# Better beverages embossed bottle weldon bottling co.



## Karikeller11 (Mar 10, 2014)

Does anyone have any information on this bottle. I can not find a thing on this clear embossed bottle


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 11, 2014)

Kk11 Questions: 1.  Are there any other embossments ( letters - numbers - symbols ) on the bottle, or just the information you included in your title? 2.  Is it a crown-top or blob-top?  Other? 3.  North Carolina or some other state? Howz about a picture! Thanks Bob


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 11, 2014)

Bob I will be happy to include a picture if I can figure out how! HELP!
The front is embossed with Better Beverages, the back is embossed Weldon Bottling Co. and underneath that is says Weldon Bottling Co. 
Also, around the top at the bottom of the neck are embossed stars.
It says NC.
Not sure about crown top but definitely not a blob top. If you could help me post a picture, I will be glad to!


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 11, 2014)

Sorry, meant to say underneath Weldon Bottling Co it says Weldon NC


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## OsiaBoyce (Mar 11, 2014)

You need to speak w/ Randy K. ................................. Bottlejunkie56. He knows.


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 11, 2014)

Finally figured out the picture thing!


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 11, 2014)

Picture of back of bottle


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 11, 2014)

Probably the easiest way to post a picture is to click on (Full Version) and then scroll below the message part to where you will see ... Upload file(s) to the server  And then click on [Select] This should take you to your digital photo file/folders/ etc where you can click on the preferred picture which should automatically post.


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 11, 2014)

Stars around neck


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 11, 2014)

Ok, got the picture issue covered, now, being new here....who is bottlejunkie56 and where do I find him?


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 11, 2014)

Kk11 Thanks for the pictures. Good job! Earlier, I did an extensive search on the Internet but could not find a single reference for ... 1.  Better Beverages nor for ... 2.  Weldon Bottling Company The only thing I found for Weldon, North Carolina were listings for Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola, both from the early 1900s.


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 11, 2014)

That is it.....that is all I find. I have been collecting for 10 years and never run across this one. I am losing sleep over this darn bottle!  I found bottlejunkie56, will send him amessage, maybe he will know something.


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 11, 2014)

Ok, I emailed Randy on the bottle and now we wait


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 11, 2014)

In the back of Allan Petretti's 2003 third edition book "Soda Pop Collectibles Price Guide" there is a listing of approximately 7,000 different brand names of soda pop. "Better Beverages" is not one of them!


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 11, 2014)

That means another night with little sleep, Thanks Bob!


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 11, 2014)

This new site has produced many soda bottles I had never seen or either never heard of but none I could not find information on:
Lime cola
Try me
Pepsi cola the sanitary plant
Donald Duck acl
Bracers it so bracing
Saluda sc bottling works (broken, but I am holding out that I find one in good condition!)
And others but none like this darn better beverage bottle


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 11, 2014)

Btw, I even researched"beer" bottles, read somewhere weldon did beer, but still nothing!


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 11, 2014)

Almost always ... but not always   [8|] Soda Pop = BottlingBeer = Brewing


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## OsiaBoyce (Mar 11, 2014)

Saluda Bottling Works..................................were are you at? That Saluda bottle is a tough one to get, more so away from Saluda.


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 12, 2014)

Woodruff SC digging at a old home site


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 12, 2014)

One of my best finds here, since we just moved to Woodruff from Greenville SC is a bottle embossed Abercrombie with Woodruff SC embossed around the bottom.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 12, 2014)

I found the following three references for "Better Beverages." But I am somewhat confused about them.

~ * ~

1.  From J.L. Jones 1972 book "Soda and Mineral Water Bottles." See pictures below where the text from the book shows a date of "About 1940." The accompanying black and white picture and text are both for bottle #54. My confusion on this one is the 1940 date which seems a little late and I'm not sure why they say "about."  But otherwise it is the same bottle as the one in question.


~ * ~


2.  From gono.com / Nostalgiaville which list an embossed "Better Beverages" from Wellston, Ohio. My confusion on this one is the location and also to the reference to "A Gem." 


[URL=http://www.gono.com/museum2003/embossed%20by%20brand/ebrandb.htm]http://www.gono.com/museu...by%20brand/ebrandb.htm 


WELLSTON    X S OH   C  "BETTER BEVERAGES + A GEM"   (N)   (B 5)  


~ * ~


3.  This is also from gono.com which list an ACL. The title shows it as "Better" but when you scroll to picture K you will see that it actually says "Better Beverages." My confusion on this one is the location (St. Louis) and the date (1964).


[URL=http://www.gono.com/museum2003/paintedlbottles/paintedb2.htm]http://www.gono.com/museu...lbottles/paintedb2.htm


BETTER  K  X  B  1964  MO  Clear  Red/White  "ST LOUIS"  -  Name  (M+N)


~ * ~


In other words, I'm not sure if there is a connection between these bottles or if it is just some kind of brand name coincidence. ???


