CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There is an old saying, “salt of the earth,” referring to good and gracious living amongst us, as well as the value this commodity has for flavoring and the preservation of food.

With this in mind, Hiram J. White patented his Table Salt Bottle on Christmas Day back in 1877.

Three styled containers were produced by the Boston and Sandwich Glass Co., all hand blown, featuring agitators and covers with this particular date – Dec. 25, 1877.

They were quite colorful, with ruby being the most rare. Peacock, green, electric blue and canary yellow were more prevalent.

At a mere 2¾ inches high, the center agitator kept the salt from caking and acted as a working crown. Manufactured by Dana K. Alden of Boston, the metal tops were also patented.

Now housed at a museum of the S

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