Tag: BIM

Creedmoor Beer, 321-323 Rutledge St., Brooklyn

Always located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. the Creedmoor Beer Company began operations sometime in the late 1870’s at 369 S 2nd Street before moving to 321-323 Rutledge Street, the address embossed on the subject bottle, in 1883.

The company was not a small brewery as you might expect from their name but in fact, a manufacturer of carbonated beverages whose menu of products was described in the August 15, 1885 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Times.”

The Creedmore Beer Company’s list of carbonated beverages includes root beer, pop beer, raspberry beer, birch beer, ginger ale, mead and lemon cream soda. Only the choicest of extracts, made from roots, barks, herbs, etc., are employed in the manufacture of these beverages, which are absolutely free from any deleterious ingredients. Havemeyer & Elders’ Moller, Sierck & Co.’s and North River Refining Company’s confectioner’s “A” sugar only is used in making the syrups, which are carefully strained and purified.

Their plant location, generally  described in advertisements as Rutledge Street, near Broadway is depicted on this this Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, dated 1887 (just to the right and below the “R” in Rutledge).

Who exactly owned the business is not clear, however, according to another “Brooklyn Daily Times” item, this one published in their July 31, 1886 edition, it was managed by a man named David U. Quick.

Mr. D. U. Quick, the Manager of the Creedmoor Beer Company, whose well-appointed establishment is located at 321 and 323 Rutledge Street, near Broadway, Brooklyn, E. D. has had a long experience in the manufacture of carbonated water and fully understands the requirements of the trade, which he conscientiously endeavors at all times to meet, therefore the character of their goods for reliability and purity can always be depended upon. Hence the company’s well-merited success.

The above description was included in what was certainly a newspaper advertisement presented to look like a news item, a tactic the company employed on more than one occasion in the “Brooklyn Daily Times” during 1885 and 1886.

One such item, published on  June 6, 1885, appealed to the temperance movement, stressing the non-alcoholic nature of their products.

One of the surest indications of the advancement of a true spirit of temperance is to be found in the rapidly increasing consumption of what are known as carbonated beverages. Although non alcoholic and therefore non intoxicating in their nature, they possess certain qualities that make them especially desirable as quenchers of thirst, and being composed chiefly of the extracts of roots and barks noted for their tonic and exhilarating effects, the use of these beverages if pure can be indulged to any rational extent, without the least injury to the most delicate and sensitive physical organizations. In fact, pure carbonated waters are highly recommended by medical men generally, on account of their healthful and refreshing effects on the human system.

Still another, published in the “Brooklyn Daily Times’s on July 10,1886, associated those “healthful and refreshing effects ” with the digestive system.

The inestimable value of pure carbonated beverages in all cases of feeble digestion and lack of tone in the stomach is universally acknowledged. All of the ailments prevalent in warm weather, Dyspepsia, Diarrhea, Acidity of the Stomach and kindred affections are due to but one source, namely , lack of vigor and vitality in the digestive organs. Every person who has given the subject any study is fully aware that nothing equals in efficacy in all such troubles a beverage impregnated with a pure carbonic acid gas. Between the debilitating and enervating effects of alcoholic and ice cold drinks and the invigorating and healthful carbonated beverage there should be no hesitation in choosing. Absolute purity is of vital importance, and this can only be assured where a firm has the greatest facilities and a determination that their goods shalll be the finest that skill and cleanliness can make them. All this can be said of the Creedmoor Beer Company, of 321 and 323 Rutledge Street, near Broadway, Brooklyn.

Creedmoor classified advertisements that ran in several 1886 and 1887 editions of the “Brooklyn Daily Times” made the case much more succinctly.

Carbonated waters impart vigor and tone to the stomach and exhilarate the system.

Sometime in 1889 the company moved to 67 Kent Avenue (sometimes listed as 42 N. 10th St.). By then their business card, found in the 1890 edition of Brooklyn’s “Lains” Business Directory,” identified  the company as dealers in cider and vinegar in addition to carbonated water manufacturers.

The company apparently had a short stay on Kent Avenue, disappearing from the directories by 1892.

One Final Note: The “Historical Guide to Long Island Soda, Beer & Mineral Water Bottles & Bottling Companies – 1840-1970” by George Fisher, indentified a “Creedmoor Beer”  bottle embossed with an address of 369 South 2nd St. in Brooklyn. The description of the bottle as presented in the guide is shown below.

While I cannot find a directory listing that associates the Creedmoor company with that address, I did find their manager, David Quick, listed with the occupation “root beer” at 369 S 2nd Street in the 1879/1880 Brooklyn city directory. This all but confirms that the company got its start in the late 1870’s at that location..

The subject bottle was blown in a mold with what looks like a tooled blob finish. It’s 10-1/4 inches tall and 3-1/2 inches in diameter. The embossed address of 321 – 323 Rutledge Street dates it between 1883 and 1889 when the company was located at that address.

 

 

 

 

Conrad Witzel, 558 & 560 St. Ann’s Ave., New York

Conrad Witzel, and later his Son, William C. Witzel, operated a mineral water manufacturing and bottling business in the Bronx, New York from the mid-1890’s up through sometime in the mid-20th Century.

Located at a single location, 558-560 St. Ann’s Avenue, for approximately 50 years, a feature on the Witzel’s, found in the August, 1921 edition of a publication called the “Edison Monthly” suggested that the company had been there so long that the Bronx literally grew up around their bottling plant.

The bottling plant has been occupied by the Witzel organization for more than a quarter of a century. In the early days it was embowered in an apple orchard, and fields stretched wide on either side. Now it has in the tall buildings which line the thoroughfare dignified architectural neighbors; for the growth of the Bronx has been phenomenal.

The founder, Conrad Witzel, according to census records (1910) was born in Germany in 1860 and arrived in the United States in 1882. Prior to settling in the Bronx, Witzel lived on East 25th Street in Manhattan where several New York City directories between 1887 and 1893 listed his occupation as a “driver.” During this time he apparently worked for a brewer named Andrew Koch & Sons, as evidenced by this story that appeared in the December 23, 1888 edition of the “New York Tribune.”

A WOMAN KNOCKED DOWN BY A WAGON

Mrs. Sarah B. Harring, age fifty, who lives at No. 87 Madison Ave., in attempting to cross Broadway in the neighborhood of Hudnut’s pharmacy, yesterday noon was struck by the front wheel of a two-horse wagon, owned by Andrew Koch & Son, at No. 455 First Ave., and driven by Conrad Witzel. a German whose home is at No. 322 East Twenty-fifth St. She was taken into the pharmacy and an ambulance from Chambers Street Hospital telegraphed for. On the arrival of the ambulance-surgeon it was found that Mrs. Harring’s injury consisted of a slight contusion of the left leg. Witzel had been taken to the Church St. station, but as Mrs. Harding had said that she had tripped and stumbled and that the driver was in no way to be blamed for the accident, he was discharged. With the assistance of a friend, the injured woman went to her home.

Sometime in 1893 or 1894 Witzel moved to the Bronx where he was first listed as a mineral water manufacturer at 558 St. Ann’s Avenue in the 1894-1895 New York City directory. A small operation, according to New York State’s Factory Inspection Report for the fiscal year ending November 30, 1900 the company employed a total of three people. One, categorized as “Male – Under the Age of 16,” was likely his son, William, who was born in 1889.

By 1910 William was certainly involved in the business, listing his occupation as a “driver” in 1910 census records.  Like his father he was almost certainly a wagon driver, that is until 1915 when the business transitioned to using the “Autocar.” This October 15, 1915 “advertisement, found in the “American Bottler,” pictured what was likely  both father and son in their recently purchased “Autocar.”

By then, William was apparently in partnership with his father, as evidenced by directory listings as early as 1912 that named the company as C. Witzel & Son. The listing as it appears in New York City’s 1915 Copartnership and Corporation directory is shown below.

The company operated under this name until May, 1919 when, with Conrad Witzel likely retired, William C. Witzel, along with an employee named Oscar Hoenig  formed a co-partnership, continuing the business under the name of C. Witzel & Co.

Not  long afterwards, according to the “Edison Monthly” feature, the partnership committed to modernizing their bottling plant.

…a partnership conference was held at which the various elements in the manufacturing and marketing phases of the business were considered. With respect to the manufacturing end, there was unanimity of opinion that the beverages which bear the firm’s name should be permanently standardized for purity.

The feature went on to describe their modernized plant and how it worked.

First a system, modern in every detail, was installed for cleansing bottles. To operate this a ten horsepower motor was provided and connection was made to the service of the New York Edison Company. Progressive simplicity characterizes the working of this department.

The bottles are placed in double rows. like two files of soldiers, on a circular platform. The switch is thrown in and the platform begins to move, carrying the companies of bottles into the drenching shower of a rinsing bath. From this they pass along to receive an internal douche of hot water which is directed into the neck of each bottle with force enough to reach every part. Passing on they enter a tunnel charged with live steam, an accepted method of germ destruction. Emerging with the glisten and polish which is proof to the eye of cleanliness, they finally appear at the end of the journey in position to receive their thirst-relieving charge at the filler machines….

Such is the efficiency and economy of this part of the plant that it is possible to handle ten thousand bottles in an ordinary work day.

The feature went on to say:

The 100-gallon filters are in another part of the building. The water is piped into them from the bottom, passes upward and through the filter bed and, seeking its level, finds an outlet again at the bottom. To supplement the filter and make sure that every bottle of beverage is strictly pure the modern electric sterilizer was added to the plant.

A compact three-party tandem mechanism it is and in position it looks as if it were on a mantel piece. At one end stands a one-horsepower alternating current motor not much larger than some mantel ornaments. Alongside of it is a direct current generator, almost a twin in size of the motor. At the other end stands the ultra-violet ray device.

The motor is started and immediately the bulb which is directed against a water tight glass receptacle inside the sterilizer, bursts into light. The finger on the ammeter dial moves slowly toward the figure 5, the light growing brighter each instant. As the 5 is passed the circuit is automatically closed and the water valve connected with the sterilizer opened. The ultra-violet rays by this time have reached the required intensity. The water rushes in, the flowing stream passing under the direct rays. Such bacteria that may exist in the water are destroyed. The sterilized water passes under pressure to the tanks which are directly connected to the filling machines

The upper floor of the establishment is devoted to offices, storerooms, sugar boiling and syrup blending departments. Cane sugar alone is used for sweetening. One room is piled high with it. The syrups are made from the juices of fully ripened fruits and the greatest care is taken to make contamination impossible. Syrups are stored in covered crocks and are piped direct to the tanks where the beverages are made. The idea of cleanliness one obtains throughout…

The business  continued to operate under the partnership until the early 1930’s when disagreements between the partners resulted in a court ordered dissolution of the partnership on March 17, 1931. Subsequently, according to New York State Supreme Court records, (Hoenig v. Witzer), the business was put up for sale at  public auction on July 18, 1931 and all indications are that Witzer was able to buy it back.

Shortly afterwards he incorporated the business under the name Wm. C. Witzel, Inc., as evidenced by this August 15, 1931 item found in the “Beverage News.”

The 1939-1940 Bronx Telephone Book (one of the few I have access to) continued to list Wm .C.  Witzel, Inc. at the 558 St. Ann’s Avenue address.

Ten years later, William Witzel, still in the beverage business, listed his occupation in 1950 census records as “Proprietor, Mineral Water Distributor.” By then the business had apparently moved to East 161st Street, as evidenced by this item that appeared in the May 12, 1950 edition of New York’s “Daily News.”

Having moved out of his long time factory sometime in the 1940’s suggests that by then he was no longer manufacturing mineral/soda water and was simply serving as a distributor. How long he remained in business on 161st Street is not clear.

William Witzel ultimately passed away on March 27, 1971, with his death notice appearing the next day in New York’s “Daily News.”

The subject bottle was blown in a mold and contains roughly 8 ounces. It exhibits a blob finish suggesting that it was in use during the early years of the Witzel operation.

 

 

 

Trade Mark W-W-W (Livermore Stylographic Pen Co.)

The only embossing on this four-ounce spool shaped ink bottle is a monogram consisting of three interconnected W’s ornamented with diamonds. While in search of the company behind this monogram I came upon a story featuring the Livermore Pen and its manufacturer, the Stylographic Pen Company of Providence, Rhode Island. Published in the October 8, 1885 edition of the “American Stationer” the story read in part:

Livermore’s stylographic ink, specially prepared for his own trade, is claimed to be unexcelled for general counting-room use, though manufactured more especially for use in stylographic pens. It is neatly put up and can be had in black, violet, green, blue and crimson. As a protection to the trade the letters “W.W.W.” are blown in the bottles.

Popular during the early to mid 1880’s, an advertisement touting both the Livermore Pen and their stylographic ink appeared in an 1881 document entitled “Minutes and Register of the 41st Session of the New England Southern Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.”  The ad specifically referenced the “W-W-W” monogram.

OUR INKS ARE THE ONLY GENUINE STYLOGRAPHIC INKS IN THE WORLD…SEE THAT W-W-W IS BLOWN IN THE BOTTLE.

Another advertisement, this one published in the December 21, 1882 edition of the “American Stationer”pictured what looks like a labeled version of our spool shaped ink bottle.

While this may not serve as absolute confirmation, it certainly makes a case that the subject bottle once conatined stylographic ink manufactured by Charles W. Livermore’s Stylographic Pen Company.

The Livermore Pen’s namesake, Charles W. Livermore, according to 1880 census records, was born in Massachusetts about 1830.  By 1872 he was living in Providence, Rhode Island and was working in a jewelry store run by partners William W. Rathbun and Henry Leonard that was located at 107 Friendship Street. A year later, in 1873, the Providence city directory listed Livermore as a principal in the firm of Rathbun, Leonard & Co.

Livermore remained  at Rathbun, Leonard & Co. (1874 and 1875), later called simply William Rathbun & Co. (1876), until 1877 when he apparently went into business for himself. Initially listed in the directories as a jewelry manufacturer with an address of 94 Orange Street, a year later Livermore moved the business to 102 Orange Street, where he was listed in both the 1878 and 1879 directories.

It was here, according to U.S. patent records, that on October 4, 1879 he submitted an application for his Stylographic Fountain Pen. The design was ultimately patented on March 9, 1880. (On a side note, his design was actually presented as an improvement to the original Stylographic Pen design of Duncan McKinnon, patented on July 15. 1879)

That same year, 1880, the Stylographic Pen Company was listed for the first time at Livermore’s jewelry store address of 102 Orange Street.

Early advertisements for the Livermore pen concisely described it like this:

The Livermore Stylographic Pen is a pencil that writes ink, never needs sharpening and never wears out…

This advertisement published in the September, 1882 edition of a magazine entitled the”U. S. Monthly” provided a little more detail.

Another early advertisement, this one found in the December 20, 1880 edition of the “Hartford Courant,”went on to enumerate the pen’s advantages to what was certainly their primary market, professionals.

The new Stylographic Pen is eagerly sought after by the writing fraternity, and has during the past year, become the cherished companion of over 86,000 of the most intelligent people of the world. Its special convenience for the lawyer in taking testimony at court, at his office, or in fact anywhere and in any branch of his profession where speed, cleanliness and legibility are desired; the physician in his office or in the sick-room, where pens are so difficult to find, and when found in most cases unfit for use; for clergymen sermon and manuscript writing, as well as for the editor, the author, or in fact to all writers to whom it is important that the train of thought should be uninterrupted by dipping, splattering or blotting; for the student in taking notes of lectures when the loss of time in dipping with the ordinary pen might prove a serious matter. For the bookkeeper, the correspondent, and the businessman, its advantages are many and varied. For ladies it has peculiar advantages over the ordinary pen, in the fact that they never need have any inkstands liable to breaking or spilling about the house, never have inky fingers, never have a corroded or broken pen, or their letters unanswered because their ink is dried up or their pens are bad.

This advertisement  specifically targeting the medical field appeared in the January 1, 1881 edition of the “Homeopathic Courier.”

Sometime in 1881 or 1882 the company moved from Orange Street to 44 Arnold Street where it remained up through the late 1880’s. The October 8,1885 “American Stationer” feature described the Arnold Street facility as a four-story brick factory building  located at the corner of Arnold and Brook Streets.

In addition to their Providence factory, company advertisements in the early 1880’s also listed branch locations in Boston, New York  and Chicago. Likely sales offices, they were certainly active during the early 1880’s but all seem to have disappeared by the latter half of the decade.

This advertisement, published in several 1882 editions of the “Pathfinder Railway Guide,”named Louis E. Dunlap head of the Boston branch, located at 290 Washington Street.

Sometime in the mid-1880’s Dunlap left the Livermore company and established his own company, the Dunlap Stylographic Co., located right down the street from Livermore’s at 296 Washington Street. Now in competition, by 1886 advertisements for both companies were appearing in the same edition of The “American Stationer.” In fact, in their March,18,1886 edition the “American Stationer” positioned an advertisement for Livermore’s “Challenge” Stylographic Pen  directly above one for Dunlap’s “Champion” Stylographic Pen.

The Livermore advertisement pictured above no longer included the Boston address and in fact, as early as 1885 the company was no longer listed in the Boston directory, all suggesting that the company had abandoned the Boston branch by that time.

In New York, the early 1880’s found the company branch in Room 13 of 169-171 Broadway, putting it at the corner of Broadway and Cortlandt Street in what was then called the “Giles Building.” The building is pictured years later in this 1906 photograph, courtesy of the Library of Congress.

According to an 1881  advertisement published in the “American Almanac and Treasury of Facts,” the company’s New York agent at the time was a man named William Winthrop.

Winthrop  was listed with the occupation “agent”at the 169 Broadway address, in New York City’s 1882 directory after which I lose track.

In Chicago, while I haven’t been able to associate the branch with a specific manager or agent, advertisements like this one, exhibiting a 38 Madison Street address, pretty much disappear by 1883.

That said, the company’s factory was still listed in the Providence directories up until 1887. Shortly afterwards, in 1889, Livermore passed away at which point, another Providence firm, F. T. Pearce & Co. took up manufacture of the Livermore brand. According to a May 3, 1893 feature on F. T. Pearce & Co., published in the “Manufacturing Jeweler,”

The line of goods produced by this house have been noted for beauty of design and finish as well as for originality in construction. Their gold pens, penholders, pencils and toothpicks, for which many patents have been granted, are to be found in all the leading American jewelry stores , and a profitable export trade has been established…. Since the death of the inventor and manufacturer, Mr. Livermore, Messrs. Pearce & Co. have been sole manufacturers of the Livermore fountain and stylographic pens.

This Pearce advertisement, picturing the Livermore Fountain Pen was published in several 1892 and early 1893 editions of the “Manufacturing Jeweler”

Located at 94 Point Street since 1888,  sometime in 1893 F. T. Pearce & Co. moved to 85 Sprague Street at which time they continued to include the Livermore name in their advertising, as evidenced by this May 3, 1893 ad in the “Manufacturing Jeweler.”

As late as 19oo,  F. T. Pearce & Co. still included

Livermore’s Fountain and Stylographic Pens and Pencils and Stylographic Inks

in this business card advertisement found in the “Directory of Jewelry Manufacturers” published in the State of Rhode Island’s “Thirteenth Annual Report of the Commissioner of Industrial Statistics.”

That said by the early 1900’s a feature on fountain pens published in the “Scientific American” on May 5, 1906, certainly suggested that by then the days of the Livermore Pen were long over.

It was in its day a very excellent pen, but is now seldom seen. One of these pens, which I carried regularly for some years away back in the early eighties, only failed as the result of falling on a railway platform some twenty years ago. The pen has now been repaired and is in perfect working order.

The subject bottle is a four-ounce spool ink that was blown in a mold. I suspect it dates to the early to mid – 1880’s when the Livermore pen was at the height of its popularity. In fact, according to many early 1880’s advertisements, when ordering a pen by mail, it would arrive “together with a package of superior ink.”

On a final note, it’s unclear (at least to me) as to why Livermore would utilize a trademark consisting of three W’s as a way to distinguish their brand of stylographic ink. I suspect that it could have something to do with Livermore’s middle name, Walter. In 1880, the first year the Stylographic Pen Company appeared in the Providence directory, and only that year, the company was listed as  a partnership of Livermore & Son (Charles W. and Walter A. Livermore).

Recognizing that the name Walter was common to both father and son could have led to the establishment of the trademark. Taking it a step further, the larger “W” positioned in the center of the trademark could serve a second purpose, that of connecting the two smaller W’s together, sending the message of  W & W.

Please note this is total conjecture on my part and not based on any documentation whatsoever. That said, I thought I’d throw it out there. If anyone has information about the trade marks origin or meaning I’d love to hear from you.

 

J. F. Hughes, 233 West 33rd St., New York

John F. Hughes was a mineral water manufacturer whose business operated on the west side of Manhattan from the late 1880’s up until 1914 when it was one of six companies that joined together and established the New York Bottling Company, Inc.

Born in Ireland in 1862 or 1863, Hughes arrived in the United States in 1869 at the age of six and by 1880, according to census records was living with his parents on Rutgers Street in Manhattan.

When exactly he started in the mineral water business is not exactly clear. According to an advertisement Hughes ran in the “Purchaser’s Guide and Commercial Register” included in the 1896/1897 New York City directory, his business was established in 1887 (lower left hand corner of the ad).

That said, I can’t find him listed in the New York City directories until 1890 when he was included under the heading ” Mineral Waters” with an address of 233 West 33rd Street in Trow’s 1890 Business Directory . He was certainly in business by the spring of that year as evidenced by this classified advertisement he ran in the May 6, 1890 edition of the “New York Herald.”

Located between 7th and 8th Avenues, the business remained at that location until sometime in 1894 when it relocated to 146 – 148 West 31st Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues. Hughes remained in business there up until 1914, during which time he ran annual advertisements in Trow’s New York City Directory. The advertisements all suggest that he limited his inventory to non-alcoholic beverages. One of the earliest I can find appeared in Trow’s 1895/1896 edition.

Later directories exhibited this updated advertisement which replaced the earlier one sometime around  1910.

On April 1, 1914 John F. Hughes combined his business with five other bottling concerns and the consolidated business was incorporated under the name “New York Bottling Company, Inc.” The announcement appeared in the January 15, 1915 edition of the “American Bottler.”

A consolidation of the following prominent New York City bottling concerns took place on April 1: A. Ludorff, S. A. Ludin & Co., (New York Bottling Company Co.), W. E. Seitz & Co., John F. Hughes, Henry Kracke (Globe Mineral Water Co.) and the A. Liebler bottling Co., Albert Ludoff is president and J. E. Ludin is Tres.

The 1915 NYC Copartnership and Corporation Directory listed the consolidated company as a New York corporation with Albert Ludorff, president, John E. Ludin, treasurer and R. E Schoder, secretary. Capital $750,000.  It went on to list three addresses: 532 W 20th, 417 E 90th, and 402 w 126th, suggesting that Hughes’ 31st Street location was not utilized by the new corporation. Hughes continued to be associated with the corporation in some capacity, actually serving as president for several years in the early 1920’s.

According to an April 6, 1929 story in the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle,” The New York Bottling Corporation was acquired by the Carl H. Schultz Corporation in November, 1928 and soon after both were folded into the American Beverage Corp.

More information on the New York Bottling Company , along with information on several of the firms that made up the 1914 consolidation can be found by visiting another post on this site.  New York Bottling Co.

The subject bottle was blown in a mold and exhibits a blob finish. The bottle’s embossing includes the 233 West 33rd Street address dating it between the late 1880’s and 1894 when the company was at that address.

Another  bottle, recently offered for sale on the Internet, exhibits the company’s 146 – 148 West 31st Street address used from 1894 to 1914.

Wheeler & Co., Belfast

The embossed insignia on the face of the subject bottle (or what’s left of it) consisting of a wagon wheel with the embossed letters “E R’ at the top and “& Co.” below, served as the clever trademark for a mineral water manufacturer and bottler that operated in Belfast, Northern Ireland under the  name of Wheeler & Co. from the early 1860’s up through 1947. This advertisement exhibiting their “wheel” trademark appeared in the advertising section of the “Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory” in 1884

In addition to bottling their own manufactured waters, the company also served as a bottler for other manufacturers, “Guiness Stout” and “Bass Ale” to name a few, all of which were bottled under what they called their “Wheel Brand.”

The company got its start, not as a mineral water manufacturer or bottler but as an apothecary business whose roots were established in April, 1852 with the opening of the Belfast Apothecaries’ Hall at 33 High Street. An item announcing the opening appeared in several editions of the “Belfast News-Letter.”

Five years later, in 1857, another advertisement for the Apothecaries’ Hall associated it with W. J. Wheeler & Company, short for Walter James Wheeler. The ad published in several October, 1857 editions of the “Belfast News-Letter” named the company as agents for a wide range of proprietary medicines and medical products.

The advertisement went on to say:

THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE COMPOUNDING of Physicians’ and Surgeons’ Prescriptions is under the charge of Mr. HENRY WHITAKER, Licentiate Apothecary, formerly of Butler’s Medical Hall, Dublin.

At this point while Wheeler and Whitaker were both involved in the business, they were apparently not in total control. That would change less than a year later when this announcement, dated May 1, 1858, appeared in several May editions of the “Belfast News-Letter”under the heading:

The announcement read:

WALTER J.WHEELER & HENRY WHITAKER respectfully intimate to the Medical Profession and the Public that they have assumed the entire control and management of the above Establishment, and that, it will be conducted by them. Their devoting themselves exclusively to the business of the Apothecary and Pharmaceutical Chemist, and living on the Premises (thereby insuring their constant superintendence), are the surest guarantees that the interests of the public will be properly attended to.

The announcement went on to describe the fledgling operation.

THE RETAIL DEPARTMENT will be always well supplied with the purest Drugs and Chemicals, Patent Medicines, Perfumery, Toilet Requisites, and all other articles usually kept in first-class Medical Establishments.

THE COMPOUNDING DEPARTMENT will be under the management of Henry Whitaker, Surgeon and Licentiate Apothecary, formerly of Dr. Butler’s Medical Hall, Dublin, who confines himself exclusively to the business of the Apothecary, abstaining altogether from Medical practice, in order that he may be enabled to devote his entire time to this Department, which will be constantly supplied, not only with all Medicines in general use, but also with all the new preparations, as they are brought under the notice of the Profession; so that Medical Gentlemen may rely upon having their prescriptions properly compounded and their views fully carried out.

1st May, 1858

Several years later, the partnership of Wheeler & Whitaker, trading under the Wheeler & Co. name, introduced their “Aerated Waters” to the public. This April 29, 1862 advertisement published in the “Belfast News-Letter” suggested they were first put on the market in the Fall of 1861.

As early as 1864, this June 30th advertisement published in the “Glasgow Herald” stated that the water used in the manufacture of their aerated waters was obtained from a series of wells located in the vicinity of Cromac Street in Belfast, later referred to as the Coromac Springs. The advertisement read, in part:

Wheeler & Co.’s Aerated Waters prepared with Water from the celebrated Cromac Springs at Belfast, the great purity of which peculiarly adapts it to this purpose, and are of uniform strength and peculiarly fine flavor. Every bottle of the genuine article bears the name “Wheeler & Co.” on the label.

In 1865, according to a summary of court proceedings, “Wheeler Co. v. James Johnston,” published in the November 13, 1877 edition of the “Belfast Evening Telegraph,” the company established a manufacturing facility at one of the Cromac well sites.

