Glass Batons and Canes at Glass Works Auction #96

Posted on 18 January 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Back in May and June of 2012, PRG did a series on Whimsies which concluded with glass canes and batons. Read: Glass Cane Whimsies. After the post I was tipped off by a reader to look for some great canes in an upcoming Glass Works auction. I even got a few reminders. Well the auction is here and online now. This being the Glass Works Auction #96 “Cabin Fever” auction. Maybe a better name for this post should be….

King Jesse

Freeblown Drum Majors Glass Baton, American Glass House Whimsy late 19th to early 20 Century, white chalk interior encased in a twisted clear glass with orange and maroon swirled bands of color, 67” in length, sheared open tip, excellent condition. – Glass Works Auction 96

You see, Jesse is Jim Hagenbuch’s right-hand-man and he is posing with all the canes. What a job. Actually these batons and canes are really nice and are in immaculate condition. With Jesse posing, it certainly gives you a better understanding of the various sizes. Glass Works does however, prominently note the following: Due to their fragile nature, none of the glass canes in this auction will be mailed. Instead, arrangements must be made to pick them up at our gallery or have them delivered to a show we will be attending.

I guess that counts me out here in Texas. I suppose I could have a can or two delivered to the Baltimore show and hand carry thru TSA at the airport. That would be a hoot.

GLASS BATONS & CANES

Freeblown Drum Majors Glass Baton, American Glass House Whimsy late 19th to early 20 Century, clear glass with yellow, blue and maroon alternating swirled colored bands, 73” in length, sheared open tip, a small vent is in the bulbous end, excellent condition. – Glass Works Auction 96

Freeblown Drum Majors Glass Baton, American Glass House Whimsy late 19th to early 20 Century, clear glass with deep cobalt blue swirled color bands, 51” in length, sheared open tip, excellent condition. – Glass Works Auction 96

Freeblown Drum Majors Glass Baton, American Glass House Whimsy late 19th to early 20 Century, white chalk interior encased in clear glass with pink swirled color bands, 41” in length, sheared and tooled open tip. Possibly made for a younger person. A very rare, attractive peppermint striped baton! Excellent condition! – Glass Works Auction 96

Freeblown Glass Cane, American Glass House Whimsy late 19th to early 20 Century, clear glass with cranberry red slightly twisted color bands, 47” in length, tooled ends, excellent condition. – Glass Works Auction 96

Freeblown Glass Cane, American Glass House Whimsy late 19th to early 20 Century, twisted clear glass with a yellow amber center color band, 30” in length, tooled ends, excellent condition. Very rare in this smaller size! – Glass Works Auction 96

Freeblown Glass Cane, American Glass House Whimsy late 19th to early 20 Century, amber color glass. Square cane with twist in handle, 39” in length, sheared and tooled end, excellent condition. – Glass Works Auction 96

Freeblown Glass Cane, American Glass House Whimsy late 19th to early 20 Century, amber color glass encased in aqua glass. tightly twisted lower one-third and handle, 33” in length, sheared and tooled tip, excellent condition. – Glass Works Auction 96

Freeblown Glass Cane, American Glass House Whimsy late 19th to early 20 Century, clear glass with red and white alternating color bands. Twisted lower one-third and handle, 31 1/2” in length, tooled tip, excellent condition. – Glass Works Auction 96

Freeblown Glass Cane, American Glass House Whimsy late 19th to early 20 Century, pale greenish aqua glass with two dark red amber (black) twisted alternating color bands, 46 3/4” in length, tooled open end, excellent condition. – Glass Works Auction 96

Posted in Auction News, Whimsies | Tagged baton, cane, Glass, Glass Works Auctions, Whimsey, Whimsies | Leave a comment

Some Recent Finds – Cody Zeleny

Posted on 17 January 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

There are lots of great finds to be had out there still, it just takes time and patience and you will be rewarded!

I was in disbelief of what was in front of me. As I picked up the flask I was in awe, the color was brilliant!

Hi Ferdinand,

Cody Zeleny here, I haven’t been on the facebook group pages for awhile but I’m still out looking for great bottles. I figured I would share a few recent finds that I thought were cool.

First of all, I want to share a find I had at an antique show here in Ohio this Fall. Typically this show brought no additions to my collections for many years now, but this one was different. The show was full of great early glass, but everything to me seemed way over priced. As I was leaving, I glanced over to a table and noticed the distinctive shape of a flask. As I drew closer to it, I was in disbelief of what was in front of me. As I picked up the flask I was in awe, the color was brilliant! I flipped the price tag over and needless to say, it came home with me. The piece turned out to be a GIII-17 in a wonderful dark teal shade filled with seed bubbles (see picture above). I’m still in shock of this find!