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 12, 2014)

P.S. I found the "Gem" soda bottle from Wellston, Ohio. Apparently it was mistitled on the gono.com site. The "Better Beverages" part is a sub-name ... As in "Gem ~ Better Beverages." Scroll to the "Gem" listings - the ones highlighted in green have pictures. So I'd say we can scratch this one off the list as possibly being connected to the bottle in question. But I'm still curious about the ACL that clearly says "Better Beverages" on the label. Here's the link to the "Gem" bottle - listed alphabetically ...  http://www.ca-yd.com/textfile/bottles/ACLWEB_G.HTM


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 12, 2014)

The image shown above looks like the same bottle but it does not have Weldon Bottling Co on the back.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 12, 2014)

Here's the "Better Beverages" ACL from gono.com


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 12, 2014)

Karikeller11 said:
			
		

> The image shown above looks like the same bottle but it does not have Weldon Bottling Co on the back.



Notice the text says 9 1/2 Ounce. I suspect this must have been embossed on the bottle for them to list it that way. Does yours have an ounce size on it?


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 12, 2014)

Bob where did you pull that image from?


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 12, 2014)

PS Based on my understanding of the J.L. Jones book listings, most of the text refers to what is actually embossed on the bottle. I suspect the reference to the bottler is on the opposite side of the bottle but is not shown in the picture.


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 12, 2014)

Yes, 9 1/2 oz.


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 12, 2014)

The black and white picture in your posts looks exactly like my bottle.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 12, 2014)

Karikeller11 said:
			
		

> Bob where did you pull that image from?



From the 1972 J.L. Jones book "Soda and Mineral Water Bottles."  I have a copy of the book which is extremely hard to find and typically sell for about $75.00 if you are able to locate one.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 12, 2014)

Here's a picture of the cover ...


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 12, 2014)

I live 10 minutes from Greer, which is where the author
Is from. Maybe I can find one locally.


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 12, 2014)

That is all the book said about the bottle? No additional information?


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 12, 2014)

Side-by-side comparison ...


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 12, 2014)

Bob I will have to say it appears you solved the mystery. I did not see the text previously in the picture until just now! So what we have is a bottle worth 2-3 dollars has now cost me 2-3 weeks of sleepless nights!
Thanks for your help, at least now I can rest peacefully!


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 12, 2014)

Karikeller11 said:
			
		

> That is all the book said about the bottle? No additional information?



I scanned the text directly from the book and it's the only reference to the bottle. The book does not list a "Better Beverages" in the ACL section.


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 12, 2014)

I am quite satisfied that is definitely the same bottle. I can't thank you enough!


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 12, 2014)

Karikeller11 said:
			
		

> Bob I will have to say it appears you solved the mystery. I did not see the text previously in the picture until just now! So what we have is a bottle worth 2-3 dollars has now cost me 2-3 weeks of sleepless nights!
> Thanks for your help, at least now I can rest peacefully!



Hold your horses on the value.  []  Remember, the book was published in *1972*. I'd say to the right collector the bottle would be worth considerably more now.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 12, 2014)

Kari If you are interested in reading more about J. L. Jones and his book, I did a thread on it back in September of 2013. Here's the link ... https://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/RARE-SODA-BOTTLE-BOOK-By-J-L-JONES-COPYRIGHT-1972-m630019.aspx


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 12, 2014)

Well I have 2, one is cracked on the inside but still intact and I am always willing to share!


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 12, 2014)

Thanks for the link!


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 12, 2014)

The book might be available digitally by subscribing to this website. I did some clicking around but did not subscribe because I already have the book. Someone might like to take it to the next step and see what's what ... https://openlibrary.org/books/OL5472075M/Soda_and_mineral_water_bottles


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## ncbred (Mar 16, 2014)

I've got several bottles from Weldon but don't recall seeing this one.  Nice looking bottle.


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 16, 2014)

Thanks, took me 3 weeks and Bob referencing his book from 1971 to find anything on it.


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 16, 2014)

NcBred I have another one I dug up, it is cracked on the inside but still intact. I would be more than happy to give you this one if you are interested?


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 16, 2014)

This long link is to a long list of bottlers in North Carolina in 1920-1921. First, scroll back to page 551 where the list begins. And from there scroll forward and you will see the names of just about every mom & pop bottler imaginable. But no "Weldon Bottling Company." The names are listed alphabetically and on page 553 you will find ... Pepsi Cola Bottling Works - WeldonWeldon Coca Cola Bottling Works Apparently Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola were the only two bottlers in Weldon in 1920-1921. Of course we still don't know exactly when the "Weldon Bottling Company" was established or how long they were in business, but based on this list I'd say it had to have been either before or after 1920-1921. And then there's the J.L. Jones book showing a date of "about" 1940, which still confuses me because the "Better Beverages" bottle in question sure don't look like a 1940s bottle to me! Anyway, this is the kind of stuff I have been looking at but unfortunately have come up empty handed except for the it-doesn't-tell-us-very-much listing in the 1972 J.L. Jones book. Back scroll to page 551 and then check'em out through page 553-554 ...  [URL=http://books.google.com/books?id=AScTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA553&dq=coca+cola+bottling+company+weldon+north+carolina&hl=en&sa=X&ei=E0UmU63VDtDUqQGe3YGACg&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=coca%20cola%20bottling%20company%20weldon%20north%20carolina&f=false]http://books.google.com/b...20carolina&f=false And here's the iddy-biddy text again from the J.L. Jones book regarding the reference to "about" 1940


