From the South Wales Daily News: Tuesday, 28th Feb. 1888 p1.:

"PUBLIC NOTICE:

    The BRISTOL AND DISTRICT MINERAL WATER BOTTLE EXCHANGE AND TRADE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION HEREBY GIVE PUBLIC NOTICE that the members do not Sell or in any way part with their Exclusive and Sole Right to all Bottles, Syphons, Boxes & Cases bearing their Names or Trade Marks ; and that all persons are cautioned against Selling, Buying, or Improperly Retaining the same ; and that instructions have been given to Messrs Clifton, Carter, and Co., their Solicitors, to Institute Proceedings against any Person or Persons who after this day are found Selling, Buying, or Improperly Retaining any such Bottles, Syphons, Boxes, or Cases.
    All Persons at present Improperly Holding such Bottles, Syphons, Boxes, or Cases must at once return them to the Bottle Exchange Stores, and all information as to the same should be sent to the Manager there.
    The undermentioned Firms are Members of such Association:-
Barrett's Country Bottling Co. (Limited), 125-130, Newfoundland Road, Bristol (Owners of Bottles Bearing the Names or Trade Marks of Bristol and Bath Aerated Water Co., Limited, Barrett & Co., Limited, Barrett & Co., Barrett's Country Bottling Co., Limited, Bottles bearing Sankey's Trade Mark - Saw and a Key, and Barrett and Eler's Trade Mark - a Screw Stopper in a Circle.
Batten and Prudencio, Ninetree-hill, Bristol.
Beavis, C. E., Cathay, Bristol.
Boyce and Sons, Meadow-street, Bristol.
Bristol and South Wales Aerated Water Co., counterslip, Bristol.
Brooke, Thomas, Capt. Carey's-lane, Bristol.
Goldsworthy and Co., Willway-street, Bristol (owners also of Bottles bearing the Name of J. Cresswell and Co., Smethwick).
Quick and Co., Lawrence-hill, Bristol.
Keevell, R., Redcliffe-hill, Bristol. (Actually Keevill but this is how it was spelt in the newspaper).
Park-street Mineral Water Co., Park-street, Bristol.
Thomas and Co., Baptist Mills, Bristol.
Curtis and Cross, Ashley Vale, Bristol.
Reeves, Henry, Clevedon.
Batten, C. W., and Co., Brunswick-street, Bristol.
Phelan and Co., Newport.
Vile and Co., Newport.
Heybyrne, Newport.
Davies, E., Newport.
Williams, H. L., Newport and Cardiff.
Ross & Co. (Limited), Newport and Cardiff.
Thomas, G. H., Newport and Cardiff.
Rich and Co., Cardiff.
Cardiff Coffee-house Co., Cardiff.
South Wales Aerated Water Co., Cardiff.
Elliott and Co. (Limited) and Elliott, T., Cardiff.
Smart, T. W., and Co., Cardiff.
Basker and Co., Cardiff.
Imperial Aerated Water Works (D. Hopkins), Cardiff.
Hall, G., Pontypool.
Newth, G., Pontypool.
Davis and Sandbrook, Pontypool.
Peters and Osborne, Nelson.
Hansard, H., Merthyr Tydfil.
Havard Bros., Merthyr Tydfil.
Banfield, R. W., Pontypridd.
Jenkins, W. L., Cowbridge.
McEwen, J. W., Aberdare.
Morris, C., Aberdare.

Bottle Exchange Stores: 118, Jacob-street, Bristol ; Rawden-place, Cowbridge-road, Cardiff ; Beynon's-lane, back of 35 Cardiff-road, Newport, Mon. ; 46, Bridge-street, Merthyr Tydfil.
24th February, 1888.

BOTTLE AND MARINE STORE DEALERS IN BRISTOL, CARDIFF, MERTHYR TYDFIL, NEWPORT, AND DISTRICTS.
    As Solicitors to the Bristol and District Mineral Water Bottle Exchange and Trade Protection Association, we are instructed to inform you that it is their intention to stop the illegal trade in Mineral Water Bottles, Syphons, Boxes, or Cases.
    Knowing, however, that the Bottle Dealers and Marine Store Dealers have at present stocks of these bottles, &c. on hand, the Association have determined to give them the opportunity of returning them, and have agreed to pay at the rate of 5d per dozen for bottles (excepting obsolete bottles), and 1d each on boxes belonging to any member of the Association, on free delivery at the Stores of the Association, 118, Jacob-street, Bristol ; Rawden Place, Cowbridge-road, Cardiff ; Beynon's-lane, back of 35 Cardiff-road, Newport, Mon. ; 46, Bridge-street, Merthyr Tydfil.
    This offer will, however, only hold good up to and including SATURDAY, the 10th day of March, 1888, after which date we are instructed to take Immediate Legal Proceedings against any Bottle Dealer, Marine Store Dealer, or other persons (who are not Customers of Members of the Association) found in possession of any Bottles, &c., belonging to any Member of the Association, or buying or dealing in the same.
    This offer, however, does not apply to Bottles, &c., belonging to Bristol Members sent to the Bristol Stores.

CLIFTON, CARTER, & CO.,
51 Broad-street, Bristol.
24th February 1888.

The Stores will be open to receive Bottles, &c., as per above notice as follows:-
    Cardiff, Monday and Tuesday, 27th & 28th February, and 5th and 6th March 1888.
    Merthyr Tydfil, Wednesday and Thursday, 28th February and 1st, 7th, and 8th March, 1888.
    Newport, Friday and Saturday, 2nd, 3rd, 9th, and 10th March, 1888."

In order to identify bottles belonging to individual members, those members found it useful to have their initials, or other identification device such as part of the trade mark, embossed on the base of their bottles to facilitate rapid sorting once empties arrived back at the depots, upside down in their crates as was usual practice to prevent star cracking due to marbles rattling on the cobbled streets. Even paper labels were sometimes affixed to the base of bottles for this purpose.