I had heard of star glass works and the Medford glass Factory long
before I arrived in Medford N.J. Being a bottle & glass collector,
and now living in Medford, I wanted to find out more about it and where
the old factory once stood ? Little did I know I was about to enter a time
machine. late one afternoon I made my way across main street, destination
, the old fashioned neighborhood grocery store, you know, the kind that
don't exist anymore. When i walked in, I realized that I stepped out of
time, I mean, no restoration to make it look original, it was original.
The store had not been touched for over a hundred years, original floor
boards, counters,ceiling, light fixtures, candy cases etc..Sure there were
signs of the times like a 1950's coke machine, a 1950's advertising shelf
for" bond" bread, and a current stock of groceries. But what
captivated me, was all the antique bottles that surrounded me .
They were Loaded upon shelves everywhere, mixed throughout
with antiques, shinning & glimmering Pine tree cordials , swaims panecea"s,
smooth base & pontiled sodas as well as medicines, all type of fruit
jars, blown glass and a little witch ball.What was all this doing there?
And in arms reach from my living room?? Then I see this little old man
come out from behind the pre-civil war counter, with a slow shuffle and
a smile on his face, can I help you?Yes you may, I came in to buy a loaf
of bread, but I'll take all the bottles & antiques, how much?? the
old man chuckled, "no, no , there not for sale, I'm very sorry,(sigh)
You know, I've been working here for 80 years and those bottles have always
been right where they are, in fact, they were made here, you think i should
dust them off? ...Excuse me for asking sir ,what is this place? You don't
know? why it's the old Medford glass works store,(pause) my father started
glass blowing at the factory sometime after the civil war and latter became
factory foreman, I myself was a carry-in boy when I was about 12 years
old, I still managed to go to school, i started working here and bought
a house across the street in the 1920'S, then I took this place over &
I been here ever since.We haven't been introduced proper, my name is Ed
Wills, whats yours?...Speechless!! So I found out what i was looking for
in a most unique way.Some things are meant to be. Ol Mr. Wills, my daughter
Rayna and me had several years together. Every time we went into that store
Ed gave my daughter a giant bag of mixed penny candy, "on the house".I
loved to watch him shovel it out of those beautiful antique cases . In
the days past I would often see Ed standing solitary looking out the store
window, thinking of days gone by.In his final days at the store he actually
stopped ordering stock because no one came in anymore.After 80 years of
waking up and lighting the lamps, it is a century that has come & gone,and
finally so has the store.Ed is still with us but the thing he keep alive
for so long is now gone.It was more than a store it was a way of goodness,
an old way, when people took the time for one another.So I would like to
take the moment to thank Mr. Wills for everything. Thank you! Thank you
for every thing. John Decaro
