# For research sake



## cowseatmaize (Mar 1, 2011)

I bought this on ebay, big gamble but it's interesting. There was no description just the title and the pictures. Who knows what will come?
 Sailor White was a Navy heavyweight boxer around 1910-13 from what I've found so far.
 The back looks embossed in 10 or 11 lines. Guessing on the first 2 it may be THE FIRST/MEDICINE/?/?/?/?/?/?/?/?/?.
 I doubt anyone even noticed that.
 Hey,it was cheap for a research project. I can hardly contain myself.
 I'm not looking for info just yet, I'm waiting to be surprised.


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## cowseatmaize (Mar 14, 2011)

*Does anyone know old batteries.*

I got the bottle and I'm baffled. It's about 6" tall and ABM. The embossing turns out to be FIRST / CELL/___ Second....to SIXTH / CELL/___ .
 Could this have been a battery acid bottle from the period. It's possible to me but I don't know batteries from the time.
 All the references to Sailor White end around 1915 but that doesn't mean his name wasn't used into the 20's or later.
 What do you think? Go ahead tell me, I knew it was a gamble.
 PS; the paper seams a bit glossy for the time. I just can't think of faking an oddball like this.


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## cowseatmaize (Mar 14, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

1


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## David Fertig (Mar 14, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

"For Research Sake"?!?!?!?

 Just own up to the fact that you liked it, had to have it, probably paid more then it's worth, but don't know why!

 Well.... 

 Maybe I am the only one with a bunch of worthless junque around?  In my line of work, I always tell the guys, "Throw it on the truck.  I can always burn it later.  Or, at the very least, when I die, the kids can throw it out."

 Dave


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## cyberdigger (Mar 14, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

Liniment or battery fluid? ...both?? [>:]


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## JOETHECROW (Mar 14, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

No clue Eric...Reminded me of a "Bumsteads Worm Syrup" at first....


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## wolffbp (Mar 15, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

Eric, logic tells me that your bottle was orginally designed to hold sulfuric acid for a six cell battery.  The graduated embossings would represent how much acid would go into each cell of the battery.  A typical car battery is six cells; with each cell producing two volts DC.  With the six cells connected in series; this would produce 12 volts dc.  However I am not an expert on early car batteries.  I would guess that this bottle has been re-labeled for an alternate use.  I would also guess that the orignal closure was not a cork but rather a nozzle similar to those found on Ed Pinaud hair tonic bottles.

 Brian


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## wolffbp (Mar 15, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

As an added note and to keep you scratching your head... apparently the orginal Model T & Model A batteries were 3 cell, 6 volts.


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## cowseatmaize (Mar 15, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*



> Eric, logic tells me that your bottle was originally designed to hold sulfuric acid for a six cell battery. The graduated embossings would represent how much acid would go into each cell of the battery. A typical car battery is six cells; with each cell producing two volts DC.


Thanks Brian, that's what I was thinking. I was familiar with the 6V 3 cell. Some were still used much later on at least English cars and bikes, probably other makes. I'm not sure when 12V came into wide spread use. I can't think of a time when a bottle of acid was sold this way. Some batteries come dry with fluid but it's fill and go, no measuring.

 I don't need to "own up" to anything. Sometimes I buy stuff to research it because I like it. This Cell thing is just another curios part about it. Maybe it's a fake label, maybe it's a repurposed bottle. Makes no difference to me.
 Article from Jan. 31, 1913.


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## David Fertig (Mar 15, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

My tongue as planted firmly in my cheek when I typed that.


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## cowseatmaize (Mar 15, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

I took no offense David, no worries.
 I'm starting to wonder about a non Edison branded battery oil now. Perhaps it was even the main ingredient with turpentine and camphor added?[]


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## GuntherHess (Mar 15, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

The battery oil bottles didnt actually hold acid or electrolye. They were a mineral oil that coated the top of the electrolyte and prevented water from evaporating out of it. Thats why they needed very little per battery cell.

 Your label appears original but it is definatly odd being on that bottle. I have found several other early re-purposed bottles though.


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## cowseatmaize (Mar 15, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

That makes sense, especially for batteries for RR depots and telegraph lines etc.. I'm not sure about car batteries with all the bouncing. Do you know of non branded oils? I suspect this more into the 20's+ now. I'm thinking if I can date the bottle better I can find if the product existed. Sailor White is an odd guy to fake a med label. Oh well, I'm having fun.[]


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## Bixby Bill (Mar 15, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

Back when this bottle was made, almost all batteries in cars would have been the wet cell 6 volt type, if they weren`t the round dry cell batteries that we dig up the carbon cores from. Electric starters didn`t come out until the mid teens, so most cars used the batteries for ignition and sometimes lights. The 6 volt batteries would only have 3 cells, so this bottle would have been used on a 12 volt battery with 6 cells, and to fill each cell it would take a lot more fluid than what the whole bottle holds, so it may have been some kind of battery additive to help weak batteries. Maybe some kind of magic elixer to cure battery ills. Maybe with the boxer on the label, it was to help put the "punch" back into the battery. Whatever it was, it sure is interesting!


