“A nice concoction and bottle to brighten up your stay”
Sanitarium Bitters & Hi Hi Bitters
No doubt what you are getting here!
05 January 2012 (R•112713)
In Part 3 of the PRG Triangular Bitters series we move from the previous locales of East Greenwich, Rhode island (O.H.P. Rose’s Peruvian King Bitters) and Atlantic City, New Jersey (Hagan’s Dyspepsia Bitters) to Rock Island, Illinois for the Sanitarium Bitters. What did I say?…Rock Island, Illinois, where in the world is that? Could this be the origin of the Rock Island Railroad! You probably do not know this about me but I am an absolute nut over railroading specifically model railroading. I subscribe to Model Railroader magazine and dream of kicking out my entire office and building a dream 6,000 sq ft HO scale model railroad. A little research also pulls up some great Civil War history for Rock Island…attention Jim Schmidt!
Confederate Prison – Rock Island Arsenal
“Very efficient in neuralgia, rheumatism and in all morbid conditions due to depression of the nervous and cerebral system”
Sanitarium Bitters. What a great name. I smile inwardly on this flight from Chicago (maybe I should have looked for Rock Island after my meetings today in Joliet) to Houston because I remember a past American Bottle Auctions catalog write-up for a Sanitarium Bitters bottle, where Jeff Wichmann said “you would have to be crazy to pass on this opportunity”… or something like that. Love that guys sense of dry humor.
Anyway, what a good-looking bottle in a awesome color of green. With the Label reading “Sanitarium Pepsin Celery Hi Hi Bitters” the bottle coloration suggests celery I suppose. Not terribly hard to find but none-the-less, an exciting triangular bitters. One that fits in well with my other triangles. Make sure you look at the embossing on the bottom panels. You gotta’ love the HI-HI Bitters Co. graphics. No pussy footing around here about how you will feel after taking some of their medicine.
Sanitarium Bitters – Meyer Collection
Sanitarium Bitters base panel embossing – Meyer Collection
Sanitarium Bitters neck and mouth detail – Meyer Collection
S 31 SANITARIUM BITTERS, Circa 1885 – 1895,
SANITARIUM / BITTERS // HI-HI BITTERS CO. / ROCK ISLAND, ILL. / / f //
L … Sanitarium Pepsin Celery Hi Hi Bitters
9 11/16 x 3 1/2 (7/8)
Triangular, Green, LTC, Tooled lip, Scarce
Label: A true health and speedy remedy for indigestion and dyspepsia, chronic diarrhea, dysentery, colic and flatulency, fever and ague, chronic infections of the urinary, colonitis, asthma, and bronchitis. Very efficient in neuralgia, rheumatism and in all morbid conditions due to depression of the nervous and cerebral system.
Meyer Yellow Green example from Pacific Glass Auction 30 in March 2003.
Hi-Hi Bitters trade card. Message one side only – DavesGreatCardsGalore
Hi-Hi Bitters in amber – Meyer Collection
H 118 HI-HI BITTERS, Circa 1885 – 1895,
HI-HI / BITTERS // HI-HI BITTERS CO / ROCK ISLAND,ILL. // f //
L…Sanitarium Pepsin Celeery Hi-Hi Bitters
9 3/8 x 3 1/2 (7)
Triangular, Amber, Yellow and Green, LTC, Tooled lip, Scarce
Note: Trade Mark No. 33,140. Filed May 29, 1889, registered June 27, 1899. Used since March 1898.
Fully labeled Hi-Hi Bitters with Tax Stamp – eBay
Read Further: The triangular Hagan’s Dyspepsia Bitters – Atlantic City, New Jersey
Read Further: The Triangular O.H.P. Rose’s Peruvian King Bitters
Rock Island, Illinois & Davenport, Iowa Wood Engraving – circa 1880
Rock Island, Illinois Map – circa 1919
Later Era Rock Island Tuberculosis Sanitarium Postcard
Rock Island Railroad Locomotive and Tender. circa 1880