Next up are these two. I was up by Lake Erie, going to a few shops and I wound up at a shop that always seemed closed each time I went by. As I walked in, I was drawn to a badly damaged pikes peak on a display stand. Sad about the damage, I asked the owners if they had any more bottles. One replied that they had a few downstairs, but they were junk. As I made my way downstairs I turned the corner into the room and sitting right at the end were a few bottles. I made my way over to find nothing other than a nice Ohio globular in a fantastic apple green color full of bubbles (see immediate below), then I pick up next a Wishart’s Pine Tree Tar Cordial (see bottom picture)! I carefully took them upstairs only to be even more happy when there’s 20% off the Ten dollar a piece price tag!

There are lots of great finds to be had out there still, it just takes time and patience and you will be rewarded!

Cody Zeleny

Wow. Congratulations Cody. Nice to hear from you. Not only are your finds fantastic but the photographs as well. Way to go! Thanks for sharing.

Posted in Advice, Collectors & Collections, Cordial, Digging and Finding, Flasks, Historical Flasks, News | Tagged Cody Zeleny, find, Flask, GIII-17, Ohio globular, Wishart's Pine Tree Tar Cordial | 1 Comment

U.S. Gold Bitters – Augusta, Maine

Posted on 16 January 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

U.S. GOLD BITTERS – Augusta, Maine

16 January 2013 (R•010319) (R•012019)

Yesterday all started innocently enough with an email from my friend and fellow bitters collector Jeff Burkhardt (Froggy) from Cedarburg, Wisconsin telling me he might take a U.S. Gold Bitters to the upcoming Baltimore Antique Bottle Show on 04 March 2013.

Say what? That is a rare bottle that you hardly ever see. Jeff even referenced the last one sold from The Bryan Grapentine collection in the American Bottle Auctions “Grapentine I” Auction that closed in April 2007 (see catalog to left). Well, that’s my baby and I had not thought about this bottle for some time. Possibly when long-time Memphis collector, digger and FOHBC Conventions Director Tom Phillips and I last spoke regarding rare bitters. You see Tom is also a big-time coin dealer and collector and says the coin guys like this bottle as it depicts a US $20 Dollar gold coin on the bottle. Possibly the only bitters bottle with a United States coin embossed on it. Tom actually has an aqua and clear example from what I understand.

Well, time to pull out the US Gold Bitters pictures and related information so we can get to the rest of the bottle story.

The Carlyn Ring and W.C. listing in Bitters Bottles is as follows:

U 11 U.S. GOLD BITTERS

U.S ( su ) / GOLD ( su ) / BITTERS ( su ) / U.S (su ) // sp // U.S / GOLD ( su ) / motif US $20 coin / U.S / 1877 / sp // // s // OFFICER // PATENT // IN U.S // REGISTERED //
Partridge Bros. Druggists and chemists Augusta, Maine
10 x 2 1/2 (6 1/4)
Square, Aqua & Clear, LTCR, Tooled lip, 4 sp, Rare

Note: This brand must pre-date 1864, the year Federal law made it illegal to us a facsimile of a gold coin. This prohibition applied to coins only. PRG: I doubt this.

“Incredible, I have lived in Augusta, even had a bottle store in Augusta, I have never seen one of these!”

CoboltMoon Glass

That’s the only clear example I know of. I acquired this bottle from Howard Crowe in the 1980s. I also purchased an aqua example about the same time. My clear example is virtually perfect. My aqua example has a medium amount of stain but no damage. Last fall, Howard Crowe offered his personal example to me, and I sold it to a coin dealer that collects coin-related items. Howard acquired the bottle from a collector at a Virginia show in the 1980s. The bottle is near mint with a slight amount of stain. Back in the 80s, I told Howard to offer me any gold bitters that he came across, and this is the first one he’s offered to me since then. Dick Watson has an aqua example in his collection. I believe your example is from the Grapentine sale.

I saw two aqua examples at a small Connecticut show in 1978. The same dealer had both examples. I didn’t purchase either one of them; however, obviously I wish I had. He had priced them in the $300 range. Glass Works Auctions sold one in the 1990s and it may have been the one that Brian had in his collection that you eventually purchased. The examples I saw at the Connecticut show could also be some of the ones known in collections today. I have solicited info from many dealers and collectors and know of no others except the one you emailed me that will be at the Baltimore show.

Tom Phillips

Gold US $20 Liberty Eagle coin dated 1875 and embossed UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TWENTY D. (see below for update)

Type 1 Reverse $20 Gold Coin as depicted on the U.S. Gold Bitters. The difference is there is no “In God We Trust” inside the circle of stars above the eagle on the reverse. – Tom Phillips

[27 January 2013 update]

I am following up with some more information about the U.S. Gold Bitters. The coin depicted on the bottle is the reverse design of a Type 1 U.S. $20 Gold Liberty Double Eagle Coin. This type was used from 1850-1865. The design change was made in 1866. The new design included our motto, In God We Trust, inside the circle of stars above the eagle. In God We Trust was first used in coinage in 1864 on the 2 cent piece. The Type 2 with motto reverse was used from 1866-1876. The Type 3 reverse was adopted in 1877. This new design spelled out the word “Dollars” instead of the abbreviation “D” located near the rim at the base of the design. The Type 3 designs were used from 1877 to 1907, when the Liberty type was replaced by the Saint Gaudens type.

The age of the examples I have seen do not appear to match with the date on the bottle. All have tooled lips and are not very crude, especially the clear example. I believe these were probably made in the 1880s.

To my knowledge, there is only one other American-made bottle with an embossed gold coin. This other bottle is a milk glass figural whiskey nip of a $5 gold liberty head coin with an octopus on top. It was probably made in the 1890s. Some believe that this may actually be a silver dollar coin, and not a gold coin. There are only a few coin-shaped bottles that were produced in the 1880s and 1890s. All are scarce. In 1892, coin glass was made for the Chicago World Columbian Exposition. Initially, the company used exact coin designs. The Secret Service forced them to destroy their inventory and start over using altered designs. Could the U.S. Gold Bitters have suffered the same fate or did they simply go out of business after limited production? I hope this info is helpful. Please feel free to use it in any way.

Tom Phillips

THE BOTTLE

U.S. GOLD BITTERS in aqua – Meyer Collection (ex-Bryan Grapentine)

AUGUSTA, MAINE

View of Augusta, Maine, 1878 – Drawn & published by Ruger & Stoner. This bird’s-eye view of Augusta, Maine depicts the city as it appeared fifty-one years after becoming the state capitol of Maine. Named for the daughter of Henry Dearborn, the fifth United States Secretary of War and veteran of the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, Augusta was part of a region known as “the fort” after British Fort Western was built on the eastern bank of the Kennebec River in 1754, at the beginning of the French and Indian War. The abundant streams in the area provided water power to mills, with numerous saw mills established in the 1830’s and 1840’s. Five years after this map was published, the A. & W. Sprague Saw Mill (referenced on the map) was purchased to manufacture bricks and textiles.

U.S. GOLD BITTERS in colorless or clear glass – Tom Phillips Collection

PARTRIDGE BROTHERS

Charles Kimball PARTRIDGE & Frank R. PARTRIDGE

Charles Kimball Partridge was born in Augusta, Maine on December 9th, 1836. When 14 years of age he was “Apprenticed” to Eben Fuller, apothecary, beginning thus early the work which, saving a short interval, be continued until his last illness came upon him. After leaing the business he entered the wholesale drug house of W. T. Phillips & Co. at Portland, afterward establishing and conducting a retail store in the same city. Returning to Augusta, he was employed by Charles F. Potter until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he became chief clerk of the adjutant-general’s office under General J. L. Hodsdon. Here he spent four years in the hardest kind of duty, and bore a great burden of responsibility.

In 1865, Mr. Partridge sustained injuries by falling from a tree which caused hemorrhage of the lungs and endangered his life. Recovering, he went into partnership with his former employer, Mr. Potter, but soon bought him out. September of the same year his store was destroyed by the “great fire” and he occupied one-half of the Wells store until Granite Block was finished in 1866, when he moved in, and never afterward quitted the building except for brief periods after the two other fires which occurred in his premises. In 1874 he and his brother, Frank R. formed the firm of Partridge Brothers, which dissolved in 1887, after which he carried on the business alone. At his death he was and had been for years, in point both of age and service, the oldest druggist in Augusta and one of the oldest in the state.

