The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-02-13
Origin of Rare Pressed
Glass Found in Indiana


, preston that it had been made at
| Greensburg Ind. or town OF
similar name near Kokomo.
Spurred by this bit Of inforna-
ton and my admiration for the
tempting glass the challenge was
accepted and the hunt was on.
TINE colloquial pronunciation OF
L Caramel" as Carmel gave me
the feeting hope that l might To-
cate the industry in the little town
of that name north of Indianapolis.
The trail, however, led to Green
town. not Greensburg, as the former
is near Kokomo. A letter to George
o. Ball of the State bank of Green
town brought the suggestion that
I write Paul Rosenthal, of Williams
burg. w. Va. There the search
ended. for his father, Jacob Rosen-
thai. is the inventor of this lovely
glass.
According to Jacob Rosenthal, the
correct names of the two types OF
glass are Golden Agate" for the
combination of clear and opaque and
chocolate" for the opaque. Al
though the Chocolate is found in
occasional variations of tone, the
usual one is the light brown of
milk chocolate, which possibly is the
reason for the misnomer, Carmel.
AS this glass is unique Indiana
product which is nearing the Half
Hundred" mark CAS- the antique
dealers say its history and that of
the man who manufactured it make
an interesting story. will let Mr..
Rosenthals letter tell you.
Il was born May II, 1855, in
Pittsburgh, Pa, and began to learn
the glass trade in July, 1866, in a
factory operated by Campbell, Jones
& Co. In July, 1874, was married
while working in factory at Bridge
port, O., and in 1880 went with the
American Glass Co., established at
Anderson, Ind.
Il
A COMBINATION of glass COM
4 N panies called the National
Co. was formed in 1899 and I was
sent to manage the factory at
GreentoWn. While at Greentown I
developed the Chocolate and Golden
Agate from my own secret formula
and process. The factory at Green
town had two furnaces, one a ten
pot and one an eight pot, one day
tank and one-ten-ton continuous
tank.
Three fourths of the product of
the furnaces was chocolate glass
for two and half years, 1901 to
1903. The Golden Agate was made
in small quantities for about six
months. The factory at Greentown
was destroyed by fire in June, 1909,
and was not rebuilt. I went to the
Evansville Glass Co. and since 1906,
when [ came to Willianstown,
have been with the Fenton Glass
Co.
THE Golden Agate has not been
made since I left Greentown. I
have made some Chocolate glass
here, but only in limited quantities
and none for about fifteen years. At
GreentOWn it was made in table
sets, water sets, berry sets, creams
and sugars and novelties, such as
tooth pick holders, match holders
and beer stems. Some Of them we're
made to represent dog head, head
of an old woman, sheaf of wheat and
dolphin.
These are the ones I recall and
don't remember the number of
sets. Yes, the Golden Agate you
describe is our glass. It is trans
parant holly pattern, with a roll
around the top and bottom which
is opaque. The chocolate is entirely
opaque, brown outside and creamy
inside. The berry dishes have three
small feet called toes in the trade"
THAT Mr.. Rosenthal can give us
Il this interesting description of
his activities in the glass industry,
the origin of the glass and the ap-
proximate quantities and types of
pieces made, is a fortunate circum-
stance. The history of natural gas
IN Indiana parallels his story, as
the plentiful supply of this cheap
and convenient fuel attracteds the
glass industry to Indiana. Also to
the failure of the supply, possibly.
may be attributed the fact that the
factory at Greentown was not re-
built.
The central figure of the accom-
panying illustration is Golden
Agate match holder owned by Mrs.
Allen E. Curtis, and the choco-
late sugar bowl and pitcher in the
elegant f1eur de lis pattern, belong
to Mrs. Ella G. Coats. The choco-
late is so luscious a color tone that
a berry set owned by Edith Noe
would make a deliciously appetiz-
ing service for a whipped cream
dessert.
The comparatively short period
Of manufacture accounts for the
rarity of these two types of glass
and explains the prices that they
command. However, the are Justly
popular because of lovely colors and
designs, and, fyom the standpoint
Of beauty alone, as we'll as Indiana