEE” was in service on Lake Erie for 25 years, from 1913 to 1938.

This was the most famous ship on Lake Erie during that time; and it was the most celebrated ship on the C & B Line. She provided overnight cruises from Cleveland to Buffalo, alternating with the steamship “CITY OF BUFFALO”. In 1921, the “SEEANDBEE” began post season cruises to Mackinac Island and Sault Ste. Marie. In later years it also went to Chicago. In 1937 she was damaged slightly while moored in Cleveland next to her sister ship the “CITY OF BUFFALO”, which was destroyed by fire.

In 1941, the “SEEANDBEE” was converted into an aircraft carrier, which was renamed the “WOLVERINE” and used by the Great Lakes Naval Station to train sea pilots during World War II. It was decommissioned after the war in 1946.

STEAMSHIP GOODTIME The “GOODTIME III”, which is currently in service, and her predecessor, the “GOODTIME II”, provided daily summer time excursions on Lake Erie and up the Cuyahoga River. Curiously, these ships are owned by the Vince and Herbert Fryan family and there was no connection to the original “GOODTIME”. The steamship “GOODTIME” was purchased by the C & B Lines in 1925. It was built by the Detroit Dry Dock Co. in 1889 and was launched as the “CITY OF DETROIT”. She was renamed the “CITY OF DETROIT II” in 1912. Her original itinerary was on Lake Michigan, providing passenger service.

After being purchased by the C & B Lines in 1925, the “GOODTIME” went daily from Cleveland to Cedar Point Amusement Park and to Put-In Bay Island. She had a long successful career on the Great Lakes, which came to an end in 1940. It was sold for scrap in 1941.

Additional nautical historical events by Dana Thomas Bowen; Lore of the Lakes; Freshwater Press; 1940; Cleveland, Ohio.

Americans always had a great love of the water and to travel by steamship for a day trip was usually an exhilarating experience. The Great Lakes were a perfect location for steamship travel – half of the world’s freshwater is located right here in the Great Lakes.

Marine technology was continuously developing, but unfortunately not fast enough. Early ships did not have radar, radio, or any of our contemporary conveniences. Signals were sent with bells for other ships to hear and respond.

Early sailing ships were constructed of wood and became fairly reliable.

16 The first steamship was built in 1811 to operate on the Mississippi River. The new hazards were boilers that were going to explode and cast iron hulls that were going to fracture during rough weather.

There were no design codes for many years and steamers were built – not designed. When steel was used later, many of the integrity problems were solved.

The steel had to be of a special ductile nature during cold operating conditions.

Luck was a major advantage in early steamship travel, as well as the skill of the captain.

Great Lakes explorer, La Salle, had a ship built for him in 1679, in Minnesota. It was called the GRIFFIN. In September of 1679 the GRIFFIN sailed on a cargo run from Lake Huron leaving La Salle behind. The GRIFFIN sailed away, never to be seen again.

The steamship, “Walk-in-the Water” was launched on May 28, 1818. It was the first Lake Erie steamship. This was also the first steamer to arrive in Detroit.

It ran aground in a storm in 1821 and was wrecked. Passengers survived.

The “Michigan” was the first iron ship of the US Navy and the first iron ship to sail the waters of the Great Lakes. It was commissioned August 9, 1843.

The steamer, “Empire State” was built in Cleveland in 1844, and was put in service on Lake Erie. She was 265 feet long.

SAILED AWAY: These are the terrible stories of prominent Great Lakes ships that have sailed away – never to be heard from again.

The “Sand Merchant” was lost in a storm on October 17, 1936. It was within sight of the lights of the Port of Cleveland.

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September 27, 1924 – Steamer Clifton left Sturgeon Bay, WI, heading toward Detroit, with a load of crushed stone. It faced a storm which sent it to the bottom.

28 perished.

December 1927, Canadian Freighter – Kamloops was lost in Lake Superior – Sailed away. 20 men and two women cooks perished.

All of these doomed ships should have survived – if they were designed for the most severe storm. Only a ship to ship collision should have justified all of these disasters.

Some of the destroyed ships were listed as burned. Does this mean that the boiler exploded and caused the fire?

Any marine boiler needs a constant flow of feed water. The rolling of the ship on rough seas could have prevented the boilers from producing enough steam to propel the ship. Failure of a steam-driven feed water pump could have overheated a boiler and caused an explosion, and fire.

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Eighteen men and one woman perished with the wreck. Waves were 12 feet high.

On January 21, 1895, passenger steamer Chilora left Milwaukee for St. Joseph, MI. 26 lives lost – Sailed Away.

Freighter, Bannockburn faced a winter Duluth, MN – No survivors.

C AND B Steamer Alpena disappeared off of Chicago – never heard from again.

December 1909 – Car ferry, Marquette & Bessemer No. 2, left Conneaut, OH breakwater and sunk to the bottom. 36 men perished.

1817 – Two new French mine sweepers left Fort William, Ontario. Sailed away.

This was their maiden voyage. 76 men perished.

December 21, 1922 Tug – Cornell left Port Cleveland, bound for Buffalo and Sailed away.

November 25th, 1913. Schooner – Rouse Simmons Sailed away. 17 people perished.

November 18, 1914 – Steamer C.F. Curtis & barges in tow: Annie Peterson & Seldon Marvin sailed away in a storm in Lake Superior.

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THE 1865 SULTANA DISASTER Article from American Heritage – Oct 1955.

The destruction of the steamship – Sultana was the worst marine disaster in history. More that 1800 people died in the explosion including 1700 Union veterans, who were in prison during the Civil War. It was the end of April, 1865. The Mississippi was at flood stage. The Civil War had finally ended and troops were coming home! The prisoners were worn out from the war and poor conditions.

They had one incentive – to go home and see their families and get out of uniform.

Most of the prisoners would go home by river boat and by the end of April, a huge contingent was slated on the Sultana.

The Sultana was a typical side-wheeler steamboat, built in Cincinnati in February of 1863 for the lower Mississippi cotton plantations. She was just two years old.

She was registered at 1,719 tons and had a crew of 85. She was of wooden construction and was 260 feet long. She had been on a routine run between St. Louis and New Orleans. She frequently carried Army personnel up and down the river.

The Sultana left New Orleans on April 21, 1865 under normal conditions. She had 85 cabin passengers, and a cargo of livestock and sugar kegs. Her command was under Captain J.C. Mason of St. Louis, who had an excellent reputation as a careful river man. She made her scheduled stop at Vicksburg, Mississippi on the evening of April 24th, and took on passengers and cargo.

After docking, her engineer discovered that the boilers were leaking too much.

They shut down the boiler and made the

Bottles and Extras necessary repairs. One boiler was damaged and was bulging. And they used a flat iron plate to wrap around the damaged section which was bolted on.

At the same time, she was taking on passengers, this looked like a stampede.

Many repatriated Union prisoners of war were to travel back home on this steamer. The soldiers were so desperate to get home that the Sultana decided to make out the muster rolls on board after departing Vicksburg.

The ex-prisoners boarded the steamship and immediately put a great joy in their hearts. They were shouting, singing, and jesting as they came aboard.

This was the most lighthearted a crowd that ever came up a gangplank.

Army records do not give the exact number, but it was around 1900 men – far beyond the Sultana’s registered capacity. Also, two companies of soldiers under arms came aboard. The actual total was around 2300 personnel on the steamer when the lines were cast off. It was horribly crowded. The soldiers marched onto the hurricane deck, until all available space was filled.

Somehow, the Sultana left the wharf and went puffing upstream, breasting a current stronger that usual at flood stage.

Captain, Mason seemed to be a bit worried. He cautioned the passengers not to go to the port side during a landing, because the shift in weight could tip the boat over. She headed upstream for two days after leaving Vicksburg, without trouble. She made a few stops and landed at Memphis on the evening of April 26, 1865.

Some of the passengers disembarked.

The sugar hogsheads were unloaded and some of the stronger soldiers helped in the work. While in Memphis, the leaky boiler gave more trouble and the leak was fixed by the repair crew.

Around midnight the Sultana crossed the river to bring on coal. Then it headed up the river toward Cairo. Most of the servicemen were to disembark there on their way home. The big paddle wheels thrashed the water, straining against the strong current.

Then the catastrophe: The leaky boilers gave up and three of the leaky boilers out of four exploded, with a tremendous “Boom” that was heard all the way back to Memphis. The explosion sent a huge flame roaring up into the night sky. This lit up the river for several miles.

Half of the steamboat was blown into small fragments.

Fire followed the explosion and hot coals were scattered by the blast. The entire ship was on fire.

About 1700 people were killed by this horrible disaster. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the captain had a second

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8 chance and could have saved all of those lives.

What could have caused this boiler explosion?

- Early boilers were not designed, only built with minimal understanding.

- These were fire tube boilers with high pressure on the shell side. Prone to exploding.

- The boilers were made of cast iron – a very brittle & unforgiving material.

- The engineer noted that the boiler was bulging from exposure to over-pressure.

- The ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code was established in 1914.

- A look back in the mirror. A further review of the Sultana: Fire tube boilers were subject to disastrous explosions because of the direct heating of the pressure shell containing a large volume of water at saturated steam temperature and high pressure.

The Sultana had just taken on a full load of coal – increasing the engine load and boiler overload.

Coal was shoveled manually by firemen. This could have resulted in nonuniform heating of the boiler and caused fatigue stress.

Fire tube boilers were in wide spread use up to 1870, after the 1865 Sultana disaster.

In 1866, The Babcock and Wilcox Co. patented a water tube boiler. A major

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advantage of this design was the greatly reduced explosion hazard.

The water tube boiler was successfully applied to the propulsion of naval and merchant vessels in the 1890’s; again too late for the Sultana.

1816 – Steamer Frontenac launched in Lake Ontario.

1823 – In this fatal year, 14% of all of the steamships in the US were destroyed by boiler explosions. More than 1000 horrible fatalities, and thousands of injuries.

1826 – First steamer appeared on Lake Michigan.

1827 – Steamer Frontenac explodes in the Niagara River. This was a fire tube boiler.

1831 – Steamer United States – Largest American passenger ship on the lakes.

142 feet long.

1833 – Steamer Michigan launched at Detroit.

1834 – Steamer Washington – Boiler explodes on maiden voyage of Dunkirk, NY. Fire tube boiler.

1838 – US Steamboat Inspection Service established by Congress.

1841 – Steamer Erie – Fire tube boiler explodes in Lake Erie. 175 lost.

1843 – Ship Superior lost in a gale.

1847 – Steamer Phoenix - Boiler explodes in Lake Michigan. 240 lives lost.

1850 – Steamer G.P. Griffin boiler exploded near Cleveland. 94 lives lost.

1852 – Seven steamships had boiler explosions this year alone. 700 lives lost plus thousands of injuries.

1856 – Steamer Northern Indiana boiler exploded of Point Pelee in Lake Erie. 320 lives lost.

1857 – There are 257 steamers on the lakes.

Steamer Montreal boiler exploded in the St. Lawrence River – 250 Lives lost.

1862 – Steamer North Star boiler exploded.

1868 – Steamer Seabird boiler exploded – 100 lost their lives in Lake Michigan.

1871 – The Great Chicago Fire.

1874 – Steamer Merchant launched in 1862. Iron hull ship lost on Lake Erie.

18 1904 – Excursion Steamer General Slocum boiler exploded and 1021 lives were lost in New York City.

1909 – Steamers: Tempest and Badger State and Clarion boilers exploded ships burned. Thousands of deaths and injuries.

1911 – Luxury Liner North West was launched in 1894. Built in Cleveland, 386 ft long. Boiler exploded at the Buffalo Dock. 420 lives lost.

1912 – Lake passenger Steamer SEAANDBEE launched for the C & B Line. The largest and finest passenger ship on the Lakes.

Titanic sank in the Atlantic on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York. 1513 lives were lost.

1913 – The Big Storm – 15 lake freighters were lost or wrecked. This was the largest damage from any storm. 244 died.

1914 – Storm – Steamer C.F. Curtis and two barges in tow sailed away near Grand Marais, Michigan. 26 lives lost.

1915 – Excursion Steamer Eastland overturned in the Port of Chicago – 812 lives were lost.

Lusitania torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic. 1198 lives lost.

1916 – Black Friday – Four freighters sank in storm on Lake Erie.

1920 – Steamer Superior City sank in Lake Superior. Collision with another ship and the boiler exploded.

1924 – Steamer State of Ohio boiler exploded and ship burned at the C & B Dock in Cleveland. It was launched in 1885.

The Tashmoo & City of Erie Race: It was early morning in the Port of Cleveland on June 4th, 1901. A challenge was made and a race between these two great ships was in preparation.

Intense preparatory activity occurred on board the Cleveland and Buffalo Transit Company’s crack steamship City of Erie. The ship had just docked in Cleveland on her regular “Honeymoon” run from Buffalo, and was at her dock in the Cuyahoga River.

Passengers were sent ashore and stevedores quickly unloaded her freight.

The challenger for this big race was the Steamer, Tashmoo of the White Star Line in Detroit.

The weather was perfect for the race – The Lake was calm and blue like the sky.

Aboard the City of Erie the friendly skipper, Captain Hugh McAlpine rushed the crew into stowing the lifeboats on the lower deck to reduce wind drag. The engine room also made special preparations.

The race course was straight along the South shore of Lake Erie, to a line ten miles off Presque Isle Lighthouse at Erie, PA. The distance was about 100 miles.

Reputable and impartial judges were selected and agreed upon.

The captain of the Tashmoo was B.S. Baker, well known Detroit skipper.

Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004 The City of Erie proceeded slowly down the narrow Cuyahoga River from her dock to meet the Tashmoo and start the big race.

This was a one time event that would never happen again.

The two ships worked abreast of each other as they approached the starting line, and each ship shut down her engines. It was 9:30 am.

Then: Boom! The little cannon on the tug boat sounded the start of the race.

Bells clanged aboard each steamer.

Their paddle wheels started to thrash the water and their prows crossed the starting line. Very exciting!

As they neared Fairport, the Tashmoo slowly forged ahead of its rival – then three ship lengths ahead.

As the shoal water was left astern, the City of Erie began to shorten the lead. As they passed Ashtabula Harbor, the City of Erie pulled abreast of the Tashmoo once more. The City of Erie won the race by three ship lengths. They were only 45 seconds apart! Wow!!!

More bad luck. The Tashmoo hit a rock in the Detroit River Channel on June 18, 1936. She had 1400 passengers on board. She sank in the Detroit River after returning to port. All lives were saved.

More good luck.

Passenger Steamship SEEANDBEE

By Dana Bowen. The author of the LORE OF THE LAKES: Dana saw the SEEANDBEE pull into the Cleveland Harbor during the summer of 1913.

He could see the passengers relaxing on the decks. That was the largest ship Dana had ever seen and he was thoroughly impressed.

She was as long as a city block and had four great smoke stacks that puffed black smoke over the water.

That was the first season for the SEEANDBEE. She was called the “Queen of the Lakes.”

Dana made his first cruise on this ship on Labor Day of 1915, from Cleveland to Buffalo.

The SEEANDBEE was launched at Wyandotte, Michigan on November 9, 1912. She was the largest side wheel steamer in the world – 485 feet long.

The ship looks like a palace. A large ball room and cocktail lounge are located on the upper deck. The cabin woodwork is dark mahogany and ivory.

The author was aboard the SEEANDBEE in 1922 on her second annual end of the season cruise.

Delicious meals were served in the large main dining room, overlooking the water. Cabins were exquisite with brass bedsteads, private baths, and soft blankets.

Command was by Captain Hugh McApine who saluted other ships enroot with the whistle. This was the experience of a lifetime for all of the passengers and

many friendships were made during these great cruises.

THE NORONIC: The Noronic was launched in 1913 at Port Arthur, Ontario. She was a Canadian Great Lakes excursion steamer. She was 362 feet long and was owned by the Canadian Steamship Lines.

On Friday, at 6:00 pm, September 16, 1949 she pulled into her berth in Toronto, Pier Number 9. Onboard were 524 passengers and 171 crew.

Around 2:30 am, smoke was detected in a linen closet. They used several fire extinguishers and then finally set up the fire hose. For some reason the fire hydrant was dry. The death toll was 118. Just remember, you have to be lucky.

Donald Yates 8300 River Corners Rd. Homerville, OH 44235 donaldbetsyyates@earthlink.net Photos:

1. C & B Line, “The Great Ship SEEANDBEE.” 2. S.S. “City of Erie.”

3. Steamship “City of Buffalo.”

4. The Steamer “Good Time.”

5. “The Sultana.”

6. Assorted stoneware Vemo Ginger Beer bottles.

7. 1895 advertisement for the “Old Dominion Line,” from The Cosmopolitan.

8. Tray for the “SEEANDBEE.” 9. 1895 advertisement for the Northern Steamship Co. from The Cosmopolitan.

Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors’ Slide Shows for Rent Educational - Fun Informative To rent one of these programs, or if you have questions about the specific contents please contact: Barbara Hill Box 601, Tulare, CA 93275 Phone: (559) 686-1873

Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004

The Robinsons of Zanesville 1893 - 1900

by Marg Iwen

An Early Glass Center Long before John Robinson and his son, Edwin (incorrectly Edward), built their glass factory in the heart of “clay country,” Zanesville, Ohio, had already recorded a rich glassmaking history. In the early nineteenth century, this small town incorporated in 1814 and surrounded by thick forests, wanted to grow.

Making glass wares helped ensure an increase in population as well as an expanding economic base. The necessary ingredients for making glass—glass sand, potash, and lime could be gotten nearby, as could the coal and wood to fuel the melting furnaces.

The first of Zanesville’s early factories marketed its output in 1815 under the name Zanesville Glass Manufacturing Company (ZGMC), but was also called the White Glass Company. The blowers made mostly hollow ware and bottles, but later under subsequent owners, window glass and historical flasks were also blown. Its life span encompassed some 35 years.

A second factory, Peter Mills & Company (also called the New Granite Glass Company), started by Pittsburgh glass men followed hard on the heels of

the first factory in 1816, producing tableware, but mostly bottles and flasks.

Like its predecessor the ZGMC, it also prevailed about 35 years.

Across the Muskingum River from Zanesville in Putnam (later absorbed by Zanesville), the Putnam Flint Glass Works was established circa 1852. Its output consisted of bottles, hollow ware, and window glass. The Zanesville City Glass Works, established in 1864, also made window glass.

These early factories changed ownership many times; some recorded nearly a half dozen owners. Their oscillating histories are punctuated with numerous business failures and occasionally marginal successes, as are the backgrounds of several other factories, ephemeral in nature, that popped up in Zanesville, then faded away.

Of longer duration was the KearnsGorsuch Company, which merged with another jar giant, Hazel-Atlas, in 1920.

Detailed histories of the Zanesville glass factories have been documented by Barrett, McKearin, and Schneider and Greer.

Although most of the early factories have disappeared, their output established Zanesville early on as the glass center of pre-Civil War Ohio. The highly collectible, and increasingly costly, wares include

19 blown bottles, bowls, pitchers, candle sticks, cruets, covered sugars, flasks, druggists glass, beer and soda bottles, ink wells, and later, fruit jars. Standouts among these collectible nineteenth century wares include the pictorial flasks, many in vibrant colors, and the Haines family of fruit jars made by the Putnam Glass Company circa 1870-76.

In 1893, a pioneer glass man and his son built a factory to blow stemware, but also to press jelly tumblers and tableware, possibly establishing the first “press shop” among Zanesville’s “blow shop” glass factories.

Who was John Robinson?

The co-founder of the RGC, John Robinson, was born in Concord, New Hampshire, in October 1844. When he was about seven years old, his family moved to Wheeling, West Virginia, where John went to work a few years later for the Hobbs, Brockunier & Co. glass house as one of the small help called “boys.”

The Civil War interrupted his glass house training. From 1861 to 1865, he served with Company B, First West Virginia Volunteer Infantry. After safely returning from the war, he joined his brother-in-law, Charles Henry Over, Henry Faupel, W. G. Barnard, and Henry Carr to found the Belmont Glass Company, Bellaire, Ohio, in March 1865. A year later he married his wife, Mary.

By 1872, he had become the holder

[Figure 1] Mechanical patent No. 129,679 issued to Charles Henry Over, John Robinson, and Henry Faupel in 1872 for improvements to a lamp chimney mold.

[Figure 2] Mechanical patent No. 588,013 issued to Edwin Robinson in 1897 for improvements to a glass manufacturing device.

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[Figure 3] Robinson Glass Company’s first trade journal ad notifying glass buyers of sample rooms in three major cities (CGL, October 4, 1893).

of patent No. 129,679 for improvements to a mold for lamp chimneys with Over and Faupel (Figure 1). Four years later he organized the Bellaire Goblet Company (BGC), Bellaire, Ohio with Over, Carr, Melvin L. Blackburn (holder of several design patents), William A. Gorby, and financier Judge E. G. Morgan. In July 1888, when the BGC moved to Findlay, Ohio, John Robinson became the factory manager.

He resigned his post with BCG soon after it was absorbed along with 17 other formerly independent companies into the U. S. Glass Company tableware combine formed in 1891, the larger of two tableware combines.

John and Edwin (aided by Melvin L. Blackburn and other investors) pooled their resources in 1893 to found their own glass factory, the Robinson Glass Company (RGC). John became the president and Edwin served as secretary-

[Figure 4] Ad showing the four-piece table set of each of the two earliest tableware patterns, No. 1, Fagot, Vera and No. 4, Robinson’s Ladder (CGL, January 17, 1894).

treasurer. Both men held these offices throughout the seven-year life span of the company.

Robinsons Built on the Muskingum The Robinsons located their factory on a free parcel of land in Fairoaks, South Zanesville, at the corner of Muskingum Avenue and Lincoln Street on the Muskingum River. In addition to the land, they received a $5,000 cash start-up bonus (China, Glass and Lamps [CGL], August 2, 1893).

Both men settled near the factory.

Edwin and wife, Ophelia, resided at 149 Muskingum Avenue, while John and wife, Mary, lived at 339 Putnam Avenue, a few blocks west of the factory.

The factory proper measured 80-feet x 80-feet with one 15-pot melting furnace and five annealing lehrs. The main building, a two-story structure somewhat larger than the factory, measured 80-feet x 120-feet. The factory site also supported a 50-foot x 100-foot stock house and a 40-foot x 75-foot batch mixing room. The buildings were constructed of corrugated iron fastened to a wood frame.

The office building, separate from the factory, comprised five rooms plus a sample room. It may have been constructed of brick, a building material commonly used in many glass factory office buildings of the period. Electric street cars carried the glass workers to within one block of the factory (CGL, August 2, 1893).

The Zanesville-area labor pool was sufficiently large to yield experienced glass workers. In 1890, the population of Muskingum County had swelled to 51,000; of that number 21,000 lived in Zanesville (Schneider, 1960). Many of the RGC glass workers descended from families who had been instrumental in developing the city’s early glass industry. More workers may have come from the Pittsburgh and Wheeling areas.

Bottles and Extras Eight railroads provided service to Zanesville and the RGC, including the Baltimore & Ohio; Pennsylvania Railroad; Columbus, Shawnee & Hocking; Bellaire, Zanesville & Cincinnati; Cleveland, Canton & Southern; Cincinnati & Muskingum Valley; Cleveland, Akron & Columbus; and Zanesville & Ohio River (CGL, August 2, 1893).

When the Muskingum River, navigable to the Ohio River, was not too high, too low, or frozen, it afforded an important waterway for moving raw material to the factory and finished glassware to market.

Charles J. Gill, who had been the secretary at both the Belmont Glass Company, Bellaire, Ohio, and the Elson Glass Company, Martin’s Ferry, Ohio, became the RGC’s western sales representative; Richard E. Miller was named the southern sales representative.

In addition to its roadmen, the RGC placed wares with agents in major cities.

The New York agent was Doctor & Company, 58 Barclay Street; in Philadelphia, George R. Reinhart at 619 Arch Street represented the RGC. In Boston, samples could be viewed at 898 Pearl Street.

The RGC turned out its first wares in September 1893, consisting of tableware, bar goods, and novelties, as well as private mold work. During 1895-96, private mold work included pressing No. 1200, Cut Block and No. 1201, Fandango for the A. H. Heisey Company, Newark, Ohio, whose own production was held up by

[Figure 5] Assorted forms of No. 90, Robinson’s Puritan, Radiant Daisy (CGL, October 1894.)

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Winter 2004

[Figure 6] No. 125, Zanesville clear undecorated condiment tray.

construction delays.

The RGC may have been chosen to make Heisey’s glass because it was the tableware factory closest to Newark, and was reported to make good quality glass (Bredehoft, 2001; Felt, 1988). The RGC is “ . . . in steady and successful operation and is turning out an excellent article...,” wrote CGL, January 10, 1894. The same trade paper, in March 1896, cited the RGC for “ ...the excellence of their glass and patterns that have largely increased their business during the present year.”

Trade paper accounts suggest that Edwin Robinson acted as the RGC’s “front man.”

He represented the company on frequent trips to Pittsburgh and at exhibitions and meetings, while his father, a seasoned glass house supervisor, oversaw the day-to-day operation of the factory. Edwin displayed the company’s wares every January from 1894 through 1897 at the annual glass and pottery exhibition held at the Monongahela House hotel in Pittsburgh.

Besides his marketing ability, Edwin also proved himself to be a competent designer/inventor. He was granted mechanical patent No. 588,018, issued in 1897, for improvements to glassmaking machinery (Figure 2).

Tableware Patterns Emerge The earliest trade journal advertisement for the RGC appeared in CGL, October 4, 1894, announcing the company’s opening to manufacture tableware, bar ware, and novelties (Figure 3).

In January 1894, salesman Charles J. Gill showed Robinson’s No. 1, also known as Fagot or Vera (Figure 4), and No. 4, Robinson’s Ladder, at the McClure House hotel, Wheeling, West Virginia, an exhibition center for area glass factories (CGL, January 20, 1894). No. 90,

Robinson’s Puritan or Radiant Daisy was added to the RGC lines in 1894 (Figure 5).

In the following two years, new patterns produced by the RGC included: No. 125, Zanesville (Figure 6); No. 123, Weston (Figure 7); No. 129, Josephine’s Fan (Figure 8); and Romola (Figure 9) as well as the No. 43 caster

set (Figure 10).

Edwin Robinson, accompanied by Richard Miller, visited the Union Glass Works (UGW), Martin’s Ferry, Ohio, in late March 1896 (CGL, April 1896). This firm decorated glassware made by other factories that chose to decorate their wares. Whether Edwin Robinson actually contracted with the UGW to decorate RGC wares is not known.

Of the seven tableware patterns produced by the RGC, only No. 1, Fagot, Vera, No. 90, Puritan, Radiant Daisy, and No. 125, Zanesville were painted with ruby stain, then fired. Some patterns have been found with amber stain.

Collectors of RGC pattern glass find the Zanesville line with the widest array of decorations. In addition to staining, at least ten decorative combinations are known including: enameled five-merous flowers in blue, pink, and yellow; chrysanthemum-like flowers; pansies; and sundry floral sprays (Figure 11).

During the summer of 1896 the RGC actively advertised their line of jelly

21 tumblers (Figure 12). The company had joined a consortium composed of 20 individual factories specializing in jelly tumblers and common tumblers that had formed in Pittsburgh in January 1896.

Commenting on the jelly tumbler situation, Commoner & Glassworker, February 15, 1896, opined, “ ...the market seems to be too crowded and there is no demand at the increased prices.” The news item named the Crystal Glass Company, Bridgeport, Ohio, as the only factory manufacturing jelly tumblers and plain tumblers that had not joined the combine.

Another trade paper, Glass and Pottery World, June 1896, reported the RGC tumbler output otherwise: “The Robinson Glass Company have their factory in complete operation again and are devoting their attention just now largely to jelly glasses preparatory to the large demand this summer from the large fruit crop. The prospects were never better for fruit, and prices and conditions for jelly tumblers and fruit jars are such that it is desirable for dealers to lay in stock early if they expect to be supplied with favorable terms.”

Although the RGC continued to add new forms to the Josephine’s Fan line during 1896, the company’s January 1897 exhibit in Pittsburgh featured “ ...new blown stemware, sherries, champagnes, julips [sic], cocktails, hot whiskeys, wines, cordials, and...tumblers engraved and etched” (CGL, January 13, 1897).

While the 1897 show spotlighted these blown forms, the RGC had previously advertised them in CGL, October 1894

[Figure 7] Glass and Pottery World, April 1896 ad, showing the No. 123 Weston pattern.

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Bottles and Extras

[Figure 8] Left: Table set of No. 129, Josephine’s Fan. Note the domed cover and flat base on the butter dish.

Right: Josephine’s Fan packers’ butter dish with deeper base and shallower cover.

(Figure 13). The same advertisement urged buyers to “Write for prices and catalogue.” One wag with a need to elucidate wrote, “Among new things promised for the near future are lines of hot whiskeys and cocktails—at least glasses to hold those beverages preliminary to their being absorbed into the human system” (CGL, October 3, 1894).

The End Nears In February 1897, the RGC suffered a strike, idling the factory for nearly eight months. The union men objected to the new blowing machines for stemware that could be operated by one man instead of two, a move by the RGC to curb production costs. The new machinery

further threatened the livelihood of the highly skilled glass blowers (CGL, April 28, 1897).

The issue of wages as well as the installation of new blowing machinery may have contributed to the strike action.

The July 28, 1897, CGL observed that Edwin Robinson had attended a wage conference between the National Association of Manufacturers of Pressed and Blown Glassware (an organization of managers) and the American Flint Glass Workers Union (AFGWU).

Although records at the Toledo, Ohio, headquarters of the AFGWU do not name the RGC workers as belonging to an affiliated local, they may have been members of AFGWU Local 95 or AFGWU Local 119, both already

[Figure 9] Left: Ad showing forms of the Romola pattern made in 1895-96.

Right: Romola high standard covered compote.

organized in Zanesville before the RCG started up.

How the strike was finally resolved was not reported, but the factory had resumed operation by October 30. Crockery and Glass Journal (CGJ) January 27, 1898, commented: “The men returned to work—all that were needed—with the understanding that a man, not a boy, would operate the machinery.”

