What Happened?

John T. & William H. Daly

John T and William H. Daly, wholesale liquor dealers located in New York City, bottled several types of spirits from the early 1850's and into the 1860's. William Newell and Company, located in San Francisco, were the west coast's sole agents for the Daly brothers products during this period.

William H. Daly bottle

 

There are three variants of the Daly whiskey shaped bottle: the John T. and William H. Daly shoulder embossed, William H. Daly with the John T. slugged out shoulder embossed and the William H. Daly with no slugged out area. The John T. and William H. Daly is, I believe the first and earliest variant as all examples I have examined have a sticky ball pontil on the base.

Shoulder embossing on the Daly's

The William H. with the John T. slugged out appears to be the second variant and the William H. with no slugged out area the third. All three variants of the Daly bottle contained Aromatic Valley Whiskey and were advertised as a "medicinal whiskey"

William H. Daly, listed as sole proprietor in 1859, claimed that "Produced as it is, by a process only known to the manufacturer, and extracted from the choicest grain, which grows nowhere, but in a favored location in the Valley of the Monongahela and contains no deleterious admixture".

Counterfeiting Daly's best selling products, during the gold rush era, seems to have been a problem for Daly, as can be seen by this advertisement from the January 1860 Nevada journal.

CAUTION 

It has come to my knowledge, that parties in San Francisco have resorted to the base artifice of attempting to forage my label, with some slight alterations using the name "Delays" instead of "DALY'S AROMATIC WHISKEY" and also using the name "Cumberland" instead of "MONONGAHELA"

These bogus labels have been put on bottles of entirely different shape from mine, containing the commonest trash and packed in cases intended to imitate and branded similar to the genuine, using the name "Delays" instead of "DALY'S" Dealers in the inferior as well as consumers are cautioned not to be imposed on by this bogus article. Particular attention is called to the shape of the bottle, which is unlike any other, and also th the name "WILLIAM H. DALY, NEW YORK" blown in each bottle.

I have no fears of this or any other spurious article interfering with the sale of my "AROMATIC VALLEY WHISKEY" but I cannot allow such a base fraud to be practiced upon honest merchants and the unsuspecting consumer without noticing it.

 

Wm. H. Daly

Sole Proprietor

New York

 

There it is in a nutshell, one of the reasons that manufacturers, proprietors and sole agents had their names embossed on their bottles and sought out unusual shapes to bottle their products in. This counterfeiting was not unique to the Daly brothers. Udolpho Wolfe's Schnapps, Dr. Rosenbaum's Bitters, A.P. Hotaling,s Cutter brands are a few that immediatly come to mind of the many products that were being fraudulently copied and pawned off to the public as the genuine article. 

 

 

 John T. is slugged out on this example

 

The Daly bottles are usually pretty crude and often filled with hundreds of seed bubbles and swirls in the glass. These bottles are considered common and collecting all three variants of this whiskey is an affordable and very nice addition to a gold rush collection. “Any real gold rush bottle collection has a Daly’s”

 

The Daly’s Aromatic Valley Whiskey was a very popular brand of whiskey in Sierra County during the gold rush era. The majority of early Sierra County merchants purchased bulk whiskey and bottled it on site in any container that was available for sale to patrons. These “bottled on site” whiskeys were often flavored and watered down with whatever was handy at the time. A bottle that had the agents name embossed on the glass and was sealed at the distillery or warehouse where it was bottled guaranteed the buyer “Genuine Goods” that were not tampered with.
 

Examples and shards of this bottle have been found in almost all of the camps, settlements and towns located in the North Yuba, Over North and Alleghany area. Three whole examples were found in Brandy City. The author found a dark green example sticking out of an eroded bank at Excelsior in 1988. A mint example of the William H. with the John T. slugged out was found at the site of the early gold rush settlement of Little Grizzly in 1982. Other camps in which the Daly has been found include: The Sierra Buttes Mine, Independence, Chaparral Hill, Downieville and Morristown. Of all the gold rush camps in Sierra County Monte Cristo, by far, has produced the most examples of the Daly bottle.

 

 

 





Alleghany, Sierra County California

Located on a sloping hillside Alleghany developed from several mining settlements that were begun in the early 1850’s. Alleghany became a town in 1853 when some of the people of these earlier mining settlements gravitated to a location better fitted for a larger community. These early settlements included Smith’s Flat ; north of the site of the Sixteen to One Mine, Kanaka Flat; two miles southwest of Alleghany, Cumberland; northeast of Alleghany and Kanaka City; a mile and a half northeast of Alleghany. Before “Alleghany” became the name of the town the settlement was called Jericho and Alleghanytown. The first miners to settle at the location of the town were from the Allegheny region of Pennsylvania. In the spring of 1853 several of these miners began the running of a drift tunnel which they named the Alleghany Tunnel, spelling the name with an “a” instead of an “e” to distinguish it from the region in Pennsylvania. This being one of the first and most important tunnel workings the town dropped its earlier names and adopted the name Alleghany.

Early advertisers often embellished the size of a client’s establishment.

               Alleghany doesn’t have a large enough piece of flat ground to accommodate this structure.

 

            Smith’s Flat; later to become part of the town of Alleghany, was quite possibly the earliest area mined at Alleghany. Starting sometime in 1851 the hydraulic and ground sluicing workings were yielding gold and quartz nuggets ranging in value from $1000 to $5000. Drift tunnels were run from Smith’s Flat underneath the ridge between Alleghany and Forest City during 1853 to reach the ancient river channel to further exploit this gold bearing region. From the mid 1850’s to the beginning of the 1860’s the placer deposits  around Alleghany were becoming worked out and attention turned to the discovery and development of lode mines.

            By the late 1850s’ Alleghany had become a full fledged town with all number of business houses. Hotels, general merchandise stores, saloons, a bank, attorneys and an express office

run by Langton & Company were but a few of the commercial enterprises in this gold rush town.  The late 1850’s and through the 1860’s was a time of limited production from the mines of the

Alleghany area. Discovery and development of the areas hard rock mines was underway and large amounts of capital was being invested in the various mining ventures but gold production declined during this period.

            Beginning in 1870 and continuing well into the 1930’s mining activity “took off” with one discovery after another of important mining properties. The Oriental, Kenton, Plumbago, Rainbow, Osceola, Dreadnaught and Red Ledge were but a few of the mines producing large amounts of gold. Then in 1907 the greatest of all mines in Sierra County, The Sixteen-to-One, was discovered. The Sixteen-To-One has over the years produced a conservatively estimated thirty six million dollars in gold, over twice the production of The Sierra Buttes Mine, Sierra County’s second greatest producer of gold.

            Alleghany today has a population of about one hundred and twenty permanent residents and only one operating business, a saloon. The Sixteen-To-One Mine, in continuous operation since 1907, is still producing gold today.

 

 

  

Gold rush settlements of the Alleghany - Lafayette Ridge area

The 16 to 1 Mine Alleghany California

Last year we visited the 16 to 1 mine in Alleghany California. Mine operator Mike Miller headed a tour for members of the Sierra County Planning Commision and invited guests.
Thought you might enjoy the pictures from the tour. By the way some really early bottles have been recovered from the 16 to 1 property and surrounding area.

 

Sixteen to One portal

 

 

Looking out from the portal

 

 

Miners, mining cars and mine operator Mike Miller (in straw hat)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The "Y" at the 800' level

 

 

Sign with the bell signals

 

 

Looking out of the shaft

 

 

Sierra County Gold!

 

 

 

Some ebay Offerings

While surfing ebay this evening I noticed several nice western bottles up for auction.

 

This beautiful Owl Drug is being offered by the seller  jarguy

 

 

A very nice African Stomach Bitters is available from the seller privywitch and............ here's three western whiskies being offered by privywitch for your consideration

 

 

 

 

 

How about this stunning Old Pioneer Whiskey from Leisalu

 

 

 

 If your looking for a nice western bottle to add to your collection and can't wait til December for the Auburn Bottle Show here's a nice sampling of what's available online - - - Good luck bidding!

 

 

 

 

Dudley; do right?

Here's a quickie follow up to Rick's past couple of posts.

 

I was able to locate Dudley & Co., the apparent sole proprietor of Dr. Harvey's Blood Bitters in San Francisco almanacs starting in 1889, the same year as his now infamous advertisement appeared.

 

 

1889 Langley S.F. Directory.

 

However, no record in 1889 McKenney Directory.

A little more in terms of concrete evidence appeared by way of Dudley's first name (no not "do right") and his place of residence; Oakland. Additional listings appear for Dudley & Co. from 1890 - 1892.
 

1890 Langley S.F. Directory.

 

1890 S. F. Accurate Index Directory.

 

 

1891 Langley S.F. Directory.

 

1892 Langley S.F. Directory.

 

 

 

Looks like Dudley did indeed "do right" for a very short period in time. And then, as quick as he surfaced, he disappeared.

Not listed in the 1893 Langley S.F. Directory. Not listed in the 1893 S.F. Telephone Directory.

No reference to Arey and or A.A. Dudley & Co. is present in either in prior or subsequent directories.

The 1899 Sanborn Fire map clearly shows the 111 Minna Street address, but instead of a patent medicine dealer occupying the location, it shows a Syrup Manufacturer. Oddly enough, 113 Minna boldy lists it's occupancy as a "Patent Medicine Fact...

 

 

With Dudley gone, one wonders who picked up the slack and if Dr. Harvey's Blood Bitters continued to be manufactured at 113 Minna in plain paper label bottles.

 

Regardless, this area was one of the first to turn into a big black spot on the ground the morning of April 18th, 1906...

A quick post script.

I picked up Arey's trail in the Oakland directories. He is listed as a "chemist" in 1889, residing at 1222 Franklin in Oakland. No mention of him for a few years until he resurfaced in 1903 as a Real Estate salesman living at 166 E. 15th St. There is no mention of him in society directories and no record of him ever having a telephone. This indicates that he lived a pretty meager lifestyle and, like the used car saleman of today, was an opportunist always looking for greener pastures. Pastures that seem to elude him.

More Dr. Harvey's

Over the weekend I had a chance to really get a hands on look at the Dr. Harvey's Blood Bitters. The curved R's on the Harvey's are identical to the Choice Old Cabinet and the Dr. Miller's Ratafia. The font on the Harvey's, with the serif's, appears to be the same as on the Alpine Bitters. 

What I can't explain is the time frame of the advertising and the appearance of the bottle. The bottle looks to be manufactured in the late 1870's or early 1880's and the only documentation is the 1889 - 1900 advertisments by  Dudley & Company. Dudley and Company was located at 111 Minna in San Francisco and listed as a syrup manufacturer. From the little amount of information that is available, at the present time, I can't even make an educated guess on the date of manufacture of this bottle. Any information  on the Dr. Harvey's or Dudley and Co. is welcome.

rs

1899 Sanborn

    

 

 

   1890 S.F. Accurate Index Directory

Thanks to Bruce Silva for the Sanborn map and Dudley advertisement

Canyonville Oregon Show

Here are a few of the bottles which showed up at Canyonville...

Dr. Harvey's Blood Bitters

Western or ????????

For quite a while now a few Western collectors have been searching for any kind of documentation that would settle the question of the origin of the Dr. Harvey's Blood Bitters.

During a discussion at the Canyonville Bottle Show a prominent Washington State collector mentioned he had found an advertisement for the Dr. Harvey's Blood Bitters in, of all things, the 1889 Langley San Francisco City Directory. 1889? Wichmann in his book Antique Western Bitters Bottles has the Harvey's as circa 1872 and  believed to be distributed by the Cassin brothers and "most likely made at the San Francisco Glass Works"

 

 

In the Ring Ham "Bitters Bottles" book The Dr. Harvey's is listed as the H65 and is considered very rare. No date was provided in the Ring Ham book but the bottle is believed to be from Salinas or Fresno. A intact example is reported to have been dug in Ukiah California

In the above advertisement Dr. Harvey's Blood Bitters is called "The Great English Remedy for Diseases of the Blood, Stomach, Liver and Kidneys" and is prepared by the Harvey Medicine Co. in London England. The A.A. Dudley & Co. are the General Agents for the Pacific Coast States and Territories.

Not all of the glass factories in England, during the 19th century, were as advanced as most collectors seem to believe and the Dr. Harvey's could quite possibly have been blown in London and shipped to the west coast for distribution.  Heck, the Dr. Harvey's could have even been on one of the ships that hauled all those German red whittled whiskies and beers here to the west coast.

Although this is probably not a very popular idea for those collectors that consider the bottle western until some other documentation surfaces I am leaning towards the advertisement as genuine and the bottle English in nature.

If anyone has documentation to the contrary I sure would like to view it.
rs

Canyonville Show Pictures

Denny Bray's EC and M and soda grouping

Show Hosts Bruce and Deb Silva

Everett at his sales table

Interesting display of "NEAR MINT" insulators

 

Randy Taylor

 

 

 

 

 

Western Bitters anyone?

 

 

Melissa and Dale

 

 

 Oregon Beers

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

Canyonville Countdown

Wow, one week (correction - 1 Day!) and counting. October 6th will be here before we know it!

Looks like the weather is cooperating. Here's the advanced forcast for showtime; perfect~

The response to this years show has been well ahead of the curve compared to past years. We sold out of dealer space early, real early, this year and have a pretty healthy waiting list. We had to add display spaces to accomodate demand this year. And inquiries from the general public regarding our appraisal and onsite auction services continue to stream in. One gentleman in Northern California inquired about auctioning "100 insulators and well over 200 bottles, all of which are in excellent condition". Another person is consigning a Radam's Microbe Killer jug. And yet another has committed to auctioning an amber Fleckenstein and Meyer flask. I received some photos today from a local collector who is downsizing his collection and is bringing the following items to auction.

For the insulator crowd there's a Locke porcelain.

And for the bottle folks, a picture soda from Concord, Ca.,

plus a scarce Lotus / BPOE flask from Portland.

Thought I'd add this photo that arrived today (Sat. the 29th) Of the Fleck. A little fuzzy but Wow, just the same!

Come join us for our 10th anniversary at the Seven Feathers Casino Resort in Canyonville!

See you soon~