… Messrs. Wheeler & Whitaker traded at Belfast under the style of Wheeler & Co., and had an extensive business as manufacturers of aerated and mineral waters. The affidavit of Messrs Wheeler & Whitaker stated that in May, 1865, they took a lease of certain premises in Murphy Street, Belfast. A valuable well existing on the premises afforded a large supply of water of a very pure quality, and formed one of a number of wells in the neighborhood of Cromac Street, used formerly for the water supply to Belfast for domestic purposes. Wheeler & Whitaker erected machinery and works and commenced their business operations, which they had since carried on using exclusively the water of the well in question. Soon afterwards Wheeler & Whitaker adopted for their works the name of “Cromac Springs…”

In addition to their Belfast facilities, by 1868 the company had also established a presence in Dublin and Glasgow. Both are mentioned in this advertisement that appeared in the March 3, 1869 edition of the “Belfast News-Letter.”

By 1870, in addition to bottling their own beverages, Wheeler & Co. was also bottling those of other manufacturers under their “Wheel” trademark. This brief item touting Guinness Porter began appearing in the “Belfast News-Letter” as early as March 3, 1870.

If you want Guinness’s XX Porter, in Bottle, unmixed, ask for it labeled with the “Wheel” Trade Mark.

The following year the trademark itself began appearing in their Guinness advertisements as evidenced by a series of  March, 1871 advertisements found in both the “Belfast Evening Telegraph” and “Belfast Evening News.”

Other brands were added over the next couple of years including HENLEY & SONS’ CIDER, touted in this April 26, 1871  “Belfast Evening Telegraph” advertisement…

… and Bass, Allsopp, Ind and Cooper’s mentioned in another “Belfast Evening Telegraph” advertisement, this one in their January 7, 1873 edition.

At the same time, the apothecary and chemist portion of the business continued to operate out of 33 High Street before moving to 37 High Street in 1881.

During this time they were associated with a number of patent medicines some of which they also manufactured  including “Wheeler & Whitaker’s Balm of Licorice.”

Things changed in 1882, when two separate dissolution notices effectively transitioned the business into separately owned entities. The first, executed on April 13, 1882, dissolved the partnership associated with the Apothecary/Chemist portion of the business, leaving it in Whittaker’s hands.

A little over a month later this advertisement published in the May 24, 1882 edition of the “Belfast News-Letter” named Henry Whitaker, proprietor of The Belfast Apothecaries’ Hall, “Late Wheeler & Whitaker.”

As far as I can tell, not long after he gained control, Whitaker turned the  Apothecary business over to William Hanbury who in 1890 declared bankruptcy. This notice dated January 24, 1890  announcing the bankruptcy sale appeared in the February 13, 1890 edition of the “Belfast News-Letter.

Three months later, a May 17, 1890 item in the “Belfast Evening Telegraph” announced that the

THE PRESCRIPTION BOOKS, PROPRIETARY RIGHTS and the VARIOUS FORMULAE of the SPECIAL PREPARATIONS of MESSRS. WHEELER & WHITAKER (Belfast Apothecaries’ Hall) HAVE BEEN PURCHASED by their late Senior Assistant, MR. T. N. MOFFIT…

Meanwhile, back  in 1882, a second dissolution notice, this one dated October 16, 1882, put the manufacturing of aerated waters and bottling operation solely in the hands of Walter J. Wheeler. That notice appeared in the October 20, 1882 edition of the “Belfast News-Letter.”

A year later, according to a May 16 1883 story in the “Belfast Evening Telegraph” some of their bottled porter and ale was making its way across the Atlantic.

LARGE SHIPMENT OF BOTTLED BEER TO AMERICA. – At present Messrs. Wheeler & Co. are delivering at Prince’s Dock, Belfast, 400 barrels of porter and ale in bottles, for transshipment into lighters for conveyance alongside the Dominion Line steamer Toronto, which vessel will arrive in Belfast Lough on Friday morning for Quebec and Montreal. By the steamer Montreal, on Friday last, Messrs. Wheeler & Co. shipped a similar quantity, and on following weeks like shipments will be made by this firm.

In April, 1890 Walter James Wheeler passed away with the business continuing under the management of his son Frederick. After Walter’s death it appears that the company remained closely held by the Wheeler family until 1895 when they offered a portion of his stock for sale in an effort to realize his estate. The offer appeared in the May 3, 1895 edition of the “Belfast News-Letter.”

That said, during the late 1890’s, this item that appeared in the September 20, 1898 edition of the “Glasgow Herald” suggested that the company continued to be quite successful.

MESSRS WHEELER & CO., LTD., BELFAST have secured the honor of having their famed “WHEEL BRAND” AERATED MINERAL WATERS chosen as being most suitable for the use of the British Troops in Egypt; also the British expeditions from Lagos and Sierra Leone to Central Africa were supplied entirely with the Waters manufactured from the famous Cromac Springs of which WHEELER & CO., LTD., BELFAST are the Sole Proprietors.

In fact, in 1899 an August 28th advertisement in the “Belfast News-Letter” indicated they were planning an expansion of their Belfast facilities at the time.

As far as I can tell, the Wheeler family continued their involvement with the business until 1923 when a February 23rd notice announced the stockholders had decided to liquidate.

At this point it was acquired by a man named George A. Davidson who several years later was adjudged bankrupt on December  16, 1927.

Later, according to a July 19, 1947 item in the “Belfast Telegraph”

An offer of composition was made and accepted by his creditors and the money had been lodged with the official assignee for the payment of the composition.

As a result Davidson was apparently able to continue operations in Belfast. Though likely not a large operation and certainly not a heavy advertiser there are signs that the company remained active into the 1940’s. Both their Belfast Ginger Ale and “Anti Laria” Tonic Water were listed in the “Grocery and Provision Merchant Directory of Brands, Trademarks and Trade Names” in 1930 and, as late as 1939 the company was included on this list of Belfast and Ulster mineral water manufacturers published in the October 3, 1939 edition of the “Belfast Telegraph.”

Ultimately Davison, trading as Wheeler & Co., declared bankruptcy again, this time  in 1947 with the notice appearing in the May 14th edition of the “Belfast Telegraph.”

This time, according to the July 19, 1947 “Belfast Telegraph” story the bankruptcy was annulled by the Lord Chief Justice in the Ulster High Court due to the actions taken in the 1927 bankruptcy case. That said, as far as I can tell, this marked the end of Wheeler & Co. as a mineral water manufacturer and bottler.

The bottle I found was blown in a mold and likely had a blob finish at one time. In addition to the “Wheel” trademark embossed on the face of the bottle, embossing  on the shoulder includes the representation of  four gold medals (two on each side) and reads: ” Belfast 1895 Gold Medals.”

The base is embossed with a large capital “W’ which I assume stands for “Wheeler.”

Th bottle most closely resembles the Belfast Ginger Ale bottle pictured on the far left in the following January 1, 1890 advertisement published in the “British Trade Journal,” though it does have a flat bottom as opposed to the rounded one pictured.

While not heavily advertised in the United States, references to Wheeler’s Belfast Ginger Ale sporadically appear in U.S. newspaper advertisements between 1884 and the mid-teens. This likely dates the bottle between 1895 (the date embossed on the bottle) and the mid-teens.

Edmund Spieler, Cold Spring Harbor, L.I.

Edmund (sometimes Edward) Spieler was a local brewer and beer bottler in the Town of Huntington on Long Island New York’s north shore. Located in the hamlet of Cold Spring Harbor, the business was active from sometime in the mid-1870’s up until Spieler’s death in 1889.

Born in Bavaria in 1846, Spieler apparently arrived in the United States around 1870 where he first appeared in New York City’s 1871/1872 directory with the occupation “beer” and an address of 546 W. 36th Street. By 1880, census records put him in the Town of Huntington with the occupation “brewer.”

He had arrived on Long Island as early as 1878 when the Board of Excise” granted him a license for the sale of “ALE & BEER.” The announcement appeared in the May 18, 1878 edition of the “Suffolk Weekly Times.”

During the late 1870’s and early 1880’s  he continued to obtain what appears to be the same license to sell ale and beer during which time he delivered his product in a horse drawn wagon. Those deliveries did not always come without incident as evidenced by this story that appeared in the August 11, 1882 edition of a newspaper called the “Long Islander.” The story definitely falls in the category of “they don’t write them like this anymore!”

In this town we have a wholesale peddler of beer. He has a handsomely painted wagon. That wagon has long borne the owner who answers to the euphonious patronymic of Spieler. Last Friday Mr. S. came to this village with a full load of his “sour lightning” – the kegs and bottles were full and so was the owner. The wagon was being turned in front of Simon Hirschfeld’s when, mindful of the request embodied in the name of the proprietor, it proceeded to “spill-her” in good style. The spoke of one wheel of the vehicle broke and down it came on its side. The stream was la(r)ger as it flowed and many stood on its brink eager to stop the waste. Some who assisted could only say in the technical phase of the newspaper man “For further particulars see our inside.”

Less than a month later, the September 8th edition of the same newspaper reported that Spieler’s beer wagon had run into trouble again.

The redoubtable wagon of Spieler. the lager beer peddler has again been on a rampage. On Tuesday while coming down the hill from Greenlawn near Merril’s Hotel, Centreport, the wagon struck a stone and one of the wheels completely collapsed, letting the vehicle down in the sand. Well the occupant of the vehicle said about everything “but his prayers,” and left for home to get another wagon.

