Article found in the vertical files of the Atlanta Public Library.

by W. F. Mayfield

Hughes Springs once claimed one of the most modern bottling works in this area. The plant bottled grape, lemon, strawberry, cream and other flavors of "soda pop" to quench the thirst of the many who called at the plant or the stores where cold drinks were sold.

It was about 1910 that Fred Norwood decided to sweeten up the town and slake its thirst with the bright colored drinks which popped and spewed C to the chagrin and amusement of bystanders C when the bottle top was loosened. Of course, Mr. Norwood had no intention of creating the extra pops and spews. They were bonuses.

Several of the local boys, including myself, worked during our summer vacation at the new bottling plant. Our duty was to fill the bottles with the sweet flavored water then put thirty to sixty pounds of compressed air (gas) into each bottle, and pull the plunger which had been placed inside the bottle, tight enough to prevent the gas from escaping. The plunger had a hard rubber substance on one end which remained inside the bottle. The other end of the plunger came up through the opening and curved back into the bottle. When struck with an open hand, the plunger when down into the bottle allowing gas to escape. Most of the foamy, bubbling "soda pop" boiled away unless the drinker quickly put his lips over the bottle top.

We boys had plenty to do keeping the bottles filled and stacking them into crates. Many crates of the soda water were sent on trains to other towns in Texas and Louisiana. Truck transportation was unknown in those days. As time passed, competition became keener in other towns and this plant was closed.