As a child, my dad would take me and my siblings to pick bottles for spending money, and sometimes just to supplement the household income. Growing up near more populated places, it was a viable option. In Smith & Hondo - not so much. The people who drank from the bottles probably hoarded them for themselves, being in about the same shape as everyone else.
Picking the wild berries, growing gardens and fishing and hunting put food on the table but no money in the pocket.
The forest industry was one of the top economic opportunities available. When it became noticeable that perhaps there wasn't an endless supply of trees a new industry was formed. Picking cones for the seeds to grow new trees.
Families were transported to the picking areas in school buses. Someone fell the spruce trees and the rest of the people picked the cones from them. They used gun grease to keep the sap from sticking to their hands and picked and picked and picked. Even though not allowed, if you found a squirrel den you were in luck. For their efforts they received about $5 per five gallon pail which, in those days, was good money and there was no shortage of workers so it must have been worth the trouble.