prize should not cost more than one dollar (as small an investment as possible!). Also, bring an item for donation to charity if you wish.

See you all at the next meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

Joe Coulson, Secretary

Club Meeting Minutes for November 6, 2005

The November meeting was held at Minnetrista in Muncie. President Norm Barnett opened the meeting and welcomed twenty-one members. The October meet-ing minutes were accepted as reported and placed in the Secretary’s book. Dick Cole presented a simple treasurer’s report (review of the balance in the account).

Kay Rittenhouse volun-teered for the responsibility of coordinating coffee for the January Show. Meredith Rob-inson will loan a coffee maker. Junne Barnett will supply cream, sugar and sweetener. John Elwood and Charles Williams will each supply some type of large thermos.

Norm reported that Janu-ary Show contracts are nearly ready. As soon as Norm gets the hotel reservation form, he will mail the contracts. You will probably receive the con-tracts before you get this issue of the newsletter.

It is time to nominate club officers for 2006. A nominating committee was formed: Mike Mosier, Jean Harbron and Ann Szopa. The committee will contact poten-tial candidates for each of the offices. The candidates will be presented at the December meeting, and 2006 club offi-cers will be voted on. Please get in touch with one of the

committee members if you are interested in a position.

Dick Cole presented the idea that club members could receive the Glass Chatter by email. The October issue was about a 2mb computer file due to all of the jar pictures. Each issue is created in color but printed in black and white for cost reasons. You could view the color version on your computer (sample issues are on the club website now).

Future club meeting topics were discussed. We are nearing the end of the alpha-bet! Tentatively the February meeting topic will be the com-bined letters U,V; March will be W,X,Y,Z; and April will be a 1 hour video on Ed Ball. Everyone is encouraged to come up with ideas for future meeting topics.

The next club meeting will be held December 4th at Minnetrista in the Cantina room at 1:30pm. This will be our annual Christmas dinner. Dick Cole volunteered to pick up the cooked ham and din-ner rolls. The Minnetrista cantina provides free iced tea and hot coffee. Everyone is asked to bring either a dessert or a vegetable dish. Bring eating utensils if you wish, but we will have plastic plates and tableware if you need them. We will have the annual “dirty” bingo game, but the

Midwest Glass Chatter, November 2005

Since 1971

Club Officers

• Norman Barnett, Pres. P.O. Box 38 Flat Rock, IN 47234 812-587-5560

• Dave Rittenhouse, V.P. 1008 CR 900 W. Farmland, IN 47340

• Richard Cole, Treas. 2904 W. Moore Rd. Muncie, IN 47304

• Joe Coulson, Sec. 10515 Collingswood Ln. Fishers, IN 46038

Next Club Show

January 8, 2006

Make your reservations now! The hotel’s phone number is 765-741-7777

Membership

The Midwest Glass Chatter is a monthly publi-cation and is a forum through which collectors can share information.

Membership cost is $15.00 per year, per family, due each December 31. All jar/bottle related collectors are welcome. Send to MAFJBC, Attn: Junne Bar-nett, P.O. Box 38, Flat Rock, IN 47234.

A “T”in-jacketed Kerosene Oil Can

Show and Tell Session

Page 2 Midwest Glass Chatter, November 2005

Joe Coulson brought an aqua QT #2794 “.Tempered. MO G.

Co”

Coleen Dixon shared a clear HG bottle “Health / Tuckahoe Lithia Water” (on the other side) “I. S. Bottling Works / East Chicago, Ind.”; a clear QT bottle “Telephone East Chicago 180” (on the other side) “I. S. Bottling Works”; an aqua QT #2792 “The Widemouth Telephone Jar Trade Mark Reg.” (smooth lip, lightning seal, with a nice bubble over the letter “J”); an aqua QT #315 “Ball Stan-dard” wax sealer, machine made, c1910—1912 (these were sealed with “T”in lids!); and a small bottle with prod-uct label for “Tuttle’s Elexer / Special Veterinary Liniment / Boston Mass.” (13 sides). Coleen also showed us a go-with which was a graniteware funnel.

Jean Harbron shared a clear PT, QT and HG #2828 “Trues Imperial Brand D.W. True & Co. Portland, ME”, made c1920s; an aqua PT #2790-2 The Telephone Jar Trademark Reg. Whitney Glass Works”, made in the late 1900s, Glassboro, NJ; an aqua PT #2792 The Wide-mouth Telephone Jar Trade-mark Reg., made c1900s; and a clear HG #2820 TF 2 (on base), made c1910s and looks like it might “T”urn purple!

