Local Archaeological Find

Excavating for the new Ester Fire House, workers recently unearthed the remains of a bygone culture. Definite evidence of earlier man was found in a midden pile covered by a deep moss layer and upon which a 30 foot high birch tree, three inches in diameter, was growing. Dating procedures place this culture in the early post-Felix Pedro era, i.e. not older than 73 years and not younger than 66 years ago.

Containers found in the midden indicate that the people of this culture existed solely upon whiskey, beer, pop and catsup and that they anointed themselves with large quantities of various liniments for tired and aching muscles. Most consumed goods obviously were imported, but there were exceptions. Two of the excavated containers, presumed to be pop bottles, contain the inscriptions "Distilled Soda Water Co. of Alaska" and "Nome Brewing and Bottling Co.". Each is fitted with a clever stoppered cap actuated by a wire top protruding through the mouth of the bottle. The stopper is a metal and rubber disk that seals from below when pulled upward. Bottle collectors call these "blob top" bottles; the body of the bottle is molded in a machine invented in 1903. The top is formed from an extra blob of glass.

We are seeking correspondence with anyone who has information on the two Alaskan firms that dispensed these bottles.