All that aside, Spieler continued to deliver his beer by horse drawn wagon up through at least 1885 as evidenced by this item that appeared in the June 26, 1885 edition of the “Long Islander.”

There were six horses brought up on the steamer on Tuesday night last, one of which was for Edmund Spieler to be used on his beer wagon.

Sometime about 1888, it appears Spieler traded his beer wagon in and became a saloon/hotel operator and bottler. That year, the May 12th edition of  the “Long-Islander announced that the Board of Excise granted Spieler an INN KEEPER’s license in lieu of ALE & BEER.

Less than two years later, on December 10, 1889 Edmund Spieler passed away, with his death notice appearing in the December 21st edition of the “South Side Signal.”

It appears that Spieler’s wife, Frances, continued the hotel/saloon/bottling business for a while after his death. The May 6, 1890 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Times” included her on a list of applicants who had been  granted a hotel license by the Huntington Board of Excise that year. She was still in business in 1892 when this story appeared in the January 9th edition of the “Long Islander.”

A team of young horses belonging to Mrs. Spieler started from before her saloon Thursday and ran down the street until they came to the mill dam at the old saw mill and ran across passing safely over where it would be almost impossible for a man to drive them, and then ran through the woods to Dr. O. L. Jones’ fields where they were captured. Horses, wagon and harness were uninjured.

What became of the business after 1892 is not clear. That said, in 1894 Frances Spieler married John Wolfert who, according to a December 12 1896 “Long Islander” story, operated “a large beer bottling business” in Cold Spring and later listed his occupation as “saloon and bottling” in 1900 census records. Though I can’t confirm it, this at least suggests that Spieler’s business may have been the predecessor of Wolfert’s business or possibly incorporated into it.

The bottle I found is a champagne style beer with an applied blob finish. It fits the 1880’s era when Spieler was in business. Maybe it was on one of those wagon’s that broke down?

 

 

Will J. Fox, Oyster Bay, N.Y.

William J. Fox was the proprietor of an Oyster Bay, Long Island hotel and saloon called the Trout Pond Inn during much of the early 1900’s. Originally called the Franklin House or sometimes Franklin’s Hotel it was named after a man named John A. Franklin who was typically referred to as “Capt.” in the local newspapers. The reasoning for this was explained in his July 12, 1907 obituary published in a newspaper called the “Long Islander.”

He was a veteran of the Civil War, having fought in the Third Missouri Cavalry and was honorably discharged.

After the war, 1880 census records listed his occupation as “oysterman” so it’s likely he started his hotel  sometime after 1880. That said, it was certainly up and running in the summer of 1895 when a June 15th “Long Islander” story announced:

John A. Franklin, a hotel keeper, had wells driven 54 and 156 feet deep. He conducts a part of the water into his cellar for refrigeration purposes.

Another story, this one in the October 25, 1895 edition of the “Long Islander” made it clear that his submerged beer kegs shared the space with a large number of speckled trout.

John A. Franklin of Oyster Bay, has a tank in his cellar in which he cools his beer kegs. In the tank are about 100 speckled trout. It is said the largest weighs over six pounds.

The May 1902 Sanborn Map located what I suspect was Franklin’s hotel “D” and Saloon “Sal” near the Oyster Bay waterfront at the corner of Bay Street and what would later become Bayles Place.

As far as I can tell, Franklin continued to serve as proprietor of the hotel and saloon until his death in 1907. At this point, William Fox, who census records suggest had married Franklin’s daughter Mary Anna in 1898, assumed the proprietorship. As early as 1908 Fox was listed as the hotel’s liquor tax certificate holder in the New York State Department of Excise Directory.

By that time, the February 1909 Sanborn Map officially referenced the saloon as the Trout Pond Cafe. The map also indicated that a mineral water works under  the management of a man named Geo. Caspari had been established adjacent to the cafe.

This close-up view of the hotel, cafe and mineral water works suggests they all shared a common driveway and backyard.

 

Sometime in the early teens Fox also became proprietor of the bottling business which, by 1915  was labeled as the Oyster Bay Bottling Works on the Sanborn Map.

Fox’s business card reflecting the change appeared as part of a June 17, 1916 feature on Oyster Bay published in the “Brooklyn Daily Times.”

Fox continued to be listed as the hotel’s liquor tax certificate holder up through the start of prohibition and a May 2, 1920 story in the “Brooklyn Daily Times” suggests he wasn’t adverse to selling liquor  even after the 18th Amendment was enacted.

William J. Fox, a saloon owner, and Stanley Kessler, a bartender, of Oyster Bay, were charged with violation of the prohibition law and held by Commissioner McGoldrick for examination. Fox’s bail was fixed at $1,000 and Kessler’s at $500.

How long Fox remained proprietor of the Trout Pond Hotel is not clear. According to 1930 census records he was still living on Bay Street in Oyster Bay but at that point listed his occupation as none. This March 1, 1926 item published in the “Brooklyn Eagle” suggests he may have given up proprietorship of the business by that time.

The caption below the photo reads:

Mr. and Mrs. William J. Fox of Oyster Bay, stopping for a brief rest beside the great pyramid at Cairo, Egypt. The couple are enjoying a tour of the world on the Canadian Pacific S. S. Empress of Scotland.

In 1940, still living on Bay Street he was working on account as a barkeeper (just staying busy?)

The “Brooklyn Eagle” reported that Fox passed away in May, 1940, leaving his entire estate to his wife Mary. The story appeared that year in their June 29th edition.

William J Fox owner of the Trout Pond Inn at Oyster Bay for many years, who died in that village May 24, left an estate of more that $11,000, according to his will dated Nov. 19, 1925 and filed here for probate yesterday with Surrogate Leon D. Howell. The entire estate was left to the widow, Mary Anna Fox. She is the executrix.

This undated photograph appeared in a feature on Oyster Bay found in the October 13, 1994 edition of a newspaper called the “Glen Cove Record Pilot.” As far as I can tell right to left are the hotel, cafe, driveway and former bottling works.

Today’s view, courtesy of Google Maps, is not all that different.

The bottle I found is a 7-ounce tooled crown. It likely dates to around the time when Fox became proprietor of the mineral water works, sometime in the early teens.

On a final note, this story appeared in the January 13, 1919 edition of the “Evening World.” While it exaggerates the age of the Trout Pond Hotel it’s certainly not the only exaggeration the story contains. That said, it’s certainly worth a read!

Out at Oyster Bay, set among a cluster of antique dwellings on the sands of the beach itself, is one of the oldest inns on Long Island. It is also one of the most remarkable.

Over the door swings a sign which tells the close observer that the place is the Trout Pond Inn. The sign starts to tell you when the inn was established, but it gets no further than “18” – the century is distinguishable but the year has long faded into a weather beaten blurr.

William Fox, the present proprietor has been there for more than 30 years and his predecessor was there longer than that.

If you happen to be the kind of a person he likes he’ll tell you who put the trout pond in the Trout Pond Inn..

Bill consented to show the writer the trout pond, although he said he didn’t like to at that particular time, because there had been an accident a few days ago from which the fish had not yet recovered. However he led the way to a dark cavern underneath the bar, where the sound of running water could be heard.

Suddenly Bill flashed on a string of electric lights and revealed a concrete lined, circular cave, at the bottom of which was a glistening pool of clear sparkling artesian well water.

Submerged in the pool were several beer and ale kegs attached to the spigots on the bar by long metal tubes.

Around the kegs cavorted a dozen huge trout. The smallest Bill said, weighed considerably more than six pounds and several tipped the scales at better than eight. “Tipping the scales”is one of Bill’s standard jokes.

Just then Bill dropped down among the group and brought up a glass of water that was clear as crystal. As he held it up against one of the electric light bulbs the water shone like liquid diamonds.

“See them trout?” he added. “Well there ain’t one that has been in that pool for less than ten years. Now, there’s Jesse, for instance. She’s hidin’ behind the beer barrel ’cause she’s sort of shy with strangers.”

“Jessie ain’t as spry as once she was,” declared Bill. “She is close onto eleven years old now, and I guess she’ll be passin’ out soon. Her father, a trout called Old Bill, whose remains are stuffed and hanging up behind the bar, lived in this pool for twelve years and three months. At that age he died a natural death. This part of Oyster Bay went into mourning when old Bill died. He was the most gentle souled, affectionate trout I ever see. He’d come when I called him and eat out of my hand.”

“All the fish you see here are Old Bill’s children. When Old Bill died he was twenty-five inches long and weighed just a trifle over nine pounds, which is some proportions for a trout.”

“Now you see them small kegs under the water, right next to the ale kegs? Well, they got sherry in ’em.

You wouldn’t believe it, but when I opened up here the other morning I heard a great splashing down in this pool and I hustled right down to see what the matter was. The trout were racing around, chasing each other in all directions and making general fools of themselves.

One of them was lying on the surface upside down and I thought at first he was dead. I couldn’t understand what had happened until I noticed a queer odor of sherry in the pool. Then I noticed that one of the sherry casks had sprung a leak and I knew in a minute that all those fish were plum intoxicated.

The one lying on the surface was sleeping his jag off. The rest were simply having a wild cabaret. I let a lot of fresh well water into the pool and after a while they began to sober up. Most of ’em had had headaches for a long while after.

