SeattleHistoryCompany.com
Hutchinson Stopper History
(NOTE: The information in this overview is quoted from Collecting Soda Pop
Bottles by Ron Fowler, Seattle History Company, Seattle, Washington, © 1984
and 2006 [visit SHC Books For Sale for details]. Permission is granted to
quote from this material only if credit is provided by properly citing the source,
including the www.SeattleHistoryCompany.com URL.)
WHY HUTCHINSONS?
Just what is it about Hutchinson soda bottles that makes them such a popular
collecting category? Of all the styles in my collection, why do the Hutchinson
sodas seem to draw the most interest? Visitors look at rare or beautiful
colored blob top soda bottles and say, "ho hum, those look real old." They see
the crown top bottles and easily understand that they are looking at the
grandparents of today's pop bottles. But, oh those Hutchinsons! The questions
range from "what are those?" and "what are the metal things in the mouth of
these bottles?" to "how did these work?" and "why do they call them
Hutchinsons?" Why, indeed?
Hutchinsons are an interesting phenomenon. As much as I like the blob and
crown top bottles, Hutchinsons have a special drawing power for me too. When
I stop to think about it, the reason I'm writing these words today is because
of a Hutchinson soda I acquired at a flea market over 30 years ago. I
spotted the bottle the minute I entered the hall, but hurried on for a quick
pass thru the room. I found myself continually looking back to ensure it was
still there. Finally I just couldn't resist and responded to its silent scream of
"buy me!" The next day I went to the local historical society to research the
company whose name was embossed on the bottle. The end result has been
many years of enjoyable research, culminating in the publication of several
books, a magazine column, and countless magazine and newsletter articles. I
have a special regard for my first Hutchinson soda bottle and the impact it has
had on my life. So, what is it about Hutchinsons anyway?
The late Ralph Long, a long-time soda collecting friend, used to say
"Hutchinsons really deserve more credit than do the flasks, bitters, cures,
etc. Compare a Hutchinson with a shiny bright mint cure or bitters. This
Hutchinson may have been filled and reused hundreds of times, traveled
hundreds of miles in a horse or mule drawn wagon or even a push cart over
rough brick paved or cobblestone paved streets or maybe even earth roads.
The bitters was filled once, emptied and set aside. Of course, I like mint
Hutchinsons, but I don't look down on worn rough ones either...Hutchinsons have
character." That's the answer; Hutchinsons have character! They're a lot
like people; they show the bruises of life and some endure while others fall
along the way. Like the elderly, Hutchinsons are survivors who tell stories
about their travels and the people they've known.
CHARLES HUTCHINSON
Charles G. Hutchinson, the son of William H. Hutchinson, a long-time Chicago
soda bottler and equipment manufacturer, patented his "Hutchinson's Patent
Spring Stopper" April 8, 1879. His stopper quickly gained widespread
popularity with both bottlers and consumers and revolutionized the soda bottling
industry. Corks, gravitating stoppers, and other types of closures were soon
rendered obsolete by Hutchinson’s inexpensive ($2.50 per gross) stoppers.
Charles Hutchinson came up with the right stopper at the right time. Only the
development of the crown seal closure has had more of an impact on the soda
bottling industry.
HOW THE CLOSURE WORKED
The key to Hutchinson's success was his stopper's simplicity. A rubber washer
was inserted between two metallic disks. The bottom disk was usually slightly
larger and debossed with Hutchinson's various patent dates. The disks were
connected to each other by a heavy wire that ran thru the disks and on up to
form an open ended figure eight (see the accompanying illustration from an
1880s Hutchinson advertisement) Stoppers were inserted into empty bottles
by use of wooden stopper injectors similar to hand corkers. Pushing the plunger
forced the rubber gasket thru the bottle's narrow neck, but only far enough
that the upper loop of the figure eight was caught in the bottle's mouth.
