Featured in this lot is this framed, M. Werk & Company stearic acid candle box label from the 1880s to 1890s, found in the Old Guard Mine in Tombstone, Arizona. M.Werk Company was founded in 1832 as Werk Soap and Candle Company by Michel (Michael) Werk (1807 -) of Alsace, France, and was once Cincinnati's oldest soap and candle business. Werk married Pauline La Feuille in 1843. Their eldest son, Casimir, became the company's president for 40 years. A fire destroyed the factory in 1874, but it was rebuilt in the same spot in 1875. By 1912, Werk soap had become a household name in Cincinnati, outselling all other brands. The company opted to relocate to a larger, fireproof plant with more modern amenities on around 20 acres of land on Murrary Road in St. Bernard. Werk produced many different types of soap and candles, but the most well-known was Tag soap, which featured tags that could be redeemed for other home items. They also produced stearic acid, star and x-ray candles, and chemically pure glycerin for industrial application. This label is set in a nice frame and reads, "Stearic Acid Candles / Werk Soap and Candles / Originally Called Star Candles / M. Werk & Co. / Cincinnati, O.". This label was found in the Old Guard Mine just outside of Tombstone (Cochise County). The Old Guard Mine was a small, underground Ag-Au-Pb-Mn occurrence/mine located just under a mile Southwest of Tombstone and was located in between the Herschel Mine and the Lucky Cuss Mine. It was owned, or partially owned by the Old Guard Mining Co., Imperial Guard Mining Co., Silver Bar Mining Co., and the Tombstone Silver Fields Mining Co.. The label shows good to fair condition, with wear present from its age and use over the years. Tears, rips and fading are present but is still in good, readable condition. The label measures 6 1/4" L x 11 1/8" W, while the entire piece measures 15 1/2" L x 19 3/8" W x 1 3/8" D. It weighs 3 pounds and 6 ounces. Provenance: From the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum in Tombstone, Arizona. M47