(With the advent of greater mechanization in glass factories, labor leaders urged cooperation and flexibility, so that all concerned with the glass industry might benefit. Dennis Hayes, a Zanesville native, became president of the Glass Bottle Blowers of the United States and Canada union beginning in 1896. He served until his death 21 years later. John A. Voll, also born in Zanesville, succeeded Hayes as president, serving until his death in 1924 [Barrett, 1997]. These men were concerned with many humanitarian as well as industry-wide issues, including child labor in the glass factories, exposure to harmful chemicals, loss of jobs due to the automatic bottle blowing machine, and managing the summer stop.)

In addition to the labor troubles that plagued the RGC, Harry Northwood, founder of the Northwood Glass Company, sued the RGC in 1897, alleging infringement on mechanical patent No. 369,296 that he had obtained in 1887.

Harry had improved a device to crimp the rims of glassware in the mold. The crimping device, mechanical patent No. 327, 406, had originally been patented in 1885 by Harry’s father, John Northwood I, residing in Briarly Hill, Stafford, England. He had assigned this

Bottles and Extras

[Figure 10] The No. 43 four-bottle caster set in a glass holder with a metal handle. patent to his son while Harry lived in Bridgewater, Pennsylvania (Figure 14).

During May 1897, CGJ divulged that Edwin Robinson was busily gathering information to defend the company in the patent infringement suit. Minnie Watson Kamm stated she did not know how the suit was resolved, but that “...others at once began to crimp their rims in the mold adding greatly to the attractiveness of pressed pieces (Kamm-Wood, 1961).

The RGC minority stockholders hired receiver E. E. Bagley to represent them in 1899, alleging that the RGC management threatened bankruptcy “to dispose of goods and stock at needless sacrifice” (CGJ, March 30, 1899). A week later the court dismissed the receiver because the stockholder’s allegation could not be confirmed.

With the original officers still in charge, the RGC board of directors voted to start up again following the summer stop (CGJ, June, 15, 1899). However, during the summer of 1899 Edwin Robinson already had voted in favor of becoming part of a tableware combine.

“Edwin Robinson of Zanesville, O., was a looker-on at the combiners meeting in Pittsburgh last week, and favors a pooling of interests,” reported CGL, July 20, 1899.

Winter 2004 The National Glass Company (NGC), a tableware combine or trust, was formed in November 1899. Following an appraisal, the deeds of joining factories were turned in to the attorneys in charge of NGC legal transactions. In all, 19 formerly independent firms joined the second largest tableware combine.

The NGC absorbed the RGC on November 1, 1899, as Factory No. 16, and changed the name to the Robinson Glass Works. (The NGC numbered its member factories, while the U. S. Glass Company assigned letters to its factories.)

Probably little, if any, glassware was produced at this factory after the merger.

The NGC announced that the Robinson Glass Works would not operate in 1900, and began moving equipment and molds to other factories now under its control.

Equipment was moved to National’s Royal Glass Works (Factory No. 18), Marietta, Ohio, along with at least ten Puritan, Radiant Daisy pattern molds. Molds for the Romola pattern went to the Model Flint Glass Works (Factory No. 11), Albany, Indiana, in 1901. Teal (1997) reported that the RGC had produced at least 76 different forms in this pattern.

23 The NGC also shipped molds for the No. 129, Josephine’s Fan pattern to its new factory in Cambridge, Ohio, built in 1901-02, to be continued there as Cambridge’s No. 2504 Ware in 1903.

This pattern was also produced at the Ohio Flint Glass Works (Factory No. 14), Lancaster, Ohio, in 1902.

The McKee & Bros. Glass Works (Factory No. 12), Jeanette, Pennsylvania, received molds for No. 125, Zanesville and continued the line in 1902. The Ohio Flint Glass Works made No. 123, Weston as well as No. 129, Josephine’s Fan in 1902.

Addison Thompson, secretary of the NGC, traveled to Zanesville in 1902 to investigate reopening the RGW. The factory building had remained in satisfactory condition, and could have been supplied with adequate fuel and raw materials; transportation links continued to be excellent. Thompson never did reopen the factory, and in 1904, the roof caved in. (The NGC itself foundered and fell into receivership in 1907, and was completely defunct by 1910-11.)

Plans to revive the old RGC factory surfaced once more during the summer of 1906. The August 4, 1906, CGL

[Figure 11] Above Left: No. 125, Zanesville clear/frost cruet with five-merous yellow flowers. Above Right: No. 125, Zanesville clear/frost spooner with enameled five-merous blue flowers. Bottom Right: No. 125, Zanesville frosted tumbler with enameled floral spray and clear condiment tray in background.

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Bottles and Extras disclosed: “According to a local exchange, there is some prospect that the old Robinson flint glass works will once more become one of Zanesville’s producing manufactories. The matter of starting a factory for the manufacture of lamp chimneys to be operated by the AFGWU has been discussed, and a committee has been appointed to look into the matter...” Before further action could be taken, the factory burned to the ground that same year.

[Figure 12] Summer 1896 ad urging purchase of jelly tumblers (Glass and Pottery World, June 1896).

[Figure 13] Assorted barware made from 1894 to closing (CGL, various issues).

The Robinsons Move On Following the 1899 merger, John Robinson became an employee of the NGC in 1900, working for the combine at several locations. He first accepted the manager’s job at the West Virginia Glass Works (Factory No. 19), Martin’s Ferry, Ohio. He left that position and worked as the superintendent of the Crystal Glass Works (Factory No. 4), Bridgeport, Ohio, in 1901-02.

By 1903, he had moved to Rochester, Pennsylvania, where he managed the glassware manufacturing department of the H. C. Fry Glass Company for about 12 years. (This company made a variety of fine glass including cut glass, oven and kitchen ware, and Fry Foval.)

When John was about 60 years of age, he and his wife moved in with Mrs. Anstis Gordon, 409 Adams Street, Rochester.

In early January 1915, he suffered a stroke and died on January 27 at age 70. Funeral services, attended by many co-workers, were held in the home of Mrs. Gordon.

Later he was interred in Bellaire, Ohio.

Other men named John Robinson appear in glass literature of the same time period. As far as is known, John Robinson of the RGC never used a middle initial, but at least two others with the same first and last name did.

After the RGC closed its doors, Edwin Robinson also worked for the NGC, becoming the superintendent of the Fairmont Glass Works (Factory No. 1), Fairmont, West Virginia. The CGJ (May 31, 1900) placed him in Mannington, West Virginia in May 1900 where a glass factory reportedly was planned, but probably never built.

In June 1900, Edwin represented the Fairmont Glass Works at the NGC’s superintendent’s meeting on June 6 in Pittsburgh. He was still residing in (Continued on Page 29)

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SCHLITZ “The Beer [& Bottles] That Made Milwaukee Famous” [Fig. 1]

KRUG BEFORE SCHLITZ Most Americans think of brewpubs as a relatively new economic and social phenomenon. That is not accurate.

SCHLITZ, one of Milwaukee’s most famous breweries rose from a brewpub.

It began in 1849 when Georg August Krug, a German immigrant, opened a restaurant/saloon in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He understood the low profit margin in restaurants and quickly decided he could brew his own beer for far less than what local brewers charged.

After receiving a gift of $800 from his father, Krug sold his restaurant/saloon and began construction of a full-time brewhouse. Along with the new “August Krug” brewery, he built Milwaukee’s first underground vaults for the storage of beer.

They had a capacity of about one hundred fifty barrels of beer. The brewery produced about twice that much in a year.

In 1850 G. August Krug hired a 20year-old bookkeeper and agreed to take responsibility for an eight-year-old nephew – both from Germany. The

by Cecil Munsey Copyright © 2003

bookkeeper was Joseph Schlitz (Figure 1) who was born in Mayence, Germany in 1831. Schlitz’s father was a wine and beer broker who taught his son the intricacies of both business and brewing.

The nephew was August Uihlein who began work as a laborer in the Krug brewery.

In 1856 Krug died and Schlitz, the young bookkeeper assumed the role of brewery manager. He was an ambitious young man and made his way to ownership of the business by marrying Krug’s widow, Anna.

Two years later, in 1858, he renamed the business, the “Joseph Schlitz, Chesnut Brewery.” In that same year August Uihlein, Krug’s nephew, was appointed to Schlitz’s old job as bookkeeper for the brewery and was later joined in the business by his brothers Henry, Alfred and Edward.

Milwaukee’s southern neighbor was growing fast when the great Chicago Fire of 1871 essentially destroyed the city. The devastation was not only to dwellings but

25 nineteen of its breweries were destroyed.

The conflagration also tainted the water reservoirs, wells, rivers and even Lake Michigan.

Quick to react, Schlitz knew survivors would be thirsty. By rail and road he shipped all the beer he could to Chicago.

The Chicago people were quickly bonded to Schlitz and before local breweries could rebuild, Schlitz captured the city’s beer market. Within the year (in 1871) the company adopted the slogan, “The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous” for all aspects of its marketing.

Following the fire Schlitz sales grew by over 50%. Business was so good that in 1873 Joseph Schlitz made the business a stock company with himself as president. Edward Uihlein was named vice-president of export operations.

August Uihlein became secretary and Henry Uihlein was made superintendent.

1874 the company was renamed “Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company” (Figure 2). Schlitz was so successful that he had a will drawn up. Wisely inserted into the will, were two provisions to ensure the company’s health after his passing. One stipulated the business never remove “Joseph Schlitz” from its name. The other appointed Krug’s nephew August Uihlein, the same nephew Krug brought over from Germany as an eight-year-old in 1850, as head of the brewery.

Almost prophetically, in 1875 Schlitz and Anna booked passage on the steamer Schiller that was supposed to take them across the Atlantic to Germany.

Unfortunately the Schiller sank in transit, and neither his nor Anna’s bodies were ever recovered.

[Fig. 2] [Fig. 3]

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“A young lady by the name of ANNHEISER, Who said no man could surprise her, But PABST took a chance, Found the SCHLITZ in her pants, And now she is sadder, BUDWEISER”

Schlitz’s choice, as called for in his will, of the then 33-year-old August Uihlein to replace him couldn’t have been better. Along with his brothers Henry and Edward, he continued the business strategies initiated by Schlitz.

As a result, the company developed its own far-reaching network of rail distribution. The capacity of the plant had been increased from the original three hundred barrels per annum to almost one million. In 1876 the bottling department was established. From a ranking of tenth largest U. S. brewer in 1877, the national marketing plan vaulted the company to third by 1895.

Also under the guidance of the Uihlein brothers, especially Edward in neighboring Chicago, prime corner

locations were purchased and retail saloon outlets established. Those real estate holdings would later prove a worthwhile investment when the brewery ceased brewing operations during National Prohibition (1917-1933). Many of the choicest corner locations were sold to oil companies for gas stations. (The money received helped keep the company financially afloat during the forthcoming “dry” years.)

By late 1902, the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company became the world’s largest brewer with an annual output of over one million barrels.

In 1905 the company was big enough to have become the butt of quite a few jokes. A favorite was this jingle found on a postcard (Figure 3):

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCHLITZ BROWN BOTTLE In 1912 Schlitz developed the now universally famous “Brown Bottle,” a pioneering step to prevent the harmful rays of light from destroying the quality and stability of beer (Figure 4). Other leading contributions to beer making introduced by Schlitz included enzymatic control, elimination of air from bottles prior to filling, vitamin addition, and improvements along technical lines.

It’s interestingly amusing that at the 1913 World’s Fair in St. Louis, the R. Hegar Malting & Brewing Company of Jefferson, Wisconsin, won second place with its Hegarbeer ahead of all the big Milwaukee brewers. That resulted in a new Hegar slogan, “The Beer That Made Milwaukee Jealous.” (An ironic sidebar is that Hegar, like Schlitz, died while on an ocean voyage – he was returning from Germany.) And, there was also the Whitewater Brewing Company of Whitewater, Wisconsin (1907-1942) that brewed and bottled a beer that was sold by the slogan,”Cream Top, The Beer That Makes Milwaukee Furious.”

NATIONAL PROHIBITION With a growing wave of temperance and prohibition movements throughout the U. S., the succeeding second generation of Uihleins moved to further diversify their holding into non-brewing related businesses such as timber and the manufacturing of carbon electrodes for the steel industry. In 1920, the firm changed its name to “Joseph Schlitz Beverage Company” aka, “Schlitz Milwaukee.”

Along with corporate name change, their slogan was modified to, “Schlitz–the name that made Milwaukee famous.”

Along with their established positions in

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[Fig. 7]

[Fig. 9]

[Fig. 6]

railroads, banking and real estate, the family managed to hold on to most of its fortune during the dry years of National Prohibition (1919-1933).

Production at the brewery during those dry years was limited to malt extract, near beer (FAMO), soda pop – Schlitz Ginger Ale (Figure 5), cereal beverages, bakery products, chocolate, and a candy named “Eline” (Figures 6 & 7) The Eline Milk Chocolate Bar venture was discontinued in 1928. Estimates were that $17 million was lost in the venture.

A Schlitz advertisement in 1928 contrasts strangely with earlier and more succinct publicity for the contents of the “brown bottle”: “Schlitz-Flavored Malt Syrup.

The name Schlitz on the label gives you the same absolute assurance of purity and confidence in malt syrup as the name ‘Sterling’…on silver.

For Berrte Bread and Finer CandySchlitz-Milwaukee.”

END OF PROHIBITION The death of Prohibition in 1933 with the repeal of the 18th Amendment caused these words to be written by a newspaper reporter: “A hundred thousand people turned out just to watch a truck rumble through Milwaukee streets. It was a pretty ordinary sort of truck but it carried an extraordinary cargo. Spotlights marked its passing, factory whistles saluted it with a shrill

blast and the crowd drowned out the whistles with a great happy roar. The time was one minute after midnight, April 7, 1933. The occasion was the death of Prohibition. The truck, of course, carried beer. After 14 long, dry years, Milwaukee was back in business as brewmaster for America. Actually there were seven ‘first’ trucks that night, one from each Milwaukee brewery. The truck from Schlitz led the parade.”

It wasn’t long after National Prohibition (February 1937) that Schlitz began a campaign of full-color advertising in thirteen large magazines designed to reach four out of every five homes in the United States. Publicity appeared in 500 city newspapers during the summer, twenty-four-sheet billpostings were displayed in 500 cities, and the “Schlitz Palm Garden of the Air” carried the message to the nation’s radio listeners.

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s Schlitz produced over 15 [Fig. 8] million barrels of beer annually.

After a century of jockeying back and forth with several other famous breweries, by the mid20th century, Schlitz became the largest brewery in the world.

EXPERIMENTATION After World War II, in 1948, Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company requested that Anchor

Hocking Glass Corporation (Lancaster, Ohio) submit sample beer bottles in “Royal Ruby Red ‘Anchor Glass’.” Four different samples were designed in 1949 and submitted to Schlitz. The company wasn’t satisfied so three more designs were made and submitted early in 1950.

Two of the last group submitted were selected and used to contain Schlitz beer.

One was a “stubby” shaped quart-size non-returnable bottle and the other was a “select” shaped seven-ounce returnable bottle (Figure 8). During the early 1950s Schlitz made three trial runs with the two Royal Ruby bottles selected. In all, they ordered and used 50 million bottles – 21 million of the quarts and 29 million of the seven-ounce returnables.

[Nine Royal Ruby bottles were designed in all (Figure 9). As indicated, only three made it into production. Today retail price for the production bottles is from $10 to $40. Prices for the other six experimental bottles are hard to determine because hardly any have survived.

Interested readers are advised that in the category of “Ruby Red Bottle” on www.ebay.com examples are often offered for sale.]

In 1961 the Carling Brewing Company (Cleveland, Ohio) bottled its Carling Black Label beer in “handy” shaped twelve-ounce non-returnable bottles made of milk glass by the Libby Glass Company of Toledo, Ohio (Figure 10).

In response to Carling’s success with their milk glass bottle, in 1963 (thirteen

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years after the first test of red beer bottles), Schlitz again tested the market for Royal Ruby beer bottles by Anchor Hocking.

They selected a “handy” shaped twelveounce non-returnable bottle identical in construction to Carling’s 1961 milk glass bottle (Figure 11).

The beer-drinking public was not particularly impressed with Royal Ruby beer bottles, therefore, Schlitz didn’t increase their sales as they had hoped they would. That and the slightly higher cost of the copper-ruby (Royal Ruby) glass bottles compared with the amber glass bottles usually employed by Schlitz, were cited as the reasons for not continuing their use.

After peaking in the late 1960s, Schlitz began a rapid descent. Abandoning the concepts that led the company to success, they made the error of decreasing emphasis on their core business of making beer. While competitors directed more of their budgets to beer advertising, Schlitz was diversifying. They bought into a winery and also a feed company. In 1971 Schlitz became the first national brewer to self-manufacture aluminum cans (Figure 12). Schlitz built a 150,000 sq. ft. plant in Oak Creek, Wisconsin to produce the 2-piece, 12-ounce, all aluminum beer cans. This is one of the diversifications that worked. The success of that plant led to the construction, in 1973, of another in Tampa, Florida.

It seems that dominating the USA beer market wasn’t producing enough money for the Milwaukee based brewery so they devised a strategy to really make money.

In 1967 a chemist came up with a great idea for brewing beer faster – in fact, twice as fast shaving ten days off the brewing cycle. Without adding one more point to their market share Schlitz could double their profits!

[Fig. 10]

[Fig. 11]

The new brewing process would allow Schlitz to shrink their inventories. Since less beer needed to be brewed, brewing facilities could be sold off or used for other purposes and tremendous amounts of cash flow could be freed up. The strategy was brilliant!

For the first six months Schlitz couldn’t believe how much money they were making – profits skyrocketed.

However, in all their excitement to introduce the new (financially) improved beer, nobody stopped to ask the customer if it tasted any good – it didn’t.

Consumers perceived a change in taste, that was suggested, in part, by a rumor that the brewery was shipping “green” beer to the marketplace. Unfortunately, Schlitz beer taste got associated with a vulgar expletive referring to excrement that rhymes with Schlitz.

Sales declined, and suffered further when two batches of hazy beer forced them to dump over ten million bottles, exaggerating the image of a drop in quality. Again consumers fled.

When the company finally attempted to repair the damage they responded with an ill-received advertising campaign that drove away more Schlitz drinkers with the dubious song and slogan: “There’s just one Schlitz, yeah, yeah, nothing else comes near.

When you’re out of Schlitz, you’re out of beer.

If you like it light with a good taste too, there’s only one brew that will do.

When you’re out of Schlitz, you’re out of beer.

Real gusto in a great, light beer– Schlitz!”

Dramatic and extreme, the company never recovered from the loss of sales and the ill-conceived advertising campaign.

Schlitz had been ranked as the number two brewery in the country as late as 1976, but its image was tarnished beyond repair. Sadly the company saw itself passed by Miller and Pabst, with Heileman in hot pursuit.

On June 10, 1982 the Stroh Brewing Company acquired the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company.

Ultimately the once proud label was relegated to a secondary, regional status – for a time Stroh produced Schlitz only for the Milwaukee market. Stroh next sold the brewery to the Pabst Brewing Company. The old Schlitz brewery finally closed its doors in the early 1990s.

Bottles and Extras FOOTNOTE: In the 1950s after Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company had made its selections of the “Royal Ruby Red” bottles it would use for Schlitz beer, Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation salesmen approached other brewers about the [Fig. 12] possibility of red beer bottles for their products. Few were interested but two breweries experimented with Royal Ruby Red bottles and a few of these bottles are known to exist. (1) Pfeiffer Brewing Co. of St. Paul, Minnesota and Detroit, Michigan bottled their “Pfeiffer’s Glasolite” beer in red bottles during the early1950s. (2) Latrobe Brewing Co. in Latrobe, Pennsylvania used two types of the Royal Ruby Red bottles for their famous “Rolling Rock Beer.” One of the bottles used was an embossed stubby and the other was a pilsner type. The latter bottle was identified using Applied Color Labeling (ACL) and consequently is the only red beer bottle featuring ACL identification (Figure 13).

According to writer Bryan Grapentine (see bibliography), “Anchor Hocking made ruby red experimental and a few production bottles in several categories besides beer, these include juice, chile, [Fig. 13] mayonnaise, pill bottles, baby food, wine, liquor, and ketchup.

Few of these bottles were made and seldom are they seen on show sales tables.”

Interestingly enough, the most valuable and sought after ruby red bottle is a square Borden quart milk bottle. One recently sold for over $3,000 at auction.

Clevenger Brothers Glass Company

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made numerous red bottles and other items that are quite collectible. Their red bottles are fantasy items (often called “reproductions”). According to Greg Wells (see bibliography), “Clevenger glass is no longer manufactured.”

References: Books: Anderson, Sonja & Will. Anderson’s turn-of-the-century Brewing Directory.

Self-published, Carmel, New York. 1968.

Munsey, Cecil. The Illustrated Guide to COLLECTING BOTTLES. New York: Hawthorne Books, Inc. 1970.

One Hundred Years of Brewing – ‘A complete History of the Progress made in the Art, Science and Industry of Brewing in the World, particularly during the Nineteenth Century.’ Chicago and New York: H. S. Rich & Co., Publishers.

1903.

Van Wieren, Dale P. American Breweries II. West Point, PA – Eastern Coast Brewiana Assn. 1995.

Periodicals: Grapentine, Bryan. “The Fabulous Ruby Red Beer Bottles,” Bottles & Extras, Issue #38, May 1993.

CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1849-1981)

Legal Name August Krug Joseph Schlitz, Chesnut Brewery Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co. Joseph Schlitz Beverage Co.* Joseph Schlitz Brewing Co.

Location Milwaukee, Wisc.

Milwaukee, Wisc.

Milwaukee, Wisc.

Milwaukee, Wisc.

Milwaukee, Wisc.

Dates 1849–1858 1858–1874 1874–1920 1920–1933 1933–1981

* – aka Schlitz Milwaukee (Continued from Page 24) Fairmont, West Virginia, in 1915.

At this time he may have been employed by the Cumberland Glass Works or the Monongah Glass Company, both located in Fairmont.

The RGC history, a work in progress, waits until further research can fill in the gaps. When a copy of the RGC catalog circa 1894-95 surfaces, it will aid immeasurably in attributing wares to this factory.

Acknowledgments

29 Munsey, Cecil. “Rare Red ‘Royal Ruby’ Bottles,” The Antique Trader Weekly, (Dubuque, Iowa), Vol. 31, Issue 34, August 26, 1987.

Wells, Greg. “Clevenger – 20 th Century Glass for Today’s and Tomorrow’s Collectors,” Antique Bottle & Glass Collector, Vol. 20, No. 5, September 2003.

Internet: Wisconsin Beer Tour: www.wisconsinbeertour.com/defunct/ milwaukee/schlitz.html Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company” www.beercollections.com/BCM1720.htm

Cecil Munsey 13541 Willow Run Road Poway, CA 92064-1733 (858) 487-7036 cecilmunsey@cox.net

Crockery and Glass Journal. Various Issues, 1890 - 1900.

Felt, Tom. 1988. “The Robinson Glass Company,” Heisey News, Vol. 17, No. 1, Newark, Ohio.

Kamm, Minnie Watson and Serry Wood, ed., 1961. Encyclopedia of Antique Pattern Glass. Century House, Watkins Glen, N.Y.

[Figure 14] Mechanical patent No. 327,406 for crimping edges of glassware issued to John Northwod and assigned to Harry Northwood in 1897.

Contributions to the RGC history made by the following individuals and organizations are acknowledged with gratitude: American Flint Glass Workers Union Headquarters, Toledo, Ohio; Gail Bardhan, Reference Librarian, the Juliette K. and Leonard S. Rakow Research Library, Tom Caniff, Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, N.Y.: Tim Deane, Albany, Ind.; Genealogy Department Staff, Muskingum Library System, Zanesville, Ohio; Elaine Henderson, PatternGlass.com, Albuquerque, N.M.; Interloan Staff, Madison (Wis.) Public Library; John and Paula Landers, Stoughton, Wis.; James S. Measell, Fenton Art Glass Company, Williamstown, W.V.; a Private Collector; Research Center, B. F. Jones Memorial Library, Aliquippa, Pa.; Nancy Spitzer, Patents Librarian, Kurt F. Wendt Library, Madison, Wis.; and Ron Teal, Sr., Albany, Ind.

References Barrett, J. William. 1997. Zanesville, Ohio, The Glass Industry, an Enduring Romance— a Guide for Collectors. Author published, Zanesville, Ohio.

Bredehoft, Neila M. and Thomas H. 2001.

Heisey Glass. Collector Books, Paducah, Ky. Brothers, J. Stanley. Collection of papers.

China, Glass and Lamps. Various issues, 1893-1900.

McKearin, George P. and Helen. 1973.

American Glass. Crown Publishers, New York, N.Y..

Roller, Dick. 1983. The Standard Fruit Jar Reference. Acorn Press, Paris, Ill. Schneider, Norris F. and Everett Greer.

June 24, 1956. “First Glass Firm,” Zanesville Times Signal, Zanesville, Ohio.

Schneider, Norris F. November 6, 1960.

“History of Population Trends,” Zanesville Times Signal, Zanesville, OH. Teal, Ron Sr. 1997. Albany Glass. The Glass Press, Marietta, Ohio.

Welker, John and Elizabeth. 1985. Pressed Glass in America. Antique Acres Press, Ivyland, Pa.

About the Author: Marg Iwen began collecting Early American Pattern Glass (EAPG) after bidding successfully on an unknown glass plate at a country auction in 1969. Today she collects a Mc-Kee tableware pattern, but has bought and sold EAPG, novelties, and historical glass through her home-based Bear Tooth Antiques for the past 14 years. Her research interest is glass factories of the 19th and early 20th centuries. She has written over a dozen articles on various factories and their wares. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband, Frank, and Schnauzer, Data Base.

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FRUIT JARS...

A History Worth Remembering

by Melissa Milner

The history of preserving our food, the containers and methods go back to the Greeks & Romans. These pottery containers used straw, rags, and leather, sealed with clay, resins and natural waxes.

In the early 1700’s, homemakers used crude glass and earthenware vessels sealed with corks, plugs and parchment paper to preserve food. The earliest jars were wax seal. Closures were corks, dipped in sealing wax. When corks weren’t available, they used corncobs wrapped in paper or cloth. They also used egg paper for preserving fruit. They would dip several layers of parchment paper in egg whites and tie them over the mouth of the jar. When dry, it would seal so tight, it was preferred over self-sealing caps.

Can you imagine how hard it was to keep food from spoiling?

In the early 1800s there was no wholesome way to preserve food for armies in battle. Napoleon was desperate to find anyone that could effectively come up with a way to preserve food. He offered 10,000 Francs to accomplish this feat.

Nicolas Appert, a French chef, devised the first recognized method by processing sealed glass containers in boiling water.

It would be fifty years later before canning became commonplace.

In 1854, James Spratt, Cincinnati, Ohio, came up with the first groove-ring wax sealer. His was a replacement for soldering tin cans. (Soldering tin cans was short-lived because of spoilage & rancid

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taste.) He used a tin can with a screw cap as the primary seal followed by a wax seal over the edge of the cap. It was still less than desirable because the tin affected the taste.

In 1855, Robert Arthur patented the glass groove-ring wax sealer. His patent called for wax to be poured in a groove around the mouth of the jar. All a person had to do then was heat the lid and press it into the wax. Glassmakers produced the glass wax sealer until 1912.

The very early glass jars were pontiled.

After blowing the jars in a mold, an iron or glass rod was stuck to the base to hold the jar. Then the top was added. The mark left on the base is called a pontil. These jars predate the Civil War. The term Mason jar came from its inventor, John L. Mason. His famous patent was a glass container with a disappearing thread molded into its neck, a zinc lid and rubber seal. This is the famous Mason’s Patent Nov. 30th 1858.

These 1858 jars were produced as late as 1920! The Crowleytown Masons are believed to be the first of the 1858 jars.

In 1859, Mason sold five of his patents to Lewis R. Boyd and his company; The Sheet Metal Screw Co. Boyd is most famous for his milk glass liners for the zinc lids. This was important because, for the first time, it separated the metal lid from the contents of the jar. Boyd and Mason were partners for a short time in the Consolidated Fruit Jar Co. Many other

2 companies made their jars. (Clyde Glass Works and Whitney Glass Works were just two.)

One of Mason’s biggest competitors of the time was Salmon B. Rowley. Rowley specialized on lid design and listed every date possible on his lids and jars. Some of the jars associated with Rowley are Hero, Gem, Pearl, Crystal and Porcelain Lined. Rowley’s idea was a top-sealing jar with a metal or glass lid straddling the ground lip, held down by a zinc band.

Jars with stoppers were also popular.

These jars had either bell-shaped openings or a depressed mouth. Some of these stoppers were the J. D. Willoughby Stopple (1859), the W. W. Lyman Stopper (1862), C. F. Spencer Stopper (1863) and the Kline Stopper (1863).

The Millville Atmospheric Jar (1861) is an example of the thumbscrew jars that were popular around the time of the Civil

Bottles and Extras War. It consisted of a yoke style iron clamp with a thumbscrew in the middle. The thumbscrew held a glass lid & rubber gasket in place on the jar. John M. Whitall of Philadelphia, PA invented the Millville jar. The John M. Moore & Co. Manufacturers Fislerville, NJ (1861) is another example of the thumbscrew jar.

In 1882, Henry Putnam came up with a new kind of jar. The patent for the closure belonged to Charles de Quillford of New York City. It was a toggle-type closure for beverage bottles. It had a tiewire around the neck, securing the lever wires to the jar. The Lightning jars were popular because the glass lids prevented the food from coming in contact with any metal. The metal lever wires were cheap and the lids easier to seal and remove. The name Lightning suggested the jars were fast and easy to use.

The Atlas E-Z Seal is a variation of the lightning jar. The Hazel-Atlas Co., makers of E-Z Seal and Atlas Strong Shoulders jars was in business from the late 1800s to 1964. The shoulder seal jars cracked a lot easier because of the pressure of tightening the lids and gaskets down

Winter 2004 on the shoulders. The Hazel-Atlas Co. came up with a jar that sealed on a raised lip, thereby reducing the pressure to the shoulder of the jar. That’s how the Atlas Strong Shoulder got its name.

In 1903, Alexander Kerr and John Giles founded the Hermetic Closure Co., Chicago, Ill. to make metal lids and spring clips. In 1904 Kerr changed the name to the Kerr Glass Manufacturing Company.

