intact antique c. 1870's or 1880's chicago privy dug emerald green pint bottle manufactured for congress spring co., in saratoga, new york. the front body is embossed with the company name and location around a large open-lined "c" logo. on the back is embossed "congress water". the squat body and low shoulders taper into a short neck and applied tapered collar with ring, or mineral finish. the base is flat with a single concentric ring in the center, and a seam running around the heel, evidencing manufacture with cup bottom mold. side seams run from heel to base of the neck. the dug bottle exhibits some crudity, including bubbles, whittling and surface wear. it is intact and in good condition. john clarke was a soda fountain owner in new york city. he saw the potential of the area's pure water and purchased land with partner thomas lynch in 1823. in 1825 both men started bottling water. saratoga springs was the home to 122 natural springs and renowned for the therapeutic mineral water. the iroquois indians called the high rock spring the "medicine springs of the great spirit". the first bottles produced were from the mt. vernon glass works. the bottles were embossed lynch & clarke until 1833. this was the year thomas lynch died. the bottles were thereafter embossed john clarke. john clarke married widow eliza white who purchased the high rock springs. together they form the company clarke & white and bottled their saratoga mineral water. clarke successfully marketed his bottled water across america and europe. the clarke & white mineral water bottles are one of the most common due to their success. john clarke died in 1856. a few years after his death a william b. white bought the property from his heirs and remained sole owner until his death. mrs. sheehan bouty, who was william's sister, bought the property from william's heirs. she became the sole owner and sold one half of her interest of the company to chauncey kilmer and a corporation was formed called the congress and empire spring company. bottles embossed with the 'c' logo come from the congress springs, and bottles embossed with an 'e' come from the empire springs. at some point the hotchkiss family became the principal shareholder and by 1884 the company split, forming two companies. one was called the congress spring company and the other called empire spring company. by 1889 the use of the saratoga bottles declined and was replaced by more modern bottle closures. both companies were sold at auction in 1904.