The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-17
,raANGEsT BcsINEss IN LONDON.
what Is Done i'm a Hospital For Lost
BOTTLES.
From Answers.

hotties.
From Answers.
There is a popular impression nowadays
that the profits on. aerated waters are
simply enormous, and that to be a manu-
facturer OF these fzzy beverages is better
than compAnY-promoting, or running
brewery Oh a. large scale. But the average
Brton VINO cheerfully pays down his two
pence Or three-pence for glass of lem
onade or soda water though well aware
that he manufacturer Is reaplng ndH t
some harvest little thinks that over hVe
mil on mineral-water bottles go astray
eve ~ year, and that these bottles are
worth at least f250O0. In some cases the
ii Ner leaves small deposit on the bottles
never their full Vaiue-and thstSupoh
considers his obligation at an enu. now
ever il can easily be understood that
the manufacturer had to replace all the
ed" he would lind it difficult matter 70
snow a balance on the right size, OF 10
even make both ends meet. -.
What becomes of all the empty pottiSs
which are thrown contemptuously aslde
by every housekeeper? Where DO they -
10. and what is their ultimate Iats: a
GOOD many, of course, are broken-eSpSc-
i9lv those which contain ball-Stoppers LOT
the schoolbOy mas found that they MANI
excellent alleys" and tors -and q con-
siderable number are placed in disused
Lupboards and cellars, 20 be lgno1I1illl a s
erected when spring-cleahlhS tlInS az
-or0aches and thrown into the aust p4u-lii
II mas survived its harsh treatment, anu
- bodily sound-lt makes its way trium-
phantly to the 49,, oq 9tefare e0 Of these
homeless waits and wanderers -,
Every m!neral-water bottle costs me
manufacturer close upon l74n, an "a q cover
The exrense, the loss of rev thousililn
bottles used, till the advent OF TINS uni gu
f5v,e+, usSen II became customary for max
ers TO have their names blown upon we "a
glass; the loss of the Dottle5 uIu ~ NJ q
adv q
rival trader could not again renll then.
IRE inauguration of a bottle exchange.
some ten years ago was, ~ je nov a very
dourishing concern, and IS reglstered IN.
der ule trade marks act. It's premises al az
situY ted in Holland street, SoutHHMaIh,
and TO this place ali the derehct bottles are
conveyed 10 be sorted, counted ana re-
trrned to their original owners a1a9tors 10 see
II employs eagle-eyed inspectors W 90
abat no black sheep of the trade coVetS
,or desires his neighbors goods, anu Inat
all bottles found at maIate r9e1end 10
he exchange they come in their tnou-
sands and tens of thousands from luolillHS
VesfTies and dust-contractors also JON
in the arrangement, and the numper Oh
empties sent in by their employees 10 le
eThtie "dumping-grounds'' for London dust
are well known to the willy bottle-seekeI'
and his search IS so thoroust i ia slWsvs
plentiful one, and during last year over d
million bottles reached Holland street
from this source alone. The collectors IS-
cerya hence for all bottles sent IN.
Naturally thousands of bottles are re-
turned intact to the manufacturers py ne
retail dealers; but very frequently the
manufacturer finds himself IN poss6Ssloll
OF bottles belonging to another hfnl. 1nSse
he Immediately returns 70 tne ~ Fssci
without any remuneration beyond me IaG iI
OF knowing that his own missing ones VIII
reach him in good time. -,
in the yard of the bottle exchange huse
niles Of femrties" are stacked; tiers of
boxes rise on every hand. 1t IS a COM
mon occurrence ftr the exchange to have
5000 or 1850 gross Of bottles on the prem
ises at one lime, the majority OF these
being orphans res cued from dust-heaps,
cellars c nDtV shops and houses, marine
stores and plots of waste land where rub
bish may be deposited. A small sorter can
deal with 1000 o: 5000 bottles in day;
and one of them told the writer that on
merely picking up a bottle he could tell
TO what box it belonged almost by in
The sorting is done by boys, and, as may
be imagined, il is no light task. The sort
ing room is well lighted, and contains a
which a still more bewildering array of
names is painted. On these racks boxes
are placed under each name and are
quickly filled. The boxes are then remoy-
ed to the storeroom, to be sent to their
owners. All bottles without names are
either destroyed, or sold to manufacturers
10 be sandblasted with their own names
ana trademarks.
Many consignments of bottles reach the
l dare say some of US have refreshed our
selves out of bottles that have Voyaged
20 midas coral strand, to the Cape, or to
/ New Zealand.
Probably few people are aware that to
break a mineral water bottle is a crimi-
nal offense. and that on more than one
occasion adults have been fined and ju-
Veniles birched for having done so. A
certain portion of the public appears TO
lgnOre the fact that mineral water bot
ties are private property, and that 1t is
quite as reprehensible to break one of
them as it is to break mans window.
StiIl, the fact that since the farthing
deposit was placed on bottles the losses
have steadily diminished proves that the
public IS learning that bottles have some
value after all.
The bottle exchange has about 300 men,
berS and is governed by a board chosen
from these. with Mr.. Walter Davenport
as manager and secretary. 1t speaks well
lor the growth of temperance in this
country that over 100000 worth of cap
1Idl is sunk in the mineral water trade in
ENGLAND, and that considerably over 100,-
UlQ people are employed in il.
During 1854 the exchange had business
utdIABs with close upon 10,O0000O empty
Dotlles and also acted the good Samari-
IAN toward $1,000 wandering boxes, 1900
when had lost their way.
Many Of the bottles which reach the ex-
titiau9e-dhd PROBABLY SO per cent. of those
enIuWh away do reach it-appear to the
Usual observer to be in such a state of
glIMe mat any attempt to cleanse them
/ SGIuia De a hopeless task. Were hand
11ooI employed the game would not be
/ t TioLrn ne proverbial candle, but the bot
~ Mdshlng machines quickly restore them
- ihef pristine condition of cleanliness.
rnoe nc exchange confines its dealings AL
r nIESt 70 bottles which have contained
tnr waters, and few doubtful charac-
/ bot4tIln me shape of beer, whisky or wine
bccroee are allowed to find a refuge i'm this
nome Of temperance.
nasarresWers and brewers botters, It ap-
/ DOE VHarse fun Values. Cd. to IS. per
in S1egot,.-Ior their bottles, and to distiiIers
4 The rrriparlson with the value of the LIQUOR
'"e price OF the bottle is a bagatelle.