Kerr came up with the idea of a lid with a permanently attached gasket and a threaded metal ring to hold the lid down.

This was the first of the type of lids used today. Kerr is associated with the Economy jars and the Kerr Self Sealing jars.

What history of fruit jars would be complete without the Ball Company? In the early 1880s, William Charles Ball, his brothers, Edmund Burke, and George Alexander began making wood jacketed tin cans for the storage of oil, lard and paint. In 1883, they switched to glass and three years later to fruit jars. Their company became successful by massproducing and distributing trainloads of fruit jars. They took over smaller 3

31 companies to grasp control of the industry, many times closing the plants soon after purchasing them. The license for the Owens Automatic Bottle Making Machine was obtained when they took over the Greenfield Fruit Jar and Bottle Co. This significantly reduced labor costs and increased production. They also had a waste not policy. They reworked old molds and used every resource to produce more.

What jar collector is not familiar with the Ball Perfect Mason? There were millions made!

There have been many significant contributions along the fruit jar history. I have highlighted only some of them.

When I think of my jars, I consider all the places the jars have been, the early settlers carrying these jars from place to place in wagons. The women working over wood cook stoves or just a large kettle and a fire to preserve the food. Some of the older closures were so intricate it must have been difficult to fasten the closure with the hot contents of the jar. It is a miracle any of these jars survived.

There are thousands of varieties of jars.

Value depends on many things such as 4

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scarcity, color, crudity, closures, size and demand. A good value guide is “The Collector’s Guide To Old Fruit Jars Red Book 9" by Douglas M. Leybourne, Jr. Many of my fellow collectors have excellent websites on the Internet. The Yahoo E-Group is a site where expert and novice collectors alike give and seek advice. (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ fruitjars/) Another informative site is Fruit Jars.com. This site has information on reproduction jars, irradiated jars, many of the old patents and much more.

No matter what the reason for collecting fruit jars, it is a very exciting and enjoyable experience. There is a price range out there for everyone. I’m always looking for “my next favorite jar”.

Canning is a passing way of life in our modern society. Hopefully, there will always be people to collect fruit jars and “preserve” a wonderful history.

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References: Hinson, Dave. A Primer of Fruit Jars Toulouse, Julian Harrison. A Collectors’ Manual - Fruit Jars 5

Photos: 1. Just one display wall of Melissa Milner’s’ collection of fruit jars.

2. Stoneware Mason Fruit Jar. 3-4. Copies of patents for J. L. Mason’s “Glass Jar” and “Screw Caps and Rings.”

5. Heavily whittled early pontiled corker.

6. Half-gallon Lafayette jar, with matching lid.

7. Wood case for a dozen Mason fruit jars.

8. F.B. Co. (on base) quart jar, in yellow-amber.

9. Display of other stoneware Mason’s and wax sealers.

10. Ball quart jar in an uncommon green color, with amber swirls.

11. Amber Mason “Cross” jar, “Pat Nov. 30, 1858.”

12. Ball Perfect Mason in rare deep amber color.

13. Improved Mason in deep amber.

14. Green Hartell’s jar. Around the edge of the lid: “Hartell’s Glass Airtight Cover. Patented Oct. 19, 1858.”

15 Tradecard for Mason’s case.

16. Half-gallon Griffen’s. “Pat. Oct. 7, 1862” on lid.

17. Midget Franklin fruit jar with the correct two-prong lid.

18. Gilberd’s Improved “Star” jar. The wire closure goes all the way around the jar.

19. Mason’s Pat. Nov. 30th 1858 “Crowleytown” jar. This is the first jar that actually came out after the patent.

Melissa Milner 230 Rock House Road Johnson City, TN 37601 (423) 928-4445

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The History of Dr. J. G. Lesure and his Veterinary Remedies Veterinary patent medicines have a rich history in America. This history closely mimics the Human patent medicine field.

In fact, many times the farmer was encouraged to take the horse medicine or vice versa. Such sayings as “for man or beast” and “one for a man, two for a horse” grew out of this parallel

development. Prior to the 1880’s, remedies solely for animals were produced in limited volumes, primarily by local druggist or horsemen. Their distribution was also limited, mostly to the immediate local area. It was not until the late 1880’s that companies, producing solely veterinary remedies, started to develop

Bottles and Extras national advertising campaigns. From that point on, “name brand” veterinary remedies were available to every farmer and horseman, no matter how remote their village or crossroads. Dr. John G. Lesure started one of these founding veterinary companies. What follows is his history as we know it today.

John A. and Minnie (Mosher) Lesure were a farming family in Barnard, Vermont. On New Years Eve, 1845, a child was born. Little John G. Lesure was born, with brown hair, blue eyes, and was named after his father. John was raised on the farm and no doubt was exposed to farm animals from an early age. His family moved to Royalton, Vermont at some point in his childhood.

No other early history has been found until John became involved in the national crisis that would be known as the Civil War.

Bottles and Extras By 1864, the Northern Army was having trouble refilling it’s ranks of volunteers. There was no national draft of young men, so the Government resorted to a bounty paid to men who would enlist.

On August 18, 1864, in Royalton, John claimed a bounty of $100 and volunteered as a soldier in the United States Army.

John was 18 years old, listed as 5’ 6" tall and gave his occupation as farmer. He was still considered a minor. His father had to sign a consent form in order to complete the enlistment. John’s period of service was to be a maximum of one year. John received $33.33 when he enlisted, $33.33 on December 31, 1864, and the final payment of $33.33 when he mustered out of service on June 1, 1865.

John found himself a private assigned to Company G, 8th Vermont Infantry. The 8th Vermont was a part of the Army of the Shenandoah in northern Virginia.

John participated in battles at Winchester, Cedar Creek, and Fishers Hill, Virginia.

His military career was undistinguished and as the war ended, he was mustered out of service on June 1, 1865, in Washington, D.C. With his military service out of the way, John returned to Royalton, Vermont to work as a blacksmith and farrier. After a few years, he expanded his business to include a livery stable. His livery business expanded and John continued in this line for fourteen years. It was in these years, working with an experienced veterinarian, that John started to develop a reputation for his work with, and treatment of, horses. He developed a line of cures and remedies which soon had a large following in the countryside. His use of the title Doctor started during these years.

The title was the result of “hands on” experience and not a traditional university education.

Personal leather rifle cap box carried by J. G. Lesure during the Civil War. The numeral 8 is the metal ensignia from his kepi worn during the war.

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Dr. Lesure and family c1900 at home in Keene New Hampshire.

(Courtesy B. Smith Collection)

It must be noted that formal veterinary medical education was minimal in the United States at that time. During the 1880-90’s, anyone could call themselves a Veterinary Surgeon and go to work.

There were few veterinary colleges during this era and less regulation. Most young men who came into the profession were farm boys who developed their skills with hands on experience. Some, as John Lesure did, apprenticed with a veterinary surgeon and learned their art that way.

Most country folk were impressed with an elaborate diploma and if need be, one could easily be obtained from a variety of mail order “veterinary colleges.” In reality, if people employed you as a veterinarian and bought your medicines, you were a veterinarian, regardless of your education.

In 1885, at the age of 39, Dr. John G. Lesure moved to Keene, New Hampshire.

He opened a laboratory, at 144 Winchester Street, to produce his medicines. The doctor’s company claimed to have the first full line of veterinary medicines available throughout America. His remedies were on the market several years before such competitors as Dr. A. C. Daniels of Boston and Dr. Claris of Buffalo, New York. He shipped his remedies throughout the United States, selling in country stores, pharmacies, and harness shops. He also had three traveling wagons which sold door to door in New York and the rest of New England.

Dr. Lesure used his full promotional knowledge to come up with some of the most inventive names in the field of Veterinary patent medicine. His medicines included All Healing Balm Liniment, Total Eclipse Spavin Cure, Electric Hoof Ointment, and Worm Annihilator. As with most patent medicine companies, he filled his advertising with testimonials of sure cures. His products “cured” such exotic sounding diseases as black water, heaves, spavin, garget, and sweeney.

Dr. John G. Lesure died on February 11, 1901 at the age of 55 and was buried

Country store, tin front cabinet used to sell Dr. Lesure Remedies.

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Dr. J. G. Lesure’s grave and monument in Keene, New Hampshire.

Promotional booklet with paper cover for Dr. Lesure’s Famous Remedies. Image of horse is very similar to the image on the display cabinet.

Cardboard sign for Dr. Lesure’s Spavin Cure and All-Healing Balm Liniment.

Advertising posters and signs from this company are very scarce.

in Keene, New Hampshire. At the time, he had built the company up to one of the largest and best known veterinary patent medicine manufacturers in the United States. His company continued in the hands of his family and operated into the 1930’s. As late as the 1920’s, the company still advertised for the farmer to write to Dr. Lesure about their animal problems. “Dr. Lesure” would send a written reply recommending a solution to their problems using Dr. Lesure medicines. No one advertised the fact that the “real” Dr. Lesure had died nearly 20 years before.

The Lesure company changes hands sometime in the 1930’s. J. N. Weber of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania had been one of Dr. Lesure’s major distributors in the Northeast. Undocumented history has it that Dr. Lesure’s daughter married one of Mr. Weber’s sons. Later medicine packaging and advertising confirm that Weber & Son’s took over production and distribution of Dr. Lesure Veterinary Remedies. It is unknown at this time, how long the Weber Company remained in business.

Today, Dr. Lesure advertising and medicines are highly collectible. Perhaps the best known item is the “horse in a porthole” tin fronted display cabinet.

These cabinets sat on the counter of country stores and apothecaries, making

Bottles and Extras

Promotional booklet from Dr. Lesure.

This example is stamped on the bottom as having been given away by the J. N. Weber & Sons Company.

the medicines available to every farmer and horseman. You might also find, in addition to his remedies; booklets, a celluloid hand mirror, postal covers, letterhead, wooden shipping crates, and glass front display cabinets.

If anyone has additional information on the Weber business in Harrisburg or would like additional information on veterinary patent medicines, please contact me at: Petvet@mindspring.com Bottles, from left to right, beginning with top row: (1) All Healing Balm Liniment with box. Embossed: DR. LESURE’S / ALLHEALING / BALM LINIMENT / 8 OZ CAP. (2) Bottle and box embossed: DR. LESURE’S / VETERINARY / FEVER DROPS. (3) Bottle and box embossed: DR. LESURE’S VETERINARY / COUGH & TONIC DROPS. (4) Special Liniment bottle and box.

Embossed: DR. LESURE’S / LINIMENT / KEENE, N. H. / 6 OZ CAP. (5) Label only Total Eclipse Spavin Cure bottle and box.

Label only bottle and box. (6) Weber’s Famous Distemper & Heave Remedy.

Produced by J. N. Weber & Sons, sole proprietor and manufacturer, 160 Sylvan Terrace, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This medicine was produced before the company took over Dr. Lesure’s name in the 1930’s.

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"The Colorado Saloon Legacy of James Purcell"

by Rob Goodson

My wife's great grandfather, James Purcell, was the proprietor of four saloons in Mesa County, Colorado, between 1891 and 1909. Three of the saloons were located in Grand Junction and one in Palisade. Over the past couple of years, members of the Purcell family have studied family records, historical archives and consulted with bottle and token collectors in an effort to piece together James Purcell's life and his involvement in the saloon business. The purpose of this article is to share some of the more interesting findings with collectors throughout the country.

In 1875, attracted by the opportunities offered by the mining boom in Colorado, James "Jimmy" Purcell left Iowa and headed to Leadville to pursue his dreams.

Within a few years, he moved to Western Colorado to Red Mountain, near Ouray, where he operated a string of pack horses into the early 1880s. He arrived in Grand Junction in 1883, just two years after the town was founded. This made Purcell one of Mesa County's early pioneers and over the next two decades, he would become a popular town figure and proprietor of four saloons.

What got him into the saloon business is unknown. As with many successful saloon-keepers, Jimmy Purcell reportedly didn't drink, but he did have a reputation for being an excellent card player.

PURCELL'S SALOONS Bank Saloon, Grand Junction Purcell's involvement in Grand Junction saloons started in about 1891, when a Mr. Fredericks and Purcell were proprietors of the Bank Saloon. Almost nothing is known about the Bank, including its location. The only known collectible from the Bank Saloon is a token that reads BANK SALOON / FREDERICKS / & PURCELL / PROPS (rev.)

GOOD FOR / ONE / DRINK. We can only speculate to how and why Purcell became co-

proprietor of the Bank Saloon, but by 1894, the Fredericks and Purcell partnership was no longer listed in the Colorado Business directories and the fate of the Bank Saloon is unknown.

The Senate Saloon By 1894 or 1895, Purcell became co-proprietor of The Senate. The Senate Saloon was located at 413 Main Street in Grand Junction and is probably the most well known of the early Grand Junction saloons. The Senate was by far the longest continuously running saloon in Grand Junction. It was established in 1883 and continued operations until prohibition in 1909. The Senate had a number of proprietors over the years: 1883-1884: George W. Thurston & Monroe Allison.

1884-1885: M. Allison & William B. Lesher.

1886: "Lesher & Co." 1887-1892: William B. Lesher and Joseph Crosby 1892-1894: William B. Lesher and William H.H. James.

1894: William H.H. James, owner, Frank Hughes, Manager.

1895-July, 1898: James Purcell and Frank Hughes.

1898-1909: James Purcell 1909-1935: Saloon was closed but Purcell kept The Senate open as a billiards hall and cigar shop until his death in 1935.

1935-1955: Tom Golden, Purcell's sonin-law, took over the Senate and maintained billiards, snooker, and cigar store, and sold 3.2 beer after prohibition was repealed. Poker was played in the "Bomb Shelter"(basement) starting in 1942.

From all accounts, the Senate Saloon was a popular drinking establishment that also served as a community meeting place from its earliest times. In at least one Grand Junction election in 1887, the votes were counted at the Senate Saloon late into the night.

In the 1890s, a portion of the

Senate Saloon, circa 1884.

Senate building served as the Senate restaurant, and in 1893 served such fine cuisine as "game, oysters and fish" and claimed that "Vaudeburg of the Senate restaurant is the acknowledged cook of the town."

Bottle and token enthusiasts are well aware of the popularity and variety of Senate collectibles. Tokens from the

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Letterhead for the Senate Saloon.

James “Jimmy” Purcell, circa 1933.

Senate span a period of more than 50 years.

As for bottles and jugs, there are numerous embossed flasks, at least two different cylinders, and a half-gallon and gallon jug.

All of the Senate bottles can be attributed to Purcell's involvement there.

The earliest and rarest known Senate flask is embossed with the name PURCELL & HUGHES. Only a few of these early flasks are known to exist. Frank Hughes and Jimmy Purcell were partners from about 1895 to Hughes' untimely death in July, Senate Saloon Pint Flask

1898 of a burst appendix. Having had my own appendicitis over the 2003 New Year, I can certainly sympathize with the plight of poor Mr. Hughes (luckily, modern medicine fixed me right up). After Hughes' death, Jimmy Purcell was the sole proprietor of The Senate.

Between about 1900 and 1907, numerous varieties of Senate bottles were manufactured. Purcell put out a pint and half-pint "defender" flask embossed THE SENATE SALOON / GRAND JUNCTION / COLO. The SENATE SALOON flask came in both wiped and ground tops and are the most common Senate flasks.

Purcell also put out a slightly different flask embossed SENATE SALOON / GRAND JUNCTION / COLO (“THE” was omitted). These later flasks also came in half-pint and pint, wiped and ground tops and were produced by the Western Glass Manufacturing Company in Denver. (They have the tell-tale "buckle" on the base.)

The Senate Saloon Quart Cylinder

These later SENATE SALOON flasks are not particularly rare (compared to most Colorado flasks), but they are highly sought after due to three factors: "Saloon" bottle collectors want them, western whiskey collectors want them, and Colorado collectors want them. Senate Saloon cylinders (quart-sized) are quite rare compared to the flasks and are also highly sought after by collectors. The Senate also produced half-gallon and gallon crock jugs.

In addition to selling whiskey and cigars, Purcell was the General Agent in Grand Junction for Coors Golden Beer and was acquainted with Adolph Coors. In fact, Adolph Coors personally loaned Purcell the money he needed to purchase the 413 Main Street property in 1903.

Whether they were friends or simply business acquaintenances is unknown.

After several failed attempts by the Anti-Saloon League to ban alcohol in Grand Junction, the April 7, 1909 vote resulted in passage of prohibition by a 60% to 40% margin (1,480 people voted yes and 1,009 voted no). Amazingly, the saloon-keepers were allowed only ten days to clear out their inventory. With all the saloons in town set to close on April 17, 1909, the Daily Sentinel reported that April 17th was "about the busiest day the liquor houses of Grand Junction ever experienced."

Purcell was forced to close both the Senate Saloon and the Annex Bar on that day, and reportedly held his leftover stock in the basement of his house. But unlike many other saloon proprietors, Purcell was lucky to have been able to continue operations of the Senate as a cigar and billiards hall after Prohibition. He continued to be an agent for Coors, and sold Coors malted milk products throughout the teens and 20's until Prohibition was repealed.

Upon Jimmy Purcell's death in 1935, his son-in-law, Tom Golden, took over operations. In 1940, Golden bought a number of new pool tables as captured by

Bottles and Extras renowned Grand Junction photographer, Frank Dean. In 1942, Golden added a public entrance to the basement, which he renamed "The Bomb Shelter." The Bomb Shelter contained poker tables, which was made legal because the players cashed in their winnings for Senate “Good For”tokens rather than cash. With pool tables, 3.2 beer, cigars and other products on the ground floor and poker in the basement, the Senate continued its successful run of business.

In early February of 2003, I went to the old Senate office with my father-in-law and gathered the last remaining files from the Senate's operations. In the file cabinets we found a Senate Saloon halfpint flask (what a surprise) and numerous monthly logs of gross receipts during World War II. One entry during a down month in 1943 explained that pool profits were down because the 19-year-olds were sent to war.

Shortly after World War II was over, the Senate had a year of particularly good business, thanks, in part, to members of the "52-20" club. As I understand it, World War II veterans were given 52 weeks of pay at $20 per week once the war ceased and many Grand Junction members of that club liked to play pool at the Senate.

The original Senate Saloon building still stands and is currently utilized as a fly-fishing shop. The facade was replaced in the 1930s, and the bar fixtures were sold in 1955 to an antique collector outside of Las Vegas, reportedly named Dobey Docke. But many reminders of the Senate remain: some great whiskey bottles and

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jugs, numerous tokens, some of the sales ledgers, the front door and the old safe.

The Annex Bar, Grand Junction In about 1904, Jimmy Purcell opened the "Annex" bar at 209-211 Colorado Avenue, Grand Junction. Newspapers advertised lunches twice a day at the Annex. While there are no known whiskey bottles from the Annex, Purcell had a major Coors bottling operation behind the Annex from about 1904-1909.

The Weekly Sentinel in 1907 advertised "Coor's Celebrated Beer - Bottled and sold in Grand Junction by Jas. Purcell at the Annex." A dozen quarts cost $1.75 and a dozen pints $1.25. "Beer delivered to any part of the City between the hours of 3 and 5 p.m. and empty bottles called for."

Other rare Brown Palace saloon collectibles include two different "Brown Palace" tokens, which were among the Senate tokens found at the Senate after it closed.

The Brown Palace, circa 1905.

Brown Palace Saloon, Palisade Purcell was also the owner of the Brown Palace saloon in Palisade, Colorado between 1905 and 1908 (prohibition hit Palisade a year earlier than in Grand Junction).

The Brown Palace is said to have been named after the bartender, Robert S. Brown, and not the famous Denver Hotel.

The saloon building, which still stands today at the northeast corner of 3rd and Main Street, was completed in October, 1905. Thus, the Brown Palace was only open for three years. The Brown Palace bar fixtures, which were installed in October, 1905, originated from the Senate, while the Senate got entirely new fixtures.

The extremely rare Brown Palace “defender” flask, which comes in both pint and half-pint, was another Purcell flask and is the only known embossed whiskey bottle from Palisade.

The research continues: In a continuing effort to locate Purcell saloon items, I need the collecting community's assistance. If you have gotten anything from the Senate Saloon, Bank Saloon, Annex, or Brown Palace (Palisade) saloon, please drop me a line.

I'm trying to track this information and I'd be happy to share any of my data with anyone who is interested.

Rob Goodson is an attorney living in Grand Junction, Colorado. He continues to research Purcell's saloons and will always consider buying or trading for Purcell saloon memorabilia.

If you have more information about any of Purcell's saloons, please contact Rob

by E-mail: rdgmail@yahoo.com or phone (970) 257-7734.

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For this article, we want to use information (with his permission) on the Bonney Ink Company. More information can also be found in an article in the July, 1987 ABGC bottle magazine.

Let’s Talk About Ink

The William E. Bonney Ink Company was started in 1865 in South Hanover, Massachusetts. The factory was a modest two story building where he had mixing vats, dyes and other equipment necessary for manufacture of ink. He did a lot of experimenting to come up with a good quality ink and operated from just after the Civil War until 1910. Bonney was nearly blinded in an accident and his daughter tried to run the factory in the last few years, but finally gave up in 1910. The dyes and formulas were sold to the Carter Ink Company. When the factory was remodeled for a private residence in 1969, many old bottle pieces were found in the trenches that were dug nearby. Workmen at the time said they hauled all the records to the town dump, thus losing all the information on the factory.

with Ed & Lucy Faulkner

Inks on the Web Most bottle collectors are always eager to learn a bit of history about their bottles.

We ink bottle collectors are no exception.

Living in Virginia, it is difficult to find information on ink companies, as most large 19th century ones were in the Northeast or Midwest. So we search out old bottle magazines at shows and, of course, the internet. For this article, we would like

to recommend two web sites we have found. (See references.) One has some information on the Bonney Ink Company and the other on Signet Ink and LePage’s Glue. Both are interesting and informative.

The first is from Emmett Baker’s website. Emmett is a long time ink collector and has a number of good pictures on his site as well as other information.

Original factory is now a residence. (EB)

The Bonney bottles are very collectible today. The aqua barrels are probably the most collectible and come in small and master sizes and are generally easy to find, especially the smooth bottom small ones.

The small barrel is also known in a pontiled version, but is harder to find. The odd shaped one in the advertising picture above is considered rare, but is known to have existed as many shards were found when the factory was renovated into a residence. There is also a master and small round in cobalt, but again these are considered rare. The Bonney cone is known in two shapes. The more common one is

Illustration from 1868 catalogue. (EB)

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Gloucester in 1887 where one of the plants remains today. There have been many changes of ownership since then. In 1949, the name Russian Cement Company was dropped in favor of just LePage’s, Inc. I always wondered about the name Russian Cement Company. According to Ms. LePage, it was named after their first product, Russian Belting Cement, an adhesive used in the manufacture of leather belts used in industrial machinery.

Uncommon Bonney cone. the “regular” cone shape, but there is also a smaller version with a vertical grooved bottom panel and Bonney on shoulder.

This one is very hard to find. In all our years of collecting, we still only have it in a repaired condition. Perhaps the easiest one to find today is the square version as pictured above.

The second website (mentioned with permission) is by Vanessa LePage, great great granddaughter of William Nelson LePage (1849-1919), who founded the Russian Cement Company. This company manufactured glues and paste under the LePage name. They also manufactured inks and other products under the Signet name. It was started over 125 years ago in Rockport, Massachusetts, moving to

Because of its long history, there are many Signet and LePage’s bottles available at very reasonable prices and easy to find with labels. They also made many advertising ink blotters and comic trade cards to be given away. These show up with great frequency on ebay and can add interest to your bottle collection.

If you don't have internet access, Ms. LePage also wrote an article for Bottles and Extras which was published in March, 2001. Both the article and website are very interesting.

References: http://community-2.webtv.net/inkwells/ EmmettandMarjorie/ http://www.lepagesglue.bravepages.com/ Bottles and Extras, March 2001 Antique Bottle and Glass Collector, July 1987

Comic advertising trade card for LePage’s Glue.

William E. Bonney grave in S. Hanover, Mass., 1829-1917 (EB)

Ed & Lucy Faulkner http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ edandlucy

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Bottles and Extras

Collecting Ceramic Pot Lids

By Bruce R. Pynn and Ben Z. Swanson Jr Pot lids are the covers of small pottery containers used to hold a variety of manufactured products, primarily from 1840 to 1910.

They were frequently decorated by transfer-printing to describe the contents.

Prior to the invention of the transferprinting process, the brand names of manufactured goods were hand-lettered onto the side of the pot or described by means of a paper label pasted on the lid.

Although laborious by today’s standards, the transfer-printing process introduced a much quicker and economical method of describing the contents than did hand lettering. This labeling method also allowed for a greater degree of artistic expression and enticed buyers by the aesthetic appeal of the package.

This process was distinctively English.

It originated in Liverpool in the second half of the eighteenth century. Although not in general use for packaging until the 1840s, transfer printing was used for domestic porcelain and pottery in the intervening period.

By World War I, it had been virtually eliminated by cheaper methods. The transfer is lifted onto tissue-thin paper from an engraved copper plate that previously has been inked or colored. It is then transferred to the lid after the first baking (i.e., the bisque stage) and rubbed until the print firmly adheres to the pottery. The paper is then carefully removed, usually by washing or floating it off in water and the lid glazed and fired to fix the design as an integral part of the pottery.

Because of the high production cost of multicolored advertising pot lids, single colored lids dominated the market.

Gold bands were sometimes added around the border of the container to give the product a high-class appearance.

The majority of pot lids were circular.

However, square, rectangular and oval examples are frequently found. They also came in various sizes from the small sample size of less than an inch and a half in diameter to 10 inches for economy size.

They often had elaborate designs and pictorials to attract the consumer.

Several themes dominate the pictorials on the lids. The first being Royalty everyone was seemingly the dentist or perfumer to the royal family. Secondly, attractive girls and aristocratic men to appeal to ones vanity. Thirdly, farm scenes, boating and animals were popular for food pastes.

Dental products often have images of teeth, toothbrushes and cherries which seemed to be the most popular flavor.

Finally, architectural structures and exotic settings were also common.

Pot lids first appeared in England when town and cities were expanding rapidly in the mid-1800s and retailers

Bottles and Extras produced a number of household commodities for domestic use or consumption. The wide variety of products such as bear ’s grease, toothpaste, cold cream, salves and ointments or cure-alls, edible pastes and shaving cream were packed in earthenware pots with printed lids and advertising.

The pot and lid were eventually consigned to the dustbin and then off to the local dump. Pot lids are excavated from Victorian and Edwardian dumps (often called tips) by collector-diggers.

Diggers often have to do extensive library research to find old tips and are largely responsible for the intense interest in these lids.

Ambitious retailers found the glazed earthenware lids as a useful means of advertising themselves and their commodities. They were used until the first world war when more economical packaging techniques evolved, such as collapsible toothpaste tubes, tins and cardboard boxes or glass containers.

Toothpaste became the major product associated with these pots, just as today it is the main product associated with tube packaging, and was the most popular commodity sold in pots printed with lids.

Interest in keeping teeth clean became popular in the late 17th century and escalated during the 18th. The local druggist, chemist or surgeon dentist all sold tooth powder. Toothpastes came in many flavors such as cherry, areca nut, honeysuckle, orange, tomato, carbolic acid and even odd concoctions like myrrh and borax! Tooth paste was also referred to as tooth powder or tooth soap.

Undoubtedly, the second most popular product packaged in a ceramic pot was cold cream. Hygienic concerns escalated as the expanding social calendars of the

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middle class society increased and in turn increased the demand for beauty products.

Many small chemists made their own concoctions, later providing diggers and collectors with many regional varieties.

Manufacturers of edible products also took advantage of this attractive form of packaging. Caviar and fish pastes were frequently sold in these ceramic pots because of the impracticality of transporting fish from the coast to inland towns. The fish was packaged in vinegar which increased its shelf life and proved to become a popular food alternative for the expanding Victorian middle classes.

While English pot lids number in the thousands, American pot lids number only in the hundreds. Pot lids can be found throughout the United States but are concentrated around the coastal areas like New York and San Francisco. Jules Hauel, Xavier Bazin and H.P & W.C. Taylor, all of Philadelphia, exhibited their pot-lidded products at the Great World’s Fair of 1851.

Orders for transfer-decorated pots made by Staffordshire potters were received from many countries around the world such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, France, Italy and India.

In 1977, Ron Dale produced a superb book, Price Guide to Black and White Pot Lids, which documented 2,341 different pot lids. Since then, there has been a surge in pot lid collecting.

Alan Blakeman, publisher of the British Bottle Review, says there are probably more than 7,000 varieties of pot lids worldwide. Other books also have been produced, Collecting Austrialian Pot Lids by Robert Keil and American Pot Lids by Barbara and Sonny Jackson in 1981 and 1987, respectively.

This introductory article was designed to give the reader a baseline knowledge of pot lids. Future articles will focus on the many different varieties, specific manufacturers and unique individuals in the pot lid world.

Bruce R. Pynn is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon practising in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. He has been collecting advertising pot lids for the past five years. He can be reached at b.pynn@shaw.ca.

Ben Z. Swanson, Jr. is a retired dentist living in Baltimore, Maryland. He has been collecting dental and some medical items for almost 35 years. He can be reached at Ben@32TerrificTeeth.com.

Photos by Bruce Pynn.

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BOOK REVIEW “MERCHANTS OF MEDICINE Nostrum Peddlers – Yesterday & Today”

by Dewey R. Heetderks, MD • Drucker Press, 4907 N. Quail Crest, Grand Rapids, MI, 49546 • Library of Congress Number 20020095378 • ISBN 0-9726650-0-5 • hardbound • 8" x 8" • Over 300 color photographs • 120 pages • Index • References by chapter (bibliography) • Post Paid $35.00 U.S. or $40.00 non-U.S. • Order from: 4907 N. Quail Crest, Grand Rapids, MI, 49546 • Dewey Heetderks’ – phone: 616-9490713; email address: dheetderks@aol.com.

The author of this book suggests that this is “…a great coffee table book.” He is being modest with that boast. This book is one of the most beautifully designed (laid-out) volumes I have ever seen and the content is comprehensive, accurate and easy to read. The latter is thanks to the author’s facility with the language. He has the envious knack of making the somewhat complex, simple.