Mr. Partridge was a charter member of the Maine Pharmaceutical Association, founded in 1877, and its president for several terms. In the same year he was one of the originators of the Maine Commission of Pharmacy. It was largely through his efforts that the existing pharmacy law was passed, and he was a member of the first board of examiners. He was also a member of the American Pharmaceutical Association. – The Druggists’ Circular and Chemical Gazette, Volume 46 – 1902

Aqua U.S. GOLD BITTERS – Meyer Collection (ex-Bryan Grapentine)

Aqua U.S. GOLD BITTERS – Meyer Collection (ex-Bryan Grapentine)

Lot: 190 “U.S. / Gold / Bitters / U.S. / U.S / Gold / (US $20 Coin) / U.S / 1877 / Registered / In U.S / Patent / Office” Bitters Bottle, America, 1877-1900. Square with rounded corners, modified cabin form, colorless, tooled sloping collared mouth with ring – smooth base, ht. 9 7/8 inches; (front panel has some light exterior haze near the base). R/H #U-11 A rare bottle from Augusta, Maine. Fine condition. – Heckler Auction #171

Chas K. Partridge

Sam Fuller found this illustration above showing the corner store of Chas. K. Partridge at Granite Hall from ‘Leading Business Men of Lewiston, Augusta and Vicinity‘ 1889. The copy below accompanied the picture where the new Post Office Building on Water Street is featuted.

Select Listings:

1837: Charles Kimball Partridge Birth Date: 9 Dec 1837, Father: Reuben Partridge, Mother: Charlotte F Partridge, – U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

1870: Chas K Partridge, Druggist, Age in 1870: 34, Birth Year: abt 1836, Birthplace: Maine, Dwelling Number: 459, Home in 1870: Augusta, Kennebec, Maine, Personal Estate Value: 6,000, Inferred Spouse: Mary L Partridge, Household Members: Chas K Partridge 34, Mary L Partridge 33, Infant Partridge 1/12 – 1870 United States Federal Census

1873: Charles K. Partridge, Surgical Instruments, Water, corner Market Sq. – Augusta, Maine, City Directory, 1873

1876: Partridge Brothers (Charles K. and Frank R. Partridge), druggists and apothecaries, Water, corner Market Sq. – Augusta, Maine, City Directory, 1876

1876: Newspaper advertisement (below) Partridges Drug Store, Corner Market Square – Daily Kennebec Journal, 01 September 1876

1878: Reference (below) to Partridge Brothers and U.S. Gold letters and word-symbol for Bitters product name, Augusta, Maine – New Remedies, Volume 7, Wm. Wood & Company, 1878

1878: Newspaper advertisement (below) Partridges Brothers selling U.S. Gold Bitters – Daily Kennebec Journal, 06 September 1878

1880: Chas. K. Partridge, Druggist, Age: 43, Birth Date: Abt 1837, Birthplace: Maine, Home in 1880: Augusta, Kennebec, Maine, Street: Green Street, House Number: 86, Dwelling Number: 57, Marital Status: Married, Spouse’s Name: Mary L. Partridge, Father’s Birthplace: Maine, Mother’s Birthplace: Maine, Household Members: Chas. K. Partridge 43, Mary L. Partridge 41, Winifred Partridge 10, Margaret P. Partridge 7, Anna L. Partridge 30 – 1880 United States Federal Census

1894: Charles K Partridge, Frank R. Partridge, Patent Medicines, U.S. Gold Cough Cure, Little Gem Persciptions, Cigars & Tobacco, Stationery, 200 and 292 Water opp P.O., Augusta, Maine – Augusta, Maine, City Directory, 1894

1897: Charles K. Partridge, U.S. Gold Cough Cure, Little Gem Persciptions, etc., 294 Water, opposite P.O. – Augusta, Maine, City Directory, 1876

1900: Charles K Partridge, Merchant of Drugs, Age: 63, Birth Date: Dec 1836, Birthplace: Maine, Home in 1900: Augusta, Kennebec, Main, Ward of City: 2, Street: Green Street, House Number: 57, Marital Status: Married, Spouse’s Name: Mary R Partridge, Marriage Year: 1865, Father’s Birthplace: Maine, Mother’s Birthplace: Maine, Household Members: Charles K Partridge 63, Mary R Partridge 62, Winifred Partridge 30, Margaret P Partridge 27, Annie L Partridge 53 – 1900 United States Federal Census

1902: Charles Kimball Partridge Death (Cerebral Congestion) Date: 26 Aug 1902, Cemetery: Forest Grove Cemetery, Burial or Cremation Place: Augusta, Kennebec County, Maine, Spouse: Mary Roberts Partridge, Children: Margaret Prescott Partridge – U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

