Artesian Water Wells Sought In Early Days

…a note from history
Acquiring water when and where one wants it is not a new problem to citizens of the Northwest, and it will probably just continue to be more of an issue as the years go by.

Back in 1887, the publication The West Shore was reporting the following situation:
“The failure of Mr. W. S. Ladd to secure flowing water on his farm near Portland [note: Ladd’s Addition has for many years now been one of the fine old residential areas of the city], after sinking a well to a great depth, has caused many to doubt the practicability of that method of obtaining a large supply of water in this region. It is probable, however, that the unfavorable conditions met with there are only local.

“The war department has ordered a well to be bored at Vancouver, for the supply of the garrison at that point. The limit of depth is fixed at 300 feet, but if water is not found at that depth, orders will probably be given to go deeper.

“An experimental well is being bored at Colfax, W. T. (Washington Territory,) and the success or failure of these two efforts will do much to settle the question of artesian wells in this region.”

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English Developed Resist Lustreware

English lusterware is a type of pottery produced in the Staffordshire district of England. It is an earthenware with metallic coatings in gold, silver, copper or mottled pink.

A special type was resist lustreware. In this process, the design was painted in with some mixture such as sugar and glycerin, which did not take the luster when the piece was immersed in the luster solution.

When the piece was dry, the design substance was washed off, leaving the design on the ground of the piece. White backgrounds were most common. Rarer pieces are those with colored backgrounds of yellow, cream or blue.

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Candy Containers Went From Papier-Mache
To Cardboard To Glass
To Plaster-Of-Paris To Tin To Plastic

Candy containers with an Easter theme are a favorite collectible for Easter. As is true with so many other holiday collectibles, the first ones were made in Germany as early as the 1850s.

It was an Easter Bunny container, made of papier-mache cast in two parts, glued together and painted. These early rabbit containers were made in standing, sitting and walking positions and varied in size from 3 to 16 inches. They could be separated at either the neck or in the middle for the insertion of the candy.

In 1870, the Germans added candy containers in the shape of Easter eggs, made of compressed pasteboard and covered with lithographed scenes. This proved to be a popular form, easy to use and fill, and they continued to be made throughout the 20th century.

Also available by the late 1800s were milk glass candy containers that were egg shaped. These were sold as blanks by glass manufacturers to be painted with Easter scenes and colors.

By the start of the 20th century, the cardboard candy containers were being imported from Germany in the shapes of chickens and ducks, as well as rabbits and eggs. Some of the various animal forms had removable fabric clothing and blown glass eyes. Cotton batting was used to simulate fur. Rabbits even appeared in costume, from baseball players to chauffeurs. Real chicken feathers were occasionally attached to the chicks and ducks.

There were also containers based on some of the popular fictional characters of the early 20th century, such as the Campbell Kids, kewpies and the Palmer Cox Brownies.
The cardboard candy containers also began to get more versatile in use by this time, being made to serve as toys when the candy was gone. Some of the animal shapes had wind-up mechanism to allow them to walk. A few had enclosed music boxes. Others were nodders, with heads mounted on coiled springs.

After 1900, other materials were also used. Many plaster of paris candy containers were made for Easter. This material worked well because it could be molded with considerable detail and was easy to paint. However, these containers were also more expensive than the pasteboard variety.

Tin lithographed egg-shaped candy containers were also readily available by the 1930s. Celluloid pieces made their appearance about this same time, too, the celluloid containers being primarily Japanese imports.

Many of the American glass companies of the first half of the 20th century, including Westmoreland, Imperial and Fenton, made containers with Easter motifs. While these covered containers were not made strictly as Easter items, and were large enough to hold items other than candy, they fit in well with a collection of Easter candy containers.

Following World War II, most candy containers were made of plastic, and imported from several of the Far East countries, including Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

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