In the age of the telegraph, messages were charged by the word, including the address. To save customers money businesses could choose a “telegraphic address”, a unique word or phrase that they could contact them at. Here are some from OWS.
A message sent to ROCK would get you The Bass Crest Brewery Company in Alloa. SCOTCH would get John Bisset and Co. Scotch Whiskeymen in Aberdeen
“Hello. I’d like to send a telegram to Patons in Glasgow, please…”
POTATO was Patons & Co, Glasgow potato merchants
FLAVOUR was Patons & Co, Glasgow tea merchants
BRILL was Patons of Glasgow, fishmongers
NOTAP was Patons of Glasgow, shipping company
SAUSAGE got an Edinburgh butcher, ROLLS a Leith bakery.
In 1900, AITCHISON was taken by a brewer on the Canongate, so James Aitchison, goldsmith to the queen, on Princes St. was left with HISON.
BOUDOIR was a photography shop in Glasgow
HORSES was a dog biscuit maker in Loanhead (?!)
SWEETIES got you a vending machine company’s offices in Glasgow in 1906 EMPTIES was a cask manufacturer in Edinburgh
and this was the letterhead of a ladies’ club in 1940s Edinburgh