Posted in Apothecary, Bitters, Collectors & Collections, Currency, Druggist & Drugstore, History, Medicines & Cures | Tagged $20, Apothecary, Augusta, bitters, Bryan Grapentine, Charles F. Potter, Charles Kimball Partridge, coin, Druggist & Drugstore, Eagle, Eben Fuller, Frank R. Partridge, General J. L. Hodsdon, gold, Henry Dearborn, Jeff Burkhardt, Kennebec River, Liberty, Maine, Ruger & Stoner, Sam Fuller, Tom Phillips, U.S., United States, W. T. Phillips & Co. | 7 Comments

Photographs of People Drinking – Part V

Posted on 15 January 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

“Skeleton in Closet” pouring drink- my favorite! What a strong message.

Photographs of People Drinking – Part V

PART V of a Series

15 January 2013

Presenting the Fifth Gallery of vintage pictures of “People Drinking”. This is a continuation of a series. See bottom of post for index. If you have any candidates for inclusion in future galleries, please forward. Thanks.

People | Drinking Gallery V

Three gents posing, smoking pipes and toasting. – H.D. Klenke Photographer – Dietz, Texas

image protection artisans-lane vintage-views

OLD SCOTTISH FRIENDS TOASTING THE DAY, Scotland Art Masterpiece,1859 Antique Steel Engraving

Two couples appear to be having a smoking and drinking party on the beach, ca. 1905

Circa. 1905– Two couples smoking, and drinking whiskey and beer from a wooden keg on the beach. –Image DaZo Vintage Stock Photos/Images.com/Corbis

Wild Saloon Party

Who needs food?

Brown’s Indian Queen Herb Bitters (most likely) sitting on the table.

F.B. Meyer Druggists. Look closely at the vial belt on right!

Gent with bottles in the basket and on table. Photographer Ed Kalgenau – Rujen

Four Gentlemen Drinking Beer – Coalport, PA – J.Kerismer

Synchronized Drinking

These two gentlemen must be brothers!

Big Bill Best (see sales display) Bitters Party or “ZOMBIES” posing

I am not sure what this guy is mixing and I certainly wouldn’t drink it!

Three Girlfriends and a Bottle of Whiskey

Who says “blondes have more fun?”

Family Picnic with Violins, the Kids and a Keg of Schlitz Beer

On the more wholesome side, Lumberjack Milk Drinking Contest

Three male characters posing with Cigars, a bottle of Whiskey and one really bad toupee.

Four Distinguished Men Drinking. H.B. Hillyer Gallery – Austin, Texas

“May He Rest in Peace” Stereoscopic Card – “McCarthy’s Wake”

Sneaking a Drink

“A Popular Date”

Photographs of People Drinking – Part I

Photographs and Images of People Drinking – Part II

Photographs and Images of People Drinking – Part III

Photographs and Images of People Drinking – Part IV (Brewing)

Photographs and Images of People Drinking – Part V

Photographs and Images of People Drinking – Part VI

Possibly the Earliest Photograph of People Drinking Beer – Part VII

Posted in Advertising, Breweriana, Ephemera, History, Humor - Lighter Side, Photography, Spirits, Tobacco, Whiskey | Tagged cigar, Drinking, gallery, keg, party, people, Saloon, Smoking, vintage | Leave a comment

Some Great Pittsburgh Embossed Bottles

Posted on 15 January 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Ferdinand:

I thought I would send you a couple of pictures of a couple of new bottles I picked up. Often times forums are hard to explain in detail.

I’ve collected Pittsburgh bottles since 1974 and it is neat that new stuff always seems to turn up! The first picture is a half gallon cobalt druggist (embossed SCHWARTZ & HASLETT / PITTSBURGH / PENNA) from the 1870s. I had the pint, of which there are two known examples. This half gallon was purchased by a friend of mine at a house sale for $2. He was nice enough to work out a trade with me. It is the only one I’ve ever seen.

The second picture is one of the only two known examples of this lemon syrup (J.C. ANDERSON PURE LEMON SYRUP). They are about 11″ tall. The one on the right is open pontiled. I have had it for about 6 years. The blue one on the left was just found in a barn about 1/2 hour from me and it is iron pontiled. I flipped when I saw it, especially the color.

The last picture is of a one-of-a-kind Pittsburgh Medicine (GUGENHEIM’S JAPANESE TONIC PITTSBURGH). It is also a quart size and the only one known as far as I know. Deep kickup smooth base, but he was in business in the 1860’s.

