A Morning Call Bitters Comparison
Is it from Cincinnati or St. Louis?
02 September 2013
Many bottle collectors are familiar with the round Lediard’s Morning Call Bitters sold by Charles Lediard in New York and St. Louis. Today we are going to look at two super rare ‘square’ Morning Call Bitters. I am not sure the M 130(top left) should be linked to Lediard in St. Louis as the M 130.5 (top right) is linked to the Mills Brothers in Cincinnati. Could they both be from the Mills Brothers in Cincinnati? The bottles are so similar.
This post was inspired by Gary Beatty and James Viguerie who both sent me pictures of the very rare M 130, Morning Call Bitters (see below) recently.
The Carlyn Ring and Bill Ham listing in Bitters Bottles Supplement for the M 130 Morning Call Bitters is as follows:
M 130 Morning Call Bitters
// MORNING CALL // BITTERS // sp //sp //
9 1/2 x 2 13/16 (7 1/8)
Square, amber, LTC, Applied mouth, Very rare
Franklin Hastings and Charles Lediard were listed in the 1866 St. Louis Business Directory at 28 & 31 Washington Ave., St. Louis as being “Importers and Dealers in Wines and Liquors, and Manufacturers of Lediard’s Mixed Liquors and Bitters.”
M 130 – Morning Call Bitters – James Viguerie – Dug in St. Louis. However, the book indicates a size of 9 1/2″ x 2 13/16″ while mine is 9 3/8″ x 2 3/4″.
M 130 – Morning Call Bitters – Gary Beatty – I got a Morning Call Bitters off eBay ‘Buy It Now’. 35 people were watching it so I had to make a decision fast. It is medium to dark amber. Not as pretty as yours but no damage. Is it from Cincinnati or St. Louis?
Read: Unlisted Morning Call Bitters
The Carlyn Ring and Bill Ham listing in the upcoming Bitters Bottles Supplement 2 for the M 130.5 Morning Call Bitters is as follows:
M 130.5 Morning Call Bitters
// MORNING CALL // BITTERS // MILLS BRO & CO // sp //
9 x 2 3/4
Square with column corners, Amber, LTC, Applied mouth, 4 sp, Extremely rare
Mold similar to C 20 California Herb Birrers
Listed in Cincinnati Directories for years 1866, 1867, and 1868.
Example dug in Memphis, Tenn.
M 130.5 Morning Call Bitters – Meyer Collection (same bottle in article above)
Morning Call Wahoo Bitters advertisement – Conaway Jones and Tate – Memphis, Tennessee – Memphis Daily Appeal – Feb 27 1866. The M 130.5 was found in Memphis.
Mills Timeline – Cincinnati
The article above lists a span of three years. That is a little bit off as the first listing for the Mills Brothers in the liquor business is 1863 and it progresses from there. Mills Brothers was listed for only four years, 1865-1868.
Charles S. Mills (probably father) listed as Salesman at 18 & 20 Main, (1862)
Mills & Kline, 20 Main, Grocers, David M. Mills, Benneville Kline (1863, 1864)
Mills, Kline & Co., 18 Main (Liquors), David M. Mills, Joseph F. Mills, Benneville Kline (1863, 1864)
MILLS BRO. & CO., Dealers in Foreign and Domestic Liquors, Cincinnati, OH., 18 & 20 Main (1865-1868), David M. Mills, Joseph F. Mills, Charles D. Mills. Address change in 1868 to 104 W. 2nd.
J. F. MILLS & CO., Wholesale Grocers & Commission Merchants, Cincinnati, OH., 18 & 20 Main (1865-1867), Joseph F. Mills, Charles L. Mills, Henry Jacobs
D. Mills & Co., (1869), David M. Mills, William Ward, Wholesale Liquor Dealers, 66 Walnut
Mills, Johnson & Co., (1869), Joseph F. Mills, Charles L. Mills, (W.W.J.) Successors to Samuel N. Pike & Co., Distillers & Rectifiers, 18 & 20 Sycamore
Charles S. Mills (probably father) listed as Salesman at 18 & 20 Main, 1862 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory
Mills & Kline listings Grocers at 20 Main and Liquors at 18 Main St. – 1863, 1864 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory
Mills Bro. & Co. listing | J.F. Mills & Co listing – 1865 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory
Mills Bro. & Co. listing | J.F. Mills & Co listing – 1866 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory
Mills Bro. & Co. listing | J.F. Mills & Co listing– 1867 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory
Mills Bro. & Co. listing, address change to 104 W. 2nd – 1868 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory
D. Mills & Co. listing | Mills, Johnson & Co. listing, 1869 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory
