Message in a Bottle....

[ronvae]

I found a bottle with a note inside in the muck at the bottom of a Minnesota lake, about 25 feet down. The bottle is machine-made, with an embossed picture of a quaker man on each side, and the glass is purposely pebbled. The note is weighted with a big nail, and was bone-dry, because of a tin or pot-metal cap with flanges that look like maybe it was re-usable? Does anyone know anything about how those caps worked? There is red crayon on the note, and also some tiny writing in pencil, and from one angle, I can see "ov", so I think it may be a love note. Also, the man who started Quaker Oats lived nearby, and died on the Titanic (or so I've heard), so maybe it was a goodbye note? The glass is clear, very thick, says "Quaker Bottling Co, Mpls, MN" (can't find them on the web). It also says "Contents 7 FL Ozs". I'll post a picture as soon as I can get one put on a disk. When I washed the bottle with some bleach-water, I got about 1/2 teaspoon inside somehow. It isn't touching the note, but I feel like I have to open it now, or it could rot. I'd really like to avoid damaging the cap. Anybody have an approximate date for me? I know it is post-1903.

 

[bigkitty53]

Hi ronvae,
I'm afraid it's hard to visualize this cap on your bottle.There were re-sealable caps around from the early 1900's but without a picture can't tell you for sure if your bottle has one.Maybe someone else can post a pic and ask,"is this your cap?" but I don't have any examples myself.For the time being just keep the bottle positioned so as to keep the solution away from the paper-if the ink used was organic,like sienna,blood,etc.the bleach might well oxidize it.

Sounds like an entriging find,look foward to the pictures!

KAT