Lastly, I was reading your article on Bennett and Carrol bottles (Read: Bennett & Carroll – Figural Barrel Series). A friend here in town has a barrel in olive green, iron pontil. I believe there are two known. I have a couple of flasks and a honey amber barrel, iron pontil as well. Rare bottle. The barrel’s come both smooth base and iron pontil. The flasks are all iron pontil.

The first listing for William Bennett is in the 1847 Pittsburgh directory where he is listed as a fruiterer and confectioner on Diamond Alley. He is then listed in the 1850-1858 directories as the proprietor of “Our House”, which was a tavern on Diamond Alley. The first 120 Wood street listing is in the 1861 directory and he is listed at this address until 1866. After that there are no more listings for him. Carrol was never listed with him in business that I could find.

Best regards,

Chip (Cable)

Posted in Digging and Finding, Druggist & Drugstore, Early American Glass, History, Liquor Merchant, Medicines & Cures, Syrup, Tonics | Tagged 120 Wood, anderson, Bennett, Carrol, Chip Cable, Diamond Alley, Gugeheim, Haslett, Japanese, Lemon, Our House, Pennsylvania, Pittsburg, Pittsburgh, Schwartz, Syrup, tavern, Tonic | 2 Comments

“Soapy” Smith and some Alaska Saloons

Posted on 14 January 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

“Soapy” Smith and some Alaska Saloons

14 January 2013 (R•021714)

As an antique bottle and glass collector I find it interesting to immerse myself in the time period of the pieces we collect. You’ve heard it before, every bottle has a story. In my early years of collecting I seemed only to want to add to the collection. As I ‘mature’, and bottles become harder to get and more expensive, I can now satisfy my cravings and curiosity with the history and stories. In this case I ask myself “are there any Alaska bitters or medicines?” and “who were the characters and where did they operate out of?”

This all started out with the Dog Cart post with the fellow traveling from Shelton to Nome, Alaska. So easy to get side tracked which is fun. I love history, old photographs, trains, postage, ephemera and early American glass. Many of my mental and digital field trips are greatly satisfying and cross pollinate with areas of interest. Plus it is amazing that a post asking questions always shakes out some new information and yet more questions.

Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith II

Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith II (November 2, 1860 – July 8, 1898) was an American con artist and gangster who had a major hand in the organized criminal operations of Denver, Colorado; Creede, Colorado; and Skagway, Alaska, from 1879 to 1898. He was killed in the famed Shootout on Juneau Wharf. He is perhaps the most famous confidence man of the Old West.

Jefferson Smith was born in Coweta County, Georgia, to a family of education and wealth. His grandfather was a plantation owner and his father a lawyer. The family met with financial ruin at the close of the American Civil War. In 1876 they moved to Round Rock, Texas, to start anew. Smith left his home shortly after the death of his mother, but not before witnessing the shooting of the outlaw Sam Bass. It was in Fort Worth, Texas, that Jefferson Smith began his career as a confidence man. He formed a close-knit, disciplined gang of shills and thieves to work for him. Soon he became a well-known crime boss, the “king of the frontier con men”.

“king of the frontier con men”

The “Soap Gang”

The short cons included the shell game, three-card monte, and any game in which they could cheat.

Smith spent the next 22 years as a professional bunko man and boss of an infamous gang of swindlers. They became known as the Soap Gang, and included famous men such as Texas Jack Vermillion and Ed “Big Ed” Burns. The gang moved from town to town, plying their trade on their unwary victims. Their principal method of separating victims from their cash was the use of “short cons”, swindles that were quick and needed little setup and few helpers. The short cons included the shell game, three-card monte, and any game in which they could cheat.

Soapy Smiths Saloon at Skagway, Alaska, 1898

“The prize soap racket”

Some time in the late 1870s or early 1880s, Smith began duping entire crowds with a ploy the Denver newspapers dubbed “The prize soap racket”. Smith would open his “tripe and keister” (display case on a tripod) on a busy street corner. Piling ordinary soap cakes onto the keister top, he began expounding on their wonders. As he spoke to the growing crowd of curious onlookers, he would pull out his wallet and begin wrapping paper money, ranging from one dollar up to one hundred dollars, around a select few of the bars. He then finished each bar by wrapping plain paper around it to hide the money.
He mixed the money-wrapped packages in with wrapped bars containing no money. He then sold the soap to the crowd for one dollar a cake. A shill planted in the crowd would buy a bar, tear it open, and loudly proclaim that he had won some money, waving it around for all to see. This performance had the desired effect of enticing the sale of the packages. More often than not, victims bought several bars before the sale was completed. Midway through the sale, Smith would announce that the hundred-dollar bill yet remained in the pile, unpurchased. He then would auction off the remaining soap bars to the highest bidders.

