The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-10-02
OLD BOTTLES.

What Becomes of Them After They Have
Been Dumped Into the Alley.
In the cupboards of every house,
piled up in out-of-the-way corners. and
thrown about in dark and dusty hooks.
where the housewife only goes once .
year. when cleaning house. may DO
seen empty bottles of all sizes. shapes
and colors. Some have curiOus-smeli-
ing liquids in them that have been par
tally used. and others are discolOred
by the drying up of their contents. A
great majority of these bottles. it il
very plain to see. were the receptacles
for medi inc at one time. The size and
shape, denote their use. event it the chem
zeal OdOr that hangs about them did
not betray the family medicine bottle.
Once year. or perhaps not more than
once in three years. the cupbOards.
dark closets and corners of the house
are raided and the collection OF old
bottles are dumped into the al.eJ. the
hOusekeeper wondering how it hap
pened that she overlooked the trash so
long. What becomes of the old bottles
is question that here presents itself.
and. after little Investigation. o re-
porter is able to answer it. Taking
the bottle that is thrown away as q
sample. for its chances for further use
fulness seem the most forlOrn. itwOuld.
if not broken by passing wheels. soon
be seized upon by the rag-picker
There is q regular trade in old bottles.
and special inquiry is made for them
BY the ragman who has wagon
They all eventually find their way to
ing-rOom of the Wholesale dealer in
rags. waste paper and other refuse
matter. The old rag-picker brings in
his assortment of bottles to headluar-
tiers. and thcy are consigned to q spe-
cial room. where they are treated to
the first bath received since orig nally
purchased. The washing is thorough
enough to remove all di;coloratiOn in
side. and to take off any labels that
may be attached The various bottles
are then carefully sorted. each sMe is
put together, and when sufficient
number OF one kinds collected they are
packed in boxes holding one gross il
small. and from one to six dozen ii of
larger sizes and put away for sale.
The amount of homeopathic medi-
cine-bottlcs that thus reach the RAG,
warehouse is enormous. These little
receptacles of the sugar pellets and
white powder distinctive of hOmcop-
athy find ready sale to homeopathic
doctors. The bottles are assorted and
delivered ready for use again at amuch
lower figure than the Wholesale drug
g.st can supply them and SO there is q
continual ebb and flow of the little
bottles from the house to the alley,
thence to the rag house. and then back
once more to the Doctors office. Ordii |
nary druggists walls are assorted in
like manner. and find q ready sale
among the smaller drug stores. Bottles
of mixed grades. such as patent medi- |
zines are put up in. are more difficult
to dispose of By the dealer. He finds
majority Of them have the name of the |
medicine and the manufacturer name
blown into the glass. and the bottles
can not be used very well Tor any other
purpose than they were originally in
tended for W .thOut q possibility of suit
for damages being begun by the manu-
facturer. About year ago. large
quantity of bottles that had contained
a certain patent medicine were sold by
n rag merchant to q person who
was engaged in counterfeimg the
The fraud was for
a long time undetected. and
the name blown in the glass deceived
many into purchasing the bogus med
icine. So many similar cases occurred
that manufacturers took occasion to
stop the reusing OF their bottles bv
offer to buy back ali that
were returned to them'in good orier.
This opened up a new field for the old
bottle. man. and therefore all bottles
that have palent-mcdicine manmfact-
urers, names blown in them are the
most sought after, for there is. u Gus
toner ready to bus them who. Is only
too anxious to do SO.
Another class ofibOttle is the slight
" damaged ones. old whisky bottles
and numerous assortment IF I'M
kinds. These are broken
mp and sold TO bottle factories tn be
put in the furnaces and yemixed
WIZ ucW Mo1cT'dl ~ 10 maOe
user tor the txade. Pop bottles and.
others used in k;ndred o0ncoct ons for
on in saloons, e.e.. aIe rarely
away unless broken The pap
SLOWS a pee eentage al
hIss selling price where the bottles are
to him intact A salcan-
keeper who sells bottle Of pop to. be
sa.; zen away from hiss premises invari.
ably requests the return of the bottle.
and W II nay a cent for il ratler than
not get it back.-thia9o Ae,;s.