I thought it was over ,but here's the rest of the story. Marble mystery part 2, "The Finally."

[John 'n' W.Va]

The old man told me a guy made them that worked at O.I. glass. The guy didn't make them, he appropriated them from work. My maintenance man( aka marble expert) told me O.I. made them for gas driers. Ones in the gas and oil fields. We have lots of gas wells around here. They were made from Coke glass because that was their main product at the plant. They were crudely made. They would be housed in a tank with some anti-freeze stuff. As the gas would flow through it, the marbles would take the moisture out of the gas.

[attachment 75119 12-1-07marbles.jpg]

 

[awhitster]

Nice finds. What does O.I. stand for.

 

[John 'n' W.Va]

n/t

 

[awhitster]

Here is a great link for telling you what company made a bottle and what years they were in business. It is a great site and good for dating bottles that aren't marked on the sides but have a maker mark on the bottom.Glass Factory Marks


I within an "O".......Owens-Illinois Glass Company, Toledo, OH [head office], 22 glass factory locations in the US and Canada. (1929-to date), mark used c. 1954 to the present. The diamond was removed from the "old" mark (diamond superimposed over an "I" and an "O" or oval) beginning around 1954, although some bottle molds apparently didn't have the diamond eliminated (i.e., the mold re-engraved) until as late as 1958. (However, I have a soda bottle in my collection with the "old" mark, dated 1959!) After 1958 the great majority of O-I bottles carried the "new" simplified mark of just an I inside an O. On recent bottles, this mark may be small, faintly embossed and not always easily visible, and usually is embossed on the heel of the container. Owens-Illinois, Inc. is presently (2005) the official corporation name (used since 1965).

 

[GaryL]

Interresting, my Dad retired from Owens-Illinois Glass Company(Columbus) he never brung me home no marbles though

HH

GaryL ....

 

[Uncle Willy]

I worked for Owens Illinois many moons ago but don't remember those but the plant I worked in was as big as some small towns and I only worked in two or three sections.

Bill.

 

[Uncle Willy]

Maybe he was like me and never worked in or seen the section where they were made. The plant I worked in was huge,

Bill