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Bag People
Last July, you fine people helped me unravel the Great Pizza Cup Mystery. So I turn to your collective wisdom once again, with another vexing question. I recently looked at the bottom of a paper bag. (As previously stated, I have entirely too much free time.) Printed there was the name "Ronnie Weatherington." Who was this man, I wondered. Perhaps a paper bag magnate? Google was no help, asking if I meant "Ronnie Wetherington." I did not.
But oh, it doesn't stop with Ronnie. A quick look at bags currently in my recycling pile reveals the names Jeanns Flores and Norbert Diaz. Who are these people?!? Quality control staff, a la Hanes' Inspector 12? Memorialized comrades fallen victim to particularly wicked paper cuts? Help me out, folks. I welcome facts, guesses, and any other bag-bottom names you happen upon.
Posted by Jack Silbert on 07/09/2006 | Permalink
Comments
Probably the name of the person who made the bag. I've seen paper grocery bags with name stamps from the proud employee who made that bag.
Posted by: icebox | Jul 9, 2006 2:35:19 AM
I've always loved that little connection to some human, somewhere, making these bags (and I'm pretty certain that's what it is, as I've gotten bags which said "Made by... ).
I'd kind of like to get a job in a paper bag factory for a month or so just to get my own name on a bunch of paper bags.
Posted by: Damian | Jul 9, 2006 1:08:00 PM
Damian, try to get that job soon (I'll happily serve as a reference), as I'd love to know what role an individual plays to warrant his or her name on the bottom. Oh sure, Margaret Knight--who in 1868, invented a machine that folded and glued paper to form the brown paper bags familiar to shoppers today--deserved her name on a bag. But what are Norbert Diaz's job responsibilities?
Posted by: Jack Silbert | Jul 9, 2006 3:08:06 PM
Today's paper bag salutes...Carla Quintero.
Posted by: Jack Silbert | Jul 16, 2006 5:52:19 PM
A tip of the bag to...Olga Mejia.
Posted by: Jack Silbert | Jul 23, 2006 2:10:25 PM
Ronnie Weatherington has struck again. This time the name RONNIE WEATHERINGTON was stamped in forest green lettering on a Duro 8 Wolf bag. Upon disassembling the bottom of this white deli paper bag, there were two more lines to add to the mystery. EL 30 B was in the first line under his name, and 03 22 06 was on the second. I don't know about the first line of numbers, but the second seems to indicate March 22nd, 2006 as the date of manufacture. But where was the bag manufactured, and who is Ronnie Weatherington? Is her being forced to produce these bags in a prison sweatshop somewhere, or is he a hard working blue collar American hero? The mystery of who this man is continues!
Posted by: vvan15 | Oct 25, 2006 1:12:01 PM
EL 30 B...EL 30 B...
Could Ronnie work at the Duro Bag Manufacturing facility in ELizabeth, New Jersey? We will find you, Ronnie Weatherington. And rescue you if necessary.
Posted by: Jack Silbert | Oct 25, 2006 6:13:31 PM
I'm looking for a factory to make heavy duty preferated paper bags that are square and 4 feet long that will have a pull tie to close. Also needs a slot for rods on all sides at the top. Does anyone know where I can get this made and hopefully it's in the United States.
Posted by: Ron | Nov 17, 2006 9:14:43 AM
NPR did a peice on this not too long ago, instead of google I found the broadcast via ask.com. Occasionally I have found bags with Bible verse numbers on the bottom. Also the bags at my work come from FRANCIS, A. SIMMONS, and CARLOS LORA.
Posted by: Hannah | Dec 19, 2006 10:05:30 AM
Hannah, you have solved the mystery! Yes, it seems Barbara Klein did a short piece on "All Things Considered" in November 2002. You can hear it here. Thanks to everyone who helped us bag-and-tag the answer over the past five months.
Posted by: Jack Silbert | Dec 19, 2006 11:56:04 AM
hi this is ronnie weatherington the face behind machine EL 30 B i work at durobag manufacturing in elizabeth,new jersy i've stumbled upon this article and was blown away! Currently i'm out of work after sustaining a back injury from the everyday hard labor. I've passed the police exam in newark and i'm awaiting the call if any one can help me become a cop or find a new career please don't hesistate to respond.
Posted by: ronnie weatherington | Mar 2, 2007 9:38:15 AM
I too was curious about the name on the bottom of my paper bag. His name is Terreke Smith. Other info on the bag is Jun 12 07 (no doubt the date) and EL 48 A (perhaps the employees ID ?) Using Zabasearch.com, I discovered there is a Terreke Smith living in Elizabeth NJ. The neat thing about all this is that I live in Maine and my Mom recently moved here. We bought some takeout food and Terrekes name was on the bottom of the bag. My Mom was born in Elizabeth. We are now 500 miles from there.
Posted by: Richard | Feb 1, 2008 10:39:08 AM
I too have been intrigued by the "paper-bag ladies" for quite some time. (In my experience, or perhaps it is my neighborhood, the bags always name women.) I have decided to collect the bottoms in efforts to eventually create some sort of collage tribute to these famous, hard-working people who surely get little recognition otherwise. So-this is for you- Rosa Vilchez, Maribel Dominguez, Yolanda Williams and Melva L. Galeano!
Posted by: paper not plastic | Mar 7, 2008 6:47:40 PM
We found Yolanda Williams at a liquor store, maybe she's a little lost.
Posted by: Jim | Nov 17, 2008 11:40:44 PM
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