Group of men outside City Hall, vigilantes preparing to go after the Soapy Smith Gang, Skagway, 1898

Through manipulation and sleight-of-hand, he hid the cakes of soap wrapped with money and replaced them with packages holding no cash. The only money “won” went to shills, members of the gang planted in the crowd pretending to win in order to increase sales. Smith quickly became known as “Soapy Smith” all across the western United States. He used this swindle for twenty years with great success. The soap sell, along with other scams, helped finance Soapy’s criminal operations by paying graft to police, judges, and politicians. He was able to build three major criminal empires: the first in Denver, Colorado (1886–1895); the second in Creede, Colorado (1892); and the third in Skagway, Alaska (1897–1898). [Wikipedia]

For the town’s first Fourth of July, the Manila Saloon proudly displayed a mural using Skagway News front pages which showed Skagway’s growth from a tent town in October 1897 to a city with railroad tracks running up Broadway in July 1898. This photo was taken during the roundup of the Soapy Smith gang a few days later. – Case & Draper, Alaska State Library

ALASKA SALOONS

Clancy’s Saloon where Soapy Smith supposedly started in Skagway, Alaska.

Klondyke Dance Hall and saloon, Pay Streak, Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition, Seattle, Washington, 1909, Photographer: Nowell, Frank H.

Title – “Street scene, Bluff City, Alaska”, ca. 1901. Photographer Hegg, Eric A., 1867-1948, Notes Shows log cabins lining the street, A and A Saloon to the left, store to the right.

Men gathered for a drink in the Road House Saloon, Bluff City, Alaska, ca. 1906, Photographer: Dobbs, B. B. (Beverly Bennett)

MASCOT GROUP– Patrons and barkeeps line up for a photo in the well-lit Mascot Saloon in Skagway, Alaska. The old saloon exhibit at 3rd and Broadway has lighting that matches the wiring in the photo above. – Rapuzzi Collection, KGRNHP

Street scene showing the Ophir Saloon, Council, Alaska, 1907, Photographer Kinne, A. B. (Albert Barnes)

Men outside the Alaska House Saloon in Manitowoc Wisconsin

Within weeks after news of the Klondike gold discovery reached Seattle in the summer of 1897, Skagway, Alaska was transformed into a frontier boom town with saloons, cheap hotels, bawdy houses and supply stores. Skagway and nearby Dyea both served as the major jumping off points for the overland routes that led to the gold fields in Canada’s Yukon Territory. – image Getty

Posted in Ephemera, History, Photography, Questions | Tagged Alaska, con, Coweta County, Ed "Big Ed" Burns, Fort Worth, Georgia, Jefferson Randolph Smith II, Juneau Wharf, racket, Round Rock, Saloon, Scam, Skagway, soap, Soap Gang, Soapy Smith, swindle, texas, Texas Jack Vermillion | Leave a comment

Working Dogs

Posted on 13 January 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

W O R K I N G D O G S

13 January 2013 (R•082215) (R•111116)

Many of us antique bottle and glass collectors have dogs as pets and consider them family members. We certainly do here at Peachridge. Coco, my running mate and Weimaraner, is as my feet as I write this while Sadie is by the fireplace keeping warm. Cooper, our Great Pyrenees is out front, probably chasing passing cars. Buster our Miniature Dachshund is playing with his ball. Their life is relatively easy compared to some of these working dogs who delivered milk and supplies, pulled wagons and starred in movies. A fun post no doubt. This post is a spin-off the of historic Grocery Store post of a few days ago.

Victorian era Trade Card with dog pulling girl on cart.

Photo postcard from 1910, of a little boy posed in a dog cart.

Photo reads “Coasting on Dogmobile” Trip From Shelton to Nome, Alaska, July _8, 1912 – Wheeler Photo

More images from Shelton to Nome, Alaska – July 1912 – Wheeler Photo

Silent film star Mary Pickford – Dog with dog cart in the movie Pollyanna.

Photographic postcard showing the horse drawn delivery cart with ‘W. Snook and Son Bakers Grocers Mealman Whitechurch” on side. A dog is lying under the cart.

Dog cart mobile tea delivery, Brussels, with three dog team.