FILLING
During filling, most bottlers used bottling machines like the illustrated example
patented by Charles Hutchinson March 16, 1880. Here's how he described its
operation: "The bottle to be filled is placed on the disk or bottle support E,
the stopper being first depressed or pushed down to its open position...hook a is
then inserted into the loop of the stem of the stopper, as indicated in Figs. 1
and 3...I then depress the treadle, by which means the bottle will be held up
firmly against the cushion I."
A pre-measured portion of syrup and carbonated water combined in the syrup
gauge and was pumped into the filling head. When lever L was pulled toward
the operator, the liquid flowed into the bottle. "As soon as the bottle is
filled," continued Hutchinson, "the lever L should be raised enough to draw the
stopper to its closed position." This sealed the rubber washer against the
inner neck of the bottle like a rubber, suction cup.
Once filled, Hutchinson bottles were immediately inverted and placed into
wooden cases for shipment. The neck and top of each bottle fit neatly into
holes drilled in the raised bases of the boxes. The soda water kept the
rubber washer wet, ensuring a tight seal and preventing the carbonation from
escaping. The entire process was simple, yet very effective. Charles G.
Hutchinson was a clever man.
WIDESPREAD POPULARITY
Although the Hutchinson firm briefly produced bottles specifically designed for
their new stopper, they quickly went into heavy production of their very
successful closure.
Alfred Lief, author of A Close Up of Closures, notes that "simple to apply, the
Hutchinson stopper was easily adapted to available bottles. There were three
wire lengths to accommodate neck lengths; five washer sizes for neck
diameters. It captured the soft drink market. Business boomed for bottlers
as they filled orders for 'white'(lemon), 'black' (sarsaparilla), 'brown' (vanilla),
and 'red' (strawberry) soda waters."
HUTCHINSON IMITATORS
Unwilling to sit idly by and watch Hutchinson reap all the profits, others jumped
into the market by patenting slightly different versions of the Hutchinson
stopper. Some of these included: the August 17, 1880 John Klee stopper; the
December 11, 1883 Amos F. Parkhurst Patent Stopper; the April 23, 1889 H.
& H. H. stopper ("the neatest, cleanest and most handy Bottle Stopper in
existence"); J. A. Stukey's Patent Perfect Spring Bottle Stopper ("the finest
soda bottle stopper in the world"); and the Cyclone Soda Stopper registered
June 29, 1897 ("guaranteed superior to any other make"). With such bold
advertising claims, it was probably difficult for bottlers to decide from whom
to order stoppers. In spite of the imitators, Hutchinson's stopper was by far
the most popular internal stopper used in North America.
DEMISE OF THE HUTCHINSON
A number of factors brought about the end for Hutchinson stoppers.
Cleanliness was a major challenge. Bottlers worked on a small profit margin,
and rapid refilling of their bottles was one key to success. Hutchinson soda
bottles had to make numerous trips to and from consumers before the bottlers
recovered their investment, let alone made a profit. Not all bottlers paid
careful attention to removing old stoppers, cleaning the bottles, and inserting
new stoppers. Usually returned with the stoppers still in the necks, it was
easier to just push the stoppers into the bottles, wash them out, and use a
stopper puller to pull the semi clean stoppers back into place. A quick refilling
and the bottles were once again on their way to customers, complete with
unhealthy stoppers that affected product quality.
The patenting of the crown seal closure in 1892, development of Owens'
Automatic Bottle Machine in 1903, passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of
1906, and economic reality finally forced the bottlers’ shift to crown seal
bottling equipment. Crown caps were sanitary, easily applied, and significantly
less expensive at only 25¢ per gross. By WWI, most bottlers had converted to
crown top bottles.
COLLECTING THE HUTCHINSONS
Today's soda collectors commonly refer to the bottles which used Hutchinson
stoppers as "Hutchinsons," or "Hutchs" for short (historical records indicate
bottlers used this same terminology). An important reason for the collecting
popularity of these bottles is the variety of areas in which to specialize. Most
collectors concentrate on a particular geographical area, e. g. city, county,
state, territory, or province. Attempting to put together 50 state collections
has enjoyed favor for many years, with some collectors striving to also acquire
Hutchinsons from all state capitols, U.S. territories, Canadian provinces, and
foreign countries. Hutchinsons featuring pictures have long been a popular
category. Some only collect specific sizes or styles.
Most Hutchinsons were made of pale aqua glass (the least expensive) or flint
(clear) glass. Rare and highly desirable colored Hutchinson bottles of cobalt
blue, emerald green, and amber make a beautiful and valuable collection.
Hutchinsons are a special category of soda bottle collecting. They are
survivors with a character unique from any of their soda bottle cousins.
Although their story is over 125 years old, it's really just begun.
© 2008, Seattle History Company
Bottles by Ron Fowler, Seattle History Company, Seattle, Washington, © 1984
and 2006 [visit SHC Books For Sale for details]. Permission is granted to
quote from this material only if credit is provided by properly citing the source,
including the www.SeattleHistoryCompany.com URL.)
WHY HUTCHINSONS?
Just what is it about Hutchinson soda bottles that makes them such a popular
collecting category? Of all the styles in my collection, why do the Hutchinson
sodas seem to draw the most interest? Visitors look at rare or beautiful
colored blob top soda bottles and say, "ho hum, those look real old." They see
the crown top bottles and easily understand that they are looking at the
grandparents of today's pop bottles. But, oh those Hutchinsons! The questions
range from "what are those?" and "what are the metal things in the mouth of
these bottles?" to "how did these work?" and "why do they call them
Hutchinsons?" Why, indeed?
Hutchinsons are an interesting phenomenon. As much as I like the blob and
crown top bottles, Hutchinsons have a special drawing power for me too. When
I stop to think about it, the reason I'm writing these words today is because
of a Hutchinson soda I acquired at a flea market over 30 years ago. I
spotted the bottle the minute I entered the hall, but hurried on for a quick
pass thru the room. I found myself continually looking back to ensure it was
still there. Finally I just couldn't resist and responded to its silent scream of
"buy me!" The next day I went to the local historical society to research the
company whose name was embossed on the bottle. The end result has been
many years of enjoyable research, culminating in the publication of several
books, a magazine column, and countless magazine and newsletter articles. I
have a special regard for my first Hutchinson soda bottle and the impact it has
had on my life. So, what is it about Hutchinsons anyway?
The late Ralph Long, a long-time soda collecting friend, used to say
"Hutchinsons really deserve more credit than do the flasks, bitters, cures,
etc. Compare a Hutchinson with a shiny bright mint cure or bitters. This
Hutchinson may have been filled and reused hundreds of times, traveled
hundreds of miles in a horse or mule drawn wagon or even a push cart over
rough brick paved or cobblestone paved streets or maybe even earth roads.
The bitters was filled once, emptied and set aside. Of course, I like mint
Hutchinsons, but I don't look down on worn rough ones either...Hutchinsons have
character." That's the answer; Hutchinsons have character! They're a lot
like people; they show the bruises of life and some endure while others fall
along the way. Like the elderly, Hutchinsons are survivors who tell stories
about their travels and the people they've known.
CHARLES HUTCHINSON
Charles G. Hutchinson, the son of William H. Hutchinson, a long-time Chicago
soda bottler and equipment manufacturer, patented his "Hutchinson's Patent
Spring Stopper" April 8, 1879. His stopper quickly gained widespread
popularity with both bottlers and consumers and revolutionized the soda bottling
industry. Corks, gravitating stoppers, and other types of closures were soon
rendered obsolete by Hutchinson’s inexpensive ($2.50 per gross) stoppers.
Charles Hutchinson came up with the right stopper at the right time. Only the
development of the crown seal closure has had more of an impact on the soda
bottling industry.
HOW THE CLOSURE WORKED
The key to Hutchinson's success was his stopper's simplicity. A rubber washer
was inserted between two metallic disks. The bottom disk was usually slightly
larger and debossed with Hutchinson's various patent dates. The disks were
connected to each other by a heavy wire that ran thru the disks and on up to
form an open ended figure eight (see the accompanying illustration from an
1880s Hutchinson advertisement) Stoppers were inserted into empty bottles
by use of wooden stopper injectors similar to hand corkers. Pushing the plunger
forced the rubber gasket thru the bottle's narrow neck, but only far enough
that the upper loop of the figure eight was caught in the bottle's mouth.
