The sun., 1891-02-08
"BOT1LEsi OLD BoTTLEsiU
A Big Trade, but Its Hest Days Arc Over
Because or petition.

| A BIG Trade, hut IT'S Hest DAye Arc OvoP
| Because or Competition.
"There are thousands and thousands OF dol.
lars invested IN tho business" the ioly.iaced
man said. impressivcly. Tho jolly-faced man
was boarded lrshman. with bit OF the brogus
to his speech. n brawnv-bullt fellow with lots
| OF fun In his nature. and he was STOPPING over
| a big bag nlled with bottles. picking them out
and setting them In neat rows on the moor He
worked away In very wilderness OF bottles Of
all sizes and designs and colors. They were
ranged In boxes heapcd ono n-top the other
nearly to the ceiling. They dangled on hooks
from the rafters, they lay on their sides
piled In pyramids against tho walls, and out
| side In the street were moro OF them In truck.
awaiting stol age In the queer rookory. 1t was
| one OF the old bottle storage houses, Of which
| there aro perhaps score or so In the big town.
This particular storage house was on the west
side Of town. in q thi"kly populated quarter.
where the small boys have plenty Of fun watohs
ing the mon nile up the bottles
The jolis-faced Irishman was ono OF tho
men who make 1t business 10 buy up old bot.
tics, and he began an entertaining chat about
1t By giving his visitor right of proper con.
ception OF the capital invested In 1t.
1t is department OF the Junk trade" he
added, but sever al hundred thousand dol.
lars are invested In 1t, and II gives employ.
mont to about throe hundred men all told.
These three hundred include Americans and
Irish and Hebrews and Italians Without
wishing to indulge In any race preiudices. I
want TO say right now thut what we claim to
DO the recent Generalization Of this business
is due to the advent OF tho Hebrews and the
Italians especially the latter. remember ton
| or fifteen years ngo. when the business was In
tho hands OF Americans and Irlshmen. that
the profits were easily three and four
| times as great rs nt pr.sent. myself WaQ
have plenty OF time alter o'clock tn the after-
SsS E aSss lN hat ass X. 5d bss bns
shs soilss.on 81 oia bottles iha. WsFs ~ = s
he 2 adven. the
and the Italians csmo what! We caIi the dump
Of the refuse matter Of the bottle trade rom
cutters and ash barrels. 1t is evident {hss
they are % sii the % same ''Si The italians and H.
brews sell them. at low prices to men. who use
oils. il sucS as the alleged olive oil that Is made
! OF peanuts. or something, ,ese. and ALSO for the
poorer grades oil Ein and whiskey sold In low
The Americans and Irish who are enaaeed
oSs nonss to 81 hous
collecting & &snch bottles as the occupants have
for the best grade OF bottles. Bottles are
all H. IS e
| white wine bottles Ten years ago the prices.
Sns aTsY sna vs.ss e %u
shat shs man # usEy who can make anywhere
~; Yo1 Want e knew how they somDsse; Well
osed me- aboa. IN nsishborhoods 0V w6sre 6srs my
be.t custom was, waited their opportpnity.,'
lost that particular Iis otsseady trade. Thess's
little show in the better neighborhoods. for
the Smp,s resson that that we can n aiS EnGlsh SO
e Xmssan os +
he bnslpess in ouI,i.y ,iawn pEonts Il
shown in tho one item OF rliaIupa baskets.
ss CENTS nsS apsSs Sr Srs aSs
baskets; now these useful wicker baskets are
that sold Tor dollar ten years n2o and were IN
or s' hl1 pss asn are Gn
It misdemeanor TO collect .tamped bottlee
WAS asG serious bow L1v to The
faith to sell 70 Legitimate mate bostltrs net those
| in bottles that held superior kind.
mend that certain seasons "a are sure t9 bring
sIso IL demand. They % ase used 70 boiss, ss
stand. that though the bottle is used again tor
This purpose, The label never Is. That would
s Hi 's s Ssss Sa
esit mafe hottie s sserers W whose eanyasssFf. q
house to; house buyers. mover handle OH bot :,
ties msdicins L a. u boItes s or any OF tho other
,,,1 The Jolly faced ed lunkmsp STOPPED over and
Se r. s ns o serEs E.Ies
S0is' o hf 6o se A
| other h1. become q beer bottle. GermAn
IL ioq sSe
their customers. Champaene bottles tprn upi
ee. as soms Sss IL be masss toe again Ad %s
kupyss. and thus the trans OF nation goes on,
msn saFsss saasd suSSaenS SSe
bottles too In Inc holidays all t6s queer Z
sroasd ] them 9s are % in % active demaud. ian % fSey srs
used for DECORATIVE purposes. some Of them
Is fair traneient trale also in ali seasons for
the man who keeps tho bottIo storage house,
want an old bottle for some purpose or other;
ana they cone ne ia to ths storage maP because
one. There Isn't much senss ip. paying,
new bottle price when an, old bottle 4
tes also sbe Bought By tho @ eisane
and and shipped out out OF town % again into to %ErooeIs % Al
fSars hs qn 1af
%Ps bSl s5ss i made turn SvSsI. i h ir
liquor business. Germany. on the other hapd. y
holds the palm for green bot,les You esls;
Ss nads IN mosa nnd he sneG
seam running down the side from the mouth !;
to the bottom; Tho bottle. therefore. cracks toe
by The hand Of the blower aud have no scam. 4
You can stand on globe shaped green bottle. y
without any danger OF brenkinG It. You can't
do that with the green bottle of American
make 4
The business OF buying up old bottles is esr-..,
tainly over half century old. I've been at 1t =
quarter OF o century myself. There are 4
others who've been at 1t nearly twice as long !
rs that. But as said ut first. Its best dayS are!
over. And he who wants 10 put his family . 4
little higher in lie than be started at doesasi
get much show to do It"
Rockland County Basket Makers. I,
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: MY attsn% 4
tion has just been called to an article In TH1
Sun Of an. 18 on the basket nGk kers In the Rock-