The theme for “Show and Tell” this time around was jars and go-withs relating to the letter “T”, as well as a few other items that members wanted to share.

Dick Cole started us out by displaying a clear com-memorative J. L. Thompson whiskey bottle. This bottle had embossing which read “Thompson Glass Co. / Thompson Bottle Co. / 1904—1982” and indicated that the Owens automatic bottle-making machine was used during that entire time span! Dick pointed out that it is interesting to study how these machines worked—it helps to explain why certain “mold marks” and “base scars” exist on jars.

Lou Ebert was next, and he didn’t make it to the meet-ing last month, so he brought some “S” jars. The first was a Samson battery jar: 4 1/2” square hand blown jar, 6 3/8” tall, embossed “Samson Elec. Co. Canton Mass. (on differ-ent side) The Samson Battery No 2”. The jar had its original paper label and instructions. The lid was marked “Samson No 2 Battery Pat. July 8 ’90. Pat. Sept. 22 ’96, The E.G.M. Co Boston, Mass.”. It was a wet carbon and zinc battery used for door bells, call bells, etc.

Lou’s other “S” jars in-cluded the following: a clear QT #1639 Mason (in script, underlined with narrow ban-ner, smooth lip) (thought to be made by the Safe Glass Co.); a clear QT #2579 Seal-fast (ground lip, old style neck, base: unmarked); a clear 3/4 PT #2657-1 Smalley’s Nu-Seal Trade Mark (within dou-

ble line diamonds, all in a slug plate, base: “Smalley Fruit Jar Co. Boston, Mass. Patented Jan. 5 1904”, smooth lip, old style neck); a clear QT #2661 Smalley’s (Royal on crown) Royal Trade Mark Nu-Seal (base: “Smalley Fruit Jar Co. Boston, Mass. Patented Jan. 5, 1904”, smooth lip, old style neck). Lou also showed us a wooden fruit jar shipping box marked in red and black “One Doz. Quarts Mason Fruit Jars Made By the Safe Glass Co. Upland, Ind.”.

Lou’s “T” jars included: a green QT and HG #1898 Mason’s (arched) Patent Nov. 30TH 1858 (base: “Tigner G. Co.—Xenia, Ind.—”, ground lip, shoulder seal). Look for an article from Lou about the Tigner Glass Co. in the next issue of the Glass Chatter.

Joe Coulson brought an aqua QT #2794 “.Tempered. MO G. Co”. Joe also displayed a “T”in jacketed Dandy kero-sene oil can (probably made by the Marion Fruit Jar and Bottle Co.). Joe showed a “T”wenty year anniversary service pin from Ball Brothers Co. (with a wonderful design of a Ball Perfect Mason jar).

Millicent Ransom dis-played a Ball blue PT #2806 Tight Seal (in circle) (reverse: Pat’d July 14, 1908). These jars were made by Ball Broth-ers.

Show and Tell Session, continued

all thinking about Ted and his wife Pam. Charles also told us some good news. He said that Jerry McCann may be working on a compilation of some of Dick Roller’s material. We look forward to hearing more about this possible project. Jerry has published many good reference books (Indiana Glass Factories Notes, Fruit Jar Patents, Fruit Jar Annual, Label Space by Tom Caniff, etc.).

Ann Szopa and Sue Wil-son showed us a clear (unlisted) 12 panel round product jar with label space, “T”-shaped bosses, Hazel Atlas mark and number on the base, made circa 1939—1941 (T-boss was used 1939—1955); a smokey colored (unlisted) T on base, round product jar, small mouth lightning closure, bulged neck; a clear QT #2803 Thrift / Thrift Jar Co. / Baltimore, MD (no closure); a clear PT #2795-9 Texas Dogwood Trails Founded 1938 Palestine, Tex. 1985 (JC on base—mold maker’s initials), with news clipping, Jimmy Cheatham was the mold maker; a clear QT #1391 Trade Mark Key-stone Registered, and a clear QT #2820 TF 4 (on base), Hazel Atlas logo on base, light-ning indented neck seal.