FILLING
During filling, most bottlers used bottling machines like the illustrated example
patented by Charles Hutchinson March 16, 1880. Here's how he described its
operation: "The bottle to be filled is placed on the disk or bottle support E,
the stopper being first depressed or pushed down to its open position...hook a is
then inserted into the loop of the stem of the stopper, as indicated in Figs. 1
and 3...I then depress the treadle, by which means the bottle will be held up
firmly against the cushion I."
A pre-measured portion of syrup and carbonated water combined in the syrup
gauge and was pumped into the filling head. When lever L was pulled toward
the operator, the liquid flowed into the bottle. "As soon as the bottle is
filled," continued Hutchinson, "the lever L should be raised enough to draw the
stopper to its closed position." This sealed the rubber washer against the
inner neck of the bottle like a rubber, suction cup.
Once filled, Hutchinson bottles were immediately inverted and placed into
wooden cases for shipment. The neck and top of each bottle fit neatly into
holes drilled in the raised bases of the boxes. The soda water kept the
rubber washer wet, ensuring a tight seal and preventing the carbonation from
escaping. The entire process was simple, yet very effective. Charles G.
Hutchinson was a clever man.
WIDESPREAD POPULARITY
Although the Hutchinson firm briefly produced bottles specifically designed for
their new stopper, they quickly went into heavy production of their very
successful closure.
Alfred Lief, author of A Close Up of Closures, notes that "simple to apply, the
Hutchinson stopper was easily adapted to available bottles. There were three
wire lengths to accommodate neck lengths; five washer sizes for neck
diameters. It captured the soft drink market. Business boomed for bottlers
as they filled orders for 'white'(lemon), 'black' (sarsaparilla), 'brown' (vanilla),
and 'red' (strawberry) soda waters."
HUTCHINSON IMITATORS
Unwilling to sit idly by and watch Hutchinson reap all the profits, others jumped
into the market by patenting slightly different versions of the Hutchinson
stopper. Some of these included: the August 17, 1880 John Klee stopper; the
December 11, 1883 Amos F. Parkhurst Patent Stopper; the April 23, 1889 H.
& H. H. stopper ("the neatest, cleanest and most handy Bottle Stopper in
existence"); J. A. Stukey's Patent Perfect Spring Bottle Stopper ("the finest
soda bottle stopper in the world"); and the Cyclone Soda Stopper registered
June 29, 1897 ("guaranteed superior to any other make"). With such bold
advertising claims, it was probably difficult for bottlers to decide from whom
to order stoppers. In spite of the imitators, Hutchinson's stopper was by far
the most popular internal stopper used in North America.
DEMISE OF THE HUTCHINSON
A number of factors brought about the end for Hutchinson stoppers.
Cleanliness was a major challenge. Bottlers worked on a small profit margin,
and rapid refilling of their bottles was one key to success. Hutchinson soda
bottles had to make numerous trips to and from consumers before the bottlers
recovered their investment, let alone made a profit. Not all bottlers paid
careful attention to removing old stoppers, cleaning the bottles, and inserting
new stoppers. Usually returned with the stoppers still in the necks, it was
easier to just push the stoppers into the bottles, wash them out, and use a
stopper puller to pull the semi clean stoppers back into place. A quick refilling
and the bottles were once again on their way to customers, complete with
unhealthy stoppers that affected product quality.
The patenting of the crown seal closure in 1892, development of Owens'
Automatic Bottle Machine in 1903, passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of
1906, and economic reality finally forced the bottlers’ shift to crown seal
bottling equipment. Crown caps were sanitary, easily applied, and significantly
less expensive at only 25¢ per gross. By WWI, most bottlers had converted to
crown top bottles.
