iPuntyRod - April 2001

Club News

March Meeting by Pam Sroka

It was good to see our newest member Bill Ladd at the meeting. Dave Andrews also attended and took some pictures of the new finds that Art had.

There was a pretty good crowd in attendance. We had the Penny Social and it was a lot of fun! I can't wait to do it again. There were a couple of bottles on the tables and Dave, who had to leave early, ended up winning a milk bottle. Dave, did Art tell you that yet?

The business portion of the meeting centered around early entry at the show next year and the possibility of moving to a new location. Rob said we will not be able to please everyone no matter what we do which is true. A motion was made to allow early entry but it was decided to hold off voting on this until the April meeting. This will give other members not in attendance a chance to express their opinions and cast a vote.

This is a rather touchy subject so please plan on attending and voicing your opinion. There are as many of us who want early admission as those who don't. We (Art and I) ran into Fred Sweichowicz at a flea market and also at an antique show this weekend. He feels that one of the perks of setting up at the show is the ability to shop the show first before having to worry about early birds coming in and having to set up your tables. But Fred, is it fair that you don't set up your table (right away) and allow the other dealers the same perk that you want? If you're shopping around, you're not setting up! Fred also stated that he normally doesn't go to shows that allow early admission. And there are others who feel the same way. I don't like to go to yard sales that allow early buyers, but I guess yard sales are a little different. I'm not trying to pick on what Fred has to say but what are we to do? There is a couple in the club, one is for early admission, the other against. There are so many bottles at a show that I don't think early admission makes that much of a difference. There's enough for everyone! And anyway, there ARE early admissions. They are called dealers and dealers are collectors too. For the people who don't bother with shows because there is early admissions, guess what? In a way all shows have early buyers, they just pay admission in different ways.

I certainly don't want to be the person to make the decision and won't be. The decision will be made at April's meeting, so if this is important to you, plan to be in attendance and be heard.

As for moving the show, we're all in agreement. It shouldn't be done unless it is for the better. More space, better parking, no stairs. There is a school just around the corner from where the show is now. I'm going to ask questions about their policies and whether they rent the gym or cafeteria from time to time.

Next on the agenda was elections. We had some volunteers for the show committee, Art, myself, Rob, Maureen, and Dave. And there's room for whoever else wants to assist. There are plenty of duties to consider so we'll need more than five people. Plan on attending this meeting and change things you would like to see changed.

Dues by Pam Sroka

If you haven't paid your club dues then we're afraid your name will be removed from our roster after this month's meeting. We do not want to lose anyone but we can't continue to carry people and mail the newsletter to those who haven't paid yet. Dues are only $10 per year and is cheap when you consider that it doesn't even cover the cost of printing and mailing out the hard copy newsletters and you also get first dibs for tables at our show. And while this online newsletter is free to anyone out there who cares enough to read it, it is no replacement for the camaraderie and friendship that can be found by attending a meeting or two.

Please take a moment and mail in your dues now. Send your payment to:

Arthur Pawlowski P. O. Box 3411 So. Attleboro, MA 02703.

I don't want to appear to be over reacting when it comes to lack of attendance and lack of participation. However, the amount of people who haven't paid their dues is a bit worrisome. Arthur bought an old bottle magazine, Antique Bottle World, and in it was an article about a club that didn't succeed. And although the Little Rhody club has been around for over thirty years, attendance and membership seems to be dropping. Even Steve thought I should still send newsletters to those who haven't paid their dues or we'll lose members. If they haven't already paid their dues then we've already lost them. As I said before, dues is only ten dollars a year and doesn't even cover the cost of printing the newsletter. We have sixty members plus I send out copies to at least ten other clubs who send me theirs. Every month the newsletter is costing $60 - $70+. Without members there wouldn't be a club. Without a club there wouldn't be a show, website, the book, or special friends, friends like ourselves who eat, drink, and sleep with bottles or digging on our minds. We (Art and I) have been with the club now for several years and I certainly hope it continues because we enjoy all of the meetings and shows and folks who attend!

Club Dig by Pam Sroka

One of our new members, Bill Ladd, is very interested in getting a club dig together. He already has his sites set on a place and getting permission. The whereabouts will be kept quiet and only be discussed at the meetings, please. This way only active members will be involved as it wouldn't be fair to those who are paid members if nonmembers were allowed to participate only when there was a dig. To get permission we will have to make up a waiver for all participants to sign reassuring the owner of the property that they won't be sued if anyone gets hurt. Also, it should state the way the owner wants the property left when we leave.

After the dig there will be an article put out in this and other newsletters and magazines. Don't miss out!

Letters To The Editor by Pam Sroka

I received the following letter from Matt King.

Dear Pam,

I had to write a letter in response to your letter about a privy digging trip by Bill Ladd. His honesty and experience made for a very amusing story. I can't tell you how many times I and friends of mine (Carl Pratt especially) have had similar experiences.

You venture out with the greatest of intents and aspirations of unearthing pontilled flasks and bitters and end up getting yelled at by homeowners, stung by bees, chased out of the woods by wild dogs, almost arrested by the police and worse!

I remember one time after knocking and talking to people trying to get permission. I finally succeeded and began probing the back of a tenement house. I did the whole backyard with no luck and it was about time to leave when, eureka! A pit in the strangest place I would have imagined but it appeared as though it abutted the neighbors' yard. After probing under the fence I realized it was a double outhouse, i.e. twice as many bottles as a single if it hadn't been cleaned out. It was clearly undug and I began to clear the area. I dug a hole about 2-1/2' deep and about 4' X 4' and had just started hitting some 1870's bottles when I heard a car pull into the driveway. Three of the city's lowest "hard case" citizens came out and began screaming obscenities at me and told me to "screw". I told them the man inside had given me permission at which point they dragged him out and yelled and screamed at him! It became painfully clear that he had no authority to give me permission. I wish I had known that before! I was in the middle of a three ring circus between four crazy people screaming and ranting like hell bent barbarians. I think all together they had an IQ of about 29 but I realized the best thing to do was fill in the hole and leave which I mournfully did. What a way to spend a day!

It's not all milk and honey being a digger but these things and more would never stop me from digging. Keep up the good work, Bill. It will pay off if you persevere.

Matt King

Upcoming Events

April 1 - Portland, ME: New England Antique Bottle Club's 35th Annual Show & Sale; 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM; Italian Heritage Center, 40 Westland Ave.; INFO: Herb Boothby, 267 Day Rd., Lyman, ME 94992, PH: (207) 499-2263 or Jack Pelletier, PH: (207) 839-4389.

April 22 - Rochester, NY: Genessee Valley Bottle Collectors Association's 32nd Annual Show & Sale; 9 AM to 3 PM; Monroe County Fairgrounds Minett Hall, Route 15A & Calkins Road; INFO: Terry Woodhams, PH: (716) 436-5893 or Mike Nolan, PH: (716) 352-5519

May 20 - Sturbridge, MA: Sturbridge Bottle Show & Sale; 10 AM to 2 PM, early buyers $10.00 from 9 AM until 10 AM; Hamilton Rod & Gun Club, Hamilton Rd.; INFO: David Graci, PH: (413) 594-8655 or email at stonebotle@aol.com

Classified Ads

Wanted:

Do you have RI bottles which are not listed in Antique Bottles Of Rhode Island? Or maybe you have a bottle in a color or size that is not listed? If so, please send the information to me for inclusion. Proper credit will be given and all information is greatly appreciated. Send by email to: oaklawn@earthlink.net or write to: David Andrews, 192 Wilbur Ave., Cranston, RI 02921 (Don't forget to check out the book online at http://www.littlerhodybottleclub.com/bottlebook/abofri )
Bottle collections. Always buying pre-1900 bottles and jars as well as painted sodas, milks, crocks, fruit jars, etc. Call Arthur: 401-647-3585
New England utility bottles. Call Rob Fahey: 508-520-4632
Toy marbles. Will pay cash. Call Jerry Biern: 401-826-3933
Bitters, Peppersauce, and Demi-Johns. Call Jan Boyer: 401-539-2051
1/2 gallon spring water bottles with arched slugplate. Preferably with bail and closure. Please call Art: 401-647-3585 or email: blobtops@aol.com
Seltzer water bottles. Wanted in various colors such as red, cobalt, pink, and yellow. Please call Angelo: 401-421-3782
Woonsocket milk bottle - Carl Hendrickson Dairy. Wanted by his granddaughter Donna. Please email her at: dhendrickson@wallace.com.
Pontil Providence bottles. Looking for quality pontilled bottles from RI especially from Providence. Also looking for nice squat sodas i.e. Harvey, Marlor, etc. Please call Gary: 401-862-4200 or email at VMAXwarior@aol.com

For Sale:

Scarce RI fire related bottle!! I have several of these scarce bottles for sale. Click here to see a representative photo. All are in excellent condition with some very light cloudiness inside. Bottles are 5-3/4" tall, clear, cylindrical with an eight paneled mug base and are embossed COMBINATION / LADDER CO. The company was in business beginning in the late 1800's in Providence. Price is $15.00 each (plus $3.95 for shipping). Email inquiries to: oaklawn@earthlink.net.

Please direct comments or corrections to:
dandrews@littlerhodybottleclub.com

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