Letters to the Editor

to the Editor

From an Old Spring Rises a New ‘Reader’

Dear John,

Enclosed find a picture of your youngest reader (my great-great-granddaughter) Willow Joyce Baker, age 18 months.

She picked up your magazine and looked at it for a long time, evidently studying the art as she obviously cannot actually read. We all do though!

I don’t know who your oldest reader is, but thankfully it is not me.

I remain your advocate,

Paul (and Darlene) Lang Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania

Editor’s note: “Roaring Spring?” Sounds interesting. We noticed, per Wikipedia, that the village was established around the Big Spring in Morrison’s Cove, “a clean and dependable water source” vital to the operation of a paper mill. Prior to 1866, when the first paper mill was built, Roaring Spring had been a grist mill hamlet with a country store that led to the mill near the spring. The grist mill, powered by the spring water, had operated at that location since at least the 1760s.

By 1873, the borough contained 170 lots and 50 buildings, which included the paper and grist mills, three churches, a company store, a schoolhouse and one hotel. It is home to the only remaining original Pennsylvania Railroad station in Blair County.

The village core retains only a few shops and professional offices, but still holds the Roaring Spring Blank Book Co. and the Roaring Spring Water Bottling Co. and all of the historic church buildings. The Roaring Spring Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. The most prominent natural feature, Wikipedia adds, is the Big Spring, or Roaring Spring, an eightmillion-gallon-a-day limestone spring that emerges from a hillside in the center of town.

OK, now our No. 1 question: Are there any old bottles from the spring? Please let us know.

Like many of us, Willow Joyce Baker likes to hunker down with AB&GC every month.

A Year of Challenges

Hi, John,

It has been a difficult year, in so many ways. Right now we are all working through COVID-19. If you live in Northern California like I do, you are working through a huge fire season. Oh, of course, our major bottle show in Reno, was cancelled. Many local shows have been cancelled.

Through it all, in my book, a major unhappiness for our group was the passing of Mark Vuono, a really super guy and an asset to our bottle group. I hope that Andrew, his son picks up for his Dad. Best wishes to all the Vuono family.

Jay Jacobs Napa, California

New History on Old Bottles

Dear John Panella and Joe Widman,

My name is Henry Thies. I just retired as a pharmacist of 39-plus years in June of this year. I have been a bottle collector of almost 50 years. I enjoyed your Peruna article (Medicine Chest, April 2020).

When I started working, I paid attention to products still on the market that I had old bottles for. In June of 1989, I ordered a bottle of Peruna from our wholesaler to go along with the Peruna bottles of the past. As a historian, I know how hard it is to find last dates of operation.

to the Editor

Anyway, I know the product was produced and marketed in 1989. I have the bottle and box as proof. In 1989, the product was being sold as an iron and vitamin tonic in a sherry wine base. It was 18 percent alcohol. The box was labeled in Spanish and English. On the box it says “AS SEEN ON TV.” It was being produced by Consolidated Royal Corp. of Chicago. It has a bar code and had a money back guarantee. The flyer in the box says it was available in tablet form as well.

I can send pictures of the bottle, box, and flyer if you would like.

Sincerely,

Henry Thies Cut Bank, Montana

Editor’s note: Congratulations on your retirement, Henry, and please send photos. We’d love to hear more about your collecting.

Jas. Van Dyk, Tea Importer Teapot

Dear John,

It was with great interest that I read the article entitled, “The Stoneware Doctor” (Sept. 2020), by John Savastio. It was particularly interesting to me, as I had written an article entitled “How To Restore Damaged Stoneware” for your magazine back in October 2002.

Little did I realize that I was in possession at the time of one of the featured miniature teapots in this article, advertising James Van Dyk, tea importer. It was my assumption when I purchased this little teapot for $1 at a flea market many years ago, and that it was in such perfect condition, that it was some sort of reproduction or recently fabricated piece of memorabilia. I have enclosed a photograph of the teapot, although now I am questioning whether it might be authentic or not. Does the author of this article know of any such reproductions? I might have been fooled by its excellent condition into thinking it was a repro when in fact it may have been truly vintage. Any thoughts?

Thank you so much for continuing to publish this wonderful magazine. I look forward to my monthly escape from reality when it arrives at my door.

All the best,

John Scarpati Howard Beach, New York

A Monumental Dig — How Sweet It Was

Hello, John,

In 1998 I dug a huge dump in Bartlett, New Hampshire, that took seven days to get through. Near the end of the dig I came upon this beautiful, intact monument cologne bottle. Near it was a pristine Pitkin ink. What a thrill!

The cologne is a vibrant shade of aquamarine and measures 4 3/8 inches tall by 2 3/8 inches wide and has a crude pontil scar. I’m certain your readers will enjoy seeing a photo of this rare colored monument cologne bottle.

Peter B. Samuelson Intervale, New Hampshire

Editor’s note: Peter brought this monument cologne bottle to our attention after seeing the cobalt blue example that was featured in American Glass Gallery Auction 26, July, 2020, Lot 104. It is interesting, as the aquamarine examples are, in our opinion, equally as rare as the cobalt blue examples. Also: Bartlett was settled after 1769, and is named for Dr. Josiah Bartlett, the first chief executive to bear the name “governor,” a representative to the Continental Congress, and one of New Hampshire’s three signers of the Declaration of Independence. What a great city to dig in!

TOP: John Scarpati's Jas. Van Dyk teapot. ABOVE: Peter Samuelson's monument cologne.