In the preface of the work, the author successfully explains his intentions and expectations. I feel strongly that he has more than met those expectations:

“We now live in an era involving alternative medicine. It is true that such therapy may have beneficial effects for some patients. However, this is medicine that has not been scientifically tested and proven, resulting unfortunately in two separate health delivery systems – a conventional form and an alternative form. Unusual and unconventional types of alternative medicine afford potions and practices rich in opportunities for quackery. Today, people need to be reminded that ‘he who forgets the past is doomed to repeat it.’”

“In what follows I would like to do two things. First, I describe the patent medicine era – a colorful and romantic time. Glass manufacturing, America’s first industry resulted in the production of beautiful medicine bottles. But, the patent medicine era was also a deceitful era. Itinerant purveyors with robber baron ethics created the ‘snake oil syndrome’ by peddling medicines with the promised magic of exotic substances. To appreciate fully how America was sold its nostrums, the story must be told how human hopes and fears were exploited by marketing ploys such as trade cards, almanacs, and the Indian road show. The rise and fall of the patent medicine era were both interesting and dramatic. In 1906 the Food and Drug Administration and later the Federal Trade Commission outlawed certain substances and required proper labeling of contents.”

“Second, I’d like to alert the reader to an ever-growing industry that needs more policing than it is presently getting. With deliberate deceit medical quackery exists today as a multi-billion dollar business.

Because of budget limitations and departmental differences the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission have an overwhelming task to safeguard the public from quackery. So, today in the 21st century the old warning of ‘caveat emptor’–let the buyer beware–is still relevant.”

Dr. Dewey R. Heetderks is a retired urologist from Grand Rapids, Michigan where he practiced for 33 years. He graduated from the University of Michigan, took his training in urology at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston and at the University Hospital in Ann Arbor. He became Clinical Professor of Urology at Michigan State University Medical School. He claims that “the antique bottle collecting obsession did not require any training.” I disagree with that statement. Proof that I am correct in maintaining Dewey has had training, I believe, can be found in the Forward to the book. Again in his own words, “…after accumulating over five hundred medicine bottles, boxes, and tins, I realized that there were many more. My collection now goes from the common to the rare and even to one-of-a-kind specimens.” That, to me, indicates onthe-job-training if not formal training.

With tongue-in-cheek, the author confesses, “The items shown in this book are a portion of my own collection. Since no one else has sought just urological antique medicines and other artifacts, I can say with a smile that I have the world’s largest collection.”

I don’t know just how the following confession by Dr. Heetderks fits into a review of his book but I couldn’t resist sharing it with you. He writes, “The saga of antique bottle collecting has many

twists and turns. For me the enjoyable benefits of the adventure include making new friends and acquaintances, an appreciation of beautiful glass, the fascination with our medical heritage, and the inspiration to write this book.”

Normally I wouldn’t mention the photographer and graphic designer involved in a book being reviewed but because of the wonderful photography and the great design of this work, I think both of these talented people should be recognized. Dr. Lee R. Pool, an industrial surgeon and Clinical Professor of General Surgery at Michigan State University Medical School, took the excellent color photographs that illustrate this book. He used a Contax medium format camera.

Mr. Dennis M. Kucharczyk was the graphic designer of this book. He is from Dearborn, Michigan. He studied Art and Design at Siena Heights College and Grand Valley State University. He is a Retail Graphic Designer and works mostly in Marketing and Advertising where he has specialized in print media.

To conclude, I refer the reader back to the first paragraph of this review. I recorded my impressions of “Merchants of Medicine – Nostrum Peddlers – Yesterday & Today” in that paragraph. Of course, that leaves me without a formal ending to this review. Let it suffice for me to admit that I could not find faults worth mentioning in this review. I find this to be a book all bottle collectors should consider owning. This may turn out to be the best patent and proprietary medicine book of the 21st century – we’ll have to wait 97 years to see.

Reviewed By: Cecil Munsey, PhD. 13541 Willow Run Road Poway, CA 92064-1733 cecilmunsey@cox.net Photos: Above left: Dr. Dewey R. Heetderks Above right: Cover of Dr. Heetderks’ book.

46

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Winter 2004

GOLDENROD BEER Katzenjammer Kids “COMICAPS” Fig. 3

Fig. 2

by Cecil Munsey

Bottle caps are among America’s favorite collectibles. Ah yes, just go to www.ebay.com on the Internet and indicate you want to see bottle caps for sale. Today, as an example, there are 852 lots (groupings), of bottle caps for sale.

Since they are crown caps they are mostly from soft drink and beer bottles. Go figure…

As most bottle collectors do know, the first Crown Cap was invented by William Painter of Baltimore, Maryland in 1892 and was a metal enclosure with a cork lining. As most bottle collectors do not know, the initial caps were purchased and used by the American Brewing Co. of Baltimore, Maryland. Several hundred cases of American Brewing Co. beer were used as ballast in a ship bound for London and when the ship returned the bottles were still full with their Crown Caps intact. Again, go figure…

(Over the next 10-20 years, after 1892, nearly all beer and soda bottles had a crown cap. The cork liner remained in place until the mid- to late-1960s when it was replaced by a plastic or vinyl lining.

Today the aluminum screw top and plastic screw top have replaced many of the traditional crowns.)

Katzenjammer Kids “COMICAPS” While attending one of the annual bottle and collectibles shows in Las Vegas, I found six full-color bottle caps that I fell in love with. But I felt they were greatly overpriced at $15 apiece. I laughed to myself and walked away. But having learned the lesson many years ago about not buying something I really wanted and then regretting the decision for months and sometimes years later, I decided not to put myself through the inevitable misery. I went back to the dealer. We dickered a bit and he let me acquire the bottle caps for the “bargain” price of all six for $80. I hugged my conscience with the rationalization that I had “saved” $10 in the deal.

Copyright © 2003

At the end of the day I showed the caps to my wife. Of course, she asked how much they had cost me. I was going to lie about the price but decided quickly to tell her the truth. She winced, as I would have had the circumstances been reversed, but said nothing. She’s good that way. I have learned to treat her indulgences at Neiman Marcus with the same courtesy.

I think that has taught each of us the selfcontrol necessary to carry on a marriage between a collector and a shopper. But I digress…

The bottle caps are not just bottle caps.

They are caps featuring most of the famous comic strip characters from “The Katzenjammer Kids” drawn by Rudolph Dirks. From close examination of the bottle caps I quickly learned they were copyrighted in 1935 and were part of a series used on bottles of Goldenrod Beer and Goldenrod Ale of Brooklyn, New York.

To me the caps were so fascinating I spent over a year tracking down the history of them and the brewery (see chronology at end of article) that selected them for its beer.

It has been a great trip and one that readers might find interesting. For me, just collecting isn’t enough.

I am joyously compelled to research and write about the things I collect. Dessert is sharing the results.

According to the Crown Cap Museum: http:www.geocities.com/ crowncapmuseum/ katzenja.htm “… the Katzenjammer

Kids Comicaps are one of the rarest sets [of bottle caps] in the world. They were produced for Goldenrod’s Beer and Ale products during the years 1935 and 1936.

There are a total of 8 crowns in the set: Hans, Fritz, Mamma, the Captain, Boggles, the Prince, the Inspector, and the Director” – (Figure 1).

The Comic Strip The creator of the Katzenjammer Kids was Rudolph Dirks (Figure 2) who was born in 1877 in Heinde, Germany. His family came to America in 1884 settling in Chicago. His cartoons appeared in Judge magazine as early as 1894, and Life magazine shortly thereafter. In 1897

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Winter 2004

he found his way to Hearst’s Journal American where he was asked by editor Rudolph Block to create a strip that would compete with the Yellow Kid at Joseph Pulitzer’s The World.

Dirks suggested his version of Germany’s Max und Moritz, a very successful comic strip in Germany. The Katzenjammer Kids first appeared in the Sunday comics’ section of newspapers on December 12, 1897. The main characters were Mamma Katzenjammer, her twin sons, Hans (Figure 3) and Fritz, and eventually, the long-suffering target of their mischief, The Captain. The Strip is an “ethnic” one. All of the characters speak with a German accent. “Just” becomes “chust,” “we” becomes “ve,” and the Captain is, “Der Captain.”

In the early decades of the strip’s existence, the Katzenjammer family engaged in adventures all over the world. Ultimately, they settled on a tropical island [easier to draw maybe?]. The continuing and repeated theme centered around the ability of Hans and Fritz to pull creative pranks, get into trouble as a result, and end up being hunted down and spanked over somebody’s knee in the last panel.

While the strip began in 1897 (see above),”Der Captain” was not a member of the cast for the first five years. He first appeared on August 31, 1902. Nor was he ever married to Mrs. Katzenjammer. Rather, the old sea dog was a boarder or, if you will, a live-in companion.

The other major cast member, “Der Inspector,” first appeared on January 15, 1905. He was not an inspector in the ordinary sense of the word, but, rather, an officer of the school system.

(Unfortunately I was not able to obtain a bottle cap featuring “Der Inspector” and “Der Director.”)

A Lawsuit After drawing a weekly Katzenjammer Kids comic strip for 15 years or so, Rudolph Dirks wanted to take a break. His boss at the Hearst newspaper syndicate didn’t agree. Dirks left anyway and his duties drawing the strip were assigned to other artists.

Dirks felt that he owned the right to his characters and a lawsuit followed. The popular strip dropped out of the Sunday funnies for more than a year. Ultimately, artist Harold H. Knerr continued the Katzenjammer Kids for the Hearst papers. The court awarded Dirks the right to continue drawing his characters, so long as they were not entitled “The Katzenjammer Kids.”

Dirks went to the rival Pulitzer newspaper The World, and the end result was that two separate, but very similar strips appeared weekly. “The (original) Katzenjammer Kids,” drawn

by Knerr) and “The Captain and the Kids,” drawn by Dirks, ran in competing Sunday papers for more than half a century.

Dirks drew his characters until 1958, after which having drawn the strip for 61 years, he handed it over to his son

47 John Dirks.

Rudolph Dirks is recognized as the most important of the founding comic artists in the world because of his pioneering use of a panelized continuity and in-panel dialogue. He died in New York on April 20, 1968 at 91 years of age.

The Brewery

The Goldenrod Brewery, Inc., that was the only beer manufacturer to ever use the Katzenjammer Kids on bottle caps (1935), history reveals was a 75-year old brewery at the time.

A German immigrant, Otto Huber, Sr., who had worked for other breweries in Brooklyn, established his own plant in the late 1860s. He purchased the Hoerger Brewery in 1866 and built the new Fig. 1 plant into what became one of the largest and most productive breweries in Brooklyn. After his death in 1889, his sons (Otto, Jr., Joseph, Charles, and Max) managed the company and it remained a family enterprise until 1920 (during Prohibition) when it was sold to Edward Hittleman, who re-named the brewery after himself. Hittleman produced near beer until repeal of Prohibition, and in 1934 he changed the name of the company to Hittleman-Goldenrod Brewery.

Goldenrod was a traditional brand name dating to the Huber Brewery. The comic bottle caps were a part of the program to regain the beer market lost during Prohibition.

After being re-named Edlebrau after a popular beer, it was changed to Edlebrew in 1946. Not long after Hittleman’s death in 1951 at age 68, the brewery closed.

1860 – 1951 BREWERY CHRONOLOGY 242 Maserole Street & Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 1860-1889 1889-1920 1920-1934 1934-1937 1937-1946 1946-1951

Otto Huber Otto Huber Brewery E. B. Hittleman Brewery, Inc. Goldenrod Brewery, Inc. Edelbrau Brewery, Inc. Edelbrew Brewery, Inc.

Cecil Munsey 13541 Willow Run Road Poway, CA 92064-1733 (858) 487-7036 cecilmunsey@cox.net

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Winter 2004

Names in the Glass

by Don Denzin A Devoted Virginian’s Floating Coffin A lone Confederate soldier makes his way toward the water on an isolated bank of the Potomac River.

His arms ache from the large object he drags behind, and he pauses, his ears straining for sounds beneath a concealing pre-dawn sky. The welcome silence allows his nervousness to drain, but only a little. Under orders and on a secret mission, he jabs sweat from his eyes, listens intently again, then finally pushes ahead. He makes his way without slowing until gravel gives way to mud at the water’s edge.

He maneuvers his heavy burden to the front and the full outline of a coffin now grows visible in the darkness.

He guides it into the shallows, then walks with it as it floats, gliding it into the languid river. He stops as cold water reaches his thighs.

Gripping the coffin’s opposite sides, he pulls himself into the empty cavity.

Even before its rocking steadies, he comes up to his knees, and retrieves a fence rail

Frank Hume, devoted Virginian. “Union soldiers on the Maryland bluff were treated to the spectacle of a lone rebel sitting in the middle of the river, paddling a coffin case with a fence paling.”

lying inside. The slender pole bumps a coffin wall and the deep box lets out a boom, but with undeterred motion, he hoists the rail vertically over the river.

He pushes down. It bites the mud. The strange vessel slides toward deeper water.

He begins to paddle. His arms establish rhythm and the ragged shoreline fades. The moment becomes peaceful as his ghostly silhouette slides on the skin of the sleeping river.

Sound like the opening of a movie?

Maybe it could be. But the scene is not available at Blockbuster. It is purportedly a true story, one that forms part of the fascinating backdrop behind our collecting hobby.

The Civil War soldier is Frank Hume, the man whose name appears on the pair of bottles pictured here.

Hume (1843-1906) joined General James Longstreet’s 21st Mississippi Regiment, becoming part of the Volunteer Southrons, in 1861. He participated in eleven major battles, received a wound at Gettysburg and later served as a signal scout under General J.E.B Stuart. Hume’s own memoir reports that he earned a personal commendation from General Robert E. Lee for the mission that started in the opening paragraphs. More about that later.

Importantly for bottle collectors, Hume returned home safely after the Confederate surrender at Appomattox.

Home was the Washington D.C. area, where civilian Hume first tried his hand at agriculture. The venture lasted only two years, and next he became a grocer in Georgetown. Finally, in 1871, he established his own wholesale grocery and liquor business.

Good fortune in battle now followed him into the world of commerce. Housed on Washington D.C.’s Pennsylvania Avenue near the Central Market, Hume & Co. prospered. The business doubtless marketed a range of products, and among them were an assortment of domestic and imported wines, brandies, and whiskey. Hume & Co. became the largest wholesale grocer in the District of Columbia.1

Bottles and Extras Frank Hume Bottles The pair of pint-sized bottles in clear glass represented here probably date from the late 1880s or 1890s when Hume’s business flourished. With chamfered corners and embossed pictures, they are not typical of period “grocer’s bottles” from Eastern states, and for this reason today’s collectors recognize them as desirable. Yet they are probably not rare.

Even if Hume’s market included only the Midatlantic region, it seems likely many such bottles were blown because Hume’s business lasted for several years.

The whiskey brands they advertised, Old Stag and Homestead, were complimented by other potables in the Hume product line, including Warwick Whiskey and Very Superior Old Rye. The author has not seen bottles embossed with these names, but references to them exist.

Interestingly, both bottles pictured in this article include the embossed word, “Compound.” This is a reference to their original contents. At the turn-of-thecentury, it was common practice for liquor distributors to enhance inexpensive whiskey or other alcoholic products by adding essences, oils, and even prune juice in a practice known as compounding. Perhaps Hume deserves credit because not all whiskey marketers were so forthcoming in revealing which of their products had been “improved” in this way. In any event, we may reasonably speculate that Homestead and Old Stag were less-than-premium brands.

The Honorable Frank Hume Since Hume commissioned the embossing of separate brand names on separate bottles rather than relying solely on less expensive paper labels and generic containers, it seems logical to conclude he believed he would sell substantial quantities of each kind of whiskey. Maybe he did. What is certain is that Hume sold substantial quantities of something because he grew wealthy, so wealthy, in fact, that he became a significant landowner and philanthropist.

His wealth and grocery business success led to other accomplishments. He became president of the Independent Steamboat and Barge Company and a director of the Fireman’s Insurance Co. He also served on other boards, among them, the Washington Board of Trade where he vigorously but unsuccessfully advocated construction of a bridge linking Alexandria, Va. to Washington, D.C. Notably, he also entered public life at the State level. Now a resident of Alexandria, voters there sent him to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1889 and 1899.

His legacy extends even to this day.

The area known as Hume Springs, near Alexandria, takes its name from him. The Hume School, a preparatory academy

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Winter 2004

originally housed in the landmark building now occupied by the Arlington Historical Society, received his major financial backing in the 1890s. (The father of eleven children, Hume may have understood this act of generosity in practical terms!)

A stone monument at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce bears his name. Its engraved inscription identifies him as “A devoted Virginian who served his native State in Civil War and Legislative Hall.” Finally, although it does not bear his name, the 14th St. Bridge across the Potomac, a project he championed, was constructed after his death. Hume is buried in Ivy Hill Cemetery in Alexandria.

The Rest of the Story Frank Hume’s experience in the coffin occurred in April, 1864. Already dramatic by its very nature, the incident must have had added poignancy for him for personal reasons. At the time, it is likely that death was no abstraction for Hume, and not just because he had become a battle-tested soldier. Frank and a brother, Charles Connor Hume, enlisted on the Confederate side in the Civil War. In the two years that followed, Union soldiers killed Charles Connor, and two additional brothers died in an epidemic. His father also died in the same period.

In a further twist, Frank Hume knew that Connor Hume had been killed on the banks of the Potomac River while on a covert mission for the same General, J.E.B. Stuart, under whom he now served. We can imagine how these circumstances swirled in his head before he entered that empty coffin on the Potomac River.

According to Civil War author and student, Carlton Fletcher, who has studied Hume’s memoir, the young soldier reports that his instructions were to make his way behind enemy lines to Annapolis. There, his mission was to discover the intentions of General Burnside, whose troops bivouacked nearby. The endeavor began in a coffin because, with watercraft in short supply, members of Hume’s corps furnished him with the only

Left: Homestead Whiskey from Frank Hume.

Right: Old Stag Whiskey. The bottle’s embossing reads, ”For the Sick Room or Side Board”

49

improvised boat they could find. That coffins were so plentiful offers grim evidence of the savagery of the Civil War. Historian Fletcher continues the story of Hume’s adventure at the river: Under cover of night, Hume started across, but he made poor time, and when the sun rose Union soldiers on the Maryland bluff were treated to the spectacle of a lone rebel sitting in the middle of the river, paddling a coffin case with a fence paling. From his luckless situation, they concluded that Hume must be a deserter. Hume was able to land and make himself scarce before they realized their mistake. 2 What happened next is not entirely clear. Hume reached Annapolis only to learn either that General Burnside’s intentions had been revealed already by another Confederate spy or that Burnside had departed for Virginia to muster with General Grant. In either event, the need for Hume’s undercover exercise ended. He headed back for his unit, but not before stopping at a Washington portrait studio to have a photograph made. His memoir recounts that the studio’s other customers “were all dressed in blue.”

Returning to the river, Hume discovered that a local resident had transformed his original watercraft into a chicken coop.

This time he located a legitimate boat, and made his way to Spotsylvania on the opposite side of the Potomac. Aborted mission or not, Hume’s memoir reports that it was here that none other than General Lee offered personal thanks for the young signal scout’s effort.

The story is fascinating. But is it entirely true? After all, while Hume’s Civil War service is a matter of record, the details of his trip across the Potomac are apparently documented mainly in his memoir.

No one has asserted that Hume’s memory was faulty, yet historians often suggest that all personal accounts are best understood in context. “Family history,” Carlton Fletcher writes, referring to Hume’s memoir, “is a genre in which a flattering fiction… always finds a welcome.” 3 Corroborating evidence for his memoir may never surface, but whether it does or not is probably of little consequence. At most, Frank Hume’s unusual river crossing represents a footnote in a far larger epic. With or without additional information, it is enough to know he was a man of accomplishments. He served the people of Virginia in conflict, in the legislature, as a philanthropist, and thankfully for collectors of antique bottles, in the world of commerce.

If the floating coffin is long gone, the bottles still give material testimony to one of the contributions of Frank Hume, “devoted Virginian.”

References:

1 Arlington County Library website: http://www.co.arlington.va.us/ lib/history/bicentennial/voices1860.htm 2 “Confederate Signal Scouts from Washington D.C”, Carlton Fletcher, Signal Cipher Newsletter, (Signal Corps Association Reenactor’s Division, Glen Burnie, MD), Jan. 1998.

3 In a letter to the author, Carlton Fletcher writes, “By the time Hume made his river crossing, Burnside was already two years gone from Annapolis, which tells me that, while Hume may indeed have crossed the Potomac in a coffin, it wasn’t to gather intelligence about Burnside.”

The Compounder or Williams’ Informer or Whiskey Buyer’s Guide.

G.C. Williams, St. Louis, 1898.

National Cyclopedia of American Biography, v. 38, p. 231.

Hume Springs Citizens Association website: http:// members.aol.com/humesprings/hsca.html Hume Family Genealogy website: http:// freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~humefamily/3647.htm “Confederate Signal Scouts from Washington D.C”, Carlton Fletcher, Signal Cipher Newsletter, (Signal Corps Association Reenactor’s Division, Glen Burnie, MD), January, 1998: http:// 69.3.157.98/SCARD/newsletter.htm.

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Winter 2004

Bottles and Extras

Collector profiles: Dr. Jimmy and Mary Smith, Augusta, Georgia: Preserving a slave potterʼs legacy.

by Bill Baab

Shortly after the birth of their first child, Dave came to live with Dr. Jimmy Smith and his wife, Mary, and life hasn’t been the same for the Augusta, Georgia couple.

Mary remembers just how it happened: "We’d just married and had a house, but little furniture, so we went to a furniture auction in Ohio," she said during an interview. "There was a man from Sea Island, Ga., there, bidding on some glass at the auction, and he had brought a van and a U-Haul trailer. We’d driven up in a station wagon and wondered how we were going to get some furniture we’d bought back to Georgia.

"The auctioneer hooked us up with the man and he agreed to haul our furniture back to Georgia. We visited him in Sea Island and admired his collection of art glass. He pointed to a stoneware jug and told me we needed to collect pieces from our own back yard.

"He really put a bee in my bonnet, because that jug was from Edgefield, South Carolina."

After that, "we made it our business to see everything we could along those lines.

We didn’t have any idea what we were buying and were surprised to see a broken (Collin) Rhodes pitcher from Edgefield sell for $3,700.

We bought a couple of repaired (Thomas) Chandlers, but didn’t know (then) that they were repaired. My ‘thing’ became face jugs and Dave (the slave) pots.

Jimmy likes two-color Rhodes and Phoenix Factory pieces."

The family’s first encounter with Dave occurred in 1989 when a man traveling along Interstate 20 called them. "He got our number somewhere, said we knew his brother or something," Mary said. "He had a piece of pottery, knew we were collectors, and we were interested."

They met, cash was exchanged and the Smiths returned home with their first Dave piece. It was an ovoid jug signed L. Miles, Dave, and dated July 14th, 1841. The next piece they purchased was a "Halloween" pot signed LM (for Lewis Miles) on one

side and Oct. 31, 1849, Dave on the other.

Those were followed by a pot signed Mr. Miles Dave, Oct. 15, 1849 and another inscribed LM, Aug. 30, 1851.

The Smiths’ favorite Dave piece is a huge pot with an original Dave couplet: "Give me silver or either gold though they are dangerous to our soul." It’s also signed in small handwriting, "Mr. L. Miles, Dave, 27th June 1840."

The Smiths now own a substantial collection of between 20 and 25 Edgefield pieces, including six Dave-made examples. They are generous about sharing parts of their collection, with the Dave couplet piece appearing in "I made this jar . . . The Life and Works of the Enslaved African-American Potter, Dave," published in 1998 by the McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina.

Their oldest daughter, Lauren, 14, a student at Davidson Magnet High School in Augusta, is on her way to becoming an accomplished violinist. Lauren and her 6year-old sister, Caroline, have other claims to fame, although the latter has gone 1-up because of her diminutive size.

Each was photographed standing inside a massive Dave pot. In Caroline’s case, she is flanked by her parents in the photo accompanying a 1999 story about Dave’s works in The Augusta Chronicle.

She was photographed again this year standing in the same pot, flanked by her sister and parents, to accompany this story.

The saga of Dave the slave is an inspirational one, although his abilities to turn super-sized pots and to write in no way improved his status as a slave, albeit one invaluable to his masters.

He was born in the Edgefield Distrct about 1800, eventually making his way into the household of Abner Landrum and later the Rev. John Landrum before being either sold or given to Lewis Miles.

The latter was related to the Landrums by marriage, according to historians.

It also is believed that Dave was taught to read and write by Abner Landrum so the slave could set type for the Edgefield

Hive, a newspaper owned by Landrum.

Literacy among slaves was a rarity since it was against the law to teach slaves to read and write in most Southern states, including South Carolina, historians said.

So Dave, who historians believe to have died during the 1870s, left a legacy that’s now being enjoyed by pottery and stoneware collectors nationwide.

Investing in pottery, particularly Edgefield pieces in general and Dave pieces in particular, can reap financial rewards down the road. The pottery market isn’t quite as volatile as the stock market, if one invests in "the right stuff."

For example, a pot inscribed "February 7th 1840" and "L. Miles" on one side and "Mr. Miles Dave" on the other sold for $28,500 during a Southern Folk Pottery Collectors Society 2002 auction. During a 2001 SFPC auction, a pot inscribed "LM June 18 1861 Dave" brought $19,500.

The topper came during a 2000 SFPC auction when a pot signed "L M Jan. 30, 1858, Dave" on one side and the couplet: "Making This Jar I Had All Thoughts, Lads & Gentlemen Never Out Walks," won a $76,000 bid. The same pot sold for $23,500 during a society auction in November of 1993.

“Bibliography: Life, art of man named Dave,” by Robert Pavey in The Augusta Chronicle, May 2, 1999.

I made this jar. . .The Life and Works of the Enslaved African-American Potter, Dave, edited by Jill Beute Koverman. Catalogue of April 19December 19, 1968 exhibition at the McKissick Museum, University of South Carolina. (catalogue out of print).

Photos: Top: Lauren, Jimmy and Mary Smith surround Caroline, who is standing in one of the family's pots made and signed by Dave in 1851.

Middle: Mary Smith of Augusta, Georgia shows off the family's first Edgefield District piece, an alkaline-glazed jug signed L. Miles Dave, July 14, 1841.

Bottom: Mary Smith and her husband, Jimmy, pose behind their six Dave-signed pieces of Edgefield District pottery.

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51

Steve Ferrell and Terry Ferrell with "Dave" brick.

By Bill Baab

Bill Baab, 2352 Devere Street, Augusta, GA 30904; Phone: (706) 736-8097; E-mail: riverswamper@comcast.net

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — During the early 19th century and before the use of notebooks, children used pieces of slate to practice their penmanship on, but what if slate wasn’t available? Would a pre-fired brick do?

Master potter Steve Ferrell was aboard his tractor pulling a harrow to disc a field and sometime later, his father, Terry, followed the furrows to pick up rocks and trash on their property in what was the thriving community of Pottersville some 200 years ago.

The elder Ferrell spotted a huge, handmade brick covered with red mud that had been pushed up by the discs and without a second thought, heaved it to one side. Some weeks later, after a rain shower, Steve Ferrell was spraying Roundup to keep the weeds down and spotted the brick again. The rain had washed off the mud and revealed what appeared to be writing on one side.

He showed it to his father and closer examination resulted in mental pandemonium and verbal jubilation for the Ferrells, who had seen examples of such handwriting many times during their long association with pottery forms from the old Edgefield District of South Carolina.

"There was no doubt in our minds that the April 18 date spelled out on the brick was written by Dave the slave," said Steve Ferrell, a master potter at the Old Edgefield Pottery. "We think he may have used the brick as a slate on which to practice his penmanship."

Terry Ferrell thinks the brick may have been one of four handmade in a wooden four-brick mold similar to one in the Ferrells’ collection now being used to display a series of mini jugs.

"If we let our imaginations run on," Steve Ferrell said, "wouldn’t it be neat to find three other bricks — one dated 1829, one signed "Landrum" (for pioneer potter Abner Landrum, an early Dave master) and the last signed "Dave"?

If Dave-signed pots sell for many thousands of dollars to collectors, "this may be just the most valuable brick in the USA!" Dave was born about 1800 and eventually made his way into the household of Abner Landrum and later the Rev. John Landrum before being either sold or given to potter Lewis Miles, who was related to the Landrums by marriage, according to historians.

Historians also believe Dave was taught to read and write by Abner Landrum, owner and publisher of a newspaper called the Edgefield Hive, so the slave could set type.

"The Hive had existed earlier as the South Carolina Republican weekly established in 1824 and it became The Hive in March of 1827, co-edited by Abner Landrum and William Brazier," Steve Ferrell explained. "Abner took over the newspaper by himself

52

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Winter 2004

THE HILLBILLY AND THE JUG

by Jack Sullivan

1 In May of 2003, CBS raised a ruckus by announcing a new "reality"program to be called "The Real Beverly Hillbillies" in which a multi-generational mountain family would be relocated to the posh California town and furnished with $500,000, high fashion clothing, Jaguars and personal assistants. Then the cameras would roll on the real-live antics of these rural folks.

The concept was immediately and roundly denounced from many quarters.

Among the most outspoken was Georgia Senator Zell Miller who denounced the

4

2 idea as a "hillbilly minstrel show." Miller, who regularly denounced the notion of hillbilly, has said: "...One of the greatest ironies of history is that while the cowboy, another kind of frontiersman, has been glorified, the mountaineer, the first frontiersman, has been ridiculed and caricatured in the image of Snuffy Smith."

The show was shelved.

Senator Miller may have a point. The American Dialect Dictionary defines "hillbilly" as "an uncouth countryman, especially from the hills." The term first was coined about 1900 in the vicinity of

3 Arkansas. Its use subsequently spread throughout the South and became especially common in Kentucky and West Virginia. The New York Evening Journal of April 2, 1900, using a variant spelling said, "In short, a Hill-Billie is a free and untrammeled white citizen...who lives in the hills, has no means to speak of, dresses as he can, talks as he pleases (and) drinks whiskey when he gets it...."