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 17, 2014)

Kari: I realize I asked this question earlier, but I ask it again just in case you might have overlooked something. I'm trying to make sense of the 1940 date from the J.L. Jones book and if we can accurately date the bottle it might add another clue to solving the mystery.   Are you 100% certain there isn't some kind of makers mark or other symbols - letters - numbers embossed on either the base or the heel of the bottle? The marks I am referring to might seem insignificant at first glance but could possibly help us date the bottle. Look for "anything" even if you don't recognize what it might stand for. What puzzles me is that I just can't imagine a 1940 soda bottle not having some type of glass manufacturer marks on it. Thanks a lot Bob


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 17, 2014)

Bob I have looked the bottle over thoroughly. Nothing, no marks anywhere except for what I have already told you. I assume you noticed the embossed stars around the neck, but that is it. I am going to look at the links you sent above. Just FYI, on the bottle it shows Co. versus  Company. Weldon Bottling Co.


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 17, 2014)

Bob  in your post above, you mention this bottle does not look like a 1940's bottle, what are you thinking the age to be?


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 17, 2014)

Bob I would be happy to ship the bottle to you if you think it would help our research?


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 18, 2014)

Kari:

Thank you for the information regarding the embossing. Unfortunately it doesn't give us much to work with as to who made the bottle and when, but it is what it is and I'm sure that tougher mysteries have been solved with even less information. I appreciate the offer to examine the bottle first-hand but doubt it would tell me anything more than we already know. It's the brand name and bottler that are the most significant clues anyway and if/when any specifics can be unearthed regarding them I'm sure that some dates will be a part of those details. However, if it were possible for you to provide us with a few more pictures I'm sure it would benefit all of us. The particular pictures I have in mind are ...

1.  Full image of the bottle including the lip/top.
2.  Picture of the heel/outer base.
3.  Picture of the base.

~ * ~

As to why it doesn't look like a circa 1940 bottle to me ...

1.  General appearance.
2   Brand name script.
3.  No makers mark / date code / etc.
4.  Non ACL
5.  No reference to either brand or bottler.

~ * ~

As to what era the bottle does look like ...

1.  1910s through 1920s

~ * ~

Regarding the J. L. Jones book ...

Of the over 2,000 varieties of bottles listed in the book, many of them are listed as "About." Abt. 1920 - Abt. 1930 - Abt. 1940 - Abt. 1950. Which leads me to believe the bottles listed as such probably did not have makers marks and/or date codes and the author and his cohorts were just guesstimating about the dates. So at this point I would not put too much stock in the 1940 date until something more specific develops to substantiate it.

Thanks again

Bob


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 18, 2014)

I realize this might seem like groping for straws, but at least it's 'something'  [&:] This is from 1920 and says ... *",three soft-drink bottling works, "  *[ Located in Weldon, North Carolina in 1920 ] 1.  Coca Cola Bottling2.  Pepsi Cola Bottling3.  Weldon Bottling Company ??? http://books.google.com/books?id=E6pIAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA22&dq=weldon+bottling+works&hl=en&sa=X&ei=dPcoU4WiLuS2yAGGxoHgDA&ved=0CEkQ6AEwBDge#v=onepage&q=weldon%20bottling%20works&f=false


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 18, 2014)

Another iddy-biddy attachment ... From the 1920 link I just posted


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 18, 2014)

Bob I think you have uncovered something. I am traveling with work and will be back tomorrow. I will take the pictures and post when I get home.


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 18, 2014)

I think you are correct on the dates since I found a 1910 script pepsi bottle and many others from the 1910-1920 era.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 19, 2014)

Kari: Thanks. We will look forward to the pictures. In the meantime I am trying to find a full-image picture of an early Weldon, N.C. Pepsi Cola bottle. So far the only two pictures I have been able to find are the ones shown here. Specifically what I am trying to determine is if the Pepsi bottle has *stars *on the shoulder? In the one picture it sure looks like there is something embossed on the shoulder, but then again, maybe I am just seeing things. If anyone has this bottle or a better picture of one, please share it with us.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 20, 2014)

