Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-04-04
FACTS ABOUT GLASSWARE.



Boston Globe.l
Ink bottles, medicine Dttles, win.
bottles, cologne bottles, and all kind
of common glassware are 10 familiar [,
the eye that few ever stopfto think wha
curious little facts are connected will
their manufacture. How many persons
when they see an elegant ruby-coloreC
glass card receiver, wonld know tina
ten TO one il is a white glass article
simply veneered with red? Or how
many know the difference between cut
glass and that which is engraved. t
when a man comes in here and wants
a patent medicine bottle with his name
blown in it, /" said a bright witted clerk
at ono of the largest wholesale glass es.
Establishments in this city, I'VE have to
make an entirely new iron mould fol
him These moulds cost from $40 to $40
each. Most patent medicine bottles are
made in the same way, and you can
see line running around them whers
the mould shuts together. Now look ut
these two bottles and see tho difference
and he held to tie light two wine bot
ties similar in size and color. Zone,
you see, is not so clear, and has that
horizontal line running around it Just
below the neck. The other Is much
smoother, more Transparent and hash I
that line The clear one is imported
and the difference comes rom the way
in which they are made. The American
bottle is blown into an iron mould
which shuts right around it. The i'm
ported article is blown into clay mould
and then twisted as it eools, while the
neck is finished up by hand.
Most bottles in Common use are
moulded, are they nOtf' $3.50.
Eyes, nearly all But there is one in
teresting point you ought to notice. As
/ said, every patent medicine bottle with
a name on it is made from a special
mould. But with the monlds used in
making druggists prescription bottles il
is different. The mould is made with
ono side loose so it can be
slid out. When druggist wants
his name put on bottle we take
this side out, fix it SO il viii print the
name in the glass and then slide it in
again; and in this way we can make one
mould do for any number of men"
How do they make the elegant gilt
labels that put on those large bottles on
the shelves in a drug store"
They are painted and stuck on. You
first outline the name backwards on a
piece of curved glass. You then fill in
with black and gold and whatever colors
you want, and give the whole thing
coat of paint. All there is 20 do after
that is to stick it on the bottle with
cement. These bottles, by the way, are
made of lead glass are blown in and
wooden moulds. on can see how clear
and brilliant they are"
Here is one with sort of pinkish
hue"
That is because there is too much
lead in it. That makes it too soft, and
it is practically valueless.
'here Is one of the neatest things
that has ever been brought out in the
glass line" said the clerk, as he
handed the reporter a small med
icine glass Tea and table
spoonfulls were marked of on il by
lines, and on one part was the name of
a business firm and its address. ''You
see druggist can have his name etched
on here by hydrofiuoric acid, and when
ever he sells a bottle of medicine he can
give away one of these little tumblers
with it,
The difference between cut glass and
engraved glass, which may not be I'M
derStoOd, is Just this: The work upon
each is done by means OF rapidly revolv
ing wheels, varying in size from one
eighth inch to five inches in diameter.
But the cat work is done by wheels
made of. Scotch stone called Cred
lief and has to be polished up befort.
it is finished, while engraving is done
with copper wheels moistened with
emery powder and oil, and is not pol
ished.
Some of the material used to color
glass Is extremely valuable. Oxide of |
gold gives ruby color; and often, to
save expense, a plain white dish, |
bottle or cup is veneered with |
a thin coating of ruby, thus Civ |
ing the same effect, Sometimes the clear |
glass is allowed to show through in some |
form OF the design, thus giving a trans !
parent picture upon a ruby back |
ground, as Is the case, though in differ /
ent colors, of course, with canoes. Ok |
lde of cobalt is used in making a blue (
color, oxide of manganese in AMETHYST.
copper Gales and iron ore in green, iron
ore and manganese in orange, etc. Ii
IS peculiar fact that all the colors of
The spectrum may be produced by oxide
Of iron.
Inc many rose, amethyst, or orange
lued tutnblers completely covered with
racks, that one sees ornamenting a
ancy sideboard, often give rise to the
question: If those cracks are really
racks. Certainly they are. The glas.
While hot is submerged in water, which
'auses these cracks tc open all over it.
t Is then annealed in an oven to
trengthen 1t, and is ready for sale.