Introducing myself

[JKarnes]

Hello all!

I'm a new member and wanted to introduce myself. I'm John Karnes of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. I collect (mainly) embossed sodas (particularly from Caruthersville, Kennett and Senath Missouri) and cork-top medicine bottles. Like most collectors, though I have several other type bottles, particularly milks, whiskeys, etc. from local towns. I'm 36 and have been collecting since I was about 13 so I have quite a collection. My wife tells me that some of them need to be "culled" but I haven't the heart to do it.[]

 

[IRISH]

G'day JKarnes and welcome to the best bottle forum on the net [] .

 

[Harry Pristis]

Hello, John . . .

Welcome to the forum.

Can you tell us something about your specialty? How did the tip of "The Bootheel" support three bottlers? I remember the area being pretty rural 30 years ago. Was Caruthersville a big river-port at one time, like Cairo? Senath appears to be isolated inland. What was going on down there?

----------Harry Pristis

 

[JKarnes]

I specialize in embossed sodas...mostly slug-plate crown-tops and Hutch's but I pick up interesting painted labels from time to time (mostly local ones or ones with unique names) I also like medicines (Dr. Kilmer's Swamp-Root and the like) I have several from local cities like Cape Girardeau, Kennett, Caruthersville, etc.

Caruthersville was a pretty important river-town. There were several mills, etc. that utilized the river for shipping. The main product was cotton. To some extent it still is. J.S. Wahl was a pioneer citizen and started his bottling works in the 1890's. He bottled several "flavored" drinks and then Coca-Cola. He also bottled vinegar and seltzer and was a distributor for Lemp Beer (Falstaff, etc) A 1908 magazine article about Wahl made the bold statement, "even Memphis, the metropolis of the south can boast of no bottling plant that can compare with the J.S. Wahl Bottling Works." He had a distribution radius of over 100 miles (no short distance in the early 1900's) and even competed with Cairo, Illinois (which had a rather substantial bottling plant) He also owned controlling interests in the Ice & Bottling plants in Chaffee, Missouri (near Cape Girardeau) and Mariana Arkansas. His obituary says that he started out selling ice from a wheel barrow, door to door and later became one of the wealthiest and most influential citizens in Caruthersville.
Kennett was and is a mid-sized town (for this area) and actually had two plants at one time (maybe more) As a young child I can remember standing in front of the window at the Coca-Cola plant and watching the bottling machines hard at work. As far as Senath goes, you're right...it's all by itself and is and WAS a small town. I can't imagine their little ice plant bottled very much (which probably explains why I've only seen one bottle from there) Maybe they only made one. [] I'd love to get my hands on another one. ...perhaps someday...

-John

 

[Harry Pristis]

Thank you, John, for the historical context of your collecting. There is so much interesting history along the rivers!

Before I was interested in bottles, I knocked around Southern Illinois and SW Missouri quite a bit. My late wife grew up in Metropolis, IL, and went to school at SIU, Carbondale. I have very nice memories of the area.

Thanks for sharing.

---------------Harry Pristis

 

[Pontiled]

Welcome to the forum, John. This is a fun loving group and our collectors' interest run far and wide. I am, for instance, the author of "The Collector's Guide to Civil War Period Bottles and jars -- With Prices" (now in its third and final edition -- stopping due to health reasons). So, you know my main area of interest, but I'll pick up an interesting piece from a later period too.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

[JKarnes]

Thanks Mike!

Sounds like a book I need to pick up. I'm a bit of a Civil War buff as well. <grin>

-John

 

[JKarnes]

Ah yes! I know those areas well. I used to sneak up to SIU-Carbondale for the Halloween parties when I was a college student in Kentucky...then it just got too wile. []

-John