 

Geo. Grau, 734 Sixth St., New York

George Grau was a native New Yorker who over the course of a 35 plus year period from 1881 to 1917 counted New York City mineral water manufacturer and saloon keeper and later, Huntington, Long Island hotel proprietor among his several occupations.

Grau’s early life was described in his March 16, 1917  obituary published in a Huntington, Long Island newspaper called “The Long Islander.”

Mr. Grau was born in Manhattan December 23, 1858, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Julius Grau. He was educated in the city schools afterward completing his education at the St. Mark’s German School. When a young man he engaged in the mineral water business with success.

His start in the mineral water  business came in 1881 when he was listed with that occupation and an address of 125 Central Avenue in Brooklyn. A bottle exhibiting that initial address is pictured in a publication entitled “A Historical Guide to Long Island Soda, Beer and Mineral Water Bottles and Bottling Companies, 1840 – 1870,” by George Fisher.

Grau’s stay in Brooklyn was short-lived and by 1882 his mineral water business had moved across the East River to Manhattan where it was located on the lower east side at 734 Sixth Street, the address embossed on the subject bottle.

Grau remained on Sixth Street until 1893 when he sold the business to a man named Leo Friedman. An item announcing the sale was included under the heading “Conveyances” in the May 6, 1893 edition of New York’s “Real Estate Record and Builder’s Guide.” It described Grau’s facility as:

…a five-story brick mineral water factory with one-story frame and two-story brick buildings in the rear.

By 1895 Grau was serving as the proprietor of a hostelry and barroom at 395 Bowery called the Eagle Hotel.  A hearing held in regard to Grau’s application for a liquor license was described in a May 18, 1895 story published in the “New York Herald.”

Capt. Louis Wendel of the First Battery, appeared yesterday before the Excise Board to support the application for a license for the Eagle Hotel at Sixth Street and Bowery, of which George Grau is proprietor. The application was opposed by agents of the Parkhurst society on the ground that the house is a disorderly house…

Grau must have ultimately gotten his liquor license because up through 1897 the New York City directories listed is occupation as “Liquors,” at the 395 Bowery address.

Then in February, 1898 he partnered with Aaron Hanover as proprietors of a saloon at 12 Center Street in lower Manhattan. Located near New York’s City Hall the saloon, called the Tiger Cafe, was apparently quite successful until subway construction put them out of business in 1905. The June 20th edition of the “New York Herald” told the story.

TIGER CAFE CLOSED

Subway Building Obstructed Access to it for a Year.

The Tiger Cafe, at 12 Centre Street, patronized by politicians, did not open for business yesterday. A sign on the door said, “Closed for Repairs.” Late in the afternoon Hanover & Grau, the proprietors, filed a petition for bankruptcy.

Aaron Hanover is known as the “Mayor of Avenue D.” George Grau resides at Amityville, Long Island. The firm liabilities are $28,341 and the nominal assets $42,303, including a claim for $25,000 damages against the Rapid Transit Commission for taking certain parts of their premises for the subway and general interference with the business. Loss of business on account of building the subway is said to be the principal cause of their bankruptcy. The obstructions were in front of the saloon for more than a year. Before the subway operations the firm, it is said, refused an offer of $50,000 for the place. They took it in February, 1898, and spent much money refitting it. They leased the premises for ten years at $7,000 a year, and at the start gave a chattel mortgage to George Ehret for $10,000. The place is said to have been very profitable up to the time of the subway building…

Later that month, another”New York Herald” story, this one published in their June 29th edition,  announced that the Tiger Cafe had been sold at auction.

Hanover & Grau’s saloon at 12 Centre Street, known as the Tiger Cafe, was sold at auction yesterday by Charles Shongood, auctioneer, under the direction of Henry W. Sykes, receiver in bankruptcy. It was sold as a going concern in one lot, subject to two mortgages, aggregating $10,700 and $1,166 back rent. There was a large crowd present, including many politicians and friends of the bankrupt firm. The sale opened at a bid of $100  over the charges, which was gradually raised to $1,075 at which price the place was knocked down to a representative of George Ehret, the brewer, who holds a $10,000 mortgage on the fixtures. The big stuffed tiger in the window was included in the Ehret mortgage, and the crowd was disappointed because it was not sold separately.

Less than two years later, Grau was retired and still living in Amityville, Long Island when he leased the Suffolk Hotel in Huntington, Long Island. The announcement appeared in the February 1, 1907 edition of  “The Long Islander.”

George Grau who has been living a retired life in Amityville for some time past, has leased the Suffolk Hotel for ten years beginning April 1, from Landlord Carll. We are informed that Mr. Grau is a man of means and will make several notable improvements to the hostelry at his own expense…  Mr. Grau formerly conducted the Tiger Saloon, on Chambers Street, Manhattan, which was made prominent by having a stuffed tiger in the window.

Shortly afterwards the March 22, 1907 edition of “The Long Islander”  described some of the improvements Grau was implementing..

Charles A. Hallock has begun the task of moving his furniture and other effects to his Centreport hotel. George Grau of Amityville, the new proprietor of the Suffolk, has been in town several days this week seeing about the extensive improvements that will be made this spring to the well-known hostelry. John Hurd is the architect who has drawn the plans, and the work will be done under his supervision. A fine plate glass front will be put in with double doors, and the bar moved back and a small auditorium fitted up in front so that one can enter the hotel without having to go through the barroom. New black walnut fixtures will be installed. The barroom and vestibule will have a fine white hexagon tile floor, and a handsome steel ceiling will be another attraction. Sanitary plumbing will be put in and steam heat will be installed throughout. Every room in the house will be repapered and repainted, and up to date furniture will be used. Mr. Grau says he will run the house in first class shape, and have a dining room and table over which there will be no room for complaint…

“The Long Islander” announced the hotel’s reopening in their May 17, 1907 edition.

The rejuvenated Suffolk Hotel will open up tomorrow (Saturday) under the new management of Proprietor George Grau. Mr. Grau has made many marked improvements in the old hostelry, and promises to give the public a superior service.

As early as June 11th Grau’s business card advertisements were appearing in the “Brooklyn Eagle.”

Not a small operation, a September 8, 1910 feature on Huntington published in the “Brooklyn Eagle” described Grau’s hotel like this:

The Suffolk Hotel, one of the oldest and best-known hostelries in the country, has 25 sleeping apartments and the dining room will seat 60 persons at one time. The house is eighty years old, and has been entirely renovated and supplied with new furniture recently at a cost of several thousand dollars. The building is steam heated and has hot and cold baths. George Grau, the proprietor, is a well known hotel man.

This photograph of Main Street in front of the hotel appeared in the “Official Membership Book of  the New York State Hotel Association,” published in 1916.

Grau served as the hotel’s proprietor until his death in March, 1917. Subsequently his wife Minnie’s name was on the hotel’s liquor tax certificate up through September 30, 1918.

So it appears she continued to manage the hotel for a while after George Grau’s death.

Ultimately, the hotel property was sold in 1921 with the sale reported in “The Long Islander” on November 4th.

The Suffolk Hotel property at Main Street, and New York Avenue, which has been a hotel since 1848, has been sold by the Edward Carill estate to Paul Schwenn, of Manhattan. The purchase price is somewhere around $120,000. The hotel and four stores front on Main Street and eight stores on New York Avenue. No one knows what is to be done with the property…

Demolished several years later, a story found in the April 8, 1927 edition of “The Long Islander” best serves as the hotel’s final chapter.

Main Street, Huntington, looks as if a cyclone has struck it.

Two outstanding objects that have served the people well for years are being relegated to that heap where all things are sent when their usefulness is over.

One is the wood-blocks which has made Huntington’s wide thoroughfare through the heart of the business section a marked spot throughout all the north shore of Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

The other is the old Suffolk Hotel which has stood at Main Street and New York Avenue long before there was any thought of a paved street.

With the tearing up of one and the tearing down of another, it is about all your life is worth to attempt to travel along the Main Street, but as “Every cloud has a silver lining,” the business people and the motorists are looking forward to a new and better Main Street and the new business building that will replace the old Suffolk Hotel will be such an improvement, that from a civic standpoint the village will be well repaid in losing the old landmark.

The bottle I found was blown in a Hutchinson mold. Its embossing includes the New York City address of 734 Sixth Street dating it between 1882 and 1893 when Grau manufactured mineral water at that address. Embossing on the back side includes a monogram of Grau’s initials along with the year 1881, his first year in business.

L. Samilson, 49 E B’way., N.Y.

Louis Samilson was the sole proprietor of a small New York City based mineral water manufacturing and bottling company during the early to mid-1890’s. The company served as the predecessor for the Royal Bottling Company of Brooklyn, a business in operation up through the mid-1930’s.

Between 1891 and 1896, Samilson’s business was listed in the New York City directories with an address of 49 East Broadway in what is now known as the Chinatown section of Manhattan. During this time, according to New York State “Factory Inspection Reports” dated January 28, 1895 and January 27, 1896, his business employed five full time workers, all working a 60 hour week.

Sometime in late 1896 it appears that Samilson formed a partnership with Israel Levinson (sometimes Levison) and the business moved to 113 Sheriff Street where the mineral water business of Samilson & Levinson was listed in New York City’s 1897 Trow Business Directory. Not long afterwards Samilson disappeared from the New York City directories suggesting he left the business at around that time. What actually facilitated his departure is not clear and there’s no further mention of him that I can find.