COLLECTING THE HUTCHINSONS
Today's soda collectors commonly refer to the bottles which used Hutchinson
stoppers as "Hutchinsons," or "Hutchs" for short (historical records indicate
bottlers used this same terminology). An important reason for the collecting
popularity of these bottles is the variety of areas in which to specialize. Most
collectors concentrate on a particular geographical area, e. g. city, county,
state, territory, or province. Attempting to put together 50 state collections
has enjoyed favor for many years, with some collectors striving to also acquire
Hutchinsons from all state capitols, U.S. territories, Canadian provinces, and
foreign countries. Hutchinsons featuring pictures have long been a popular
category. Some only collect specific sizes or styles.
Most Hutchinsons were made of pale aqua glass (the least expensive) or flint
(clear) glass. Rare and highly desirable colored Hutchinson bottles of cobalt
blue, emerald green, and amber make a beautiful and valuable collection.
Hutchinsons are a special category of soda bottle collecting. They are
survivors with a character unique from any of their soda bottle cousins.
Although their story is over 125 years old, it's really just begun.
© 2008, Seattle History Company
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"Spying" On A Work In Progress
April 16, 2007
In addition to cataloguing known Hutchinson bottles, I am actively researching
and preparing detailed historical information about W. H. Hutchinson &
Company, bottle manufacturing, similar closures, the bottling process, and much
more. This material will be included at the new www.HutchBook.com site. To
provide a hint of what is coming, here's some brief information about the
functionality of the two "spies" pictured above...
While recently searching an on-line auction service for Hutchinson bottles, up
popped items described as "Vintage Making Soda Regulator Gauge Filter Glass
Bottles" (they turned up because the seller included the word "Hutchinson" in
his description). Thanks to researching the Hutchinson bottling process, I
immediately recognized these items as "syrup spies." Zang Wood, long-time
soda collector, well-known bottle book author, and a major contributor to the
Hutchinson Bottle Directory initiative, also spotted these items and fortunately
won the auction. After he received them, he not only sent photos, he sent me
two of the actual spies; thanks, Zang!
Bottlers often stored syrup in stoneware jars (the illustrations are from the
W. H. Hutchinson and Son 1908 Bottler's Book unless otherwise noted):
Syrup hoses were connected to the faucets at the bottom of the jars. When a
particular syrup flavor was needed, the handle was opened and gravity caused
the syrup to flow into the hose:
Wherever a hose didn't have a permanent, threaded fitting, the hose was
attached to fittings via hose clamps:
The syrup hose was ultimately connected to the ribbed connection on the syrup
cock (necessitating a hose clamp):
The syrup cock was an integral part of the syrup gauge:
attached to the Hutchinson filling head. Hutchinson bottles were then filled
one-at-a-time at a bottling table (see the Hutchinson Bottling Machine
illustration in the previous article). A pre-measured portion of syrup and
carbonated water combined in the syrup gauge and when the bottler pushed the
handle on the Hutchinson filling head down, soda flowed directly into a bottle.
Although this description only highlights the route of the syrup from a storage
jar to a bottle, there's something wrong with this process. Review the path of
the syrup and you'll note the syrup is completely hidden from view. Think back
to the stoneware lids on those syrup jars and guess what else made its way
into the jars besides syrup? That's right, dirt, bugs, and all sorts of foreign
matter that could easily gum up the syrup valves, contaminate the syrup, and
ruin an entire bottling run. "Syrup spy filters" helped solve these problems:
The illustrated spy is embossed W. H. HUTCHINSON & SON and the lips are
all ground. Here's a photo of Zang Wood's Hutchinson spy showing the "sieve
strainer" (a screen filter), the two halves with a metal screw band to hold it
all together, plus hoses and clamps:
Here's a similar example offered by The Liquid Carbonic Company in 1918:
And another available from the John Mulhern Company in 1920:
The other spies Zang obtained are simpler, one piece units manufactured by
Jacob House & Sons, Buffalo, New York (like those pictured above):
These spies are crudely made and also have ground lips. The larger end is
threaded and was screwed into a clamp similar to the one on the syrup hose at
the left of the above photo. The smaller end was ribbed and required a hose
clamp. Several different bottling equipment suppliers offered syrup spies to
the trade. Here's an example from The Bishop & Babcock Company in 1909:
Here's one from the John Mulhern Company in 1936. Note the "silver-plated
tubular screen" inside of the "House's" spy:
The spies pictured on the home page appear to perfectly match the "House's
Syrup Spy" illustrated in the 1936 Mulhern advertisement.