I discovered a couple of things this morning ... 1.  The Weldon Pepsi Cola bottle does not have stars embossed on the shoulder - it's the contents - but I'm not sure how many ounces - 9 1/2 OZ. ??? 2.  According to this 1916 newspaper article ... "*Pepsi Cola Bottling Works, of Weldon N.C., to do a general manufacturing and bottling business of all kinds of soft drinks*." (Because I do not have a current subscription to the newspaper site, I had to use two separate snippets. In order to see the rest of the article the fee is $50.00 for a one month subscription). It would be interesting to know if the bottle pictured here is in fact marked with 9 1/2 ounces, which is the same contents amount for the Better Beverages bottle. When Kari post a full image of the Better Beverages bottle we will be able to compare it to the Pepsi Cola bottle and see if they are similar. I do not know what's embossed on the heel of the Pepsi bottle.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 20, 2014)

P.S. The primary reason I am doing this focus on Pepsi Cola of Weldon, North Carolina is because of the use of the words Bottling *C**ompany*. Some sources I've seen use "Works" but just as many use "Company"  I'm thinking because there are no readily available references for the Weldon Bottling Company that "Better Beverages" might have been a flavor line of the Pepsi Cola Company. ???    This snippet is from a 1915 issue of "The American Bottler" and uses the term *Company*. Plus it mentions an individual by the name of H.A. Hardiness. It also mentions "Incorporated" which is what is embossed on the Pepsi Cola bottle itself.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 20, 2014)

And here's the link to the 1915 issue of The American Bottler for those who might like to scroll through it ... http://books.google.com/books?id=c69RAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA57&dq=pepsi+cola+bottling+weldon+north+carolina&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1xUrU5LNCYXWrQHzlIH4BA&ved=0CE8Q6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=pepsi%20cola%20bottling%20weldon%20north%20carolina&f=false


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 24, 2014)

BobI did not want you to think I have abandoned our research!  I was traveling last week and left my Ipad at the hotel. They are sending it to me this week and I am outof town until Wednesday. When  I get home I will send the pictures. BTW- Great research!


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 26, 2014)

Kari: 10-4  Standing by In the meantime, there are two "Better Beverages" acl bottles listed alphabetically on Chris Weide's website. Both bottles are listed as being from Missouri and I'm not sure if they are related to the one in question - probably not ??? ( I am not posting pictures of the bottles because the images are copyrighted ) Click on the green numbers to see pictures of the bottles ... http://ca-yd.com/textfile/bottles/ACLWEB_B.HTM


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 26, 2014)

P.S. Earlier I mentioned that a newspaper archives subscription cost $50.00 per month. Well, they just sent me a special offer of $49.95 for a full-year subscription so I signed up and will begin additional searches and see what, if anything, I can find related to either the Weldon Bottling Company and/or Better Beverages.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 26, 2014)

For starters here's the entire 1916 Pepsi Cola article that I posted a snippet of earlier. It doesn't tell us much but does give us some names to work with ...


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 26, 2014)

Bob I emailed Chris Weide when I first started this crusade and he told me his Better Beverages bottled do not have any embossing on them. I do not have my Ipad back yet so I took pictures with my phone andam having troub;e uploading them. I will keep trying.Let me know if there is a better way to get good pictures of bottles, I obviously have not figured it out yet.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 27, 2014)

Searching through newspaper archives is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Even though the website I subscribed to allows me to narrow my search by selecting particular newspapers as well as specific states and dates, it still boils down to how I word my search. If I search for BETTER BEVERAGES it automatically pulls-up every listing for the word BETTER even if it is not directly related to the word BEVERAGES. It also pulls-up every listing for the word  BEVERAGES even if not related to BETTER. The same is true when I search for WELDON BOTTLING COMPANY - it pulls-up all three words separately whether they are related or not. So what I end up doing is scrolling through hundreds and hundreds of articles in the hope of eventually finding the one I am looking for, which can takes hours and hours to accomplish. But this doesn't mean I am discouraged from searching - it simply means that I have to learn how to word things properly in as few words as possible so as to get more results in a lot less time.

Speaking of time, the attachment below took me a good two hours to find and so far is the only listing where the words "BETTER BEVERAGES" were listed together. I realize it's a teaser and not what we're looking for, but I thought I'd share it anyway to exemplify the challenge that lays before me. As time allows I will continue the search and hopefully find something directly related to ...

BETTER BEVERAGES - WELDON BOTTLING COMPANY ~ WELDON, NORTH CAROLINA

By the way, the newspaper archives consist of ...

1.  2,600 different newspapers. (But not one specifically from Weldon, N.C.)
2.  Listings from the 1700s to the 2000s.
3.  64,427,665 individual pages.

The attached article is from ...

The Statesville Record & Landmark ~ Statesville, North Carolina ~ April 24, 1921

~ * ~

P.S.

When I first stumbled onto this article I thought I had struck gold and solved the mystery but was disappointed when the reality of it set in. Oh well, the search goes on!  []


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 27, 2014)

P.S. ~ P.S.

