Found a counterfeit? Smith's Bile Beans? .......SMIHT'S!

[cannibalfromhannibal]

Made a return trip to the last dig site where I was finding a good pocket of glass on the other side of a rock wall before I filled it in. As it turns out, it was more of the dump style terrain, but with more bottle glass than the barrel hole. Not much depth to it but not complaining, as long as bottles are there! Didn't find anything too extraordinary except a weird Smith's Bile Beans. Didn't notice until I got it home and cleaning when I was trying to get at some stubborn dirt on the inside when I thought it might be caught in the lettering on the outside. I suddenly realized why it had a shorter neck, slightly larger (than the largest I have ever seen) and looked like a slug plate for the embossing, that it read SmiHT's! Due to the fact that the other features don't add up, I believe it to be a counterfeit competitor! Never seen or heard of one and find nada on it. Anyone else seen or heard of one? The other cool ones were the sapphire blue coffin and the forest green Parke Davis in a nice large size. Found another early Hannibal soda with some lip chipping but only one I have seen marked A&DHC instead of the usual C&I. Also turns out the rock wall gave way to a brick wall that eventually made a 90 degree turn away from the dig zone, indicating what I was hoping for, a brickliner! Has a serious cement cap on top, preventing me from probing it in the beginning, so will have to break out the ol' sledge hammer and chip away at it. Should be fun, haha! Hopefully, (many) more bottles and pics to come after today......Jack

 

[2find4me]

Nice finds, that Smiht's Bile Bean is interesting. It's possible it could be a counterfeit, but I think it might just be a mold error. Looks pretty unique.

 

[cowseatmaize]

I'm guessing mold error also. J. F. Smith, the Texarkana druggist who has won fame as the maker of "Bile Beans," is in trouble. H. F. Briley, a prominent citizen of the town, wants $25,000 of the money Smith has made from his beans, and has asked the federal court to award him the same, and he has no interest in the making of them, either. Two years ago the men quarreled, and, it was alleged, Briley slandered the druggist. Smith carried a hatful of southern chivalry and a bowie-knife, and got in his work with the latter. Briley was in bed many days, but got well. The grand jury indicted Smith for assault with intent to kill, and he promptly sued Briley for $10,000 for slander. Briley now retaliates by asking for $25,000. This little item shows that even the maker of bile beans has his tribulations:That from 1893 western druggist google book.

I see he TM'd in the UK and had an plant in NY. Either him or other JF Smith's.[]

Box and paper. http://www.antiquebottleshop.com/detail.asp?id=233

 

[cannibalfromhannibal]

Odd, as it seems they were based out of St. Louis, according to my references??

 

[cowseatmaize]

Here's a wicked long read of a lawsuit or something that involved William R. Warner for one.
I see the St Louis connection now as well and at least we know the J was for Jesse.[]
Supreme Court of the state of New York

 

[cowseatmaize]

This is getting fun, I wish the bottle was mine.[]Chas. N. Crittenton Company's Catalogue—a wellknown American catalogue of drugs and medicines—no less than five different kinds of beans for various ailments are in the list of medicines, including 'Bright's Kidney Beans,' 'Candy Regulating Beans,' 'Lyon Drug Company's Female Beans,' 'Nerve Beans,' and 'Smith's Bile Beans,' and accordingly at present'bean' is apparently the only word in the English language which has been speciflcially appropriated to an oval pill, although it is true that it has not hitherto been largely applied in this country to medicines of that kind except by the complainers, for the obvious reason that such oval pills have not been used here except by the complainers and J. F. Smith & Company till quite recently. But as already pointed out, on 7th November 1887, J. F. Smith & Comapany, manufacturers at St Louis, United States of America, applied for and obtained in England a registration of a trade-mark on which, inter alia, was inscribed these words,— 'J. F. Smith's Bile Beans,' and below that 'cure biliousness, sick....... FROM

I'm guessing that's not Col Crittenton from Hogans Heroes.[]

 

[cowseatmaize]

Here's something from 1881It looks like the start of it maybe and since 1879, says Texarkana. Hmm

 

[downeastdigger]

I htink maybe Smiht's brohter Kenneht messed up htat bottle mold. :} Looks like a fun dump to dig, and I hope there is more to come !

 

[cowseatmaize]

[][] The spell checker must have thought you were nuts Bram. I stand corrected. J.F. was James, J.W. was brother Jesse. "No. 8,726; Bile Beans; October 11, 1881;No. 11,803; Bile Beans Bottle; December 16,1884; No. 14,966; Smith’s Blood Beans; And certain other of such trade marks are described and dated as follows: Bile Beans; registered in Canada, July 25, 1885;Bile Beans; registered in England, August 29, 1888; No. 69,179;Bile Beans; registered in Mexico, November 28, 1889; No. 3,126.4. At the time said trade marks and other assets were transferred to said corporation J. F. Smith & Company as aforesaid, the co-partners constituting said firm of J. F. Smith & Co. were James F. Smith and his brother, Jesse W. Smith, and at the times hereinafter mentioned said Jesse W. Smith was and still is President of said corporation, and his brother, Gustave S. Smith, was its Treasurer, and both were stockholders and directors thereof, and the defendant Woodruff is the brother-in-law of said Jesse W. Smith:" FROM Who'd have guessed that my gradma Smith (or me for that matter) had so many relatives. [][]

 

[antlerman23]

totally going off topic here, but would you sell that blueish coffin flask? they are a side-interest of mine []