Tom Sproat told us about his pursuit of “T”eaching and “T”enure at the university

Dave Rittenhouse (along with his wife Kay) displayed an aqua PT #2790-1 The Tele-phone Jar Trademark Reg. Whitney Glass Works (in circle); a clear PT #2789-5 T.C. Co.; a clear QT #2796 Texas Mason (with map of Texas); a Ball blue HG #2808 Tight Seal (in circle) Pat’d July 14, 1908.; a clear HG #2825-1 True Fruit (JHS Co) Trade-mark Registered (in circles); a set of “T”udor Rose emblem jars #1875 in nice colors (Ball blue QT, yellow olive green PT, Sun-colored amethyst PT).

Dave also displayed an aqua #1898 Mason’s Patent Nov. 30TH 1858 (base: Tigner G. Co. Xenia, Ind.); a clear PT #2321-1 Trademark Pearl Registered; and an aqua QT #1604 Table Syrup Packed By Franklin Macveach & Co. Chicago.

Phil Robinson displayed one of the early 1850’s “T”in preserving cans (a quart #2690 Spratt’s Patent July 18. 1854 Pat’d April 5 1864 on glass lid). Phil also showed a clear HG #2818 Tropical (TF in diamond) Canners jar.

Phil brought a couple of special go-withs. These were the actual molds used to make jars and bottles. The first one had very elaborate embossing for a “Sioux City” western bottle. The second one was for a modern Ball canning jar. The molds are metal and are very heavy.

Phil also told us an inter-esting story about recent visi-tors to his museum. In 1989 a couple had visited, and Phil told them that their children should visit too if they were ever in the area (because of their bottle collecting inter-est). The children live in Ha-waii, and the man “collects whatever comes out of a dump”. Well, Phil recently got that visit—some 16 years later than the original invite!

Charles Williams told us that Ted Penix was preparing for his initial surgery. We are

Page 3 Midwest Glass Chatter, November 2005

Phil showed a clear HG #2818

Tropical (TF in diamond) Canners

Show and Tell Session, continued

Page 4 Midwest Glass Chatter, November 2005

Tigner (on base) Jars

Telephone Jars

I.S. Bottling Works and Tut-tle’s Elexer Bottles

TF (on base)

where he presently works. We were glad that Tom “T”raveled all the way from Kentucky to be with us.

Gusty and Mike Monoghan brought several items. The first was a “T”hermos named The Coro-net Jug (with a clear Ball jar inside!). The second item was a clear QT #1501 “T”rademark Lightning Regis-tered U.S. Patent Office jar. The next item was a “T”om Boy beverage bottle. The last items were a couple of jelly glasses which were originally meant to be covered with “T”in lids!

Mike Mosier displayed an aqua QT #2792 The Wide-mouth Telephone Jar Trade-mark Reg. (in circle) (smooth lip, old style lightning seal); a clear PT #2796 Texas Mason (without correct cap); a Ball blue HG #2808 Tight Seal (in circle) Pat’d July 14, 1908. (lightning dimple neck seal); a Sun-colored amethyst QT #2820 TF (on base).

John Elwood shared an aqua QT #2792 The Wide-mouth Telephone Jar Trade-mark Reg. (in circle) and a lid for a #2809 Tillyer jar. John also showed us several jar ring boxes: four different varia-tions of Tite-Rite and two variations of Cupples Top Seal.

Norm Barnett showed us an aqua QT #2797 Thompson (base: Pat’d 1872) with correct rare ceramic cap. There were marks on top of the cap from the kiln process. Norm said that the cap was found in a barn in New York. He could not recall ever seeing an origi-nal cap for public sale. Norm specializes in early jars and unusual closures.

Samson Battery Jar

Norm showed us an aqua QT #2797 Thompson with

correct rare ceramic cap

Ball Salt-and-Pepper Shaker Progression

Page 5 Midwest Glass Chatter, November 2005

# Date Description

0 Sales samples, round and square with zinc lids and rubber rings. No holes in the lids.

1 1933/34 Chicago world’s fair set. Zinc lids with a bead, 13 holes. Jars were one round and one square, BALL PERFECT MASON on the front. Inside the box is a coupon for a Ball Blue Book.

2 1936 Date on the box. Zinc lids, 13 holes. Round and square BALL PERFECT MASON on the front of the jar.

3 1941 Date on box by box makers cert. Tin lids with no bead, that is a flat top. 13 holes. Both squares with grippers. Jars say BALL PERFECT MASON on the front.

4 1947 No date on the box. Gold tin lids say USE DOME LIDS on the lids. 8 holes on each lid. Rounded squares jars have BALL PER-FECT MASON MADE IN THE USA on the front.

5 1954 No date on the box. Gold tin lids say BALL. 6 holes round pattern. Rounded square jars with BALL PERFECT MASON MADE IN USA on the front.

6 1955 No date on the box, but has a blue circle with BALL in it on the box. Red and gold tin lids, 8 small holes in the red, and 8 larger holes in the gold. Says BALL on the lids. Rounded squares the front of the jar says BALL PERFECT MASON MADE IN USA. There were 2 different finishes on the box.

7 1956 No date on the box, but has a blue pentagon with BALL in it on the box. Red and gold tin lids, 8 small holes in the red and 8 larger holes in the gold. Lids have BALL on them. Rounded squares, have BALL PERFECT MASON MADE IN USA on the front.

8 1965 Stacked set. Red and gold lids, say BALL. Rounded square jars with BALL PERFECT MASON MADE IN USA on the front.

9 1970 No date on the box. Blue and white alum lids with holes in a round pattern. 8 small holes on the blue, 8 larger ones on the white. Rounded squares with BALL MASON on the front, MADE IN USA on the back.

10 1970 Ten year anniversary set, No date on the box, but 1970 on the side of the shaker. Blue and white aluminum lids holes in a round pattern, 8 holes, larger holes in the white lid. BALL MASON on the front, ASHEVILLE 10 YEARS MADE IN USA on the back. May 17 1970 on the sides. Box is the same as No. 9.

11 1978 Date on the box. Blue and white alum lids with the holes in a circular pattern. 8 small holes on the blue, 8 larger ones on the white. Rounded squares BALL MASON on the front and MADE IN USA on the back.

12 1980 Centennial issue. Box has a centennial sticker on the bottom. Blue and white end with a circular pattern. 8 small holes on the blue and 8 larger ones on the white. BALL MASON on the front, ASHEVILLE 20 YEARS MADE IN USA on the back, and MAY 17 1980 on the sides.

13 1984 Date is on the box. Blue white alum lids flat top with a star pattern. 11 holes. Jars have BALL MASON on the front and MADE IN USA on the back.

14 1988 Date is on the box. Blue and white alum lids with holes in a circular pattern. 8 small holes on the blue and 8 larger ones on the white. Rounded squares with BALL MASON on the front, and MADE IN USA on the back.

15 1988 Date is on the box. Blue and white alum lids with holes in a star pattern. 11 large holes in both blue and white. These are larger holes than the ones in No. 12. Rounded squares jars have BALL MASON on the front and MADE IN USA on the back.

16 1990+ No date on the box. Black bottom on the box says Altrista Corp. Blue and white alum lids with holes in a circular pattern. 8 small holes in the blue and 8 larger in the white. Rounder squares, jars have BALL MASON on the front and MADE IN USA on the back.

Editor’s note: I asked permission from club member Dick Sorensen to print his “idea of the progression of Ball Shakers”. This is a carry-over of our “S” theme from last month (“S”hakers)! Dick made copies of this list available during the July 2005 Muncie Show.

It should be noted that when these shakers were made there was probably little effort made to be precise. They packed whatever was handy. I have No. 10 up type boxes with no date on them. I don’t understand the 2 star patterns. Visiting with other collectors we find other discrepancies. There were also commemoratives with employee’s names and dates on them.

Several people smarter than I have tried to pin down this progression. Notedly Dick Roller, and Mary Hobson Hennagin. Charles W. Williams is an excellent authority.

I would appreciate hearing from you if you disagree. I upgraded this list Jan 2004.

Dick Sorensen, 11521 So. 192nd St., Gretna, NE 68028

Page 6 Midwest Glass Chatter, November 2005

Swayzee Synopsis Simonds Manufacturing Co. and Swayzee Glass Co. The suit was eventually settled in favor of the defendants in mid 1900.

By late 1899 Swayzee Glass Co. was operating 10 of the Powers machines. Each machine was operated by 3 men and was said to be capa-ble of turning out 300 dozen jars per day. The wages aver-aged about $3.50 for each of two men and $2.00 for the other, per day.

In mid-January 1900 the Swayzee Glass Co. began the installation of a new type of fruit jar machine which was developed by the Muncie Foundry and Machine Co. of Muncie, Ind. at the behest of Swayzee Glass Co. The new machines had a capacity to turn out 60 dozen jars per hour. The operators were paid $4 per day.

In 1904 Robert J. Main, president of Swayzee Glass Co., filed an application for a glass blowing machine. The patent #779,089 was granted on January 3, 1905.

During 1905 Swayzee Glass Co. employed 135 men, 18 women, 2 boys under 16 and 2 girls under 16. They worked 225 days that year and 59 ½ hours per week.

In September 1905 the Swayzee Glass Co. started in operation for the 1905/’06 season. In early 1906 Ball Bros. bought Swayzee Glass Co. The factory was closed down on March 31st, 1906 and never operated again.

It was reported that the factory would be repaired and operated but in February 1907 Ball Bros. commenced taking

On March 22nd, 1894 a contract was closed between the Swayzee Land Co. and Messrs. Cole, Stewart, Main and Rogers, all of Bowling Green, Ohio to establish the Swayzee Glass Co. in Swayzee, Ind. By July 16th the factory was in operation. The com-pany operated for over a year before being formally incorpo-rated.

The factory was operated with non-union men. At the beginning of the 1898/’99 season the wages of the blow-ers were cut by 30% to 3 ½ cents for pints, 4 cents for quarts and 5 cents for half gallons. At that scale the men were making an average of $25 to $30 a week. In Decem-ber the blowers went out on strike and applied for union membership. The striking blowers kept a check on the railroad stations in Swayzee and the surrounding towns for incoming replacement non-union blowers. The com-pany built a stockade fence around the factory and posted guards equipped with Win-chester rifles.

In February 1899 Swayzee Glass Co., in an at-tempt to break the strike, obtained and installed a fruit jar press-and-blow machine, designed by John J. Power and made by the Simonds Manu-facturing Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa. At that time the only firms using machines to make fruit jars were Ball Bros. of Muncie, Ind. and Atlas Glass Co. of Washington, Pa.

The Atlas Glass Co., who controlled the patents on the Charles E. Blue developed fruit jar machine, filed a pat-ent infringement suit against

out the machinery and tearing down the factory. In March the factory site was sold to the commercial club of Swayzee.

Written by

Louis E. Ebert

September 2005

Sources:

1. Revolution in Glassmak-ing, by Warren C. Scoville, c1948.

2. Swayzee Glass Co. His-torical Notes (2/29/1992), by Dick Roller.

3. State of Indiana, Tenth Annual Report of the Depart-ment of Inspection 1906.

4. Various Grant County, Ind. newspapers, 1894 - 1907.

Fruit jars produced by Swayzee Glass Co.:

Red Book #1974 MA-SON’S SGCo. (monogram) PATENT NOV. 30TH 1858 (These are hand blown jars, 1894 – 1898)

Red Book #2780 – 2782 SWAYZEE’S IMPROVED MASON (Machine made jars, 1899 – 1906).

An example of an aqua PT #2780-1 Swayzee’s Improved

Mason

Announcements

• The Muncie January 2006 Show is about a month and a half away. Start planning now for a hotel room or a display or a sales table. Call Norm (812-587-5560) or Dave (765-468-8091) for details and to obtain a contract, if you have not already received one.

• It’s not too late to place your pre-production order for the 2006 Fruit Jar Annual. This book always contains great research articles, current jar price info—especially for the scarce jars, and a directory of fruit jar collectors. It will be distributed in mid-January. It is avail-able for $35 postpaid from: Jerry McCann, 5003 W. Berwyn Ave., Chicago, IL 60630-1501.

• Glennie Burkett (wife of Don “Mr. Mason” Burkett) has been in the hospital for an opera-tion on two heart valves. Please keep Glennie and Don in your thoughts and prayers. They have been long-time club members and attendees of our jar shows. Glennie always has such wonderful displays at the shows (“Devon Violets”, “Evening in Paris”).

• Dick Cole would like to recognize the efforts put forth by Tom Harbron to “fix” the club website recently. Apparently Dick got in a battle with Microsoft Word while trying to make updates, and the computer won this round. Tom is one of those behind-the-scenes people that helps us out, and we appreciate his computer skills.

MIDWEST ANTIQUE FRUIT JAR & BOTTLE CLUB

Send articles and info here: Joe Coulson, Editor

10515 Collingswood Ln. Fishers, IN 46037-9598

Email: jcoulson@leaderjar.com

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

A jarrific place to share and learn

WE’RE ON THE WEB! WWW.FRUITJAR.ORG

,

Next club meetin

g will be held

December 4th at M

innetrista in

the Cantina ro

om at 1:30pm !!