Unlike the Senator, however, some mountain people still revel in the name and the image. In certain locales it even qualifies as a term of endearment. "I don't

5

Bottles and Extras mind if you call me a hillbilly," Tim White, a Bristol TN country music DJ and banjo player, told a reporter. "Just don't call me a dumb hillbilly."

The hillbilly, for good or ill, has an age old identification with jugs. This is an obvious allusion to the illicit whiskey that is distilled in "them thar hills." As a result, the hillbilly frequently has been depicted on ceramic jugs that purport to hold strong drink, but actually are souvenirs. Some identify themselves as holding "moonshine," "home brew" or "mountain dew," terms often used in connection with illegal whiskey-making in the Appalachian and Ozark Mountains.

Such items usually contain illustrations of mountain folks, bearing familiar hillbilly themes and stereotypes: * The men are inevitably heavily bearded, in ragged clothing, with a gun and/or a jug of whiskey at hand and often a dog at their side; * The women are puffing on pipes and raising great clouds of smoke; and * Everybody seems to be barefoot and wearing odd-looking hats.

Hillbilly souvenir jugs most often are without any identification about their origins. But some can be traced to their makers, either by marks or other characteristics. Research has identified three such firms whose products frequently are seen at bottle shows and on eBay: The Cash Family Pottery of Tennessee; Paden City Artcraft of West Virginia; and Parkcraft/Taneycomo of Iowa and

16

Winter 2004 Missouri.

THE CASH FAMILY Erwin is a town of about 5,000 in southeastern Tennessee, on Interstate 181 just above the North Carolina line. In 1910, E.J. "Ted" Owen started a pottery there after several years working in the ceramic trade in Ohio and West Virginia. Owen first called his company Clinchfield Pottery, later changing it to Southern Potteries. But he found it difficult to hire experienced potters and the boys from the surrounding hills proved hard to train.

Production faltered and bankruptcy was in prospect.

Just when things looked darkest in 1922, a seasoned potter from Ohio named Charles Foreman took over the operations and made them profitable. As a first step he began hiring women for the pottery, training them to paint by hand on bisque stoneware which was then fired. While most of the painting was done following a pattern or formula, as the women progressed, they were encouraged to use their own artistic imaginations.

The skill of these mountain women were the key to Foreman's success.

Because of the low cost of their skilled labor and the potter's ability to change patterns easily, Southern Potteries, under its own name and "Blue Ridge Pottery," succeeded in establishing a market for cheap dinnerware as theater premiums and for chains like Sears and Montgomery Ward. The firm prospered until the early 1950s when Charles Foreman died.

Enter the Cash Family. In the midst of

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53 the Great Depression, about 1935 Ray and Pauline Cash opened a roadside pottery stand on Highway 25, three miles north of Knoxville. It started as a rickety tarpcovered stall but the Cashes were able merchants and the business grew, first to a closed wooden structure and later to a brick building. They called it the "Cash Pottery Stand" and adopted the slogan, "Everybody Buys Here," with a logo of silhouettes streaming into a building. Prominent among their merchandise were Southern and Blue Ridge Pottery items.

About 1945, Ray and Pauline founded their own ceramics business in Erwin they called Clinchfield Pottery, a problematic choice since even today it causes confusion with the earlier Ted Owens pottery of the same name. When Foreman's Southern Pottery liquidated in 1957. The couple purchased its molds and took on many of its skilled women. They continued the tradition of painted stoneware, becoming known for decorative household ceramic items of all kinds.

Eventually they renamed their operation the Cash Family Pottery -- by which it is best known today.

Among their products were a line of souvenir jugs with hillbilly or whiskey motifs. They carry the predictable motifs of mountain people, including bare feet, beards, funny hats, jugs marked with xxx's. All were souvenir shop specialties, meant to be taken home to Aunt Gert and Uncle Bart as proof of a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains or other southern locales. Most bear the Cash Family

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Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004 9

Pottery mark prominently and often indicate that the jug has been "hand painted."

While most of these items are standardized occasionally the artistic ability of the decorator is evident, as shown in #1. The figure of a mountain man whittling on a stick is similar to #2 but is done in a free hand format that gives it a individualized feeling.

Moreover, among Cash Family jugs is a real whiskey container. Holding Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey, the jug apparently was commissioned by the Hoover Ball and Bearing Company, a Michigan firm with a factory in Erwin.

It probably was meant as a holiday gift to clients and employees. Using its standard "fifth" size jug, the Cash Family obliged the roller bearing company with a white stoneware container with a black and blue label (#6). The misspelled "Tennisee (with an "n" reversed for effect) apparently was to be part of its country-style allure. It is one of the more interesting postProhibition whiskey jugs to be found.

After more than 50 years in business, the Cash Family pottery operation closed about 1989, in part the victim of cheaper foreign ceramic imports. Today its products are considered highly collectible.

In 2000 the first reference publication appeared. Written by Allison Burnette, it is entitled "Collectors Guide to Cash Family Pottery/Clinchfield Artware" and contains photos of most of the pottery's hillbilly souvenirs.

PADEN CITY ARTWARE Hardly a flea market or bottle show goes by without a small ceramic jug showing up with the label "Mountain Dew" or "Pure Corn." Many bear a P.C. A. mark on the bottom. The initials are those of Paden City Artware, a West Virginia pottery operation. The firm was in business for about 45 years and produced assorted specialty stoneware items including ashtrays, bells, vases, pitchers and - above all - jugs.

Although some advertised themselves as containers of mountain-made liquor, they actually held nothing more intoxicating than air. They frequently bear the names of resort towns that often were far from the mountains. Aimed at the tourist trade, these minis, half-pints, and pints were meant for souvenirs or gifts to the folks back home. Most P.C.A. jugs are heavy stoneware with cream bodies and brown or green tops. Their special distinction is gold lettering and other gilded decoration. Some boast on the base: "Hand Decorated - 22 K Gold." All though empty - were corked.

The pottery was located in Paden City, a town of about 3,000 on the east side of the Ohio River and up river from Marietta, Ohio. It was founded in 1940 and owned

by William Ford and Lyle Mitchell. At first they called the company "F and M Artware," using their initials, but in 1956 changed its name to Paden City Artware.

The change may have been motivated by commercial advantage. There already was a Paden City Pottery, founded in 1914 at nearby Sisterville, West Virginia. That firm was a successful producer of high quality dinnerware and enjoyed a national reputation as a brand sold through Sears stores. Undoubtedly some confusion resulted from two potteries with Paden City in their name. But that may have been what Mssrs. Ford and Mitchell had in mind.

Whatever the rationale, under its new name P.C.A. appears to have been successful for almost three decades.

(It outlived Paden City Pottery by some 22 years.) A handicraft shop with only about 15 employees, the firm produced good quality, if simply designed, stoneware. P.C.A.'s market was an expanding one during the boom years of tourism that followed the end of World War II and the opening of the Interstate Highway System.

As the American people visited new places, they wanted memorabilia. The West Virginia firm was ready to oblige.

P.C.A. jugs shown here are from resort towns located nowhere near the Appalachian and Ozark Mountains that added "mountain dew" and "corn whiskey" to our national vocabulary. In fact, many were from towns on the seacoast where a hillbilly was as unlikely as a rock slide. Nevertheless, the identification of souvenir jugs with hillbilly "likker" apparently helped sales regardless of the point of origin. The common

10

denominator among all these P.C.A. items is a place name, often in script and always in bright gold.

Whether the cause was cheaper foreign imports or the increasing sophistication of the touring public, P.C.A.'s stoneware jugs and other souvenirs eventually lost favor. The firm closed its doors about 1985. Nothing more will ever be added to its product line. Yet because of the modernity of its products, P.C.A. items often can be purchased at flea markets and antique malls for just a couple of dollars.

PARKCRAFT & TANEYCOMO Parkcraft was another family affair, one among several product names used by the Ahrold Family of Burlington, Iowa, for specialty ceramics they produced at their own facilities or commissioned from other

11

Bottles and Extras 12

potteries.

Today Parkcraft is known particularly for its salt-and-pepper shakers. Their ceramic sets commemorated days of the week, months of the year, famous cities, and other topics. The firm is perhaps best known for its state series of S&Ps in which the salt shaker was fashioned in the shape of the state itself and the pepper was an object reminiscent of the character of the state, e.g. Kentucky has a small whiskey jug pepper shaker.

The Parkcraft also merchandised hillbilly jugs of a wide range of sizes from half-pints to quarts. In correspondence to me, Bob and Marianne Ahrold, now retired and living in Florida, have indicated that although the jugs are widely credited to their firm, Parkcraft did the marketing only and the production was the 13

Winter 2004 work of Taneycomo Pottery of Hollister, Mo., a town not far from the Branson music center. The proprietor of this company was Sam Weaver.

Like the Cash Family, Weaver relied on, as the Arholds put it, "deft-fingered Ozarks ladies" for hand-painting the faces and figures of mountain folk. They used free-hand techniques that give each jug some individuality. Parkcraft/Taneycomo sold these items to whole-salers, gift and souvenir shops and through ads in newspapers and specialty publications to collectors and the general public.

Unlike items from the Cash Family and P.C.A., Parkcraft/Taneycomo jugs almost never have pottery marks. However, they can be readily recognized by their distinct dusky rose color and the character of the drawing. A few carry a mark on the base that says "Parkcraft...Burlington, Iowa...around a "C" in a circle. Parkcraft was in business from 1949 to 1965.

These three firms were among a number of outfits that produced hillbilly jugs for the tourist trade during the decades 1940-1970. Hillbilly items are still on sale at places like Mountain Village - 1890 at Bull Shoals, Arkansas, but those ceramics are made in Asia. They lack an authenticity I find in the American-made jugs described above.

After all, the jugs shown here were fashioned and painted by real people from the hills. These ceramics may be characterized by some as "Southern Tacky," but, nonetheless, they are genuine Americana.

Material for this article came from a number of sources, among the most important being Lois Lehner's ENCYCLOPEDIA OF U.S. MARKS ON POTTERY, PORCELAIN & CLAY (Collector Books, 1988).

Photos: 1. A typical Cash Family quart hillbilly jug.

2. A similar Cash Family hillbilly, butdone in a free-hand style.

3. This female mountain woman appears on a quart-sized jug from Parkcraft/Taneycomo.

4. A lineup of three Parkcraft/ Taneycomo pipe-smoking hillbilly souvenirs.

5. A male counterpart from Parkcraft/ Taneycomo.

6. This half-pint sized Cash Family jug featured a multi-colored mountain

55 man.

7. (Front side) This "Tennisee Sip'n Likker" jug actually held real whiskey.

8. (Back side) The familiar Jack Daniels label on a speciality item made for the Hoover Ball Company.

9. One of several pottery marks used by the Cash Family on its ceramic items.

10. A round Cash Family half-pint jug of pretend "Tenn. Moonshine."

11. A PCA "Pure Corn" jug from Cape Cod, Mass.

12. PCA -made "Pure Corn" souvenir of Rehobeth Beach, Delaware.

13. Mini-jug from PCA advertising "Mountain Dew" from coastal Williamsburg Va.

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56

Winter 2004

Bottles and Extras

with Howard Currier Seldom does anyone make such an impact on a hobby that their contribution can be called a water-shed moment.

Barbara Emonson was the first to bring definition and direction to collecting preprohibition spirits glasses in 1985 with the publication of her Historic Shot Glasses:The Pre-Prohibition Era. Similarly, Robin Preston brought the hobby into the 21st century with his 2002 breakthrough website devoted to the pre-prohibition whiskey trade

www.pre-pro.com.

It’s an eclectic, kaleidoscopic site - a gathering spot - part market place, part research tool and part chat room. A glass repository filled with news, opinions and, most of all, with great eye candy.

Robin’s a research professor of pharmacology at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Born in England and educated all over, he’s stopped in Wisconsin and Vermont enroute to his current position. The bane of many online

bidders, he may be more familiar under his eBay handle of “oldwhiskey”.

He recently acquired copyright to both of Barbara’s books and they may be accessed in a searchable format complete with links to his own database on his website. The database is a combined effort of several collectors and all contributions to it are greatly appreciated. At press time, it was at 1200+ glasses. Pay a visit! In this issue, Robin shares some glimpses into his collecting obsession.

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So, what started you off on the road to collecting pre-pro shot glasses?

I’ve been collecting for 16 or 17 years now. Mooching around antique malls has always been fun, but I never found a lot back then because I had no real collecting interests and I was recently out of Grad.

School and hence very broke. On one occasion, an old embossed Calvert glass from the 50’s caught my eye and that started me on the slippery slope. A couple of months later I found a pre-pro Detrick

Winter 2004

glass at an antique fair . I picked it up for $15 knowing nothing about it except that it had a quality that the modern shots do not. And that was it. Just like that, I was hooked.

Where did you go from there?

I started out trawling every antique store within a two-hour radius of Madison, WI and picked up a couple more. One of the first ones I bought was probably my biggest coup – an enamel

57

“Elk Club” for $2. It took me 15 years before I realized that it was a pre-pro and a valuable one at that. Once I discovered them, bottle shows turned out to be the best source.

Both Madison and Milwaukee had great bottle shows back then – Madison still does but I think the Milwaukee “Red Lanes Bowling Alley” show eventually folded. I still visit all the local antique stores on a regular basis and attend 15 or so local bottle shows every year and I’ve found many real gems

58 that way. But the internet has really revolutionized every aspect of shot collecting and that’s where I pick up most.

You mean eBay? Probably 70% of my collection has come from eBay. But eBay also provided a way of contacting other collectors. For the longest time, I thought that I was the only pre-pro collector and my knowledge on the subject was limited to what I had read in Barb Edmonson’s wonderful books. Once I started talking to the competition on eBay, I was amazed to find that there were many similarly afflicted folks out there, and what a wonderfully smart and eclectic group they’ve turned out to be. I’ve made many new friends through eBay that I wouldn’t have otherwise. That’s turned out to be the most valued and least expected part of collecting these glasses.

Perhaps there’s a need for an internet

Winter 2004 collector’s club?

Well, that’s partly what www.prepro.com is about. Clearly there’s not enough of us out there to support local gatherings, so pre-pro.com was intended, in part, to be somewhere for collectors to congregate and communicate. For example, we have “The Circle”, a blind e-mail list that can be used to send messages to other collectors (we have about 30 or so collectors in The Circle at the moment) plus there is the Discussion Room for online postings. I’m not sure that this is really the place to go into the details of pre-pro.com – but perhaps it might be interesting to have a conversation about the direction of the site in another column?

It certainly would be. Tell us about your shot-glass collection.

Well, I’m one of those sad collectors who never met a pre-pro glass they didn’t like, and my collection reflects that. I

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Winter 2004

59 Do you limit your collection to shot glasses?

I like to pick up old letterheads and other “whisky paper “ when I see it at a reasonable price. They’re useful for researching the origins of glasses and the artwork on the letterheads and advertising is very appealing in its own right. I have a small collection of advertising items from Philadelphia companies. A few tip trays, a couple of corkscrews, decanters, and some other bits and pieces. My only other serious collecting interest is minidecanters. They were used by hotels and railways to take a single serving of whiskey to a patron. They’re a little bigger than a shot glass and they were branded either with an embossed or gilded label. I don’t have very many because they’re difficult to find, which is partly why they’re fun to collect.

“MANNING THE FORT” - Robin Preston is shown here about to perform some “html” wizardry on the maze that’s become the lodestar of pre-prohibition whiskey afficionados across the country. Just when you thought he had all the bases covered, he takes it to the next level. The most recent wrinkle is a series of regional and local databases on the whiskey trade. As he says at pre-pro.com, “We’re not just about shot glasses - we’re about the pre-prohibition whiskey industry. We’re building databases of advertising shot glasses, brand names, distillers and wholesalers and their products”. have some real dinged dogs in there but some true beauties also. I have a particular passion for the “label-underglass” types, but they’re rare and many others feel just as passionately as I do. I only have five in total. I also avidly collect the souvenir and novelty glasses. Many of them were put out by master etcher George Truog’s company, the Maryland Glass Etching Works. How can anyone not look at the “Eye Opener” and “Going Back on a Friend” and not be enchanted?!

I also have a collection of Philadelphia glasses. Not many are known and the ones that are tend to be scarce but I have around fifty so far. Sadly, two of them have holes in them, but a glass is a glass and until I find a replacement, they’re greatly treasured!

Truog’s work is another great idea for a column. By the way, did you say “holes” ??!

Er, yes. One I bought that way for a nominal sum, simply because I’d never seen it before. The other was a sad tale.

This was the “one that got away”, although not quite in the traditional sense.

It’s a rare enamel “Whiskey Whiskey” from James Moroney of Philadelphia. It was a sleeper glass on eBay hidden in a collection of 10 modern glasses I won the auction and specifically requested that the glasses be individually wrapped to protect them, but the seller basically just threw them all in a box with a couple of grocery bags between. The box was tinkling when it arrived – not a good sound. I was really heartbroken at having lost such a rare old glass. Not so much because of the potential value, but because of the lost history, so I glued the pieces together and took a photo. Through the magic of digital technology I was able to recreate the glass as you see here.

Any other glasses that stand out in your collection?

I’m lucky enough to have several exceptional glasses. The two “Black Cats” are an example. The “Grass Widow” is a wonderful pictorial glass, as is the “Old Bard” and the “Millionaire’s Club”. I also like the near-identical Wm Walker (a Pittsburgh glass) and the John Deis (Dayton, OH) glasses.

Any words of wisdom for a beginning collector, based on your own experiences?

Collecting pre-pro glasses can be a great hobby that one can approach from many different directions. It can link you with this country’s past; the artistry on many of the glasses is outstanding, the glasses are, by nature, ephemeral and hence their value will only increase, and they have considerable intrinsic appeal.

It is possible to put together a respectable collection for a relatively modest sum if you bide your time and buy only glasses in good to excellent condition. Patience is most definitely rewarded in this hobby.

Although nice glasses may attract a feeding frenzy on eBay, they virtually always show up again and can be won at a bargain price.

Howard Currier is an avid collector of shot glasses and breweriana from Boston, Denver and San Francisco.

Howard can be reachec by E-mail at: hecurrier@attbi.com.

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Winter 2004

Casper’s Whiskey Theme: Honesty First, Last, Always

by Corky Shore

If John L. Casper of Winston-Salem, N.C., had ever been awarded an honorary degree, the honor would have been based on the saying, "Honesty is the best policy."

After all, bottles and labels alike proclaimed his whiskey was "Made by Honest North Carolina People."

After returning from the Civil War in 1865 and taking over the small distillery founded by his father in 1861, John C. Casper saw the company make modest gains. But it wasn’t until John C.’s son, John L., took over the leadership a few years later that the company enjoyed a rapid growth. The junior Casper

reorganized the firm, called it The Casper Company Inc., and became its president.

He devoted his entrepreneurial skills into developing a quality product, selling it at low prices and turning the company in to what was claimed to be the largest mail order whiskey house in the South.

If John L. Casper had a second motto to live by, it would be "It Pays to Advertise."

He didn’t hire traveling salesmen, or "drummers" as they were called in his day, but sold everything by mail order. His advertisements encouraged the public to buy his whiskey in 3, 5 or 10 gallons, or

Bottles and Extras even larger orders. It was suggested that individuals form clubs and place orders for big savings in costs per gallon.

His became one of the first companies to offer free premiums such as clocks, boxes of cigars, desk sets, trunks, shot and drinking glasses, cork screws, art, advertising matches and hand-etched fancy decanters just for buying Casper’s Whiskey.

The whiskey also could be purchased in 1-gallon jugs and 5-and 10-gallon barrels.

By the early 1900s, the company counted more than 250,000 regular customers and was sole owner of a dozen of the largest distilleries in western North Carolina. Casper controlled output in 21 others. The Casper Company operated out of Winston-Salem and Roanoke, Va..

Among advertisements was one that included a suitcase filled with 12 full quarts of either rye or corn whiskey that could be ordered so the customer could receive whiskey secretly, as well as a quality premium. The cost was $12, or $1 per quart. For just $3.90, a customer could receive four quarts of Casper’s Zulieka Whiskey and a handsome pocket watch.

Business was certainly booming, so much so that the Newton (N.C.) News reported that "jug makers are so rushed with orders, they can hardly meet the demand."

John L. Casper was not averse to publishing testimonials praising his products. From Jacksonville, Fla., F.M.I. reportedly wrote: "I attach my check for $6.95. Please send me 8 quarts corn whiskey and 4 quarts rye. This is my second order and I wish to say your liquors are all that you advertise and I think a little more, or in other words, your claims are modest."

When he was in need of more capital, he addressed a "personal letter" to the public, summing up the reasons for his success. Here are excerpts from one of those letters: "Years ago, I conceived the idea of selling direct to the consumer, the homemade Honest Whiskies I produce here in the mountain district. I started without the aid of capital — worked night and day — kept the customers gained and month after month added new names to my list.

"After plodding along in this way from year to year, I found myself worth several thousand dollars and calculated I could

Bottles and Extras

never expect to amass much unless I resorted to the business-like mode of advertising. I knew I had at my command whiskies, the honest kind which the world had never known. . .I knew that to get them before the consumers meant a fortune to me. . .

"I approached several of my acquaintances and told them confidentially what I could do... offered to borrow money and pay 6 percent interest, offered to pay 8, 10, 15 and even 25 percent per annum, but excuses seemed to be in vogue and I got disgusted. I then realized that a good working record counted for nothing in the absence of assets. By December of 1900, I had built up those assets so I called my friends together again. . .some showed a willingness to invest, others would not "Anyway, I was successful in obtaining enough help from these friends to insure the formation of a corporation with a working capital of $20,000. . .On May 1st, 1905, we re-incorporated and reorganized The Casper Co. The inventory showed a net worth of $250,000. . .I want ample capital at my command — it takes money to make money. I want the Casper Co. to have a half-million dollars in the corporation. . .I offer to my friends, customers and the public in general throughout the U.S. $250,000 worth of treasury stock of the par value of $10 per share fully paid and non-assessable."

Casper cited the example of one friend withdrawing $2,000 from a bank paying 4 percent annual interest "and today he holds $25,000 worth of stock in The Casper Co... he is an officer and director and what cost him $2,000 less than four years ago, no man can buy today for $25,000 in U.S. gold coin."

He went on to say that he would personally guarantee every share holder

Winter 2004

12 percent per annum in the way of dividends, to be paid 1 percent on the first of each month.

How well that scheme worked is not known, although a booklet issued later by the company indicated a working capital of $500,000.

But everything became moot when the Tar Heel State went bone dry on Dec. 31, 1908. Happy New Year 1909 must have been a quiet one.

Casper must have strayed from his honesty policy because on Oct. 21, 1916, he was among seven persons pleading guilty for defrauding the federal government in the manufacture of "moonshine" whiskey in Fort Smith, Ark. Casper and the others had been charged with making "six-" and "seven-year-old whiskeys" in just 50 hours through the use of certain chemicals. The still was located at the site of an abandoned distillery on a Fort Smith street.

Casper pleaded guilty for placing canceled revenue stamps on boxes. He was sentenced to nine years and 28 days in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary and fined $33,000. Property owned by him and valued at $100,000 was confiscated.

However, Casper received a pardon just three months later and joined his son-in-law, John D. Lambe, at Villa de Acura in Coahula, Mexico where Casper attempted to revive his fortunes by building another distillery.

But the 55-year-old Casper died of heart failure on July 29, 1921, according to his son-in-law. Survivors included his daughter and a son, John L. Casper Jr. The deceased’s body was shipped back to Winston-Salem where he was buried several days later.

Fast-forward to the 1960s when bottle collecting became the vogue. Surviving

61

Casper’s product bottles and jugs soon became collectible — especially the fancy cobalt bottles embossed CASPER’S WHISKEY/MADE BY HONEST/ NORTH CAROLINA PEOPLE. While those bottles aren’t considered rare, they are highly prized by many collectors and bring a three-figure premium, depending upon condition.

Labeled varieties are especially scarce.

The rarest, according to collector David Jackson of Greensboro, N.C., "is probably the clear glass bottle embossed with four cities — Winston-Salem, New York, Chicago and St. Louis."

Jugs in half-gallon, 1-gallon and 5-gallon sizes also exist, with the latter considerably rare. "Eared" jugs with wire bail and wooden handles may be the most common variety around.

Readers also need to check out the web site of Jackson, a Raleigh Bottle Club member who loves Casper’s containers, at www.casperwhiskey.com. He also offers a Casper’s Newsletter on the site.

Some of the photos used in this article are used from Jackson’s website with permission.

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Winter 2004

Knox Glass and the Marks Toulouse Missed

by Bill Lockhart

In preparation for writing my e-book on El Paso, Texas, soda bottlers and their bottles, I looked at a lot of bottles that I had collected along with several other collections from the city. Because I was interested in the manufacturers as well as the local bottlers, I carefully examined each bottle and recorded all the information on it. Several times, I saw a mark that I could not find in any of my reference books, including Bottle Makers and Their Marks, the noted book used by collectors and archeologists both, written

by Julian Harrison Toulouse in 1971.

Thus began my search for the T-in-akeystone manufacturer’s mark. Toulouse noted several other keystone marks, and that gave me an idea where to begin. So, I looked at the marks, always capital letters enclosed in a keystone, used by the Knox Bottle Company. Those included the letters, M, K, J, O, and others but not the letter T. I checked a few other books I thought had some information about manufacturer’s marks and came up with a bit more information about Knox marks, but nothing about a T-in-a-keystone.

While still in his teens, he started organizing the Marienville Glass Company in 1914. Just three years later, in 1917, he moved to Knox, Pennsylvania, and organized the Knox Glass Bottle Company. Underwood either founded or purchased numerous additional plants as part of the Knox system including the Wightman Bottle & Glass Manufacturing Company at Parker’s Landing, Pennsylvania, in 1921, a second plant in Knox in 1922, the Pennsylvania Bottle Company in Sheffield in 1928, and many later plants.

Eventually, some were sold off. The Glass Container Corporation acquired the ten remaining Knox-organization plants in 1968.

Both Toulouse and Jeffrey L. Giarde, in his book Glass Milk Bottles: Their Makers and Marks, mentioned two other Knox plants with no marks attached – in Palestine, Texas, and Lincoln, Illinois.

I confided what I was looking for to my friend, Bill Lindsey, and he added to the mystery by sending me a photo of an L-in-a-keystone mark on the base of a beer bottle. Meanwhile, I had written to the museum at Palestine and received a letter from David Andrews directing me to Jimmy Odom, a former worker at the Knox plant. Jimmy kindly put me in touch with Jack Underwood, nephew of the Knox founder, Roy Underwood, former Knox plant manager, and later owner of the Underwood Glass Company.

Roy’s younger brother, Chester, joined in the Knox management and eventually began a southern expansion of the company, beginning with the Knox Bottle Company of Mississippi at Jackson in 1932. Chester opened a second southern plant at Palestine, Texas, in 1941. After Roy’s death in 1951, Chester took over the operation of Knox. However, he found himself in a difficult position. The company was in financial trouble, and he began selling off some of the Knox plants to retain solvency. The other stockholders executed a proxy raid and ejected Chester from power at Knox. Along with his sons, Dick and Jack, Chester started the Underwood Glass Company in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1956. The Southern Underwoods soon opened another plant at Memphis, Tennessee.

Dick and Jack managed the two plants, and Jack sold the Memphis plant after his brother’s death in the early 1970s. In 1978, he closed down the New Orleans plant due to the rising prices of natural gas to power the glass furnaces. The Underwood Glass Company always marked its bottles with a simple “U” embossed on the base.

Roy Underwood (Jack’s uncle) was the power behind the Knox Glass Bottle Company. He began his career in glass as a boy at the Crescent Glass Bottle Company and soon learned glass blowing.

The Palestine, Texas, plant opened on July 5, 1941, after only 80 days of construction. Eventually, the plant provided jobs for almost 500 local citizens and became the town’s most important

industry. Both Jimmy Odom and Jack Underwood confirmed that the plant used the T-in-a-keystone manufacturer’s mark on soda bottles and jars made at the plant.

The “T” in the keystone probably stood for Texas, although it may have represented the “t” in Palestine, since the “P” was already in use by the Wightman Bottle & Glass Company, at Parker’s Landing, Pennsylvania. The T-in-a-keystone mark was used by the Palestine plant from 1941 until the early 1950s, when the entire Knox system adopted the K-in-akeystone mark. The Palestine plant used the generic mark from about 1953 until it closed in 1985.

Jack also shed light on the L-in-a-keystone mark. It was used by the Lincoln Glass Bottle Company, a Knox plant established in Lincoln, Illinois, in 1942.

The branch made beer bottles for Anheuser Busch and was open from 1942 until 1952 when it was sold to Obear-Nester Glass Company in East St. Louis, Illinois. The company used the mark during its entire existence as a Knox affiliate.

Jack also explained the components of the Knox system of mold numbers on bottle bases. The numbers are embossed in three sections: a two-digit numeral followed by a dash; a single, capital letter followed by another dash; and a final twodigit numeral (e.g. 54-B-10). The first two-digits identify the “number for the set of molds”; the letter represents the type of container (B = Beverages); and the final two numerals signify the capacity of the container (e.g. 10 = 10 ounces). Even if the first two digits seem to note a year (as in the 54 example from an El Paso soft drink bottle), it is coincidental rather than a date code.

Other companies besides Knox have used the keystone as part of their logos with or without a letter in the center. The C. L. Flaccus Glass Company used an F-in-a-keystone, and the Newborn Glass Company used an N. The accompanying table shows all the known keystone marks, the companies that used them, and the

Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004

approximate dates of use.

The Lummis Glass Company of New York, New York, also used the LP-in-akeystone mark from 1940 to 1955, although the letters were in italics. However, Lummis was a distributor for the Pennsylvania Bottle Company and not an actual manufacturer. The bottles, themselves, were actually made in Pennsylvania. Another mark, not represented on the table is an upwardly slanted, script “Lustre”in a keystone found on the shoulders of some fruit jars. This was probably used from about 1890 to about 1900 by the R. E. Tongue & Bros.

Company of Philadelphia, a wholesaler in glassware, lamp chimneys, and pottery.

Mark

63

A bit of mystery, however, still remains.

