The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-25

houses up town. So you see don't want to
make them ashamed of their old mothers
| Dragging.
/ u said it was a long time ago for I'm
getting on to eighty years OF age.
ITO begin at the beginning my husband
and l sailed from Ireland the day after we
| were married We'd heard fine tales OF
America and we came over to make, our
fortunes. We had but few pennies when
We landed and besides our bundle of clothes
and the few cooking things we'd used on
the voyage. I'd picked up two empty tot
| ties that some OF the other passengers had
thrown away. We didn't have bottles 10
throw away In the old country SO it cams
kind of natural to me not to want to see
them wasted.
My husband got 4 Job mason and
got place as second cook in a restau-
rant. IL made me open my eyes the way
they threw things away in that kitchen.
Empty bottles were hauled away in cart
loads along with the rest of the refuse
| until By and by got to picking them out
and taking them home nights. l was oni,
at that place six months but during that
time saved up something like 800 beau
tiful bottles.
Then as my husbands work was steady
and the pay good | came home TO keep
house for him and had time TO think of my
bottles. II seemed such a shame to throw
them away. yet / didn't see what was to
be done in country where everybody got
rid of them as soon as they were empty.
After a while I decided to try 20 sell them
to the places from which they we're origi-
nally bought. Many were wine bottles sc
l went TO a wine merchant and told him OF
my lot. He looked at me for a while then
he examined my bottles ard said il tfey
were all as clean as that he would buy ths
lot. but he'd rather l brought him cOrks TO
sell as corks were harder to get than hot
ties
4 delivered to him all the wine bottles I
had saved. then went around TO the Testau-
rant to see NY old friend. the cook. He
agreed to save as many corks and bottles
as possible provided l would take them
of every day. So I used to go every morn
ing and bring away baskets full. l washed
the bottles and boiled the corks ana once
a week delivered them to the wine mer-
chant Then I made my trip to the saw
ings bank where l stored away my earn
ings.
AS time passed became more ambitious
and went about to other restaurants and [,
other merchants, in the way Increasing
my business. / hired boy TO fetch and
carry for me. and between times when at
tending 10 my children or busy about the
house cleaned the bottles and cCrks. This
went on until l had saved up several hun
dred dollars The day that my youngest
girl was three weeks old they brought my
husband home dead. a sc2ifolding had Civ
en- away.
Those were dark times for me- but I
had my children TO look after. All little
fellows just big enough to hold on to my
skirts. They might have taken the spirit
out of come women but they gave me heart
to work. and l made up my mind to buy
and sell all the empty bottles in this town.
And I'll tell you my dear, I very nearly
did it. I bought a horse and wagon and
with my eldest son l visited every res
taurant in the city and took away their
bottles and corks. Some of them charged
US, but the majority were only too glad to
have them taken of.
Then 1 not only sold to wine merchants
but to every dealer where bottles were
used. Druggists were good customers
when we could suit them in sizes and many
were willing - -aad FOR the bottles in
stead Of having me cart Sbem.
Did l only have one horse, Bless you
no. | had six when alas, the beer and
other bottling companies realizing the val
Tie of empty bottles put a. end to my bus
mess by Offering to buy ,ieir own bottles
back again. But it was | who taught
them to do It. I've always said if l hadn't
begun to save and sell empty bottles that
the street cleaners Of New York would
have twice as much work to do.
1T wasn't harder work than any other
business. When the bottles were brought
in they had to be cleaned and turned TO
drain, then sorted as TO size color and
shape. Later they we're packed and deliv-
cred. Having been freshly emptied the
cleaning was not difficult. seldom needing
anything beyond hot soap and water. My
children soon learned to help and after d
lew years l turned the management OF the
lorses and drivers over to my oldest sen.
That is the way he got his business train
ng.
When ! gave up the business I'd abou.
,ducated all my children and was paying
axes on $4,000 worth OF real estate.
Since then New York property has como
Up pretty high and now people tell mo
ny two tenement houses are worth near
bout 5000. coo. They give me a pretty
air living and nice sum to lay by for my
I'm real sorry the brewers
ave broke up the trade, for empty bot
les was a good business for woman who
lad family of smart children to help
er."
Jewel Effects