Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-06
four similar principles. The greatest num-

Der have a valve controlled by a spring.
which is forced up when the contents of
the bottle are poured out, but which closes
down in the neck when anything is poured
into the mouth
The second class of inventions has a ball
or some other form of weight which fills
the neck of the bottle except when 1t Is
tipped up and its contents are being poured
out.
The third class has a cord wire at
tached to a stopper at the bottom of the
neck, which must be pulled up and cannot
be pushed down
The fourth class provides for a weak
ened portion, which will break automat-
icaly if any attempt is made to refill the
bottle. A bullet or ball or some other
weight drops and breaks a hole in the
weakened spot.
There are several other curious devices.
One inventor suggested that coin-1O
cents or % cents-be imbedded in the bot
tie when 1t is manufactured, so that when
it is empty somebody will be certain to
break 1t to get 1t out
There is also coloring scheme, chem
ical with a bitter taste, which is deposited
in the bottom of the bottle and so protected
that it will not be disturbed while the con-
tents are being poured out, but If the bot
tie is refiled it will break loose and disturb
both the color and the taste of the con-
tents.
Mr.. Shaw says the best device that has
yet been proposed is a SmaSher, a machine
which will drive a hole through the bottom
of bottle and destroy its usefulness by
pressing the foot on a treadle.
But none of the thousand and one devices
has ever been adopted by distillers, or brew
ers or by any other persons so far as Mr.
Shaw knows, for the simple reason that the
great majority of the retail trade will not
tolerate any such arrangement. 1t is Gu
riouS how public interest is maintained in
the subject. The patent office receives let
tiers of inquiry every day from all parts of
the country, the internal revenue bureau of
the Treasury Department is afflicted in the
Nd nrnl Of ln Ic N O
companies have circulars printed in order to
save them the trouble of writing letters to
people who inquire about the 100000 prize.
Frauds With Refilled Bottles.
Commissioner Yerkes of the internal rev.
enue bureau says that he has answered
hundreds of letters of inquiry to the effect
that the government has not offered any
prize for a non-refillable bottle, and is not
aware that anybody has ever promised
reward for such an invention. At the same
time he believes that many high-class dis
tilers would be very glad to pay big price
if they could obtain one. The manufacture
ers of pure whisky want bottle that can
not be reflled and the government would
encourage its adoption. The same is true
of the manufacturers of pure beer, but none
of the many devices that have been offered
will answer the purpose. That which comes
nearest is bottle with Dubious neck and
a glass ball arranged to fit down tight
and prevent it from being refiled although
its contents can be poured out without diff
ficulty
Commissioner Yerkes says that the reve-
nue. agents are always on the lookout for
refilIed whisky bottles because the law for
bids their use. Notwithstanding the heavy
penalty, it is customary for retail dealers
to take empty bottles that have contained
pure and choice brands of whisky and fill
them with cheap stuff, which is not only
fraud upon the customer but a violation of
the law. Such whisky is sold over bars by
the glass and in bulk by grocers and other
liquor dealers. Whisky that is bottled in
bond has paper strap pasted over the cork
upon which is inscribed the quality of the
contents and the date it was bottled, under
the seal of the government of the United
States. This strap must be broken when
the cork is pulled and the law forbds the
use of any bottle bearing the broken ends of
such a strap. Nevertheless it is commonly
violated and it keeps the internal revenue
officials busy watching for such frauds.