ANTIQUE BLOB TOP HUTCHINSON " HIRES " ROOT BEER SODA BOTTLE PHILADELPHIA PA

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fossil-glass.llc - Formerly "fossil-glass" / "bottle.auction" with 100% customer satisfaction and over 4350 positive feedbacks BLOB TOP HUTCHINSON "HIRES" ROOT BEERPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA You are bidding on a very early hutchinson HIRES root beer soda bottle from Philadelphia, PA. Dating between 1875-1885, this large cylindrical shaped hutch (bottle) is clear in color and stands 9-1/4" tall by 2-1/2" diameter. It has a thick, oversized blob top with crude glass full of various size air bubbles, stretch in the neck from the application of the top and a boldly embossed base which reads as follows: H I R E S HIRES' Root Beer is known all over the world. It has been the prototype of a whole series of imitations and substitutes, but still retains its precedence. The maker, Charles E. Hires, began life as a drug store boy in a country town at the age of twelve, went to Philadelphia at the age of sixteen, by industry and economy accumulated a capital of $400, with which he engaged in business on his own account, and now carries on a business which is the envy and admiration of half the drug world. At the solicitation of the editor of the AMERICAN DRUGGIST, Mr. Hires describes below the typical old fashioned Philadelphia drug store in which he laid the foundation of his fortune and describes his first opportunity and how he took advantage of it. He still believes that business life is full of opportunities for those who are shrewd enough to see them and energetic enough to grasp them. Many thousands of men had passed the workmen excavating the cellar. Thousands of those who passed lingered to watch the busy scene. But only one-Mr. Hires-really saw what the thousands looked at. They only saw men carting dirt. He saw the dollars in the dirt. I was not a registered college of pharmacy student, but after serving my apprenticeship of four years in a country store, from the time I was twelve until I was sixteen, I came to Philadelphia and after obtaining a situation as clerk here, I attended lecture occasionally at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in the winters of '67, ‘68 and '69. It was at the time customary to extend an invitation to drug clerks whose preceptor were interested in the College of Pharmacy to attend lectures during their nights off, and this was about the extent of my attending the College of Pharmacy. About the year 1872 a state law was passed that all druggists should undergo an examination and be registered. I took this examination and was given a certificate of efficiency to carry on the drug business. When embarking in business at Sixth and Spruce, I had less than $400 and did a great deal of work in assisting the carpenter in fitting the place up, and it was through the good offices of my wholesale drug friends that I got started. Mr. Crenshaw, of Bullock & Crenshaw, Valentine H. Smith, Clayton French and Robert Shoemaker-these good friends gave me all the credit I asked, and to them I owe a great deal of my success. Perhaps an incident of my first conspicuous success would be interesting. This occurred about a year after embarking in business at Sixth and Spruce. It came about in this way: I have always been active and energetic, and the time spent behind a prescription counter, especially in the dull part of the day, often became irksome and I longed for greater things to do. One day when walking out Spruce street, I noticed a cellar being dug and from this excavation I noticed a lead colored clay like substance which attracted my attention, as it seemed almost of the consistence of putty. I picked up some of it and took it back: to the store and after drying it and examining it I found it was fullers' earth or potter's clay. I returned to the place the next day and saw the contractor and asked him if I could have some of this clay. I only wanted the clay from this certain strata. As they had some distance to cart the dirt from this excavation, he very gladly, when he learned where to deliver it, assented to my having all I wanted of it, and was glad to gi... read more

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