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## cowseatmaize (Mar 16, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

Thanks Bill. I'm fairly certain the bottle was re-purposed now and I'm looking into the 1920's+ if a battery oil or conditioner. This Supreme Liniment was for external use and made for cold relief. It doesn't have the PFDA stuff but that got relaxed later.
 I have also found through the web (so not that reliable) that Sailor White claimed himself as the heavyweight champ of the navy around 1910. That was through a newspaper account. It would appear that in the open circuit he didn't fair to well. He had a not so great record.
 I'm going to hit storage and pull an old Motors manual from the late 20's if I still have it and see what they were using for voltages. It may still be telegraph or something though.
 It's been fun regardless of the final outcome.


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## surfaceone (Mar 17, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

Hey Eric,

 I don't know from Sailor White Supreme. There's sure not a lot out there. Hope it wasn't via that "excogitated" labels guy. I did find a couple Sailor Whites:







 "Name: Sailor White
 Birth Name: Charles Ochsner
 Born: 1888-01-01
 Died: 1926-12-25 (Age:38)
 Nationality: US American
 Hometown: Brooklyn, New York, USA" From.

 And then, direct from the Canadian Pro Wrestling Page of Fame,  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 we have: 






 "Sailor White

 Real name: Edward J. White
 From Newfoundland. Began wrestling in the early 1970s -- making his debut on a show promoted by Larry Kasaboski -- and became a top heel in Montreal. Has said in interviews that he was trained by Gino Brito.

 Wrestled as Big John Strongbo in South Africa in 1979-80. Is quoted as saying in an interview that he enjoyed killing baby seals in Newfoundland with his fist, but the fishery board insisted that he use a baseball bat. A uniquely Canadian way of drawing heel heat, I guess!

 Was briefly WWF tag champion as Moondog King in 1981 before being replaced by Moondog Spot. The most repeated story about White is that he is said to have gotten the better of respected tough-guy Billy Robinson in a confrontation. In an interview in 2000, White was still talking about how much he hates Robinson.

 His career was cut short by out-of-the-ring problems, including alcohol and drug abuse and a conviction on charges of assault and uttering death threats. These problems were chronicled in White's biography by Dave Elliott, published in 1994.
 By 1990, White was out of prison and announced that he was drug free and a born again Christian. Ran as a candidate for the Canadian Extreme Wrestling Party in a 2000 federal by-election in St. John's under the campaign slogan "Parliament needs a Moondog." He finished last in a five-candidate race." From.


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## cowseatmaize (Mar 17, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

Thanks surf, it's not the wrestler but that bio page sounds the right time frame. I saw he was from Brooklyn in a clipping but didn't have have the age info. That's a little more to go on. I think I'll see what's at the NY Pub Lib.


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## cowseatmaize (Mar 17, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

I found one of my Motors manuals. It's from 1935-48. It looks like cars at that point were still mostly 6V. At least all the generators were running in the 7.5-9V range anyway. I think car application is pretty much out.
 This is fun (for me anyway).


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## surfaceone (Mar 17, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

Hey Eric,

 There was also a "Sailor White," Middleweight.


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## cowseatmaize (Mar 18, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

Thanks, Lewiston/Auburn were and still are known for the boxers and fight hosting. Funny since most people never heard of it.[]


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## rockbot (Mar 19, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

German VW's used a 6 volt system till mid year 1966 then finally made the switch to 12v. They also used a generator instead of an alternator.

 I dug one of those a few weeks ago, less the label of course.[]


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## cowseatmaize (Mar 19, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*



> I dug one of those a few weeks ago, less the label of course.


Any idea of the pits age Tony?


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## rockbot (Mar 20, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*



> ORIGINAL:  cowseatmaize
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 Eric, I dug this 3 in 1 in the same pit. The three in one was close to the surface followed by the battery oil and a 1923 christmas coke.
 At the bottom I hit a few bimal slicks. I would say the pit rang out 1915-1930's.


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## cowseatmaize (Mar 20, 2011)

*RE: Does anyone know old batteries.*

Hey thanks! It's staying in the area of still worth looking into (to me). 
 I love those 3 in 1's. I'm going to pick one up someday.

 Matt, thanks to you also. I definitely agree with re purposed. The label says White Products so maybe an after leaving boxing but before death. 1915-25 is looking good.

 Thanks to EVERYONE else also.
 Eric


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