The Marienville Glass Company was established in 1914 and came into Underwood’s control in 1929. Toulouse does not mention any manufacturer’s mark for this company, and I have been unable to track one down. Apparently, Marienville used the K-in-a-keystone mark after it became part of Knox. The Mid-West Glass Company in Gas City, Indiana, (formerly the Slick Glass Co.) became part of Knox in 1951, and Knox plants were established in Danielson, Connecticut, in 1959 and Atlanta, Georgia, in 1961. Also, in 1961, Knox acquired the Buck Glass Company of Baltimore, Maryland. No specific marks are known for any of these plants. It is

likely that all of them only used the K-ina-keystone mark that was apparently used by all Knox plants after about 1953.

When the Knox conglomerate finally sold to the Glass Container Corporation in 1968, it ended an interesting era. From the 19th century to the middle of the 20th, glass was rich in the diversity of its marks.

As more and more companies merged, and giants grew, an intriguing era vanished.

Bill Lockhart 1313 14th St., Apt. 21 Alamogordo, NM 88310 Telephone - (505) 439-8158 E-mail - bottlebill@zianet.com

Company

Location

Dates

C.L. Flaccus Glass Co.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

1900-1928

Knox Glass Bottle Co., of Miss.

Jackson, Mississippi

1932-1953

Knox Glass Bottle Co.

Knox, Pennsylvania

1924-1968

Lincoln Glass Bottle Co.

Lincoln, Illinois

1942-1952

Pennsylvania Bottle Co.

Wilcox, Pennsylvania

1940-1952

Metro Glass Bottle Co.

Jersey City, New Jersey

1935-1949

Newborn Glass Co.

Royersford, Pennsylvania

1920-1925

Oil City Glass Co.

Oil City, Pennsylvania

1930-1952

Wightman Bottle & Glass Co.

Parkers Landing, Pennsylvania

1930-1951

Seaboard Glass Bottle Co.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

1943-1947

Knox Glass Bottle Co. of Miss.

Palestine, Texas

1941-1953

Pennsylvania Bottle Co.

Sheffield, Pennsylvania

1929-1951

64

Winter 2004

COLORADO BOTTLE COLLECTING

by John M. Eatwell THAT BOTTLE LOOKS FAMILAR Often when holding a bottle or flask in my collection, which I do periodically, I get the feeling that I have seen it before.

After some in-depth research, I may have linked the Wm. S. WALKER and CYRUS EATON & CO. bottles. Study the photographs, and then read the articles below to understand why the bottles look alike.

W. S. WALKER & CO. Messrs. W. S. Walker & Co., who are opening a new wholesale wine and liquor house in Cole's block, on Larimer Street, received this morning a portion of their stock. They propose to keep the largest and best stock of imported and domestic liquors, wines, cigars, etc., to be found in Colorado, and will doubtless enjoy a large trade, as they deserve to. Mr. Cyrus Eaton will be the resident partner, and will be found a most pleasant gentleman with whom to do business. (1) DEATH OF WILLIAM S. WALKER Taken sick eight days ago with inflamation of the bowels, he was not considered dangerous until a short time before his death, a sudden change coming over him on Tuesday night, he never again rallied, although medical skill exerted its utmost to save his life.

Dissolution came yesterday noon, only ten minutes after he had signed his will.

William S. Walker was in his forty-first year.

Mr. Walker was a gentleman of large heart and cordial manners. His friends socially and in a business point, were legion, and he will have many mourners to lament his untimely taking off.

Wherever known, he was held in highest esteem, and the city could ill afford to lose so upright a citizen, so honorable a man.

CYRUS EATON Born in 1832 in Plymouth County, Mass., he received a thorough elementary education in his boyhood, and afterward, the advantage which academical course of studies could bestow. When eighteen years old, he entered upon a business life in

Hoston, gradually acquiring capital. In 1867, he removed to the west and traveled through Nebraska and Wyoming territories, embarking in various business enterprises, until June 1869, when he settled in Denver. In connection with A. K. Tilton, Mr. Eaton instituted his present wholesale and retail business, which they have steadily enlarged, extending sales through Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and into the territory of Arizona.

Mr. Eaton is now in the prime of life, married and one of fine personal presence.

Residing with his family in Denver, and owning property in the state, he may be accepted as a sample of the enterprising merchants, who are fully alive to the growth and progress of the community. (2) A NEW BUSINESS HOUSE Amongst the recent business changes in the city is that of the late firm of W. S. Walker & Co. The sudden death of Mr. Walker several weeks ago left the entire house under charge of Mr. Cyrus Eaton, the Junior members of the firm and a gentleman well-known and highly

Bottles and Extras respected in all business circles in the west.

Mr. Eaton has just associated himself with Mr. A. K. Tilton, a young man well-known in the liquor trade, and carries to the new firm a knowledge of the business and a large circle of friends that will materially increase the already immense business done by this popular establishment. (3) CYRUS EATON ACCOMPLISHMENTS On Grand Jury list, 1870 (4) Elected delegate, Republican Primary, 1871(5) Entitled to a seat, Republican County Convention, 1874 (6) Member of Reception Committee for U.S. Grant, 1880 (7) Director, Board of Trade (8) Membership Committee, Denver Board of Trade, 1881 (9) Signs Garfield Resolution, 1881 (10) EATON DIVORCE Mr. Eaton, president of the Eaton Ritchell Manufacturing Company, one of the largest tinware factories in the west, has been charged with gross immorality.

Mrs. Eaton alleges that for the past eleven years, the defendant has been habitually guilty of having improper relations with women he has supported.

The names of two of the women the plaintiff declines to give unless required

Bottles and Extras by the court. Plaintiff alleges further that about three years ago, her husband began improper relations with one Mrs. Rae M. Shipley, now residing at 2914 Lincoln Ave., that these relations still continue and that Mrs. Shipley is supported by the defendant. (11) ONE MONTH LATER The wife of Cyrus B. Eaton of the former Eaton - Ritchell Manufacturing Company, whose plant was burned last week, has changed her mind regarding a compromise with her husband on the divorce proceedings. She was led to believe that her husband was worth only about $20,000 and considered the settlement to be an equitable one. Now she claims to have discovered that Eaton's fortune is not less than $100,000, and demands half of that amount, besides $1,200 a year for six years for the education of her minor son. She claims

Winter 2004 that the day after the settlement, Eaton left the city with a woman to whom he had been devoted for years. (12) WEALTHY MANUFACTURER TO MARRY AGAIN AFTER DIVORCE Mrs. Shipley says they expect to be married, but will wait until the year prescribed by law has expired. Color has been given to the rumor by the fact that Mr. Eaton and Mrs. Shipley have taken up their residence in the old Eaton home at 2000 Lafayette Street. Mrs. Shipley says that she is simply housekeeper there, but "is proud of it."

The housekeeper herself was not the least attractive feature of the room. She has an imposing figure that just verges on the dangerline of being too large, but her features are clear cut and profile of her face is remarkably fine. Certainly Mrs. Shipley is an attractive woman. Everything about her is satisfying and pleasing. Even

65 her well-modulated voice has a soothing intonation.

There might be a few collectors that would describe the bottles in a similar manner!

The only variants that have been found to-date are quart cylinders, as follows: Wm S. WALKER & Co / DENVER / ONE QUART / "YOU BET" (amber) Wm S. WALKER & Co / 378 & 380 / LARIMAR S / ONE QUART / DENVER, COLORADO (clear) CYRUS EATON & Co / DENVER / ONE QUART / "YOU BET" (amber) CYRUS EATON & Co / DENVER / ONE QUART / "YOU BET" (clear) CYRUS EATON & Co / 370 & 380 / LARIMER ST / ONE QUART / DENVER, COLORADO (clear) All five variants have individual molds!

Look up the history of your favorite bottle and discover the company, the person, the date, and who knows what else References: (1) Rocky Mountain News, July 15, 1869.

(2) Vickers, History of Denver, 1880.

(3) Rocky Mountain News, Sept. 18, 1873.

(4) Rocky Mountain News, Dec. 25, 1870.

(5) Rocky Mountain News, Sept. 2, 1871.

(6) Rocky Mountain News, July 30, 1874.

(7) Rocky Mountain News, Aug. 7, 1880.

(8) Rocky Mountain News, Nov. 13, 1880.

(9) Rocky Mountain News, Jan. 12, 1881.

(10) Rocky Mountain News, Sept. 23, 1881.

(11) Denver Times, April 6, 1901.

(12) Denver Times, May 28, 1901.

(13) Denver Times, Sept. 22, 1901.

John M. Eatwell is a past-president of the FOHBC, and a member of the FOHBC Hall of Fame. He is an advanced collector of Colorado whiskeys and Pike’s Peak flasks. Copies of his book, PIKE'S PEAK GOLD, an authoritative text on Pike's Peak and the bottles associated with it, are available for purchase by calling him at (303) 922-0815.

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Winter 2004

Bottles and Extras

Federation of Historic Bottle Collectors

Business & News The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors is a non-profit organization for collectors of historical bottles and related collectible items. Our primary goal is educational as it relates to the history and manufacture of historical bottles and related artifacts.

FOHBC Officers 2002-2004 President : Ralph VanBrocklin, 1021W. Oakland Ave., Suite 109, Johnson City, TN 37604 Home (423) 913-1378 Office: (432) 282-8393; E-mail: thegenuine@aol.com First Vice-President : John Pastor, 7288 Thorncrest Dr. SE, Ada, MI 49301; Phone: (616) 285-7604 E-mail: JPastor2000@msn.com Second Vice-President : Jack Hewitt, 1765 Potomac Ct.., Lawrenceville, GA 30043; Phone: (770) 963-0220 Secretary : Ed Provine, 401 Fawn Lake Drive, Millington, TN 38053; Phone: (901) 876-3296 Treasurer : Alan DeMaison, 6583 Berkshire Dr., Mentor, OH 44060; Phone: (440) 255-3880 E-mail: violinbottle@aol.com Historian : Richard Watson, 10 S.Wendover Rd.., Medford, NJ 08055; Phone: (856) 983-1364 E-mail : rewatson@bellatlantic.net Editor : Kathy Hopson, 1966 King Springs Rd., Johnson City, TN 37601; Phone: (423) 926-7160 E-mail : kathy@thesodafizz.com Merchandising Director : Margie Williams, 1835 Oak Terr.., Newcastle, CA 95658; Phone: (926) 663-1510 E-mail : margie@altarfire.com; Fax : (926) 663-2030 Membership Director : Fred Holabird, 701 Gold Run Ct., Reno, NV 89511; Phone: (775) 851-0837 Convention Director : Adam Koch, 10512 Northfield Rd.., Northfield, OH 44067; Phone: (330) 467-1551

Business Manager / Subscriptions: June Lowry, 401 Johnston Ct., Raymore, MO 64083 E-mail : osubuckeyes71@aol.com Director-At-Large : Sheldon Baugh, 252 W. Valley, Russelville, KY 42276; Phone: (270) 726-2712 Fax : (270) 726-7618; E-mail: sheldonb@logantele.com Director-At-Large : Norman Barnett, P.O. Box 38, Flat Rock, IN 47234; Phone: (812) 587-5560 Director-At-Large: Carl Sturm, 88 Sweetbriar Branch, Longwood, FL 32750-2783; Phone: (407) 332-7689 E-mail : glassmancarl@sprintmail.com Midwest Region Director : Rick Baldwin, 1931 Thorpe Cir., Brunswick, OH 44212-4261; Phone: (330) 225-3576 E-mail : rsbaldwin@worldnet.att.net Northeast Region Director : Larry Fox, 5478 Route 21, Canandaiqua, NY 14424; Phone: (716) 394-8958 E-mail: brerfox@usadatanet.net Southern Region Director : Tom Lines, PO Box 382831, Birmingham, AL 35238; Phone: (205) 987-0650 Western Region Director : Kent Williams, 1835 Oak Terr.., Newcastle, CA 95658; Phone: (916) 663-2030 Public Relations Director : Mike Polak, PO Box 30328, Long Beach, CA 90853; Phone: (562) 438-9209 E-mail : bottleking@earthlink.net Remember!

The information is always up-to-date on the Website: www.fohbc.com

Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004

67

Federation of Historic Bottle Collectors

President’s Message January - March 2004 Time as an officer in a volunteer organization seems to crawl at times and at others to absolutely fly by. It certainly does not seem possible to me that I am well into my second year as President of the Federation, yet here we are again at the point where we need volunteers as candidates for Board positions. There can be no more certain sign that time has marched right along! I have enjoyed my time heading the organization, but it is time for others to step forward and lead the Federation into areas where I have not had the insight to lead it.

Over the past year-plus we have been President -

able to attend to some organizational matters that were limiting the effectiveness of the organization and draining its resources. Membership is up considerably and the Board is again more responsive to membership suggestions and concerns. Putting mechanisms in place to ensure that the organization functions well is an area in which I am capable. The ability to attend to the problems of the hobby and developing programs which have value to the membership and clubs in both the shortterm and for the long haul require new leadership. I hope that a number of you

President :

Ralph VanBrocklin 1021 W Oakland Ave., Suite 109 Johnson City, TN 37604 (423) 913-1378 thegenuine@comcast.net who read this message will step forward to provide just that brand of leadership!

All of the Board positions are open to nomination, although the Director-AtLarge positions are limited to past FOHBC Presidents and Vice Presidents.

I encourage you to consider which position you or a friend of yours could capably fill and submit your/your friends name in nomination. Running against established Board Members should not deter you. Experience is not a factor here— interest and industry is all we ask!

The following is a listing of available positions and a brief description of each:

Sets a general direction for the organization consistent with its overall mission; presides over all Federation meetings, coordinates all Federation functions.

1st Vice President Presides over Federation matters in the absence of the President; assumes the duties of the President if he/she is unable to perform them; works closely with and assists the President in carrying out the business of the Federation.

2nd Vice President Presides over Federation matters in the absence of the President and 1st Vice President; assists the President in carrying out the business of the Federation.

Keeps a complete permanent record of all Federation Board and General Membership meetings Secretary along with records of all actions taken; makes copies of all meeting notes available to each Board Member and to the Editor for publication in Bottles and Extras.

Responsible for the thorough and efficient handling and record keeping of the finances of the Treasurer Federation; has custody of all dues, funds and securities for the Federation; pays Federation expenses; files financial reports and forms that are required for income tax purposes.

Responsible for the collection and computer entry of new and renewal Federation membership Business Manager applications and dues payments; performs additional business-related Federation duties requested by the President or Board.

Responsible for promoting individual and club membership; coordinates the Federation’s Membership Director membership services with the President and Region Directors, as appropriate.

Public Relations Director - Responsible for promoting a positive image of the Federation; works closely with both the Membership Director and the Business Manager in promoting the bottle hobby and Federation membership and in educating the public through written and electronic media; assists in the maintainence and improvement of the Federation website – www.fohbc.com.

Conventions Director Solicits proposals for the annual National Show and Convention; assists in the planning and coordination of events at the annual National Federation Show and Convention in conjunction with the host club.

Historian Responsible for coordinating the preservation and maintenance of an archive documenting the history of the Federation and the bottle hobby.

Merchandising Director Responsible for developing, promoting and marketing all types of Federation-endorsed merchandise.

Director-at-Large Open to ex-Presidents and Vice-Presidents, only; these individuals are involved in an advisory capacity, allowing the Board to utilize their past experience and expertise.

Region Directors One Region Director from each of the four regions (West, Mid-West, North-East and South); promotes the Federation in their region; acts as a liason between the Board and individual members and clubs; promotes the concerns and suggestions of clubs and individuals in their region.

Each member has responsibilities in meetings held in conjunction with the I encourage you to share your ideas and attending to matters that ensure the annual National Show and it is helpful if to become involved as a Board Member! smooth functioning of the Federation and they are able to attend the mid-year Board For more detailed information, contact a each member has equal opportunities to Meetings which are variably conducted. Board Member or call me in the evenings promote new programs and ideas that Ballots will be mailed with the mid-May at (423) 913-1378. further the hobby and the organization. newsletter. Deadline for submission of Board members must be available for the nominations is April 1, 2004.

Ralph Van Brocklin

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Winter 2004 for charity on November 12. It was well attended by club members and their guests. A substantial amount of money was raised for two local charities. Although down from past years it will be well appreciated by those receiving it.

It is a nice gesture by the Rochester folks.

FLBCA of Ithaca, NY held their annual fall flea market known as the first frost.

It was well attended and had lots of really good merchandise offered. It was well attended and sales were reported as strong. These folks also have a spring flea market held in March known as the Spring Thaw. These guys will do anything to get together as a group and have a good time.

Well does anybody know what Howard Dean has been up to? I understand that in the month of November Howard {no, not the politician running for president} gave a talk on Poland Springs Mineral Water to both the ESBCA in Syracuse and a week later MVBCA in Whitesboro. No wonder the man is in the FOHBC Hall of Fame.

Thanks Howard.

Many of our clubs will be holding their annual Christmas Dinners this December.

Some catered, others a dish to pass brought by members. There will be bottle bingo and white elephant parties at many of these functions. Whatever your venue please have a safe and happy holiday.

Remember Larry has a new email address, brerfox@usadatanet.net. I would be happy to hear from any of you.

Larry Fox

Membership has increased over the last two years, with the biggest jump occurring in 2003 when six new families joined.

The Club president, Bill Heatley, just returned home from a stint in the Gulf war and wrote a very nice article pertaining to bottle digging etiquette for the October newsletter. The meeting in December consisted of everyone getting together at a restaurant for dinner in place of the regular meeting, which usually makes for a pretty good turnout, unless the weather does not co-operate.

Because of the distance many members have to travel, attendance at the regular meetings can sometimes be low. The November meeting only had ten in attendence due to the deer hunting season. Great coffee, tea and donuts are always served at each meeting.

Suggestions for improving attendence and help with increasing membership in any way are always appreciated.

Ralph Van Brocklin for getting the problem taken care of.

The 2003 IAB club bottle, a cobalt blue bottle embossed IOWA CORN BITTERS and an embossed ear of corn, is all but sold out. There are only three of the bottles left and no more will be ordered.

The EXPO 2004 Antique Bottle & Advertising Show will be August 13- 15th, 2004, at Memphis, Tennessee. A number of IAB club members have already secured a block of sales tables and are anxious to go to this event together.

The research article for the month was on Fire Grenades. Included was a copy of an 1880's ad for the Hayward Fire Grenade.

Latest finds by IAB members included an iron pontiled Roback’s Bitters barrel bottle; a cobalt blue two gallon demijohn; an Old Sachem Bitters & Wigwam Tonic barrel bitters bottle; and a nice KTK advertising jug from Quincy, Illinois.

Northeast Regional News Larry Fox 5478 Route 21 Canandaigua, NY 14424 (718) 394-8958 brerfox@usadatanet.net

It is so easy to tell what time of the year we have slipped into. Baltimore is the next show I have on my personal schedule to attend as I pen this column.

That is 3 and ½ months away. Might as well be an eternity when you are an obsessed collector. I am sure I am not the only one anxiously awaiting the next big show.

The Rochester NY folks known as GVBCA held their annual benefit auction

Midwest Regional News

Joe Terry

P.O. Box 243 Bowling Green, Ohio 43402 (419) 422-3183 jiterry@wcnet.org Findlay Antique Bottle Club Whittle Marks featured an article by Joe Terry on Zo-Ro-Lo, a proprietary medicine from Ada, Ohio. The medicine was 1930’s era, and was typical in advertising and promotion as many earlier concoctions. There were other articles submitted by Tom Brown and Shirlee MacDonald. There was also a report on the annual bottle show, as was previously reported in B&E. Flint Antique Bottle & Collectibles Club The Flint Antique Bottle Club does not have any meetings from June through August due to many families being on vacation during the summer months. The first order of business in September was getting the annual bottle club show and sale set for March 21st, 2004 ready. The 2004 show will be the 34th straight year for Flint to sponsor a show.

The newsletter has never had a specific name. Tim Buda has been the editor since December of 2000 and is also the secretary and treasurer. Consequently the newsletter serves mostly as a vehicle for club information from the meetings.

Bottles and Extras

Iowa Antique Bottleers Mike Burghoff reports that there was a good turnout for the last IAB quarterly meeting. The theme was fruit jars and a number of good colored jars were on display. There were also two amber HEMINGRAY 19 insulators present along with a rare claw style insulator embossed HARLOE'S PATENT. The highlight of the meeting was receiving the FOHBC Hall of Fame plaque for Doc Herron. We offer many thanks to FOHBC President

Kalamazoo Antique Bottle Club At a recent meeting, Chuck Parker told us about an elderly friend who knew about his love of old bottles and gave him some old patent medicine labels. This person was renovating an old house on Hays Park Avenue in Kalamazoo. During the work, a hidden stash of old bottle labels was found !

The product was called "Families' Favorite Friend: Use on Man or Beast!"

Chuck was able to talk to an even older person (all this took place decades ago) who remembered the family who made this

Bottles and Extras product. They brewed it in a big pot in their back yard. The product was some sort of liniment. This person's clearest memory was of how it stank up the whole neighborhood!

As many of you know, I (Alan Holder) own a metal detector shop in Plainwell, Mich., named Pro/Stock Detectors. I am also a member of one of the largest metal detector clubs in the U.S. In this club (Southwest Michigan Seek & Search Club), my position is "Club Newsletter Writer." The following piece is from our June "detector club' newsletter. You can read all of our newsletters on-line at: www.prostockdetectors.com/ home.html When people enter my shop for the first time, the sight of dozens of antique bottles from the 1800s in every size and shape catch their eyes!

"Wow!" they exclaim. "Will metal detectors find bottles?" Of course, I have to explain that the bottle collecting is a separate hobby of mine and, no, metal detectors will not find glass.

Actually a metal detector can be a valuable tool to the bottle hunter. A great location for digging antique bottles is old farm dumps.

Many of the old family dumps were covered over or hidden to avoid cleanup costs and then just forgotten. Many of these dumps were located on the banks of rivers, near swamps, ditches or ravines.

These areas were picked for dump sites, mainly because this sort of land had little value if it could not be plowed or planted.

Fortunately for the owner of a metal detector, besides containing antique bottles, these old dumps contain a large quantity of metallic trash, such as tin cans, barrel hoops, zinc jar lids, discarded farm equipment parts, and tons of other large metal items.

A friend and I were once digging a dump site that, for some strange reason, was filled with dozens of old baby nursing bottles from the 1870s and 80s.

The problem was, right smack dab in our way was a Model-T Ford! Just try digging one of those out with a spade!

You can cover a vast area in your search for bottle dumps rather quickly with a metal detector. This is done by hunting in the ‘all-metal' mode, while holding the search coil raised very high above the ground (about 10 to 12 inches). With the coil held at this height, the detector will

Winter 2004 ignore most small random items, even if they are on the surface, yet at the same time locate a large dump's debris field 3 to 5 feet deep!

When you walk onto a dump-site location, the detector goes off full-blast throughout the location! This will allow you to map out the shape and size of the dump area. Once the dump's borders are located, the detector is then put aside and the real work begins. With a large shovel, test holes are dug. At each of these sample digs, an attempt is made to date the dump.

Two of my best friends, Ernie Lawson and Jack Short, were the ones who started the Kalamazoo Antique Bottle Club nearly 30 years ago. It was this dynamic duo who got me hooked on old glass collecting!

During their early digging days, they noticed that, for some strange reason, early settlers were drawn to the river banks when discarding their trash. After finding fewer dumps to dig, they came up with a great idea. This awesome brainstorm would have them taking a small row boat down a local river early in spring.

The vegetation had been frozen back and packed down by the hard Michigan snowfall. With a lack of leaves and other vegetation, they were left with a clear view of the river bank.

As they worked along the river's bank, they would look for tell-tale signs of a dump. After a dump was found and permission secured, test holes were dug into the river bank to determine the dump's age.

On one occasion, an old dump dig was producing better and better finds! By the time the two bottle diggers started recovering medicine bottles, inks and other great treasures from the Civil War era, they had dug a rather deep cave into the river bank.

Every boy's dream is a treasure cave -- and Jack and Ernie had found one!

Of course, these two veteran bottle diggers were always very safety-minded, and they knew of all the danger signs to look for -- or so they thought!

Cave-ins are the first concern to a bottle digger, and being careless can mean death!

Their experience made them good judges of the most dangerous soil types and conditions. On this occasion, the two felt very safe with their project. One reassuring factor was the tremendous root growth over the ceiling of the cave. Like reinforcing rod in cement, the root

69 system held the structure firmly together.

The only annoyance from the roots, during this chilly spring dig, was the constant wet dripping. The water not only added to the muddy condition underfoot, but it soon soaked the diggers clothes!

However, the excitement of recovering one rare bottle after another made the cold virtually unnoticeable!

It wasn't until a few hours later, that the bottle diggers discovered that the wetness that soaked their hair and clothes was mostly from the root system of a wellestablished poison ivy patch!

Makes you itch, doesn't it? Their "dream come true" turned quickly into a nightmare . . . a nightmare which even led to hospital treatment!

Although my two friends can look back on their experience with smiles, they would be first to warn you that the dangers are out there!

Cave-ins, as well as insects, like bees, wasps, poison spiders and now, even virus-spreading mosquitos, all guard the hidden treasure, so be very careful!

Ohio Bottle Club Terri Grove has reported that she has given up the editor’s position for the OBC’s The Swirl. The new editors are Don and Betsy Yates. (The Federation editors wish to extend their support to Don and Betsy, and we hope to hear from them soon.)

West Michigan Bottle Club The November newsletter, #70, had an article by Ed Cuyler on Baraga County Bottles (part 2). There were listings for some recent finds by club members Duane Forrest, John Bulthouse and Brian Smith.

Unfortunately, there were no reports from the 1st Chicago Bottle Club, Antique Bottle Club of Northern Illinois, Huron Valley Bottle & Insulator Club, Jelly Jammers, Metropolitan Detroit Antique Bottle Club, Midwest Antique Fruit Jar & Bottle Club, Minnesota 1st Antique Bottle Club, Nebraska Antique Bottle & Collectible Club, North Star Historical Bottle Association, Inc., Southeast Kansas Bottle & Relic Club. St. Louis Antique Bottle Collectors Assoc. or the Wabash Valley Antique Glass & Pottery Club.

70

Winter 2004 outstanding collection. He’s been collecting bitters for 38 years and has more than 50 in his collection.

Sterling Mann displayed a Fresca bottle assortment, while Tommy Howell showed a wide variety of applied color label Sun-Rise bottles. Donnie Medlin, the Pepsi-Cola guru, showed a number of embossed and ACL sodas he recently acquired.

Tingen announced that the club show is set for March 19-20, He also featured a short version of the history of the Dr. Pepper Company of Waco, Texas.

Digging stories again dominated the November issue of Oklahoma Territory News edited by Johnnie Fletcher, also president of the Oklahoma Territory Bottle & Relic Club.

Mark Wiseman (with Elsie the Pup) contributed another Digging Iowa story.

Two freeways are under construction in Des Moines and Wiseman discovered old dumps that have been uncovered. Most of the bottles he dug dated from the late 19th century into the early 20th century.

Summing up the best of his finds: A Woodcock & Hibbard/Druggists/Valley Junction, Iowa, a crowntop Des Moines Steam Bottling Works/Neuderman and Osthom, a Mennig & Slater/Pure Fruit Extracts/Des Moines, Iowa, a funny-lipped soda Registered Patent Pride/Drink Mash Distlled Water/Des Moines Bottling Wks/ Contents 7 Oz/Drink Mash Fruity Flavors/ Des Moines, Iowa, a crowntop E.F. Weber’s Bottling Works/Des Moines, Iowa, a crowntop American Bottling Works/Irslay Bros. Props/Des Moines, Iowa, and a scarce Higgins Pharmacy/ Cor 6th & Grand Av/Des Moines, Iowa.

Fletcher also contributed a story featuring himself, Richard Carr and Kenny Burbrink. They first met in Larned, Kan., only to find the ground was too hard to probe, much less dig. So they decided to try Ellsworth, Kan., again.

A Geo. Seitz/Druggist/Ellsworth, Kan., soon emerged, followed by a Lichstein Brothers/Company’s/Casino Cigar/The Acme of American Production/Try it paperweight. It had a chip on its side, but otherwise was undamaged. More Seitz drug store bottles were uncovered as well as a cracked but intact half-gallon pickle crock. Another drug store bottle embossed The Seitz Drug Store/Seitz & Trubey, Props/The House of Better Service/

Southern Regional News

Bill Baab 2352 Devere Street Augusta, GA 30914 (706) 736-8097 riverswamper@comcast.net

Charlie Barnette, president of The State of Franklin Antique Bottle & Collectors Association, went hog-wild with 20 photos downloaded into the latest Groundhog Gazette, which he edits.

Nineteen of the photos showed people and activities at the inaugural Morristown, Tenn., show co-sponsored by his club and the Morristown Parks & Recreation Department. Thirty-six vendors occupied 65 tables and more than 400 people attended the show.

Congratulations to everyone involved.

The other photo showed a Mason’s Patent brass lid dated 1857 attributed to Crowleytown. Wayne and June Lowry, the jar nuts, reported seeing only two of the jars in 27 years of collecting and they took this one home. The jar it seals is plain clear glass with a ground threaded top and no identifying marks.

Charlie also reprinted a Halloween bottle story he wrote in 1996. It’s great stuff, but unfortunately too long to insert here. I suggested he send it to Kathy for inclusion in a future issue of B&E. He also included a story of Bristol, Tenn.-Va., during Prohibition days authored by C.J. Harkrader in 1964. It, too, is too long for this column, but could be included as part of a series of Prohibition stories.

Eight color photos were downloaded by David Tingen in the Nov. 4 edition of The Bottle Talk, official publication of the Raleigh (N.C.) Bottle Club. Tingen serves as president and newsletter editor.

Ronald Hinsley presented a program on bitters bottles at the club’s October meeting, showing bitters from his

Bottles and Extras Ellsworth, Kan., was found.

The trio decided to check out Nickerson, Kan., got permission to check out an area and probed out a pit behind an 1885 circa home. They received permission to dig it from the owner and found: four good Dr. Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters, a flask embossed Merry Christmas/Grigler & Grigler, a Dr. Von Hopfs/Curacoa Bitters, two quart bottles embossed Brotherhood Wine Co./ Registered with a large BWCo monogram on the shoulder, and a soda bottle with B&S (Bennett & Son) from nearby Hutchinson, Kan. Johnnie downloaded six color photos to complement the article.

