Bridgeton pioneer., 1884-03-13

tba neck. which is the earliest speci-
men of the "tear-sown" TASKS that
afterwards made Venice famous, and
which afterwards degenerated into
the big-belied decanters with the
necklace of colored beads around its
throat that our grandfathers knew so
well, and which are not altogether out
of existence yet
One might we'll eXclaim to-day,
"How would the world get along with
out bottles?" and yet the world did
get along without using bottles, and
at a time when the world had them
and knew how to make them. 1t is a
singular fact that the employment of
bottles for the various purposes for
which they are now used, as general
receptacles of fluids, was not attempt
ed by the ancients, and not, indeed,
tried until comparatively recent
date. The science of bottle using
probably originated with the Romans
but was quite limited even among
that progressive people, and had its
first strictly commercial Importance
among the Venetians, while to France
belongs the credit of bringing the
glass receptacles into general every
day use.
While the ancients had glass bottles,
they adhered to the primitive skin
bags for carrying their wines and
liquids and stored it in earthen jars.
As they did probably 10000 years ago,
so they do in the land of Egypt to-day,
and the water-carrier with his goat
skin is no uncommon sight in the
cities on the Nile. But we need not
go that far away from home for the
living picture, for even now in sections
of Mexico may be seen the skin water
bag in all its original glory, identically
the same as when it wet the whistles"
of those worthless who built the pyra-
mds; and in Southern Europe it has
by no manner of means been yet rele-
gated to the past.
| trust | will not be accused of bias
phemy if | state that the bottle trade
and Christianity have travelled over
the world hand in hand. 1t is on re-
cord that about the year 200 a pope
ordered that wine should no longer be
consecrated in wooden vessels, but in
glass, and for several centuries glass
chalices were used by the Church, and
Christianity took the bottle with it into
ancient Gaul, and ultimately crossed
the channel and introduced it into the
British Isles. The bottle for holding
liquids came into general use during
the sixth and seventh centuries. But
it was never used in transporting
ing a household utensil only. Bottled
goods did not creep into commercial
life until the sixteenth century, and
France has the credit of first using
glassware for this purpose in the ship
ments of her wines.
A large volume, and very interest
ing one, could be written about the
productions of ancient glass houses,
but with the limited space managing
editor accords, l shall have to briefly
glance over the history of an art teem-
ing with attractions.
Parenthetically, it may be a matter
of interest to modern manufacturers
to know that an analysis of the glass
relics left us by their worthy Egyptian
prototypes show that the glass of 1000
years ago was composed of about 20
per cent of silica, 20 per cent. of soda.
per cent. of lime, and some alumina.
There is glass made to-day of about the
same ingredients, and plate glass, if
made without potash, would resem-
BILE it.
Those old-timers had a varied know
ledge of the business. They manufac-
tured plate, blown and pressed glass,
though it is doubtful if they under
stand how to grind it. Among the
ruins of Pompeii have been found win
dow lights, about 6xS. They We're evil
IDENTITY cast, and are Opaque. The art
of blowing and flattening window glass
is of comparatively modern origin, and
is said to have been invented in Bohe-
mia. The old Egyptians used moulds
for blowing and pressing. A favorite
form of pressing glass with them was
by sinking die into mass of pasty
glass The Egyptians manufactured
bottles ofvarious kinds, vases, mosaics,
imitation pearls, colored glass, glass
eyes for figures, and number of arti-
cles of ornament. Window glass was
unknown to them, and glass itself was
chiefly used for articles of ornament
and luxury.
The PhGnicians were the second peo
pie to go extensively into the manu-
facture. They excelled in articles Of
ornamentation, more especially beads
which the early traders took with