I forgot to clarify that I have found numerous articles for the Coca Cola Bottling Company and the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company in Weldon, North Carolina, but nothing specifically for the Weldon Bottling Company. Its because of this that I cling to the possibility that "Better Beverages" might have been a flavor line of either Coca Cola or Pepsi Cola. ???


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 27, 2014)

I just discovered that the newspaper for Weldon, North Carolina was/is called ... "*THE ROANOKE NEWS*" This advertisement is from that newspaper and dated Thursday, August 17, 1922


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 27, 2014)

And this for a future reference ...


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 27, 2014)

I figured I might as well post this Pepsi Cola advertisement, too ... Whoopee!!  Zoom!!  [] *The Roanoke News ~ Weldon, N.C. ~ Thursday, May 29, 1919*


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 27, 2014)

Lastly ... (For the time being) As the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz might say ... *"But no Weldon Bottling Company/Better Beverages - Not nowhere-Not no way-Not no how"   *


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 28, 2014)

Despite the Cowardly Lion's skepticism, sometimes perseverance pays off. Both of the attached snippets are from ...

*The Roanoke News ~ Weldon, North Carolina ~ May 9, 1901*

Based on what I have been able to determine thus far, it appears that the Weldon Bottling Company proceeded the Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola bottling companies by several years. However, I have yet to discover just how long the Weldon Bottling Company remained in operation. 

Later today I will re-write the text portion so as to make it easier to read.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 28, 2014)

P.S. A key search term at this juncture would be ... *M. L. Fine & Company*


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 28, 2014)

I learned a new trick today that allows me to copy/paste text from the newspaper articles I have been finding. However, as you will see, the procedure has some flaws in it and misspells many of the words and scrambles others. But for the most part the information is understandable enough so as to get a general sense of what is being said. This first example is from The Roanoke News and dated September 20, 1906. As you will see, it reinforces my earlier belief that the Weldon Bottling Company proceeded the Coca Cola Company in Weldon by five years. *Weldon Bottling Company was established in 1901**The Weldon Coca Cola Bottling Company was established in 1906* As time allows I will be posting other articles in this same, although somewhat annoying fashion and hope everyone interested is able to decipher them. Here's the one from September 20, 1906 ... new enterprise for Weldon is the Weldon Caicu C.ola Bottling Works. Mr. A. Seifert, the energetic sccrct.iry and treasurer of the company, has leased of Mr. li. Clark the T. A. Clark building on the corner of Third street and Washington avenue and is having it lined up for the works. .Mready Ihey have unloaded some of the latest improved machines for car bonating, bottling, etc. In addition to the bottling of Coca Cola, under an exclusive license from the C.oca Cota Company, of Atlanta, (ja., Ihey will also buttle high class s.idas, ginger ale, etc. Mr. Sei fert has been here for the past sev eral days helping lo get things in shape. The business here will be managed by Mr. B. H. Windley, The new enterprise has our best wishes for its success.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 28, 2014)

And here's the copy/pasted text from the May 9, 1901 article that I posted a snippet of earlier regarding the Weldon Bottling Company ... Anotnkr fiNTBBPBisB.—Messra. M. 1/. Fins & Co. have leaasd the Old Del* monioo's building, oo Second street snd will open up 00 tbo 15ih tbe WeldoD Bottling Works, for tbs purpoae of bat- tliog beer, pop, ale snd sodas. This eo- tarpriaing firm will also deal ia ico snd fcopply tbs trsde in large or amali quao- titiea. Weidoo ia an excellent poiol for beer bottling and tbe new firm will be prepared to fill all orders promptly. Thay will supply tbe trade only witb tbeir bottled gooda and invite correspondenos from all firma who bandls tbstr goods. Weldon being within ouy reach of tbe towoa along tho Seaboard and At lantic Coast Linea it will be to tbe inter est of dealers to aend tbeir orders to tbe Weidun Botfling Works.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 28, 2014)

I thought a few of our members might enjoy this one. It pertains to the sale of the Chero Cola Bottling Company in Weldon. I do not know when the Chero Cola Company was first established in Weldon, but this article was published on August 4, 1922  ( And could very well be the *third *soft-drink bottling works referred to in the 1922 snippet I posted earlier ). The scrambled name is William Hatcher NOTICE.: TbiH in to nottfv all persons, aud cufporations tn*t p. B. Byni, ding as ('hero Iola bottling Coiup«Dfi Weldon, N. (, hath this date sold ui delivered unto William Hatoher all * his right, title and interest in fMiu ^ Chero Cola liottling Ckimpaay, Weloii N. C. All persons owing the nid will pleaae make payment directly » Mr. Hateher, and ail peraons, corporations holding elaima^io*^ ^ said chero (V>la Bottling CoDPftoy look to Mr William H»t«her for settif uieut. 'I his the *2ri)h da|;^of WM.* hatcher. (Wlk)


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 28, 2014)

P.S. If in fact there were only three bottling works located in Weldon in 1922 as the snippet indicates, and they were Coca Cola - Pepsi Cola - Chero Cola, then this leads me to suspect that the Weldon Bottling Company was nonexistent in 1922. ???