In a show and tell session at the M-T Bottle Collectors Association of DeLand, Fla., co-editor Bill Marks showed off a clear 1890s drug store bottle embossed Hahn & Marks/504 Broad St./Augusta, Ga. Grady Rowell showed a bottle of White Rock Water/Mineral Springs Co./ Wisconsin with full contents and paper label, and a 1910 photo of his grandfather R.M. Mallory standing beside a Model T truck with wooden spoke wheels. The side panel on the truck read R.M. Mallort Prop., Daytona Creamery. The company was located on Volusia Avenue where the huge white Foremost milk bottle sat for many years. It was the first creamery in Daytona (later Daytona Beach), Fla., and was sold to Halifax Creamery and then to Foremost. Lester Stoll displayed candleholders made from three horseshoes welded together to hold an insulator with a candle in it. All of that was revealed in the Diggers Dispatch for NovemberDecember.

Club members Charles and Freda Benton, Bill and Sally Marks, Roger Radeck and June Bower attended the North Florida show in Jacksonville on Sept. 27. The Markses also attended the Savannah, Ga., show on Oct. 18, with M-T members Rabun Dittmar of Port Orange, Lynn and Jenine McClarty of New Port Richey, Louise O’Quinn of DeLand and Bob and Sue Milam of Tampa at table setups.

Bob Riddick, a member of the South Carolina Bottle Club who lives near Lexington, spoke about Aiken, S.C., bottles at the September meeting of the Horse Creek Antique Bottle Club.

A Staake’s Original Vital-Tonic Bitters — the only Aiken bitters known so far —

Bottles and Extras and a one-of-a-kind Mosely’s Pine Elixir, also from Aiken, were among bottles displayed. The book, Bitters Bottles, by Carlyn Rng and Bill Ham, lists the Staake’s as being from Columbia, S.C., but Riddick has an Aiken Chemical Company letterhead that proves otherwise.

The letterhead not only advertises Staake’s, but Staake’s Inside or Outside Liniment (you either drank it or rubbed it in!), Staake’s Poor Man Cough Cure and Staake’s Popular Pink Pills. By the way, the Staake’s Bitters in the book was dug in Augusta, this editor reported in the club newsletter, Probe & Plunder.

Harvey Teal, a Columbia historian who has authored or co-authored books about South Carolina photographers, Kershaw County pottery and South Carolina postal history, spoke to the club about "go-withs" at its October meeting.

Teal, who is working on a book about the South Carolina Dispensary, pointed out the importance of collecting items that "go with" antique bottles. The term was coined by the late John Tibbitts of Sacramento, Calif., founder of the nation’s first antique bottle club during the 1960s.

Teal urged club members to build up their bottle book libraries, "because the more you learn, the more you will enjoy the hobby."

Go-withs, he said, include letterheads, billheads, advertising corner cards (the advertising on the upper-left corner of a business envelope), broadsides, catalogues, price lists and the like. He said postage stamp and post card dealers and shows are likely sources of the material.

Troy and Preston Parker, co-editors of The Dispenser, newsletter of the Lone Star

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Mrs. Geneva Greene of Langley, S.C. founded the Horse Creek Antique Bottle Club last January and was elected its president. The club meets on the third Monday of each month at Valley Outreach Interfaith Center, 1469 Augusta Rd. (Hwy 421) in Warrenville, S.C. at 7:00 p.m. It is the latest club to affiliate with the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors. Front row, from left: Vice-President, Larry Calhoun, Saluda, S.C. and Mrs. Greene. Back row, from left: Treasurer: Mike Newman, Augusta, Ga. and secretary, Bill Baab, Augusta, Ga., who also edits the club newsletter, Probe & Plunder. The club boasts of more than 60 members.

Photo by Bea Baab Chapter of the Coca-Cola Collectors Club, featured many color photos taken at the Coke First Chapter — Minnesota Convention and the Iowa Chapter Convention.

The Parkers obviously believe a picture is worth 1,000 words.

Western Regional News

Scott Grandstaff Box 409 Happy Creek, CA 96039 (706) 736-8097 scottg@snowcrest.net

Dear friends of the Western Region: My computer is dead - dead - dead and I am missing my deadline. I am miserable like a caged animal. It has been a busy time and I want to tell everyone how well you are all doing - but I can’t!

Please forgive me until next time.

Yours, Scott

The chapter is planning its 13th annual TEX-FEST on Feb. 12-14. More information is available from Rebecca Reynolds at (214) 749-2474.

Bill Baab

Could this be the final resting place for Scott’s computer. B&E Editor, Kathy Hopson, offers her heartfelt condolences, along with the rest of us that understand how much this loss has meant to Scott, as well as the Western Region.

We hope to see Scott back up-and-running by the next issue.

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Bottle and Extras Membership and Display Advertising Rates

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PAGE

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COL. 4”

COL. 3”

COL. 2”

COVER

1 TIME

$150.00

$80.00

$50.00

$20.00

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$200.00

2 TIMES

$260.00

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Next Stop Deadlines: February 15th for Spring Edition (April-June 2004) May 15th for Summer Editon (July-September 2004)

Bottles and Extras

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Classified Ads FOR SALE FRUIT JAR COLLECTION FOR SALE Liquidating most of my 33-year collection. Wide variety of colored jars. Affordable to rare and outstanding examples Lightnings, Masons, deep aqua Air Tite, amber Millville Atmospheric, wax sealers, base and side embossed, corkers, pontiled and non-pontiled. Many others.

Call 888-282-2733, or send SASE for list.

Contact: TOM SCHUMM, 1388 Kellogg Rd., Brighton, MI 48114.

FOR SALE: Selling thousands of old bottles and fruit jars, medicine, milk, soda pop, cola, product jars and jugs. Also old marbles and thousands of other collectibles at bargain prices. Your visit, or inquire, welcome. Contact: LEONARD TUGGLE, P.O. Box 157, Spencer, VA 24165-0157; Phone: (276) 694-5279.

FOR SALE: White House Vinegar Ballerina quart decanter. Decorative filigree all around the container. Color: decanter is light (depression) green with correct matching glass stopper. Both container and stopper are mint. No stains or flea bites. Finest example, $300.00.

Contact: PERRY D. DRIVER, 9029 129th Drive, Live Oak, FL 32060 or Phone: (386) 364-3203.

FOR SALE: Arizona saloon half-pint stoneware jug, “Compliments of / JOHN KELLER & CO. / FASHION SALOON / JEROME ARIZ.” Mint condition. $2,200.00. Half-pint coffin flask, “Louisville / Liquor House / 306 / Bennett Ave. / Cripple Creek, COL.” Mint condition, $1,600.00. Contact: BOB ALEXANDER, Phone: (479) 273-9140.

FOR BUY or SALE: Tennessee bottles, pottery and Tennessee advertising. Also American and foreign poison bottles, rare padlocks (no railroads), old soft drink advertising, especially Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, and Orange Crush. American tin wind-up toys, tin & porcelain signs, old country store items, rare American pottery, especially Anna & George Ohr. Turtle and teakettle inks. Contact: DON RAMSEY, 415 Mapletree Dr., Knoxville, TN 37922; Phone: (865) 675-4675 or E-mail: sarahramoo@aol.com.

FOR SALE: A pare of embossed apple pie ridge vinegar cruets. One has a left hand holding an eye. The other is a right hand eye. $25 for the pair. Contact:

C. SHORE,6975 Shallowford Rd., Lewisville, NC 27023-8621 E-mail: ShoreJugs@yahoo.com.

FOR SALE: Two quart San Francisco Seltzers at $30 each. One is BELFAST, green ACL and the other is SF SELTZER, etched label with a grizzly bear. Postage depends on zip code. Satisfaction guaranteed. Contact: DAVE SCAFANI, 416 Greenbrae Drive, Medford, OR 97504: Phone: (541) 773-6503 or E-mail: scafanind@cs.com.

FOR SALE: PAXSON-ROCKEFELLER / BUTTE, MONTANA embossed drug store bottle with label, "SQUIBB'S MIXTURE," with OPIUM content. $45.

Tall quart red-pyro milk bottle, “ADAMS PASTEURIZED MILK / RAWLINS, WYO. w/picture of Cowboy riding a Bucking Bronco! About perfect condition - $100. The ultimate western antique Coca-Cola bottle. Embossed “FLATHEAD / (embossed picture of Cowboy riding Bucking Bronco) / KALISPELL, MONT. - PROPERTY OF FLATHEAD / COCA-COLA BOTTLING CO.” Bottle is very clean, about perfect. An early VERY RARE bottle - $150. Western quart cylinder, JAS. DURKIN WINES & LIQUORS / MILL & SPRAGUE / SPOKANE, WASH. About perfect. $35.

HUGE pint sized cobalt Rexall / United Drug Co. poison (KR-43). The largest size, an early tooled lip bottle, sparkling clean. $150. Large picture patent medicine “SAMARITAN NERVINE (with embossed picture of bearded samaritan) / ST. JOSEPH, MO.” An early tooled lip bottle, in sparkling mint condition - $75. Shipping extra.

Contact: MARC LUTSKO, P.O. Box 8655, Kalispell, Montana 59904; Phone: (406) 756-0224; E-mail: letsgo@montanasky.net.

FOR SALE: Miniature Advertising Jugs: (can email photos) 1. Two Tone, mint.

THE FAWN / 1880. Described to me as Gass City Pottery. $100.00 2. Two Tone, mint. IF YOU ARE DRY / SEE SAM YOST. Gass City Pottery $100.00.

3. Two Tone, one glaze flake on lip.

Compliments of +--- / E. DAVEY, / 23-27 WOODWARD AVE. (Atlanta?) $90.00.

4. Two tone, a little grayish discoloration. (in gray rect border) COMPLIMENTS OF /THE ROBINSON CLAY PRODUCT CO / AKRON, OHIO. $225.00 5. Crème, mint. (in bluish rect border) Metropolitan Club / Freiberg & Kahn / DISTILLERS / Cincinnati $95.00.

6. Two Tone, mint. (in rect border) THE O.L. GREGORY / VINEGAR CO / ELKO COUNTY / PUREAPPLE JUICE / VINEGAR / PADUCAH, KY. $90.00.

7. Two Tone, mint. (in rect border) FATHER MARQUETTE / 1866 Pure Rye / The F.P. Gluck Co. / Cincinnati, O. $140.00. 8. Two Tone, 3 small glaze flakes on lip. QUEEN OF HAVANA / SPECIAL PRICE 2.50 PER GAL. / 6-YEARS OLD / I.H. FISHER – NEW ALBANY, IND. (stenciling near bottom of jug) $170.00. 9. Crème, 1 minor lip nick. (in rect border) CASEY’S MALT / QUEEN OF THEM ALL. 10. Two Tone, mint. Flattened mini w stencil on both sides: TAKE A SMILE / WITH / AMES / OF / OWENSBORO /// M’FR OF / PLEASURE VEHICLES / “BRED IN OLD KENTUCKY” (little loss of “B” in Bred) $185.00. 11.Two Tone, mint.

Square mini w pour spout: ON THE SQUARE /ELK’S (elk head) PRIDE / WHISKEY / JNO.S. LOW, SOLE OWNER / CARLISLE, PA. $250.00 12.

Scratch, vnm. Flattened mini: I W Harper / Nelson CO / KY Whiskey. $135.00 13. Same as #12, but nicer.

Mint. $145.00. 14. Crème, ½matchhead lip nick. COMPLIMENTS / I W HARPER / NELSON CO / KENTUCKY (scrolls around IW Harper). $40.00. 15. Crème, ½-matchheadlip flake and some uniform darkening to glaze. (in rect border): J.W.M. FIELD & SONS / WHOLESALE LIQUORS / OWENSBORO/ KY. $210.00. 16.

Crème, vnm. (in rect border:) DETRICK / TIPPECANOE CITY / OHIO. $120.00. 17. Two Tone, mint. COMPLIMENTS OF / M. DOUGHERTY / 1200-1206 PINE ST. (Mobile, ALA jug) $85.00. 18. Two Tone, small inside of lip flake and matchhead side of handle flake. Compliments of +-- / BOOTEMILLER / & BLUHM / --+ BERTHA, MINN. $240.00. 19. Scratch, minor lip and edge of base roughness.

Compliments of / H. G. Neucom / Terre Haute $150.00. 20. Two Tone, mint.

WALLACE & GREGORY BROS. / ELKO COUNTY / PURE APPLE JUICE VINEGAR / PADUCAH, - KY. $85.00.

21. Same as #20; “pumpkin”-colored top, mint. $85.00. Postage extra. Buy 4, take 10% off; buy all, take 15% off.

Contact: RALPH VAN BROCKLIN, 1021 W Oakland Ave., Suite #109 Johnson City, TN 37604; Phone: (423) 913-1378 (6-10 Eastern) or E-mail: thegenuine@comcast.net.

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Classified Ads

FOR SALE: 9-inch aqua bottle with J.W. WAYNICK, GREENSBORO, N.C. on slug plate. PAT’D 85 on bottom. THIS BOTTLE NOT TO BE SOLD on back. $350.00. 8-inch spider Griswold. $3500.00. Contact: floydmail@juno.com or phone: (336) 379-0096.

FOR SALE: Item BT015, David Andrews Vegetable Jaundice Bitters, Providence, R.I., tombstone shape, aqua, OP, super crude with bubbles & whittle, perfect condition, finest example of this unusual bottle. $2,700. Item FL008, GI-107, Jenny Lind-Fislerville Glass Works, calabash flask, light to medium blue-green, OP, nice crudeness with 1000s of tiny bubbles, about perfect, very rare color for this flask, $775. Item 358, Porters Cure of Pain, Bundysburg, O., deep bluish aqua, IP, 6 1/4” high, excellent crudeness, super example, very rare. $600. See these and other fine bottles for sale on our website at greatantiquebottles.com.

Contact: ED & KATHY GRAY, 1049 Eighth Ave., Brockway, PA 15824; Phone: (814) 268-4503

FOR SALE: Reference & collectible books on bottles: American Glass – From the Pages of Antiques, Two Volumes in One. Volume I - Blown & Molded; Volume II - Pressed & Cut. A compilation of more than 50 select articles from the magazine Antiques written by prominent collectors and experts, between 1922 and 1972. Overall excellent condition, tight binding, includes dust jacket. $50.00. Two Hundred Years of American Blown Glass, Helen and George S. McKearin, 1950. One of the three major works authored or co-authored by the McKearins. $25.00. New England Glass & Glassmaking, Kenneth M. Wilson, 1972. Approximately 400 pages including 400 illustrations. A classic and difficult to find book. Overall excellent condition including dust jacket. $100.00.

Contact: JOHN PASTOR, 7288 Thorncrest Dr. SE, Ada, MI 49301; Phone: (616) 285-7604.

FOR SALE: COBALT SELTZER, acidetched "OLD ENGLISH SPARKLING BEVERAGES." "Bottle made in

FOR SALE

Large quantity of FULL INTACT PROHIBITION WHISKEY & BOURBON I bought these with a large wine cellar from a prominent New York family. They have set undisturbed in their cellar since the early 1930s.

Two offerings: Taylor 100 proof Bourbon bottled in 1917 by Old Taylor distillery in KY, sold {for medicinal purposes only!} in 1933.

Also Mount Vernon 100 proof whiskey distilled in Baltimore MD in 1923, sold in 1933.

Both bottled in bond by the Feds and distributed by the American Medicinal Spirits Corporation.

55 total bottles, condition range from fair {no tax stamps, poor labels} to museum quality {perfect bottles with perfect original boxes}!

Digital pix are available on request. I have been selling them piecemeal on ebay, but would like to sell the lot {reasonably} to a collector/museum and go back to the wine I bought!

Please email inquiries to rcrabtree@adelphia.net

Or call (716) 886-1000 ask for Dr. Crabtree PS: For legal reasons I may have to sell these for the collector value of the bottles - but the Old Taylor we tasted was excellent and won best in show at a prohibition whiskey tasting at the Louisville Bourbon Museum in 2001.

Czechoslovakia" on base. "A. R. BOTT WKS. PHILA." on plated cap dispenser. $39 plus shipping. Contact: ED MACAUTHUR, Harrisburg, PA, Phone: (717) 238-6559 after 6pm EST. FOR SALE: INDIAN BOTTLES - Bitters, figurals, sarsaparillas, medicines and cures. All listed in a virtual bottle catalog at: www.WeLoveOldBottles.com.

No need to drive hundreds of miles to the next bottle show when you can shop online. All bottles pictured and described. We take PayPal. Always looking to improve our collection of Indian and New Orleans bottles. Please contact us if you have a rare or scarce one to sell. Contact: MIKE & LILARAE SMITH, PO Box 2347, Yucca Valley, CA 92286-2347; Phone: (760) 228-9640; E-mail: mikesierra@telis.org.

FOR SALE: Hutch sodas, blob sodas, medicine, druggist, etc. Call PAUL & JEANETTE FLETHER (573) 468-4924 or E-mail: PLJLbot@fidnet.com for list.

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Bottles and Extras

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Classified Ads BOOKS / PERIODICALS KETCHUP, PICKLES, SAUCES 19th Century Food in Glass 498 pages of pictures & research of glass containers the early food industry utilized.

Smyth Bound - $25.00 to: MARK WEST PUBLISHERS PO BOX 1914 SANDPOINT, ID 83864 FOR SALE: A limited number of 2002 and 2003 Federation Auction catalogues with prices-realized lists are available at $5.00 each plus $2.00 postage. Full color and beautifully photographed they make a handy reference! Contact JOHN PASTOR, 7288 Thorncrest Drive SE, Ada, MI 49301; Phone: (616) 285-7604 or RALPH VAN BROCKLIN, 1021 W Oakland Avenue, #109, Johnson City, TN 37604; Phone: (423) 913-1378.

THE PILL ROLLERS, Third Edition, C.G. & L.C. Richardson. This is the only

NE

comprehensive book on apothecary antiques available to collectors with a serious interest in pharmaceutical antiques and collectibles. The book has 185 pages with 800 items illustrated. A separate price guide is included with the book price. The glossary includes information to help identify pharmaceutical artifacts including an extensive listing of names to help identify drug jar and apothecary bottle inscriptions. The price is $37.50, including shipping, and can be ordered from: CHARLES RICHARDSON, 1176 South Dogwood Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22801.

CD FOR COMPUTER USE. Drug Store Museum (southwestern Georgia) inventory and analysis of several hundred overthe-counter medicines from 1870s to 1957 and other pharmaceutical artifacts. Almost 200 pages, includes product descriptions and information on composition, advertised usage, cost of original product, manufacturers, history, etc. CD also includes indexes by product and manufacturer. Price $12 for addresses in U.S. Order from Stewart County

GEORGIA CROWN TOP BOTTLE BOOK

W

!

by Carl Barnett and Ken Nease 260+ pages with over 1400 bottles pictured ALL in color Includes: Georgia Bottling Works 263 different Script straight-sided Coca-Cola bottles from Georgia 236 different Georgia Chero-Cola bottles Also includes sections on Georgia: Straight-sided Pepsi Bludwine Orange Crush NuGrape Dr. Pepper Flint Rock Lime Cola Red Race Koca Nola Red Rock Big Hit Big Chief Many color photos of early outdoor painted advertisements and copies of 244 great old newspaper ads.

Georgia Soda Bottle Book 1211 St. Andrews Drive Douglas, GA 31533 Book $39.95 Shipping & Handling 3.95 Total $43.90 Send orders to:

(Georgia residents must add 7% sales tax.)

Historical Society, P.O.Box 818, Lumpkin, GA 31815. Allen Vegotsky, a.vegotsky@att.net, (770) 270-1034.

FIRE GRENADE PRICE GUIDE - 122 grenade types priced from 400 auctions, 130 b/w illustions, 46 pages, $26.70 PP. Contact: RON FELDHAUS, 5117 W 92nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55437, or by E-mail: vrfeldhaus@aol.com.

GINGER BEER & ROOT BEER HERITAGE, 400 pages, all Photos are in fullcolor. $30.00 + $4.00 S/H. Contact: DON YATES, 8300 River Corners Road, Homerville, OH 44235; Phone: (330) 625-1025.

TIPPECANOE AND E. G. BOOZ TOO!

by Thomas C. Haunton. Here’s the longawaited book – loaded with more than 140 photographs and detailed descriptions of 57 different cabin bottles – information picked up during twenty years of collecting and studying these bottles – much of it not available anywhere else. This book comes with a free CD that contains over 200 color

The PILL ROLLERS 3rd Ed. Apothecary Antiques and Drug Store Collectibles

Charles G. and Lillian C. Richardson A major revision of the previous edition with 189 pages and 800 items all illustrated. Features Patent Medicine, Pharmaceutical and Apothecary Bottles, Counter Urns, Show Globes and other display glassware; also sections on Advertising, Apothecary Tools, Medical Items, Soda Fountain Items and much more. Comprehensive historical information is provided for each of the categories of artifacts. Material is well researched and documented using 19th and early 20th century reference books and trade catalogs.

Completely indexed, and has appendix filled with useful information for collectors. This would be a great book for your personal or bottle club library.

The authors received a Certificate of Commendation from The American Institute of History of Pharmacy (AIHP) for their first edition of The Pill Rollers. Charles is a retired pharmacist; Lillian was for 15 years Treasurer of the N.E. Region of the FOHBC. They are both members of AIHP, FOHBC, and Historical Bottle Diggers of Virginia. Collecting friends will recognize the authors as Dick and Lill.

$37.50 includes separate price guide and shipping.

Send payment to: Charles G. Richardson 1176 S. Dogwood Dr., Harrisonburg, VA 22801-1535.

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Classified Ads

photos in a JPEG format. Most of the photos in the book are included here in color, along with many others that didn’t make it into the book. Available now for $32.95 postpaid, payment via check or money order. Contact: Tom Haunton, 48 Hancock Ave. #1, Medford, MA 02155-5621.

GEORGIA CROWN TOP BOTTLE BOOK. 260 pages with over 1400 bottles.

Includes Georgia Bottling Works, 263 different Script straight-sided Coca-Cola bottles from Georgia, 236 different Georgia Chero-Cola bottles. Many others also listed. All Color! $39.95 + $3.95 Shipping. Send to: Georgia Soda Bottle Book, 1211 St. Andrews Drive, Douglas, GA 31533.

THE AMERICAN WHISKEY JUG. by Jack Sullivan. 192 pages, copiously illustrated with an index of more than 380 references to whiskey brands, distillers, potters and personalities. $25.00 including postage. Add $10 to receive a second volume, THE WHISKEY CERAMICS OF SCOTLAND,

IRELAND AND ENGLAND. 85 pages, illustrated and indexed. Send check or money order to: JACK SULLIVAN, 4300 Ivanhoe Place, Alexandria, VA 22304; Phone: (703) 370-3039; E-mail: jack.sullivan@verizon.com.

PEPSI-COLA BOTTLES & MORE: COLLECTOR’S GUIDE, VOL. 2 with prices. All Color! $35.00 + $3.95 Shipping. All new! Over 1500 bottles - 169 pages. Vol. 2 does not contain bottles shown in Vol. 1. Contact: James Ayers, RJM Enterprises, 5186 Claudville Hwy., Claudville, VA 24076.

COLLECTING APPLIED COLOR LABEL BOTTLES, Third Edition (2002).

1200 full-color photographs with over 1600 ACL soda bottles listed and over 1650 prices realized in an easy to read format. $45 includes postage Contact: KATHY HOPSON, 1966 King Springs Road, Johnson City, TN 37601; E-mail: kathy@thesodafizz.com.

NEW! 4th Edition BOTTLES: IDENTIFICATION & PRICE GUIDE. The “Bottle

2001 EDITION ...

Bible” for everyone. Comprehensive updated pricing and reference guide.

Three new chapters: violin bottles, cobalt blue medicines, museum and research resources. 300 b/w photos and 16 page color section. $21.00 includes shipping. Contact: MIKE POLAK, P.O. Box 30328, Long Beach, CA 90853; Phone: (562) 438-9209; E-mail: bottleking@earthlink.net; Webstie: http://www.bottlebible.com.

A COLLECTOR'S GUIDE TO ARIZONA BOTTLE & STONEWARE - A HISTORY OF MERCHANT CONTAINERS IN ARIZONA 124 pages of very detailed sketches of bottles and stoneware from the state of Arizona (1999) Spiral bound, $25.00. Contact: MICHAEL MILLER, Miller Antiques, 9214 W. Gary Road, Peoria, AZ 85345, PH: (623) 486-3123 or by E-mail: gramike@earthlink.net.

For Sale ads up to 100 words for items $25 and over are a benefit of FOHBC membership.

Send YOUR free ad today!

HERE’S TO BEERS

“The Fruit Jar Collectorʼs Bible”

RedBook

9

Reflects Recent Price Influences of Auctions and the Internet, as well as Current Price Trends Soft Cover, 432 Pages Over 10,000 Entries $35 US - $40 Non-US - Post Paid Order from Author : DOUGLAS M. LEYBOURNE, JR. P.0. BOX 5417 - NORTH MUSKEGAN, MI 49445

BLOB TOP BEER BOTTLES 1880-1910

by Byron & Vicky Martin NEW 2003 SUPPLEMENT which includes quite a number of previously unlisted bottles PLUS a totally NEW updated price guide!!

FEATURES: √ Beautiful Full-Color Front & Back Covers √ Full 8 1/2 x 11 inch format √ History and introduction to beer bottle collecting √ Over 400 professional photographs and illustrations √ All bottles have accurate up-to-date rarity and valuations √ See the rarest beer bottles known √ Many beer trays and associated items

$25 each - Includes Postage CONTACT: BYRON & VICKY MARTIN

P.O. Box 638 Angels Camp, CA 95222

(209) 736-0217 achinback@juno.com

Bottles and Extras

New!

Winter 2004

2003

“4th Edition”

New!

BOTTLES:

Identification and Price Guide By: Michael Polak The “Bottle Bible” for Everyone - Comprehensive Updated Pricing Guide - Three New Chapters

Cobalt blue Medicine Bottles Violin Bottles Museum and Research Resources

- Expanded & Updated Chapters Determining Bottle Values Trademark Identification Dealer/club Guide Glossary Auction Houses, Bibliography

- 300 B&W Photos - 19 Page Color Section

For More Information Contact: Mike Polak Antique Trader Publications ISBN: 0-87349-371-0 Available Nationwide

PO Box 303258 Long Beach, CA 90853 Website: www.bottlebible.com E-Mail: bottleking@earthlink.net Phone/Fax: (562) 438-9209

Retail Price: $17.95 + 3.05 Shipping/Handling = $21.00

77

Attn: Pepsi and Mountain Dew Collectors

PEPSI : COLA BOTTLES & MORE COLLECTORS GUIDE, VOL. 2

with prices

by James C. Ayers

$35.00

Please add $3.95 for Priority Shipping ISSN: 0-964-5443-1-8

ALL NEW Vol. 2 contains over 1500 bottles - 169 pages - all color with enlargements - 800 items pictured includes over 610 total of Pepsi-Cola embossed, paper label, ACL, Back Bar Bottles and Pepsi products. Devil Shake, Diet Pepsi, Evervess, Patio, Pepsi-free, Pepsi-Light, Slice, TEEM, Tropic Surf and others. Also featured - 860 MOUNTAIN DEW bottles plus 55 competition bottles and cans.

NOTE: Vol. 2 Does Not contain bottles shown in Vol. 1 Mail to: RJM Enterprises 5186 Claudville Hwy., Claudville VA 24076 Method of Payment:

Check

Money Order

Master Card

Visa

Account Number:______________________________Exp. Date _______ Signature: ___________________________________________________ Name: ______________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________ City: _______________________________State: ______ Zip: _________ Allow 2-3 Weeks for Delivery - VA Residents - Please add 4 1/2% Sales Tax

MERCHANTS OF MEDICINE NOSTRAM PEDDLERS - YESTERDAY & TODAY NEW IN 2003!

Written by Dewey R. Heetderks, M.D. • Limited Edition hard cover book • Lavishly illustrated with over 300 color pictures • 120 pages - plus index • A great coffee table book

For more information, contact: Dewey Heetderks 4907 N. Quail Crest Grand Rapids, MI 49546 E-mail: DHeetderks@aol.com Phone: (616) 949-0713 Post Paid

$35 U.S.

$40 Non-U.S.

78

Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004

Classified Ads MISCELLANEOUS $500.00 REWARD! for any information leading to the return of my stolen property, ie: WILLIAM GOEPPERT & SON, aqua, “champagne” top, quart beer from San Francisco, circa 1882. Please contact: Dave Acorn, 11312 Cottontail Way, Penn Valley, CA 95946; Phone: (530) 432-2111.

WANTED WANTED: Duquoin, Ill. glassware, postcards and related items.

Contact: GEORGE & CAROLYN VANTRUMP, Hobbyist & Collector, P.O. Box 1537, Wheat Ridge, CO 80034-1537.

WANTED: Colorado milk bottles - 1/2 pint and pint. Also want postcards and tokens from Colorado. Contact: GEORGE & CAROLYN VANTRUMP, Hobbyist & Collector, P.O. Box 1537, Wheat Ridge, CO 80034-1537.

WANTED: Buying Maysville, Kentucky bottles, stoneware and advertising. Contact: CHARLES T. COTTERILL, Phone: (606) 564-6442.

WANTED: Whiskey, beer, saloon and any older advertising

$ REWARD $ 30 Below Will Pay TOP DOLLAR for a

ACL Soda From San Diego, CA Mike Bryant (858) 581-2787 sdmike@san.rr.com libottle@optonline.net

(631) 589-9027

Mark Smith 10 Holmes Court Sayville, N.Y. 11782-2408

items from Arizona. Also looking for pre-pro shot glasses and mini-mug match holders from any state. Contact: ED SIPOS, Phone: (480) 947-2348 or E-mail: azcantwo@yahoo.com.

WANTED: Western whiskies and blob (colored) sodas. All bottles from Pomeroy, Walla Walla, Dayton and Waitsburg, Washington. Contact: TOM PARKS, P.O. Box 394, Starbuck, WA 99359; Phone: (509) 399-2312.

WANTED: Tennessee and all Southwestern U.S. tokens; saloon and Civilian Conservation Corps tokens from anywhere.

