J. F. Cutter Variant #1 "A"

OK OK, Calling in the Experts. Is this the Pointed "A" on the Variant 1 J.F. Cutter Extra? I had a comment that this was the Variant 2 "A", I have shown it to several people and I have been told its #1. Can anyone shed some light on this? Thanks DB.

Labeled Glob Top Portland Fifth Discovered!

I have collected Western glass for close to 40 years, and really have an interest in Oregon bottles in addition to all historic Western glass. Awhile back, I became aware of a whiskey bottle that had recently been found during a remodel. The bottle, I was told, fell 25 feet out of a ceiling, and landed in a pile of lathe, insulation, and plaster. It bounced across the floor and like the song involving a meatball, almost rolled out the door.

Being a non bottle collector, the gentleman described the bottle as a brown whiskey from Portland, Oregon, and was from A.P. Hotaling. I was hoping it was an early glob top, but concluded that it was likely a nice label only fifth, and I would be interested in looking at it. The photos came on line, and I could not believe my eyes! It was a fully labeled, Portland Hotaling "Rick Rack" glob top, and it was the RARE second version! Now my heart was really pounding, as I have never even heard of an Oregon glob fifth with a label, let alone on of the rarest open face Western whiskeys. After much back and forth discussions, we agreed to meet half way between us (7 hour drive each), and when I held this beauty, I was happy to see it beautifully whittled, and in absolutely perfect condition. Of note is the words "A.P.Hotaling, & Co." no less than 10 times on this one bottle !For an Oregon guy, this is a cornerstone piece for my collection. I have asked Mike Dolcini to draft a post surrounding Hotaling's Northwest presence, and distribution. This will hopefully follow shortly.

WALKER BROTHERS MORE THAN JUST AGENTS FOR S.T. SUITS

Here are some tidbits from the Walker Bros...  

The four boys migrated to Utah with their mother in 1852.   Their father had converted to the Mormon Church in England and decided to come to Utah.   The typical immigrant route for the European converts was through New Orleans and upriver to St. Louis,  then by wagon train or hand cart to Utah.  The Walker family landed in St. Louis in 1850, at the height of the Great Cholera Epidemic of 1849/50.  Father and two sisters died in St. Louis, and it took the young boys 2 years of working odd jobs to earn enough to continue the trip.
Their mother remained a member of the Mormon Church,  but in the early 1860's the bros. argued with Brigham Young over several issues and left the Church.  Their continued prosperity no doubt rankled B. Young,  and they had very tumultuous relationship with the Church leader until his death in 1877.








1872 photo of the Walker Bros. dry goods store and Walker Bros. bank building downtown Salt Lake City. 
Inset photo shows store front from a different angle.  
The Walkers had dry goods stores in both Fairfield, Utah and S.L.C.   The town of Fairfield sprang into prominence in 1858 with the arrival of Federal troops (Johnston's Army) and the creation of Camp Floyd.   Located approx. 40 miles southwest of S.L.C.,  Fairfield was a lively place catering to the soldier's "needs".  As the Civil War approached, Camp Floyd was abandoned with the enlisted and officers returning east to fight on both sides.. Union/Confed.  The "Johnson" of Johnston's Army was Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston,  famous Southern commander who died in the Battle of Shiloh in April of 1862.

Walker Bros. bank got it's start when the brothers purchased a safe from a western bound wagon train.  They began by storing valuables and buying and selling gold dust.  Things grew from that meager beginning.
They survived, even prospered, during the financial panics of 1873,1893,1907 and by the 1920's had become the largest bank in Utah 
The bank merged into the First Interstate Banking group in 1981.

The 'new' Walker Bank Building  opened Dec. of 1912.   From an early post card.

The famous Walker House Hotel was built in 1872 and boasted 200 first class rooms.   (copy of steroview sent to me by A.P.  many thanks)

Tag or check from Walker's store... rumored to be from the Fairfield Store.. metal detector find. 

Rob Walker was a mining baron!  The brothers made several million dollars in the hills of Utah.   Emma mine,  Price of Wales group,  silver chloride deposits in the Ophir, Utah area.  The big one, however, was the Alice Mine near Butte, Montana.  Actually had a town there named Walkerville.  

What junk do we bring home!!!! 
Hobnail mining boots of the 1870's had numerous insignia on the sole.
O.K.  , U Bet,  WBro..  I've seen several others including an ANo1.

Stamped pick heads are collectible I guess..   This Walker Bros pick came from a small workings in the Dry Canyon District.

Color comparisons... 
Now my Clubhouse is not as green as the two "pure green" examples known.   Mine is more of a yellow green... everything is looking more amber in this photo!   as a point of reference...  my Club is the one on the fencepost in Thomas's earlier book.  some of you may remember that photo.
Anyway,  compare the Club with the two different shades of Suits fifths.  
The Hotaling shard is probably close to the green Clubhouses in color, so the Suits are not quite that green... not many fifths are!

The S.T. Suits is known in three color shades.  

A) Yellow green amber - 3 mint ones known,  2 known with small issues,  1 known with repaired neck.
B) A click more yellow amber - 1 mint known, 1 with potstone issue
C) Amber  -  1 known with small annealing flash

There hasn't been that many broken ones found over the years.   Probably less than 20.

First ad that I have seen advertising S.T. Suits.   Aug of 1872. 

The Walker Bros. became agents for J.H. Cutter Old Bourbon Aug of 1872.

The Bros. were also agents in Utah  for Jessie Moore Whiskies.    J. Moore shards are scattered all across the state.

Very interesting document.    Walker's buying out or "joining forces" with Cunnington & Co.   Aug. of 1872.    Cunnington were the first agents for J.H. Cutter - Hotaling in Utah.
-see earlier post on Cunnington's Elephant Store

Even before the merger or the official start of the liquor house... the Bros. were selling  popular products out of their dry goods store.   Miner's outfitters.

Fleckenstein & Mayer, Portland, O.

I have periodically featured Fleckenstein and Mayer flasks on prior posts. Here are two very rare examples from this company, which made as many different amber flasks as any Western concern.

These two are both private mould specimens, and date from the early to mid 1880s. The pint is very crude and bubbly, with an unusual lip treatment. There are about six of these in collections, and an additional two with a glob top. The half pint is one that might easily be mistaken for the more commonly seen slug plate version, but upon close inspection it is indeed a private mould flask. These are very rare with about 10 in collections. They have been rumored to also come with an applied top, but I have not seen one. I am not aware of these particular flasks being dug anywhere but the Pacific Northwest, and not for quite some time. I do believe a few different variants have been found in California, and I would be very interested to know where.

Rothenberg Judge T-80

Once in awhile you come across an exceptional example of a bottle that would normally not be considered at the top of the food chain. I know that these Old Judge glob tops are about as late as an applied top whiskey can be, and are normally a pretty red coloration with nice whittle effect. This example is a real chameleon, with many different colors, ranging from yellow with a touch of green, peach, strawberry red, and a nice pucey orange...all rolled into one. The whittle effect is as good as you get in any whiskey, and the embossing has that goofy old judge holding up a glass of the stuff. As far as being just a pretty piece of glass, this qualifies. This example was dug in the Bay Area a few years ago. Not a "top 25", but the verdict is in...this one is guilty of being one killer piece of glass!

Can You Grow It ?

Has anyone been successful at germinating privy dug seeds ? If so, what grew ?

Do you think super dry or super wet holes preserve seeds better ?