Alvin's 5" Leg or Cop the Bottle

Alvin Ancil Warren was born 26 May 1895 in Parkersburg, Wood County, West Virginia.  Born to  Wellington Cashus and Mary Virginia Warren  he was the oldest of 11 children. 

In 1917 Alvin was living in Parkersburg when he registered for the Draft for World War I. His card says he had blue eyes and brown hair, is short with a medium build. It also says his right leg is 5 inches shorter than his left.

His employer is listed as Essex Glass Company and he calls himself a glass worker. I was curious.

The Essex Glass Company was one of the leading glass milk bottle manufactures in the United States. In 1913 Essex Glass purchased the Standard Milk Bottle Mfg. Co. factory in Parkersburg, West Virginia. 

In 1916 Essex Glass converted the Parkersburg plant to automated machines that were manned by one person and in 1917 the new machines were operating. In 1920 The Thatcher Manufacturing Company purchased the Essex Glass Company.

Because manganese is used as a de-colorant in the manufacturing of the Essex bottle they solarize to be a pale purple. Between 1913 and 1920 Essex bottles were marked with an E4 as a logo.  These are found on the heel of the bottles.

In 1938 a patent was granted to the Gennaro Boys for a bottle design that separated the cream from the milk in the bottle while pouring the milk. Universal Glass Products Company made the bottles for the Gennaros.  

Because the stern face at the top of the bottles resembled a Police Officer

 the bottles were called Cop the Cream and the company was named 

Cop the Cream Bottle Company. 

The 1920 census shows that Alvin was living with the Burtons, his maternal Grandparents and he is employed as a laborer in a glass factory.

By 1926 Alvin is working at the Universal Glass Products Company in Parmaco, Parkersburg, West Virginia as an operator. Universal mostly produced milk bottles between 1920 and 1940 and in 1950 they started manufacturing liquor bottles. Their logo is UGP.

Alvin is listed as a Glazier in a 1928 Directory. A Glazier is a person who cuts, fits, installs and removes glass from windows, doors, makes table tops or mirrors.

The 1940 census says Alvin was milk bottle machine operator working in a glass factory.

In April of 1942 Alvin again was required to register for the Draft. World War II  was happening. I discovered that in 1942 Alvin's eyes are listed as brown (not blue like before), his hair is now grey, he is 5'6" tall, which is still short but here is the interesting part when it asks if there are any physical characteristics that would aid in identification of him the answer he gives is none. The mystery of this is ... Wouldn't a leg that is 5" shorter than the other be a physical characteristic for identification? How did his eyes change color? 

I turned to the next page on the site and the back of the next card says the person is 5'3" has blue eyes, brown hair and is a cripple in his right leg.  Found him!

Alvin died on 18 April 1949. His death certificate says, Cerebral Hemorrhage - fractured skull, left temporal parietal area. It is listed as an accident that occurred in a "pool room", Collapsed in pool room striking his head on the ground.