La Laitiere Flamande, Bruxelles, 1906 – Flemish Dog Cart Milk Cart & Milk Maid – Vintage Travel Post Cards Cover & Reverse with Belgian (Belgique – Belgie) postal stamp & postmarks – Grande Tour of Europe Collection. Edit. V.G., Bruxelles

Sister gets a ride on dog cart as her brother and pet dog pose

Dutch Dog Cart – Morning Milk Delivery in Holland – 1920s Magazine Photo

Daily rounds delivering milk.

Italian man with dog and cart cart for WWi supplies, circa 1917

Tinted Postcard of a Flemish milk maid with a dog cart and a milk inspector checking out the milk. Caption 145. Milk Inspector, Brussels,.

Dog cart with milk canisters. Large terrier is probably a guard dog.

Dog resting next to card reading “BROODenKLEINGOEDBAKKERIJ”

Netherlands Dog Cart – looks like some type of beverage, probably tea in the cart.

Shirley Temple

Red Cross Service Dog

Yes, I know this is not a dog but still a great picture.

An article I wrote many many years ago about the bottles of Canada’s Yukon and Northwest Territories (just east of Alaska), with the greatest dog/bottle photo in the history of the world. Dana Charlton-Zarro, Jim Eifler, I’m sure you will love the photo… and the article… Saddle Flasks by Phil Culhane

Posted in Coffee, Ephemera, History, Milk & Creamers, Peachridge Glass, Photography | Tagged Alaska, Brussels, cart, dog, Dogmobile, Holland, Mary Pickford, Nome, Pollyanna, Shelton, W. Snook and Son | 1 Comment

Professor Lennords or Leonnard’s or Leonard’s Celebrated Nectar Bitters

Posted on 12 January 2013 by Ferdinand Meyer V

Lennords (nope)

let’s try again

Leonnard’s (almost)

once more

Leonard’s (bingo)

and finally

Professor Leonard’s Celebrated Nectar Bitters

12 January 2013 (R•092418)

C H I C A G O – C I N C I N N A T I

Now here is a man who apparently was also a ‘Professor’ and an extremely rare bitters brand who can’t get their name right. The L 74.7 Professor Lennords specimen that appeared on ebay (see listing) this week, uses an odd “LENNORDS” spelling which looks incorrect and appears in absolutely no online searches. ‘Lennords’ is embossed on the bottle though (see below).

L 74.7 – PROFESSOR LENNORDS CELEBRATED NECTAR BITTERS – ebay (image clean-up by PRG)

The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles is noted as:

L 74.7 PROFESSOR LENNORD’S CELEBRATED NECTAR BITTERS

PROFESSOR / LENNORD’S // CELEBRATED / NECTAR BITTERS // CASSILLY & CO. / CHICAGO / AGENTS // f //
9 1/4 x 2 7/8 (7 1/2) 3/8
Square, Amber and Olive Green, LTC, Applied mouth, Extremely rare
Advertisement: St. Paul Pioneer, September 3, 1864
Olive green shards were dug in southern Minneapolis

The L 75 Professor Leonnard’s specimen is closer to being correct and uses two “N’s” in “LEONNARD’S”. Still, no records with this spelling. I have no photograph to show you for this bottle.

The Carlyn Ring and Bill Ham listing in Bitters Bottles Supplement is noted as:

L 75 PROF. LEONNARD’S CELEBRATED NECTAR BITTERS

PROF. LEONNARD’S // CELEBRATED / NECTAR BITTERS // lower line bland-mold must have been altered as top two lines are off center without a third line // HUBBEL, SWASEY & CO / SOLE AGENTS / CINCINNATI. O // f //
Professor N. B. Leonnard Cassilly & Co. , Proprietor, Chicago, Illinois
9 1/4 x 2 3/4 (6 7/8) 3/8
Square, Amber, LTC, Applied mouth, Extremely rare
Daily Illinois State Register, October 19, 1864

Finally we start to see some advertisements (see below) and references to Professor Leonard’s (LEONNARD’S) Celebrated Nectar Bitters. What an identity crisis! No wonder this product was only listed for two years (1864 and 1865).

Newspaper Advertisement for Professor Leonnard’s Celebrated Nectar Bitters – The Hillsdale Standard (Michigan), Tuesday, May 3, 1864

Cassilly & Co. noted as Sole Agent for the United States of Professor Leonard’s Celebrated Nectar Bitters – Illinois State Gazetteer and Business Directory The Years 1864 – 65

This post was prompted by the closing of the L 74.7 Professor Lennords variant last night on ebay. An extraordinary example of an extremely rare Chicago square. The ebay listing was as follows: