chap12j

Chapter 12j
The Small Bottlers
Victory Bottling Works and its Bottles

Victory Bottling Works (1923-1931)
The El Paso City Directory for 1923 lists E. M. Seggerson and Mauro Quevedo as the people responsible for Victory Bottling Works at 316 East Ninth St. Although Seggerson was a newcomer to El Paso, Quevedo had been in residence since at least 1915 when he was a partner in the grocery firm of Quevedo & (Ramon) Vega. Quevedo joined Seggerson in forming Victory in 1923 but continued to maintain his grocery business--a wise choice (EPCD 1915-1923).

Alejandro Marquez had been a bottler for Texas Bottling Works in 1919 and a driver for them in 1920. He may have continued to work there until he joined the Victory Bottling Works team as a helper in 1923. His experience at Texas Bottling Works had apparently made him valuable enough that Quevedo accepted him as a partner. Although the reason is unclear, Victory was unlisted in 1924, but Quevedo & Marquez (bottlers) appeared in the directory at the Ninth Street address. In 1925, the name, Victory, reappeared, and the firm advertised themselves as "bottlers of fine beverages" who carried "all kinds of bottled goods." Marquez took control of the establishment in 1927, but was only successful for a few years. He was followed in 1931 by Benjamin E. Armijo. Armijo described his business as "real estate, rentals, collections, notary public." Not a bottler, Armijo had arrived to perform last rites for the ailing business, another probably casualty of the Great Depression (EPCD 1920-1931).

Bottles

Victory Bottling Works
Victory Flavors
Like Lone Star, Victory failed to create a name for its products, although the company bottled a variety of flavors. All flavors, therefore, were sold in the same machine-made bottles. Although Victory was only in business for eleven years, the firm produced at least two styles of containers with three variations of the second style.

Victory used a wooden case or "shell" typical of the period. Constructed from wooden slats held together with thin steel bands, the shell was unpainted except for lettering along one side that identified the company: VICTORY BOTTLING WKS./316 E 9TH. ST. PH. M2598. The ends of the case were branded with a single stylized "V" similar to the script lettering on the latter two bottling styles (author's collection).

The first bottle followed the older style where a round plate mold identified the bottler.

SM 08
Method of Manufacture: Machine
Color: Common Green
Size (in cm.): 19.9 (h); 5.9 (d)
Primary Labeling Style: Embossed
Finish: Crown
Capacity: 6.5 oz.
Overall Bottle Design: Cylindrical with a circular ring at the heel and two circular rings at the shoulder with eight vertical lines connecting them - plate mold at center
Front Description
Body: Embossed (plate) - VICTORY BOTTLING (downward arch)/WORKS (horizontal)/EL PASO, TEXAS. (upward arch)
Back Description
Shoulder: Embossed - 6½ in one rectangle of the circular ring and FL. OZS. in another
Body: Bare
Base: Embossed - M. Q. (initials of manager, Mauro Quevedo) - also contains Owens ring
Manufacturer: Unknown
Dating: [1923-ca. 1926] Although Victory was in business from 1923 to 1931, the firm used a total of four bottle styles. This style was the earliest and was probably not used for more than three or four years.
Collection(s): David Cole collection, Bangs, Texas.

David Cole

The later styles were of the fancier, propriety type.

SM 09
Method of Manufacture: Machine
Color: Georgia Green [variation 2 - Georgia Green] [variation 3 - Colorless]
Size (in cm.): 19.4 (h); 5.7 (d) [variation 2 - same] [variation 3 - 19.6 (h); 5.7 (d)]
Primary Labeling Style: Embossed
Finish: Crown
Capacity: 6.5 oz.
Overall Bottle Design: Cylindrical with six embossed ornate vertical panels around the body. The panels terminated in a thick ring that circumscribed the body just above the heel with a second, similar ring located below the shoulder within the vertical panels. The area of each panel contained within the two rings was embossed with an orange peel surface.
Front Description
Shoulder: Variation 1 - embossed with a narrow ring around neck/shoulder [variations 2 & 3 - four equally-spaced five-point stars replaced the ring]
Body: Variation 1 - vertically embossed - VICTORY BOTTLING WORKS/EL PASO, TEXAS in each panel, read holding the bottle with the finish to the right (unusual configuration) [variations 2 & 3 - Victory/Bottling/Works/El Paso/Texas/Phone M2590 with one entry per panel, read holding the bottle with the finish to the left]
Heel: 6½ FL. OZ.
Back Description
Shoulder: See front
Body: See front
Heel: Bare [3 RIVERS {star} (only on variation 3)]
Base: Variation 1 - Embossed - M. Q. (large letters - initials of Mauro Quevedo, one of the owners); Owens Ring [variation 2 - M Q (small letters without punctuation marks)] [variation 3 - A. M. (Alejandro Marquez, the later owner) on colorless, 3 Rivers bottles]
Manufacturer: Unknown [Three Rivers Glass Company 1922-1937 (only on variation 3]
Dating: [1923-1926] [1927-1931] variation 1 (without the stars) is rare and, therefore, probably used during the earlier part of the period. Both Victory M. Q. bottle types, however, must be dated between the inception of the firm in 1923 and 1926 when Quevedo left the company. Colorless bottles marked A. M. cannot predate 1924 when Marquez became a partner in the firm but likely were only used from 1927 to 1931 when Marquez became sole proprietor.
Collection(s): Lawrence Angus collection; John Gross collection; Mike Morrison collection; author's collection.


	Mike Morrison	John Gross

The rectangular wooden shell (case) used by Victory Bottling Works is made of wood and has three longitudinal and six horizontal dividers to form 24 square openings for individual soda bottles. The outer boards are reinforced by thin steel strips wrapping around both ends and held on by nails. The base is constructed of three boards 0.9 cm. in thickness. Boards on the two sides are also 0.9 cm. in thickness, but the end boards are thicker (2.3 cm.). Handles are cut into each end board with inside dimensions of 7.5 x 3.0 cm. Outside dimensions of the shell are 46.6 x 30.0 x 10 cm. (although measurements vary slightly due to wear and warps in the wood). Only one side has the stensiled black lettering: VICTORY BOTTLING WKS./316 E. 9TH. ST. PH M2598. Both ends have a stylized "V" burned into the wood to the left of the cutout handles.

Table of Contents
Chapter 12k - Mackin Brokerage Company and its Bottles