© 2008, Seattle History Company
April 16, 2007
In addition to cataloguing known Hutchinson bottles, I am actively researching
and preparing detailed historical information about W. H. Hutchinson &
Company, bottle manufacturing, similar closures, the bottling process, and much
more. This material will be included at the new www.HutchBook.com site. To
provide a hint of what is coming, here's some brief information about the
functionality of the two "spies" pictured above...
While recently searching an on-line auction service for Hutchinson bottles, up
popped items described as "Vintage Making Soda Regulator Gauge Filter Glass
Bottles" (they turned up because the seller included the word "Hutchinson" in
his description). Thanks to researching the Hutchinson bottling process, I
immediately recognized these items as "syrup spies." Zang Wood, long-time
soda collector, well-known bottle book author, and a major contributor to the
Hutchinson Bottle Directory initiative, also spotted these items and fortunately
won the auction. After he received them, he not only sent photos, he sent me
two of the actual spies; thanks, Zang!
Bottlers often stored syrup in stoneware jars (the illustrations are from the
W. H. Hutchinson and Son 1908 Bottler's Book unless otherwise noted):
Syrup hoses were connected to the faucets at the bottom of the jars. When a
particular syrup flavor was needed, the handle was opened and gravity caused
the syrup to flow into the hose:
Wherever a hose didn't have a permanent, threaded fitting, the hose was
attached to fittings via hose clamps:
The syrup hose was ultimately connected to the ribbed connection on the syrup
cock (necessitating a hose clamp):
The syrup cock was an integral part of the syrup gauge:
attached to the Hutchinson filling head. Hutchinson bottles were then filled
one-at-a-time at a bottling table (see the Hutchinson Bottling Machine
illustration in the previous article). A pre-measured portion of syrup and
carbonated water combined in the syrup gauge and when the bottler pushed the
handle on the Hutchinson filling head down, soda flowed directly into a bottle.
Although this description only highlights the route of the syrup from a storage
jar to a bottle, there's something wrong with this process. Review the path of
the syrup and you'll note the syrup is completely hidden from view. Think back
to the stoneware lids on those syrup jars and guess what else made its way
into the jars besides syrup? That's right, dirt, bugs, and all sorts of foreign
matter that could easily gum up the syrup valves, contaminate the syrup, and
ruin an entire bottling run. "Syrup spy filters" helped solve these problems:
The illustrated spy is embossed W. H. HUTCHINSON & SON and the lips are
all ground. Here's a photo of Zang Wood's Hutchinson spy showing the "sieve
strainer" (a screen filter), the two halves with a metal screw band to hold it
all together, plus hoses and clamps:
Here's a similar example offered by The Liquid Carbonic Company in 1918:
And another available from the John Mulhern Company in 1920:
The other spies Zang obtained are simpler, one piece units manufactured by
Jacob House & Sons, Buffalo, New York (like those pictured above):
These spies are crudely made and also have ground lips. The larger end is
threaded and was screwed into a clamp similar to the one on the syrup hose at
the left of the above photo. The smaller end was ribbed and required a hose
clamp. Several different bottling equipment suppliers offered syrup spies to
the trade. Here's an example from The Bishop & Babcock Company in 1909:
Here's one from the John Mulhern Company in 1936. Note the "silver-plated
tubular screen" inside of the "House's" spy:
The spies pictured on the home page appear to perfectly match the "House's
Syrup Spy" illustrated in the 1936 Mulhern advertisement.