Around the time Samilson disappeared it appears Levinson moved the bottling business to Brooklyn and began operating it under the Royal Bottling Company name. As early as 1898/1899 the Brooklyn Directory listed both Levinson (spelled Levison) and the Royal Bottling Company in Brooklyn at 470 Lafayette Avenue. That said, as early as October, 1897 a classified advertisement found in the October 31st edition of a New York City newspaper called “The World” puts the Royal Bottling Company at that address.

Still a small operation, the New York State “Factory Inspection Report,” dated January 28, 1901 identified only three full time workers at the Lafayette Avenue facility, all working a 60 hour week.

Sometime in 1901 or 1902 the business moved to 531 Waverly Avenue and in November, 1902 it incorporated under the “Royal Bottling Company,” name. The incorporation notice appeared in the November 7th edition of Brooklyn’s “Daily Times.”

Shortly afterwards, the company’s “bottling notice” was published in the November/December, 1902 editions of several Brooklyn newspapers. Now using bottles embossed with the “Royal Bottling Company,”name, the notice indicates that at the time they were also still using some older bottles embossed with the Samilson name.

The company remained at their Waverly Avenue location until sometime in the early teens when they moved to what would become their long-time home at 863 Pacific Street. The 1913/1914 Copartnership and Corporation Directory of Brooklyn and Queens listed the company at that address, naming Israel Levinson as the company’s only principal.

Apparently a family affair, by 1922 sons Arthur and Harry had joined the business as well.

As far as I can tell the specialty of the business was their Royal Ginger Ale that according to a series of 1911 advertisements was:

The leading capped Ginger Ale, used in all fancy clubs and hotels.

The advertisements, found in several July editions of a Brooklyn newspaper called “The Weekly Chat.” were run by a large New York City grocery business called H. C. Bohack & Co. so the ginger ale was certainly being marketed for home use as well.

Later, the company apparently changed the brand name to the “Manhattan Dry Pale Ginger Ale.” Their June 11, 1925 patent application stated that the name change occurred in March of that year.

Over the next few years, taking full advantage of National Prohibition, their “Manhattan Dry Pale Ginger Ale” continued to be associated with hotels, nightclubs and restaurants. One such hotel was the Beau Rivage in Sheepshead Bay.

According to the fine print at the bottom of the August 10, 1928 “Brooklyn Daily Eagle” advertisement pictured above, the ginger ale  was one of several products that contributed to the hotel’s success.

Not just a summer drink, a night club called the “Open Fireplace” on Brooklyn’s Joralemon Street, included it as part of their Christmas and New Year’s Day dinners as well as their New Year’s Eve Party.

Likely not a coincidence, several years after the repeal of National Prohibition the Royal Bottling Company came to an official end when on September 11, 1936 the “Brooklyn Citizen” announced that the company’s assets were being auctioned off for the benefit of their creditors.

ASSIGNEE SALES

SUPREME COURT, KINGS COUNTY

In the matter of the general assignment for the benefit of creditors of Royal Bottling Co., Inc. assignor, to Maurice S. Levy, assignee.

Please take notice that the undersigned will sell at public auction through SHIELDS & GUTTERMAN, auctioneers, on Wednesday, September 16, 1936 at 10:20 a.m., at 285 Jay Street, in the Borough of Brooklyn, City and State of New York, the assets of the above named assignor consisting of bottles, merchandise, machinery, office furnishings, etc.

MAURICE LEVY, Assignee.

Six months earlier, the March 31, 1936 edition of the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle” announced that their long-time home at 863 Pacific Street was being renovated and leased to another business.

Bulkley & Horton Company, through A. Cardinale, of its Lafayette Ave. office, leased the two-story and basement brick garage and loft building at 863 Pacific St., on a lot 25×100 for a term of three years to the Safe Breath products Company, which will occupy it after extensive alterations are completed.

According to streeteasy.com the building located at 863 Pacific Street today was built in 1930, however, recognizing that the Royal Bottling Company listed 863 Pacific Street as their address before, during and after 1930 suggests it was built earlier. This photo of the building, courtesy  of Google Maps, certainly fits the above description of the building the company occupied.

The bottle I found is in bad shape, lacking its base. That said it was certainly pony shaped and exhibits a tooled blob finish. Embossed with the L. Samilson name and 49 East Broadway address it dates to the roughly five year period from 1891 to 1896 when Louis Samilson served as the proprietor at that address. Recognizing Levinson continued to use the Samilson embossed bottles for several years after establishing the Royal Bottling Company the bottle may not have made its way to the Long Island bays until the early 1900’s.

Germania Brewing Co., Philadelphia

The Germania Brewing Company was one of many interests of John F Betz  who, according to an 1896 publication called “America’s Most Successful Men of Affairs,” was said to be the richest brewer in America at the time.

In Philadelphia, around the turn of the century  he was serving as chairman and largest stockholder of John F. Betz & Son, a $2,000,000 brewery that manufactured over 300,000 barrels of beer a year. That said, it was his interest in another Philadelphia brewery, the Germania Brewery, that serves as the subject of this post.

The story begins, not with Betz, but with German born Phillip J. Lauber who, arrived in Philadelphia in 1849. A restauranteur, according to his April 10, 1887 “Philadelphia Times” obituary:

In 1852 he went to Fifth Street, above Chestnut, where he started a restaurant in a small way, and for twenty-five years his place continued to grow and got to be the most popular restaurant downtown.

Lauber’s Fifth Street restaurant was still listed in the Philadelphia directories as late as the mid-1880’s, and by 1876 he had also opened a restaurant on the grounds of Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exhibition. Quite substantial, it was listed and described in the Centennial’s “Official Catalog” under the heading “Special Buildings.”

In 1881 Lauder entered the brewing business when he established a brewery on Broad Street in Philadelphia. At around the time the brewery opened it was described like this in an April 29, 1881 story published in the “Philadelphia Inquirer.”

LAUBER’S LABOR

Completion of the Large Brewery for Producing Bohemian Beer

Mr. Phil. J. Lauber’s new brewery, on Broad Street above Columbia Avenue, is one of the most complete establishments of the kind in the country. Every portion of the structure, down to the minutest detail, has been arranged for the purpose of brewing what is known as Bohemian beer. It is very light in color, and produced exclusively from the finest imported Bohemian hops and from malt prepared on the premises by native Bohemians. The buildings are set back seventy feet from the street, and are of the old German style of architecture, the design of H. J. Schwarzmann, the well known architect…

A spacious two-story building, of seventy-five feet front on Broad Street, by forty feet deep, has been erected in front of the brewery, and will be fitted up by Mr. Lauber as a restaurant.

Right from the start the brewery, first listed in Philadelphia’s 1882 directory, was putting a financial burden on Lauber’s entire operation. Lauber himself explained some of the issues he was facing in this September 27, 1882 item published in the “Philadelphia North American” and reprinted in the “Harrisburg Telegraph.”

There were rumors current yesterday afternoon that Phillip J. Lauber, the pioneer manufacturer of Bohemian beer in this country, and proprietor of numerous restaurants in different sections of this city, has failed for an amount that was estimated all the way from $60,000 to $1,000,000. After considerable searching a representative of the “North American” found Mr. Lauder last evening, and from him received a statement of his affairs. “You know,” said Mr. Lauber, “that some time ago I began the construction of a brewery on North Broad Street for the manufacture of a perfectly pure beer, something that the masses could drink without fear of being poisoned. The plant of the brewery cost me far more than I anticipated; in fact when I had received the bills I found the amount I had expected to spend nearly doubled. Business this year has not been up to my expectations, and several notes which I had out, for comparatively small sums, however, went to protest yesterday… The trouble is but temporary, and I shall pay dollar for dollar. I may ask an extension, but that is all. No man will lose a cent that I owe him. The North Broad Street property is not by any means all that I own, and every note or other outstanding obligation will be met in full. The business at the different branches will continue as usual; and all I ask is time. My property is amply sufficient for all claims and everything will be settled in full.”

Despite Lauber’s optimism, the brewery ultimately failed, resulting in the failure of his restaurant business as well. The public auction of the brewery property was summarized in the September 24, 1884 edition of the Allentown (Pa) “Morning Call.”

The effects of Lauber’s Brewery, restaurant and garden, at Broad Street and Columbia Avenue, Philadelphia, were offered at public sale, but as the bidding did not exceed $96,500 the property was withdrawn. Several hundred barrels of beer were disposed of at prices ranging from eight cents to $1.50 per barrel. One lot of ten barrels was sacrificed at ten cents.

A year and a half later an item in the February 17,1886 edition of the “Philadelphia Inquirer” announced the brewery property had been acquired by Betz and a man named Emil Schoenberg.

The Lauber Brewery, Broad Street above Columbia Avenue has been purchased by John F. Betz & Son and Emil Schoenberg.

Less than four months later the June 1st edition of the “German & American Brewers Journal” announced that construction of a new brewery on the site was underway.

Messrs Betz & Schoenberg in Philadelphia began last month the erection of their new brewery. It will be on the site of the former Lauber Brewery on Broad Street, above Columbia Avenue. The buildings will cost $125,000. Otto C. Wolf is the architect.