Whiskey crocks from Southern states; Tennessee small sided, small town bottles. I have tokens from various states for trade.

Contact: JOE COPELAND, P.O. Box 4221, Oak Ridge, TN 37831; Phone: (865) 482-4215; E-mail: joecopeland@comcast.net.

WANTED: Bottles from Richmond, Petersburg or Manchester, Virginia. Contact: BRUCE ADWELL, Phone: (804) 515-7818 or E-mail: bruce_adwell@hotmail.com.

WANTED: Bottles embossed with the words “Assayer” or “Druggist & Assayer.” (They ususally look like plain drug bottles.) Generally associated with mining towns. Contact: BRYON MARTIN, P.O. Box 838, Angels Camp, CA 95222; Phone: (209) 736-0217 or E-mail: achinback@juno.com.

Veterinary Animal Medicine Advertising Wanted

Buying quality antique veterinary advertising: * Posters by Pratts, Dr. A.C. Daniels, International Stock Food, etc. * Veterinary country store cabinets, both tin front and glass front. * Advertising go-withs: Celluloids, Bar Spinners, Watch Fobs, Chalk statues, Thermometers, anything odd and unusual * Labeled Veterinary medicine bottles, especially with boxes. * Boxed Veterinary Medicines with contents. * Veterinary tins.

Contact either: Ken Opengart 1101 Simonton Dr. Watkinsville, GA 30677 chkenlps@yahoo.com 770-769-8438 (home)

Mike Smith 7431 Covington Hwy. Lithonia, GA 30058 PetVet@mindspring.com 770-482-5100 (work) 770-979-3239 (home) Finders Fee for tip leading to the purchase of either of the two Pratts Food posters shown.

WHISKEY FLASKS WANTED ALL SHAPES, SIZES AND COLORS FROM NEW YORK, BROOKLYN & LONG ISLAND

Quality Pratts poster with Indians

Quality Pratts poster with Brownies

We will buy one item, or a whole collection.

Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004

79

Classified Ads

WANTED: Moulton items! I collect bottles and related items with my name on them and am interested in purchasing anything which I do not have. TOM G. MOULTON, 1911 Preservation Dr., Plant City, FL 33566-0945; Phone: (813) 754-1396; or E-mail: corkscru1@aol.com.

WANTED: Columbia dark amber fruit jars without lid, two aqua Globe lids, original Texas Mason 2-piece lid with map of Texas. Amber Atlas E-Z Seal lid.

Blue/green lid for Knowlton Vacuum fruit jar. Dark amber lid for Lightening Trade Mark fruit jar. Contact: LEONARD KASTNER, P.O. Box 23, Lexington, TX 78947; Phone: (979) 7732666.

WANTED: Buy or Sell: Tennessee bottles, pottery and Tennessee advertising. Also American and foreign poison bottles, rare padlocks (no railroads), old soft drink advertising, especially CocaCola, Dr. Pepper, and Orange Crush.

American tin wind-up toys, tin & porcelain signs, old country store items, rare American pottery, especially Anna & George Ohr. Turtle and teakettle inks.

Contact: DON RAMSEY, 415 MAPLETREE DRIVE, KNOXVILLE, TN 37922; Phone: (865) 675-4675 or E-mail: sarahramoo@aol.com.

Churchillʼs Antique Bottle Cleaning Service Introductory Offer: Will clean one bottle at no charge ! (minus postage) Try me risk free!

Less than 10 bottles: $15 each.

10-14: $12.50 each.

More than 15: $10.00 each.

MARK CHURCHILL

PO Box 7023 Grand Rapids, MI 49510

(616) 248-3808 E-mail: mdiscoidalis@aol.com

WANTED: These Hildebrandt & Posner’s: 1/2-pint and pint amber pumpkinseeds; 1/2-pint and pint aqua pumpkinseeds; 1/2 clear pumpkinseed without air vents; 5th and 6th size cylinders; 4-mold tool-top and glob-tops with crude tops, whittle and odd coloration. Perferably mint, or near mint.

Contact: BILL REEVES, PO Box 252, Cedarville, CA 96104; or Phone: (530) 279-6304 (eve).

WANTED: Bottle with the words cocaine embossed upon it (perhaps down one side). Wanted: Bottle with a label (vegetable) to help with the weaknesses of women. Contact: Elizabeth Small, 76 Main Street, PO Box 362 Delaware Water Gap, PA 18327 or donliz@ptd.net or PH: (570) 476-1122.

WANTED: Early New England glass, especially blown 3-mold, Stoddard glass, colored pontiled medicines, colored pontiled inks, etc. Also, figural Bennington pottery pieces. Also, scarcer Saratoga-type mineral water bottles.

Contact: DON FRITSCHEL, 1996 Hardscrabble Place, Boulder, CO 80305.

E-mail: donfrits@aol.com.

WANTED: Montana bottles - especially rare sodas and whiskies. Will pay top dollar for King & Lowry flasks from Butte, Mont. Contact: GARY HAVENS, 205 Woodland Ave., Kalispell, MT 59901; Phone: (406) 257-6614 or E-mail: pinecone@digisys.net.

SHOPS AND SERVICES SPRING STEEL PROBES Length 36” to 48” Diameter 1/4” to 5/16” “T” Handle 1” Dia. x 12” and Ring 4” above tip, both welded. $37.50 includes S/H $3 Extra for Rush Shipping Cashier Check or M.O. R. L. Wilcox 7422 Park Drive Mechanicsville, VA 23111 Phone: (804) 746-9854 or E-mail: Wilcox7422@aol.com

JARX DOCTOR YOUR COMPLETE SOURCE FOR JAR, BOTTLE AND INSULATOR

CLEANING EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES CLEANING CANISTERS Designed to safely and professionally clean inside, outside and base - all at one time.

Available in White & Clear PVC (3” through 6” ID) Prices ranging from $65.00 to $125.00

CLEANING MACHINES Economy & commercial units available, starting at $125.00 OXIDES Aluminum, Cerium, Tin, Silicon Carbide TUMBLING COPPER New 12-gauge chisel point in 3 sizes Copper Wire: $3.25/lb.

Credit Cards Accepted Through PayPal

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

R. Wayne Lowry 401 Johnston Ct., Raymore, MO 64083 E-mail: JarDoctor@aol.com Website: www.jardoctor.com (816) 318-0161 FAX: (816) 318-0162

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Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004

The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors Membership Benefits Individual Membership Open to any individual that has an interest in bottles, flasks, jars or related items, some of the benefits of membership are: • A full year subscription to our quarterly 84-page publication Bottles and Extras, which contains specialty articles, regular columns, classified advertising, show reports, reports pertaining to our clubs and a listing of bottle shows nationwide.

• Quarterly newsletters detailing news of the Federation and the hobby.

• Free advertising of “For Sale” items in Bottles and Extras (a trial period of 1 year duration, beginning with the Summer (July) 2003 issue. Restrictions apply - ads may be up to 100 words, items must be of $25.00 or greater value, and free advertisements are limited to the first 100 received, based upon date mailed.)

• One free ad of 60 words each year for use for items “Wanted”, trade offers, etc.

• Advice on publishing your book / manuscript, and a forum for your articles.

• The opportunity to obtain “Early Admission” to the annual Federation shows.

• Access to the informational FOHBC Slide Show Presentations.

• Individuals holding full membership may additionally request Associate membership for their spouses and children up to age 18. The costs for this is $5 per individual.

Affiliated Club Membership Available to any club, association or organization which has ten or more members and has an interest in bottles, flasks, jars, or related items, some of the benefits of affiliated membership are: • A full-year subscription to the quarterly magazines and newsletters, plus...

• A 50% reduction in the cost of display advertising in the magazine and the newsletter.

- In addition to this, there is a free ¼-page advertisement in the newsletter and free posting of the ad on the Federation website, www.fohbc.com, as a part of the advertising package when you advertise your show in the magazine.

• One complimentary individual membership per year is provided to Affiliated Clubs for their use as an honorarium, raffle item, door prize, etc.

• The Federation will post links from our website into your clubs website free of charge and will assist with creation of a web page for you, as our webmaster’s time allows. You supply the photos and general text and we will do our best to get you up and running!

• A show ribbon for Most Educational Display at your show.

• Access to the informational FOHBC Slide Show Presentations.

• Each year, the Federation elects members to the Honor Roll and Hall of Fame to recognize their individual contribution to the hobby of bottle collecting. Our clubs are encouraged to sponsor individuals for these honors.

FED-4-SALE

Federation Goodies from the Past ~ Please Note: Prices include shipping. ~ Coffee Mugs (1992 EXPO) $7.50 each – ppd.

You’ll find coffee never tasted better. Only 43 available!

Commemorative Flasks - Fabulous Fakes! $8.50 each – ppd.

1969 ABCA 10th “Success to the RR” Green 1976 EXPO, St. Louis (Scroll) Blue, Amber, Olive, Aqua 1988 EXPO, Las Vegas “Celebration of Am. Glass” Blue 1994 FOHBC Nat’l, Cherry Hills, New Jersey FOHBC 25th (free-blown date seal) Olive EXPO & National Show Programs $5.30 each – ppd.

1984 EXPO Souvenir Program, Montgomery, Alabama 1988 EXPO Souvenir Program, Las Vegas, Nevada 1994 National Souvenir Program, Cherry Hill, New Jersey 2001 National Auction Catalogs $4.30 each – ppd.

1984 Update & Price Guide, C Ring & S Ray $3.30 each – ppd.

116-pg. update to For Bitters Only by Carlyn Ring FOHBC Decals $1.00 each – ppd.

Please specify INSIDE or OUTSIDE…

FOHBC Pins & Buttons $3.00 each – ppd.

The Original Emblem, from the 1976 EXPO, St. Louis, Mo. 1984 EXPO Button, Montgomery, Alabama (Very limited quantities) 1988 EXPO Pins, Las Vegas, Nevada T-Shirts, 1988 EXPO, Las Vegas 2 XL only! $10.50 each – ppd.

Back Issues: “Federation Journal” $13.30 per copy – ppd.

Spring 1974 (V2-1), Fall 1974 (V2-2) Spring 1975 (V3-1), Fall 1975 (V3-2) Back Issues: “Bottles & Extras” $5.30 per copy – ppd.

Only a few issues not available… ~ Please Note: Prices include shipping ~

Submit orders to: Federation Merchandise c/o Margie Williams 1835 Oak, Terr., Newcastle, CA 95658

Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004

81

FOHBC SHO-BIZ FOHBC Sho-Biz is published in the interest of the hobby. Federation affiliated clubs are noted. Information on up-coming collecting events is welcome, but space is limited.

Please send at least four months in advance, including telephone number, to: FOHBC Sho-Biz, c/o Ron Rasnake, 6301 Lilyan Parkway, Fort Pierce, FL 34951, or E-mail: RonOldGins@bellsouth.net. Show schedules are subject to change. Please call ahead before traveling long distances.

All listings published here will also be published on our web site at http://www.fohbc.com.

JANUARY 2004 JAN 11 - MUNCIE, INDIANA The Midwest Antique Fruit Jar & Bottle Club presents their famous Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM - 3 PM) at the Horizon Convention Center, 401 S. High Street, Muncie, IN 47305. Hotel: Radisson Hotel Roberts, 420 S. High St. Muncie, IN 47305. Phone: 1-800-359-4827 or (765) 741-7777. INFO: NORM BARNETT, P.O. Box 38, Flat Rock, IN 47234; Phone: (812) 587-5560 or DICK COLE, Minnetrista, 1-800-428-5887.

Website: www.fruitjar.org.

JAN 11 - S. ATTLEBORO, MASS. Little Rhody Bottle Club’s Annual Show & Sale (Sun. 10 AM – 2 PM, early admission 9 AM) at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 304 Highland Ave. (I-95 exit 2B), South Attleboro, Massachusetts.

INFO: ART PAWLOWSKI, P. O. Box 314, Hope, RI 02831-0314,

PH: (401) 647-3585, E-mail: blobtops@aol.com; Website: www.littlerhodybottleclub.org.

JAN 17 - JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI Mississippi Antique Bottle Show & Sale (Sat. 9 AM – 4 PM) at the Mississippi Fairgrounds, Jackson, Mississippi. INFO: JOHN SHARP, P. O. Box 544, Louisville, MS 39339, PH: (662) 773-7880, E-mail: johnsharp49@aol.com.

JAN 17 - STRONGSVILLE, OHIO Western Reserve Insulator Club’s 5th Annual Winterfest Swap Meet (Sat. 10 AM - 3 PM) at the Spyglass Hill Recreation Center, 13201 Compass Point Dr., Strongsville, Ohio. INFO/RSVP: JOHN HOVANEC, PH: (440) 237-2242, E-mail: wric@clubs.insulators.com.

JAN 18 - BLETCHLEY, ENGLAND National Society of Collectors Fair’s Annual Winter National (Sun. 11 AM – 4

LAS VEGAS ANTIQUE BOTTLES & COLLECTIBLES CLUB PROUDLY PRESENTS OUR 39TH ANNUAL

COLLECTIBLES SHOW & SALE

PM, early admission 9 AM) at the Bletchley Leisure Center, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Bucks, England. INFO: PAMELA BALL, 2 Pound Cottage, Blackthorn, Bicester, Oxon, England OX25 1TE, PH/FAX: 011 44 1869 241107.

JAN 24 - ALLENTOWN, PENN. Pennsylvania Antique Bottle, Breweriana & Advertising Winter Show & Sale (Sat. 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM, early admission 8 AM) at the Merchant’s Square Antique Mall, 12 th & Vultee St., Allentown, Pennsylvania.

INFO: MARK ZEPPENFELT, 4881 Cypress St., Wescosville, PA 18106, PH: (610) 3910271, E-mail: uuubuy@aol.com.

JAN 24 - ANDERSON, CALIFORNIA Superior California Bottle Club’s 28th Annual Show & Sale (Sat. 9 AM - 4 PM) at the Shasta County Fairgrounds, Anderson, California. INFO: MEL

BALTIMORE

ANTIQUE BOTTLE CLUB

FEBRUARY 20-21, 2004

PLAZA HOTEL NUMBER ONE MAIN STREET - LAS VEGAS 1-800-634-6575 MENTION SHOW FOR DISCOUNT ROOM RESERVATIONS PLEASE MAKE SHOW & ROOM RESERVATIONS EARLY EXPIRES JANUARY 19, 2004 BOTTLES - JARS - POSTCARDS - TRADE TOKENS PAPER GOODS - IINSULATORS - GLASSWARE - MARBLES NEVADA MEMORABILIA - DOLLS - ADVERTISING MATERIAL CASINO COLLECTIBLES - VINTAGE JEWELRY - TOYS SMALL ANTIQUES - MATCH COVERS - AND MUCH MORE

SHOW HOURS EARLY BIRD FRIDAY - FEB. 20 Noon - 6PM $10

For More Information Contact Show Chairman: Mike Presley 6768 Greengrove Drive Las Vegas, NV 89103 Home: (702) 364-9336 Cell: (702) 524-0301 E-mail: bapres@aol.com

GENERAL ADMISSION SATURDAY - FEB. 21 9AM - 5PM $4 Dealer Setup: Friday, Feb. 20 8am - Noon

24th ANNUAL SHOW AND SALE Sunday - March 7, 2004 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Physical Education Center Essex Campus of the Community College of Baltimore County 7201 Rossville Blvd. - Exit 34, I-695 Baltimore, Maryland 21237 The largest one-day bottle show in the world.

Admission - $3 Information: Bob Ford - Show Chairman Phone: (410) 531-9459 E-mail: bottles@comcast.net www.baltimorebottleclub.org

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Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004

The Empire State Bottle Collectors Association Presents

~ RENO ~

Antique Bottle & Collectibles Club 42nd Annual Show & Sale

Saturday July 17, 2004

Reno/Sparks Convention Center 4590 South Virginia Street North Entrance

Saturday Show: 9:00 A.M - 3:00 P.M. Admission $3.00 Friday Dealer Setup; 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Friday Early Bird: 12:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. Show Info: Willy Young (775) 746-8922 Reservations: Helen Walker (775) 345-0171

Over 100 Tables !

BOTTLES - COINS - TOKENS ADVERTISING - INSULATORS ANTIQUES - AND MORE!

34th Annual Spring Show and Sale Sunday, March 28, 2004 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The American Legion Valley Post #1468 110 Academy Street

Syracuse, New York

$2 Donation - 12 and under FREE

Food caterred by Monkey in the Middle Handicap Accessible Free Parking - No Early Adm - Appraisal Table - Limit 3 items

Show Chairman: John Spellman Dealer Chairman - Carol Spellman E-mail: spellmanjc@tds.net

P.O. Box 61 Savannah, NY 13146 (315) 365-3156

Club Website: www.esbca.org

The 32nd Annual Milwaukee Antique Bottle & Advertising Club Show & Sale

Sunday, February 8, 2004 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Four Points Sheraton

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I-94 exit 318 to Howell Ave., then 3/4 mile North

Info: David Kapsos Phone: (608) 838-8041 6213 Mourning Dove Dr. E-mail: foxhead@chorus.net McFarland, WI 53558

34th Annual

Antique Bottle & Jar Show St. Louis Antique Bottle Collectors Association

Sunday, March 21st, 2004 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Two Hearts Banquet Center

4532 S. Lindbergh at Gravois, St. Louis • 105 Sales tables plus displays • Admission $3.00 - Kids free • No early admission • Food and drink available

Chairs: Ron Sterzik George Casnar 2080 Sterzik Drive 4455 Helterbrand Road Arnold, MO 63010 Festus, MO 63028 Phone: (636) 296-3112 Phone: (636) 337-2326

Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004

HAMMER, PH: (530) 2414878 or PHIL MCDONALD, PH: (530) 243-6903.

JAN 24-25 - ST. PETERSBURG, FL. Suncoast Antique Bottle Collectors Association’s 35th Annual Show & Sale (Sat. 9 AM – 5 PM, Sun. 9 AM – 3 PM) at the National Guard Armory, 3601 38th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, Florida.

INFO: GEORGE DUEBEN, P. O. Box 11001, St. Petersburg, FL 33733, PH: (727) 393-8189 or CHRIS CUBE, 10193 64 th St., No., Pinellas Park, FL 33781, PH: (727) 541-5229.

JAN 31 - ROME, GEORGIA Rome Bottle Club’s Annual Show &Sale (Sat. 8 AM – 3 PM) at the Rome Civic Center, Turner McCall Blvd., Rome, Georgia. INFO: JERRY MITCHELL, P. O. Box 475, Bremen, GA 30110, PH/ FAX: (770) 537-3725, E-mail: mitst@aol.com or BOB JENKINS, 285 Oak Grove Rd., Carrollton, GA 30177, PH: (770) 834-0736.

FEBRUARY 2004 FEB 1 - SOUTH RIVER, N. J. New Jersey Antique Bottle Club’s

83

(NJABC) 8 th Annual Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM – 2 PM) at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 88 Jackson St., South River, New Jersey. INFO: NJABC, 24 Charles St., South River, NJ 08882-1603 or JOE BUTEWICZ, PH: (732) 238-3238, E-mail: botlman@aol.com.

FEB 7 - YUMA, ARIZONA Grand Canyon State Insulator Club’s 5th Annual Show/Tailgater (Sat.10 AM - mid afternoon) at Riverside Park next to Yuma Territorial Prison, Giss Parkway (I-8 exit 1), Yuma, Arizona. INFO: ROGER NAGEL, PH: (623) 566-0121.

FEB 8 - MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN Milwaukee Antique Bottle & Advertising Club Show and Sale (Sun. 9 AM - 3 PM) at Four Points Sheraton, 4747 S. Howell Ave. (I-94, Exit 318), Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Admission $4. INFO: DAVID, PH: (608) 838-8041 or E-mail: foxhead@chorus.net.

FEB 13-14 - CENTRALIA, WASH. Oregon Bottle Collectors Association’s Winter Show (Sun. 8 AM – 3 PM, early admission Sat. 1 PM - 7 PM) at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds, I-5 exit 79, Centralia, Washington. INFO:

The Deland M-T Bottle Collectors Club Presents Their

34th Annual Antique Bottle Insulator & Collectibles Show &Sale

Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 9 am to 3 pm

JIM or JULIE DENNIS, PH: (541) 4672760, E-mail: jmdennis@hotmail.com.

FEB 20-21 - LAS VEGAS, NEVADA Las Vegas Antique Bottle & Collectibles Club’s 39th Annual Show & Sale (Sat. 9 AM – 5 PM, early admission Fri. noon – 6 PM) at the Plaza Hotel, 1 Main St., Las Vegas, Nevada. INFO: MIKE PRESLEY, 6768 Greengrove Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89103, PH: (702) 364-9446 or 524-0301, E-mail: bapres@aol.com.

FEB 22 - ENFIELD, CONNECTICUT Somers Antique Bottle Club’s 34th Annual Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM – 2 PM, early admission 8 AM) at St. Bernard’s West Campus School, Pearl Street (I-91 exit 47 west), Enfield, Connecticut. INFO: ROSE SOKOL, 164 Elm St., Enfield, CT 06082, PH: (860) 745-7688.

FEB 28 - GRANDVILLE, MICHIGAN West Michigan Antique Bottle & Glass Club’s 15th Annual Show & Sale, (Sat. 10 AM - 3 PM) at the Fonger American Legion Post, 2327 Wilson S. W., Grandville, Michigan. INFO: ELMER OGG, 1591 Hendrick Rd., Muskegon, MI 49441, PH: (231) 798-7335, E-mail: eogg@nortonshore.rog or STEVE

7th Annual Vicksburg Antique Bottle Show and Sale!

Much more than just bottles!

Bottles, Tins, Stoneware, Jugs, Glassware, Marbles, Fruit Jars, Milk Bottles, Civil War Relics, Postcards, etc...

SATURDAY, JULY 24th, 2004 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Set-up Time: 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Volusia County Fairgrounds S.R. 44 & I-4 Exit 118 (old 56)

Battlefield Inn Vicksburg, Miss.

FREE ADMISSION - FREE PARKING - FREE APPRAISALS

4137 I-20 N. Frontage Road, Exit 4-B Direct Reservations: 1-800-359-9363

DELAND, FLORIDA

For more info, contact:

Bill Marks Ph: (386) 789-5255 Fax: (386) 789-4667 bmarks2@cfl.rr.com

M. Pallasch 7 Monroe Ave. DeBary, FL 32713 Ph: (286) 668-4538

INFORMATION, CONTACT: Cason Schaffer 107 Eastvuew Drive Vicksburg, MS 39183 (601) 638-1195

84

Bottles and Extras

Winter 2004

DeBOODE, 1166 Corvette Dr., Jenison, MI 49428, PH: (616) 667-0214, E-mail: grbottleguy@aol.com.

MARCH 2004 MAR 6 - MARYLAND LINE, MD. Chesapeake Bay Insulator Club’s 16th Annual Show & Sale (Sat. 9 AM – 3 PM) at the Maryland Line Fire Hall, I-83 just south of the Pennsylvania border, Maryland Line, Maryland. INFO: LARRY NOVAK, PH: (301) 680-8910, E-mail: cbic@clubs.insulators.com; Website: www.insulators.com/clubs/ cbic.

MAR 7 - BALTIMORE, MARYLAND The Baltimore Bottle Club 24th Annual Show and Sale (Sun. 8 AM - 3 PM, Admission $3) at the Physical Education Center, Essex Campus of the Community College of Baltimore County, 7201 Rossville Blvd. (Exit 34, off I-695), Baltimore, Maryland 21237. INFO: BOB FORD, PH: (410) 531-9459, E-mail: bottles@comcast.net; Website: www.baltimorebottleclub.org; MAR 20 - DELAND, FLORIDA M-T Bottle Collectors Association’s 34th Annual Show & Sale (Sat. 9 AM – 3 PM) at the Volusia County Fairgrounds, FL Route 44 (I-4 exit 118), Deland, Florida. INFO: M. PALLASCH, 7 Monroe Ave., DeBary, FL 32713, PH: (386) 668-4538.

MAR 20 - ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI The 2nd Annual St. Joseph Insulator/Bottle Show & Sale (Sat. 9 AM – 3 PM) at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 4520 Mitchell Ave., St. Joseph, Missouri. INFO: DENNIS WEBER, 3609 Jackson St., St. Joseph, MO 64507, PH: (816) 364-1312,E-mail: soexco@netscape.net.

MAR 21 - FLINT, MICHIGAN Flint Antique Bottle & Collectible Club’s 34th Annual Show & Sale, (Sun. 9 AM - 3 PM) at the Dom Polski Hall, 3415, N. Linden Rd., Flint, Michigan. INFO: TIM BUDA, 11353 W. Cook Rd., Gaines, MI 48436. PH: (989) 271-9193, E-Mail: tbuda@shianet.org.

MAR 21 - ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI St. Louis Antique Bottle Collectors Association’s 34th Annual Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM – 3 PM) at the Two Hearts Banquet center, 4532 S. Lindbergh at Gravois, St. Louis, Missouri. INFO: RON STERZIK, 2080 Sterzik Dr., Arnold, MO 63010, PH: (636) 296-3112 or GEORGE CASNAR, 4455 Helterbrand Rd., Festus, MO 63028, PH: (636) 337-2326.

MAR 27 - DAPHNE, ALABAMA Mobile Bottle Collectors Club’s 31st Annual Show & Sale (Sat. 9 AM – 3 PM) at the Daphne Civic Center, Whispering Pines Rd. & U. S. Hwy. 98, Daphne, Alabama. INFO: JOHN SIMMONS, 8851 Four Mile Rd., Irvington, AL 36544, PH: (251) 824-2697, E-mail: josphs@msn.com; or ROD VINING, 8844 Lee Circle, Irvington, AL 36544, PH: (251) 957-6725, E-mail: vinewood@mchsi.com.

MAR 27 - SALEM, OREGON The 7th Mid-Willamette Valley Insulator Swap & Potluck. (Sat. 11 AM – 4 PM) Salem, Oregon. INFO: NATHAN LAMKEY, PH: (503) 364-3226 (days), E-mail: insulators@angelfire.com.

MAR 28 - SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

Empire State Bottle Collectors Association’s 34th Spring Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM - 3 PM) at American Legion Post #1468, 110 Academy St., Syracuse, New York. INFO: JOHN or CAROL SPELLMAN, P. O. Box 61, Savannah, NY 13146, PH: (315) 365-3156, E-mail: spellmanjc@tds.net, Website: www.esbca.rog.

MAR 28 - ENFIELD, CONNECTICUT Yankee Pole Cat Insulator Club’s Show & Sale (Sun. 8 AM – 2 PM) at the American Legion Hall, 566 Enfield St. (US Route 5, I-91 exit 49), Enfield, Connecticut. INFO: JOHN RAJPOLT, 17 Pheasant Lane, Monroe, CT 06468, PH: (203) 261-1190, Email: rajpolt@earthlink.net.

APRIL 2004 APRIL 2-3 - WHEATON, ILLINOIS Collector’s Jubilee Antique Insulator & Collectibles Show (Fri. 10 AM – 5 PM, Sat. 9 AM – 1 PM) at the Du Page County Fairgrounds, Wheaton, Illinois. INFO: JIM CRANDALL, 1486 Prospect Ave., Des Plaines, IL 60018, PH: (847) 827-4727 APRIL 3 - KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN Kalamazoo Antique Bottle & Glass Show 25th Annual Show & Michigan’s largest bottle show (Sat. 10 AM – 3 PM) at the Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds, 2900 Lake St., Kalamazoo, MI. INFO: JOHN PASTOR, 7288 Thorncrest Dr. SE, Ada, MI 49301, PH: (616) 285-7604, E-mail: jpastor2000@msn.com.

APRIL 18 - ROCHESTER, NEW YORK Genesee Valley Bottle Collectors Association’s 35th Annual Show & Sale (Sun. 9 AM - 3 PM) at the ESL Sports Centre at Monroe Community College, 2700 Brighton-Henrietta Town Line Rd., Rochester, New York (New Show Location). INFO: DON ANGELINI, PH: (585) 265-9516, E-mail: ange63@frontiernet.net or TOM WHIPPLE, PH: (585) 5543964, E-mail: gvbcadealerstables@hotmail.com; Web site: www.gvbca.org.

APRIL 23–24 - VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA Golden Gate Historical Bottle Society’s 38th Annual Show & Sale (Sat. 9 AM - 4 PM, early admission Fri. 2 PM – 8 PM) at the Solano County Fairgrounds McCormack Hall, 900 Fairgrounds Dr. (Hwy. 37/80 across from Six Flags Marine World), Vallejo, California. INFO: GARY ANTONE, 752 Murdell Lane, Livermore, CA 94550-5104, PH: (925) 373-6758 or (650) 603-9254, E-mail: packrat49er@netscape.net.

SUPPORT THE BOTTLE CLUBS MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND A SHOW Before traveling long distances - CALL FIRST

Always remember that the show listings are always Current and Up-to-Date on the website at: www.FOHBC.com

The Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors Presents

EXPO 2004

ANTIQUE BOTTLE AND ADVERTISING SHOW AUGUST 13 - 15, 2004 MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

Hosted by The Memphis Bottle Collectors Club

Memphis Cook Convention Center 255 N. Main St., Memphis, Tennessee Show Times Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Sunday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Show Chairman Gene Bradberry P.O. Box 341062 Memphis, TN 38184 Phone: (901) 372-8428 E-mail: Expo2004@midsouth.rr.com

We are currently accepting consignments for the auction held in conjunction with the EXPO To discuss the possibility of consigning an item or group of items, or for more information regarding this sale, please contact: John R. Pastor, 1st Vice President - FOHBC 7288 Thorncrest Drive, SE Ada, MI 49301 Phone: (616) 285-7604 E-mail: JPastor2000@msn.com

Random Shots with Howard Currier - Page 56 -

Fruit Jars History Worth Remembering - Page 30 -

Catch the shows with Ralph, beginning on Page 6

The Colorado Saloon Legacy of James Prucell - Page 37 -

Schlitz - The Beer and Bottles That Made Milwaukee Famous - Page 25 Bottles & Extras c/o FOHBC Ralph Van Brocklin, DMD 1021 W. Oakland Avenue Suite #109 Johnson City, TN 37604

PERIIODICALS

POSTAGE PAID Johnson City, TN 37601