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 28, 2014)

P.S. ~ P.S. I forgot to mention that the earliest date I have been able to find so far for the Weldon *Pepsi Cola*Bottling Company is *1915*. But I'm not certain yet if this is when it was first established, although it might be. I'm confident it was one of the three referred to in the 1922 snippet. 1.  Coca Cola2.  Pepsi Cola3.  Chero Cola


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 28, 2014)

I have searched high and low and cannot find any dates which determine how long the Weldon Bottling Company was in operation. Nor can I find any references connecting "Better Beverages" with the Weldon Bottling Company, other than the fact that Kari's bottle was obviously bottled by them. And even though Weldon Bottling also bottled beer, I doubt the term "Beverages" refers to beer. So the only thing I am totally confident about at the moment, and hopefully is helpful towards approximately dating Kari's bottle, is that the Weldon Bottling Company was established in *1901  []*


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 28, 2014)

Hey Kari Since this is still a bit of a guessing-game, my guess is that your bottle contained ...  *Strawberry Flavored Soda Pop   []* Bob [ 1901 ]


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 28, 2014)

*Or ...* Maybe, just maybe, the reference in the J.L. Jones book is a typo and instead of 1940 it was supposed to be *1904  [light]  ????*


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 29, 2014)

*Summary ...*

Kari

As strange as it might seem, the only newspaper articles and advertisements I can find for the Weldon Bottling Works / Company are from 1901. The article from May 9, 1901 is the earliest and clearly indicates this is when the company began operation. There was a follow up article on May 16, 1901 which states they were open for business at that time. The May 9th article included the advertisement but the May 16th article did not. Following this there were six more advertisements, all of which were identical and published on the following dates ...

*May 24, 1901*
*May 30, 1901*
*June 6, 1901*
*June 13, 1901*
*June 20, 1901*
*July 4, 1901*

The July 4th advertisement is the last one I was able to find and after that it appears the company just disappeared off the face of the earth. This is not to say the company was only in business for two months, which doesn't seem likely, it merely means this is all I have been able to find after conducting an extensive search.

Here are the word-for-word articles and the dates they appeared in the Roanoke News of Weldon, North Carolina ... 


*May 9, 1901* ANOTHER ENTERPRISE --- Messre. M. L. Fine & Co.have leased the Old Delmonico's building, on Second street and will open up on the 15th the Weldon Bottling Works, for the purpose of bottling beer, pop, ale and sodas. This enterprising firm will also deal in ice and supply in large or small quantities. Weldon is an excellent position for beer bottling and the new firm will be prepared to fill all orders promptly. They will supply the trade only with their bottled goods and invite correspondence from all firms who handle their goods. Weldon being within easy reach of the towns along the Seaboard and Atlantic Coast Lines it will be to the interest of dealers to send their orders to the Weldon Bottling Works. The firm comes well recommended and we bespeak for the managers a large trade. 

*May 16, 1901*
 NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS. --- The Weldon Bottling Company is now open for business at the old Delmonico's stand on Second street. Beer, ginger ale, sarsaparilla and cream soda fresh bottled. The trade will be supplied on short notice. Orders solicited from the surrounding towns.

~ * ~

As time allows I will see if I can find anything else. But for the time being this is the best I can come up with. I hope you find it useful.

As for the possibility that your bottle is from 1901, I'd say it has all the earmarks of being from that time period. I never found a single reference for "Better Beverages."

Bob


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 29, 2014)

To put a little frosting on the cake I am searching for a picture of "Delmonico's" building/store/stand located on Second Street in Weldon, North Carolina. If anyone stumbles onto one, please share it with us. This is the only thing I have found so far, but no Delmonico's yet ... *Downtown Weldon ~ Circa 1920-1930*


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 29, 2014)

BobMy Ipad is on  its way. It will be here on MOnday so I will be able to post more pictures. I can't thank you enough for all the research you have done. Now you see why I have been so frustrated. Curious why you think it had Stawberry soda?


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 29, 2014)

Bob I will have my IPAD on MOnday so I can post more pictures.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 29, 2014)

Kari

I'm glad you are enjoying this as much as I am. I love a good research challenge! No hurry on the pictures. But when you do get it done, I have a picture of a bottle I want to post and compare with your's. I'll tell you more about it later. As for my saying your bottle contained strawberry soda, that was a joke. I just picked one of the flavors from the 1901 advertisement because I knew it had to be one of them. In fact, your bottle probably contained all of the flavors at one time. Plus, I just planted some strawberries the other day and it got me to thinking about strawberry soda pop.