Later that year the brewery business was incorporated under the Germania Brewing Company name, with the incorporation notice appearing in the December 9, 1886 edition of the “Harrisburg Daily Independent.”

At the start, Emil Schoenberg was named president with John F. Betz, treasurer of the newly formed corporation. Soon after management of the corporation would change when Schoenberg, accused of fleecing Betz and other businessmen out of large sums of money, fled Philadelphia and headed west. The back story was summarized years later in the September 23, 1890 edition of the “Philadelphia Times.” Written at the time of Schoenberg’s death the summary read in part:

Schoenberg’s real character was only partially known to those who had favored him with their confidence at the time when he decamped from the city for the far West…

Schoenberg made the acquaintance  of John F. Betz and others soon after he came to the city in 1881. He so ingratiated himself into their confidences as to win both their esteem and friendship. He was supposed to be wealthy, for he spent money lavishly. By his captivating manner he soon became closely related in a business way with Mr. Betz.

In fact, he was looked on as the brewer’s right-hand man in acquiring possession of the property on North Broad Street on which the plant of the Germania Brewing Company was built. He was soon after made president of the company by becoming a holder of its stock in the amount of $125,000…

In the summer of 1887 the startling announcement was made that Schoenberg had absconded, leaving an indebtedness of $300,000. To balance this indebtedness the only assets that could be found were his handsome residence and $125,000 of Germania Brewing Company stock, a portion of which was collateral placed with Mr. Betz, who subsequently made a deed of trust for the benefit of his creditors. At the time Schoenberg was supposed to be worth at least half a million, and his sudden flight was the sensation of the day.

When the Germania Brewing Company was started Schoenberg took $125,000 worth of the stock, and borrowed money from several banks in this city, giving as security a variety of paper which was then thought to be perfectly good. It was afterwards charged that some of the signatures upon some of the paper were placed there by others than the rightly persons. Soon after Schoenberg left the city an investigation showed that other interested parties claimed that he had used their names without their consent.

After Schoenberg’s departure, an August 9, 1887 story in the “Philadelphia Inquirer” announced that Edwin F. Poulterer had been elected as the new president of the Germania Brewing Company.

Around the same time this was all unfolding, a June 10, 1887 “Philadelphia  Times” story announced that construction of the brewery was nearing completion. The story suggests that not much, if any, of Lauber’s original brewery was retained.

Among the most prominent structures…is that of the Germania Brewing Company, Broad and Columbia Avenue now nearing completion. The main building is 70×150 and five stories high. The walls and ceilings are laid with glazed brick, interspersed with terra cotta and copper on the outside walls. Light and ventilation are secured by an immense dome of glass and copper. In front on Broad Street a handsome office is being arranged, and at Carlisle Street and Montgomery Avenue a large building, 34 x 146-1/2, five stories high, is about finished.. This will be used as a bottling house and stable. Roadhouse & Atkinson are the contractors

The “immense dome of glass and copper” referenced in the above story is clearly visible in this early 1900’s photograph of the brewery. The photo was included in a book featuring architect Otto C. Wolf’s work, compiled and arranged by G.M.S. Armstrong and found on the the National Brewing Museum’s website.

One week later a reception described in the June 19, 1887 edition of the “Philadelphia Times” suggests the brewery was close to opening.

VISITING A BREWERY

The Proprietors of the Germania Brewing Company Entertain Friends.

The Germania Brewing Company entertained a large number of friends at their elegant new brewery, Broad Street, near Columbia Avenue, yesterday afternoon. After an elaborate lunch  about one hundred guests proceeded to investigate the establishment and learn how beer is made. Everything that science has invented has been utilized by the firm and money has been a secondary consideration in fitting out the establishment. All the details were shown, also the large copper vat capable of producing 325 barrels twice a day.

One of the most interesting features of the afternoon was the visit to the fermenting room where twenty large vats, holding 350 barrels each, were in a room twenty degrees below zero, the sudden transition from extreme heat to extreme cold being very enjoyable. After a thorough sampling of the products the guests were shown over the whole establishment, from the large and elegant theatre to the stable full of fine Norman horses.

Initially, the brewery produced two types of beer, a Munich (dark) and a Vienna (light) both of which began appearing in “Philadelphia Times” advertisements in August and September of 1887.

Around the same time another advertisement for their beers was published in the Official Program of the “Centennial Celebration of the Framing of the Constitution of the United States,” held in Philadelphia on September 15th through the 17th of 1887.

The ad included this sales pitch for their bottling department.

The Bottling Company at the brewery are making a specialty of serving the family trade with their export beer in corked bottles, which they guarantee to keep a year. The beer is absolutely free from any deleterious compounds; it has not been aged by artificial means, and is brewed from the very best malt and imported hops, thus enabling them to offer the public a pure, healthful and strengthening beverage for table use. A trial will convince you of its superiority.

By the early 1890’s, according to a story in the June 6, 1892 edition of the “Philadelphia Times,” the brewery was turning out “over 40,000 barrels a year, principally for bottling.”

The company continued to operate under the Germania Brewing Company’s corporate charter until 1893. At this point, with John F. Betz now serving as  president, and his son, John F. Betz, Jr., serving as treasurer they requested the corporate charter be dissolved.

The story read:

A petition has been filed in Common Pleas Court by the Germania Brewing Company asking that the charter of the corporation be vacated and dissolved. The petition is signed by John F. Betz, the president, and attested by John F. Betz, Jr., the treasurer of the company, and sets out that at a meeting of the stockholders it was unanimously agreed that the company apply to the court for a decree of dissolution.

In conclusion it is stated that the court may make the decree without prejudice to any one, that notice of the petition has been duly advertised and that the company has paid all the taxes due by it to the city and Commonwealth….

The decree dissolving the charter was made later that month at which time the entire operation passed into the hands of John F. Betz who both owned and operated it for the next eight years. Then in 1901, while maintaining ownership of the brewery, Betz filed an application to transfer his operating license to the Henry Hess Brewing Company. The story appeared in the  March 28, 1901 edition of the “Philadelphia Times.”

Brewer Betz Wants a Transfer

John F.Betz, doing business as the Germania Brewing Company, yesterday filed an application in the Quarter Sessions Court asking for a transfer of his license at No. 1716 North Broad Street to the Henry Hess Brewing Company, E.R. Watson, treasurer. Mr. Betz desires to retire from the business.

The Henry Hess Brewing Company had been organized a month earlier for the purpose of operating the brewery, its incorporation notice appearing in the February 7, 1901 edition of the “York (Pa) Daily.”

The official transfer of the business was reported in the April 20, 1901 edition of the “American Brewers Review.”

John F Betz’s ownership of the brewery continued until 1907 when, according to a December 14th story published in West Chester Pennsylvania’s “Daily Local News,” he gifted it to his grandson, John F. Betz, 3d.

CHRISTMAS PRESENT VALUED AT $300,000

John F. Betz Gives Germania Brewery to His Grandson, John F. Betz, 3d

Probably the top-record Christmas present in Philadelphia is that made yesterday by John F. Betz to his grandson, John F. Betz 3d, to whom he turned over a completely equipped brewery, valued at $300,000 or more. The gift is in the form of the Germania Brewery, the consideration of the transfer being “$1, and natural love and affection.” The beer making establishment is located on the west side of Broad Street, just south of the Grand Opera House, another property owned by John F. Betz… It is now occupied by the Henry Hess Brewing Company.

The Henry Hess Brewing Company continued to operate the brewery for the rest of the decade and was still listed at the brewery’s North Broad Street address in Philadelphia’s 1911 directory.

Around this time the Hess company apparently moved to 844 N. Orianna Street where it was listed in the 1912 directory. The following year, the Henry Hess Brewing Company was still listed on N. Orianna Street  when they changed their name to the Premier Brewing Company. The name change is reflected in the 1913 Philadelphia directory.

On January 18, 1914, two years after the Hess Brewing Company left, it was announced that John F. Betz, 3d had sold the North Broad Street property closing out its 30 plus year history as a brewery. The announcement appeared in the January 18, 1914 edition of the “Philadelphia Inquirer.”

John F. Betz, 3d, has sold to Harry A. Mankin, representing G. Stevenson, the old Germania Brewery, at 1716-1720 North Broad Street, for $200,000, all of which is retained on a purchase money mortgage. The assessed valuation is $130,000. The site will be improved by the erection of a nine-story reinforced concrete apartment house with stores on the first floor. The new structure will cost $300,000. The plant occupies a lot with a frontage of 85 feet by 190 feet, the rear part of it continuing northward in a narrow strip that fronts on Montgomery Avenue.

The brewery was erected about thirty years ago by the late Phillip J. Lauber. Subsequently it was purchased by John F. Betz, who,  a year prior to his death gave it as a Christmas present to his grandson John F. Betz, 3d. Later and until two two years ago the plant was occupied by the Henry Hess Brewing Company

The champagne style bottle I found, was blown in a mold with a tooled blob finish. Its embossing incudes the Germania Brewing Company name that was established in 1886 when the business incorporated. Although the corporation was dissolved in 1893, the brewery was still using the Germania Brewing Company name on their license as late as 1901 when it was transferred to the Hess Brewing Company. This likely dates the bottle sometime between 1887 when the brewery opened under that name and 1901.