© 2008, Seattle History Company
February 29, 2008
"First. The Hutchinson Stopper is connected with a spring handle by a single
wire, which makes the liability for collecting dirt very slight compared with
those Stoppers having a jointed or hinged bail, or having two wires connected
with the stopper or valve, which are very hard to clean when they get dirty.
Second. The Spring in the Hutchinson Stopper is unlimited in its movement,
consequently adjusts itself to all sizes of throats...
Third. The Hutchinson Stopper is made very strong; the spring being of heavy
tinned brass wire, which is not liable to break or get out of place from hard
usage...unlike the other stoppers...
Fourth. The Hutchinson Stopper can be easily extracted from the bottles, and
if the rubber washer gets out of order a new one can be put on, and the
Stopper will be good as ever. The rubber washer is the only part of the
Stopper which ever wears out, and it can be easily replaced with new when
desired...another distinguishing feature of Hutchinson's Patent Stopper...
Your bottles can be made to use either the Hutchinson Patent Stoppers or corks
and fasteners equally well, so that it would be advisable for all Bottlers to
order their new bottles with necks for our Patent Stopper, then if they desire
to use the Patent Stopper they can do so, or they can use corks and fasteners,
knowing that they can change to stoppers at any time if they wish. Let every
Bottler do away with prejudice and try the Hutchinson Patent Stopper...if you
find you prefer corks, you can easily remove the Stoppers, and return to the
old way; but we have never known a Bottler returning to corks and fasteners
after using our Stoppers, and we know it will be to your advantage to give our
Stoppers a fair trial."
This advertising material is cited from the 1889 W. H. Hutchinson & Son
Manufacturers and Dealers in Bottlers Supplies catalog for several reasons.
First, this sales approach was used for many years and helps explain what many
collectors refer to as "transitional" bottles. Second, this snippet is a teaser
for the detailed information that will accompany the bottle listings at the new
HutchBook.com web site (visit the Hutchinson Bottle Directory Updates page for
more on this topic). Third, you can obtain a copy of W.H.H.'s 1889 catalog via
the Other Bottle Books For Sale page!
"First. The Hutchinson Stopper is connected with a spring handle by a single
wire, which makes the liability for collecting dirt very slight compared with
those Stoppers having a jointed or hinged bail, or having two wires connected
with the stopper or valve, which are very hard to clean when they get dirty.
Second. The Spring in the Hutchinson Stopper is unlimited in its movement,
consequently adjusts itself to all sizes of throats...
Third. The Hutchinson Stopper is made very strong; the spring being of heavy
tinned brass wire, which is not liable to break or get out of place from hard
usage...unlike the other stoppers...
Fourth. The Hutchinson Stopper can be easily extracted from the bottles, and
if the rubber washer gets out of order a new one can be put on, and the
Stopper will be good as ever. The rubber washer is the only part of the
Stopper which ever wears out, and it can be easily replaced with new when
desired...another distinguishing feature of Hutchinson's Patent Stopper...
Your bottles can be made to use either the Hutchinson Patent Stoppers or corks
and fasteners equally well, so that it would be advisable for all Bottlers to
order their new bottles with necks for our Patent Stopper, then if they desire
to use the Patent Stopper they can do so, or they can use corks and fasteners,
knowing that they can change to stoppers at any time if they wish. Let every
Bottler do away with prejudice and try the Hutchinson Patent Stopper...if you
find you prefer corks, you can easily remove the Stoppers, and return to the
old way; but we have never known a Bottler returning to corks and fasteners
after using our Stoppers, and we know it will be to your advantage to give our
Stoppers a fair trial."
This advertising material is cited from the 1889 W. H. Hutchinson & Son
Manufacturers and Dealers in Bottlers Supplies catalog for several reasons.
First, this sales approach was used for many years and helps explain what many
collectors refer to as "transitional" bottles. Second, this snippet is a teaser
for the detailed information that will accompany the bottle listings at the new
HutchBook.com web site (visit the Hutchinson Bottle Directory Updates page for
more on this topic). Third, you can obtain a copy of W.H.H.'s 1889 catalog via
the Other Bottle Books For Sale page!