Anyhoo, I stumbled onto something today that I am still researching and thought you might find interesting. It involves my search for a picture of the old Delmonico building, which I haven't found yet, but I did find this ...

It's a *1904 *map of Weldon and on 2nd Street it shows a building marked *Portner's Beer Bottling*. The map does not show any other types of bottling facilities located on 2nd Street or anywhere else in town. There is no building marked Weldon Bottling Company. Remember, neither Coca Cola or Pepsi Cola were in Weldon in 1904. I still have some research to do and try and find out more about Portner Bottling in Weldow, but I'm thinking its the same location and same building where the Weldon Bottling Company was located. I'm also thinking that the Weldon Bottling Company might have been out of business at the time and that Portner Bottling moved in when Weldon Bottling moved out. In other words, its starting to look as if Weldon Bottling might have been in business for only a very short time, which would explain why there is so little information to be found regarding them and no named building for them on the 1904 map. I plan to look into this closer and will let you know what I find.

The attached pictures are as follows ...

1.  1904 Map of Weldon, North Carolina. Red arrow indicates 2nd Street. Green X indicates Portner's      Beer Bottling building. 

2.  Cropped map. Close up with green arrow showing location of Portner's Beer Bottling building.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 29, 2014)

P.S.

Although I still haven't found a picture of the old Delmonico building, I did find this ...

[URL=http://books.google.com/books?id=ZrMDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA46&dq=delmonico's+weldon+north+carolina&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HFo3U78-pO7IAbSlgdgM&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=delmonico's%20weldon%20north%20carolina&f=false]http://books.google.com/b...20carolina&f=false 

It's from 1884 and what's interesting about it is that it mentions Delmonico's. But of particular interest is that it also mentions a Hotel next to Delmonico's. And what do you think the building on the left side of the Portner's Bottling building is on the 1904 map? You guessed it! But on the 1904 map the Hotel is actually marked as a Lodging House, which in 1884 was likely a Hotel. I'm confident that the Lodging House and the Hotel are the same building. I'm also confident that the Delmonico building and the Portner Bottling building are one and the same! Which, if true, means Portner Beer Bottling and The Weldon Bottling Company were in the same building only at different times.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 29, 2014)

P.S. ~ P.S. In other words ... At this juncture I honestly believe the Weldon Bottling Company was established in 1901 and remained in operation no later than 1904.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 30, 2014)

This will confirm that the Robert Portner Brewing Company was established in Weldon in 1904 and that they were in fact located on Second Street. And because they officially opened for business on January 14, 1904 and required time to set up, this pushes the evacuation of the Weldon Bottling Company back to sometime in 1903 or possibly even earlier. The pertinent text reads ... *January 14, 1904* *TO THE TRADE:* *Our new depot building, Second Street, is now open for business ... *


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 30, 2014)

Which means ... If all of this is 100% accurate as I believe it is, then it would date Kari's Better Beverages bottle to ... *Circa 1901-1903* ... and that it could very well be a rare and hard bottle to find.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 30, 2014)

The general rule of thumb is; the smaller the town the smaller the bottler and the fewer bottles filled and distributed - especially when a particular bottler was in operation for a short time.  Weldon, North Carolina population(s) 1900 = *1,438*2012 = *1,628* *http://books.google.com/books?id=EfdYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA467&lpg=PA467&dq=1900+population+of+weldon+north+carolina&source=bl&ots=QY_UFvDICA&sig=BKWz41dIS4Ing3Z7Vsl0ppe_mRk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=My84U8T-KampyAGGqICoAQ&ved=0CFYQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=1900%20population%20of%20weldon%20north%20carolina&f=false *


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 30, 2014)

*Current Summarization ...*

*1.  Weldon Bottling Company established in May of 1901*
*2.  Weldon Robert Portner Brewing established in January of 1904*
*3.  Weldon Coca Cola Bottling established in 1906*
*4.  Weldon Pepsi Cola Bottling established circa 1914-1915 ?*
*5.  Weldon Chero-Cola Bottling established (unknown) Sold in 1922*
*6.  Chero-Cola brand name introduced in 1905*
*7.  Weldon Bottling Company and Portner Brewing Company occupy the same*
*     building on Second Street but at different times*
*8.  No records found for Weldon Bottling Company later than July of 1901*


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 30, 2014)

*Yesterday & Today * The pictures are as follows ... 1.  Weldon 2nd Street ~ Google Earth ~ 2013 ~  Cropped to match 1904 map2.  1904 Map3.  Street View ~ Google Earth ~ 2013 ~ Front of buildings on 2nd Street The street to the left of 2nd is Washington ~ The street to the right is Sycamore ( I'm still studying them myself and trying to figure out what's what )


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 31, 2014)

*Just for the record ...* This identifier is located in the upper right corner of the *1904 *map. It also indicates a population of 1,400


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 31, 2014)

The maps I have been looking at are not sequential and skip years. The earliest one of interest for Weldon is 1904. And then it skips to the following years where I have found ...

*1909*

1.  Coca Cola Bottling located on the corner of 3rd and Washington.
2.  No Portner's Brewing. No Weldon Bottling. That building is shown as a Grocery Store.
3.  No Pepsi Cola Bottling.

*1915*

1.  Coca Cola Bottling relocated to 1st Street.
2.  Pepsi Cola Bottling also located on 1st Street but on the opposite side of the railroad tracks
     from Coca Cola.
3.  No Portner's Brewing. No Weldon Bottling. That building is still shown as a Grocery Store.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 31, 2014)

P.S. Although you might have surmised this, I forgot to clarify there are no maps for Weldon between 1900 and 1903, which would have been ideal because I'm confident that the 1901 map would have shown the Weldon Bottling Company.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 31, 2014)

I'm pretty much finished with the North Carolina maps and thought this would be a good time to share the site with everyone else. It has a lot of features including zoom, etc; and can be a little tricky at times, especially when it comes to doing specific word searches. Please let me know if you have any questions about it. http://www2.lib.unc.edu/dc/ncmaps/


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 31, 2014)

Here are the pictures, not the best, if you have any suggestions for getting better pictures, please share! I am not that far from Weldon NC, makes me what to drive up and nose around!


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 31, 2014)

More


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 31, 2014)

It is really difficult to get a good picture of the back that says Weldon Bottling Co Weldon NC


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 31, 2014)

Bottom showing Contents


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 31, 2014)

Bottom


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 31, 2014)

The stars around the neck make me think it may have been beer versus soda, what do you think?


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 31, 2014)

Kari Thanks for the pictures. The only one missing is a full image showing the entire bottle from top to bottom in one picture. The partials are helpful but the whole bottle will allow us to see the true shape and style. If in fact they were in business only a shot time as I believe they were, it's possible their only bottle was the one you have and that it was used for both beer and soda. This practice is not unheard of, especially with small-time bottlers. In the event that someone points out that displaying contents on a food or beverage product did not become law until 1913, and that that automatically dates a bottle, I can assure you there are ample examples of that being done long before 1913.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 31, 2014)

Although the Weldon maps have pretty much shown me everything I'm likely to find, I'm still experimenting with ways of saving pictures. I haven't figured out how to properly center them yet, but I'm getting closer with each attempt. This particular image is the result of several trial and errors and shows the "Portner's Beer Bottling" even though it isn't as centered as I would like it to be. I rotated it so it would be easier to read. It's from the 1904 map and located on 2nd Street where the Weldon Bottling Company was located in 1901 ...


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 31, 2014)

Full view picture


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 31, 2014)

Mucho Gracias'  That's the pic I have been looking forward to. Now compare it to this 1895 "Murdock & Freeman" bottle and notice the similar script and slanted embossing. These features are somewhat common with turn-of-the-century beverage bottles and even though they don't necessarily date them, they are earmarks of glass making from that time period. Also compare other features such as the crown closures and notice they are slightly straighter on the side and not as rounded as later crowns. More than ever I am confident that your bottle is pre 1910, and will even go so far as to say ... *Circa 1902*


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## Karikeller11 (Mar 31, 2014)

Wow your observations are impressive. I see the similarities. How often have you come across a bottle you cannot find any information? Something else I noticed but you cannot really see from the picture is the thickness of glass on the bottom is quite uneven, much thicker one one side than the other.


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## SODAPOPBOB (Mar 31, 2014)

Karikeller11 said:
			
		

> How often have you come across a bottle you cannot find any information?



Pretty much every time I tap into these forums - which is everyday!  Remember, there are an estimated 10,000 different brands of soda pop out there and every one has a story. But I doubt that even a fraction of them have known histories.


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## Karikeller11 (Apr 1, 2014)

Well it certainly is not from a lack of effort on your part!


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## SODAPOPBOB (Apr 2, 2014)

Although I have scaled down my searches on this topic, if I stumble onto anything in the future I will be sure and share it. I am particularly interested in finding pictures of the bottling companies that were located in Weldon during the 1930s or earlier.    For a future reference I thought it would be of interest to share these Weldon map images which are as follows ... *1.  1909 Coca Cola Bottling Works ~ Corner of 3rd and Washington**2.  1915 Coca Cola Bottling Works ~ 1st Street**3.  1915 Pepsi Cola Bottling Works ~ 1st Street*


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## SODAPOPBOB (Apr 2, 2014)

For you North Carolina collectors, here's the link where I have spent the past several weeks searching for anything related to the Weldon Bottling Company and where I found all of the newspaper images I posted. The website also contains directories and images and is a true treasure trove of information. Perhaps others can find something that I was unable to. The Roanoke News of Halifax county is where found the most pertinent information, but there might be other newspapers, directories, etc., that will produce something. http://www.digitalnc.org/


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