JiS?" "Tpw
-aw. jaJ
spiciotis
Enquired if we were "hiring" a certain "weekly" paper to abuse us.
Some
Persons
'
Of course every time a spot light is turned on from any source
t offers a splendid chance to talk about the merits of the products,
ut 'pon honor now, we.nre not hiring that "Weekly."
The general reader seldom cares much for the details of "scraps."
A few may have read lately some articles attacking us and may
be interested in the following :
Some time ago a disagreement arose with a "Weekly." They
(indorsed our foods by letter, but wanted to change the form of
advertising, to which we objected. ,
The "Weekly" discontinued inserting our advertisements while
(ihey were negotiating for some changes they wanted in the word
ing and shapcof the advertisements, and during this correspondence
tour manager gave instructions to our Advertising Department to
Iquit advertising altogether in that "Weekly."
Quite a time after the advertising had been left out, an editorial
lattack came. We replied in newspapers and the scrap was on.
Then came libel suits from both sides, and some harsh words.
Generally tiresome to the public
That "Weekly" has attacked many prominent men and repu
table manufacturers.
Our Company sccm3 prominent enough for a sensational
.writer to go after, hunt for some little spot to criticise, then distort,
Itwist and present it to the public under scare heads.
Distortion No. 1 stated that wo have
been accustomed to ndvrrtiso Grape-Nuts
and Postum ns "cure-alls for everything."
It liiw never been the policy of this
Company to ndvertisc Grape-Nuts or Pos
turn to euro anything.
Wo mv that in enscs where coffoo disa
grees and Ih causing sickness its dismissal
'will remove the cnuse of the trouble, nnd
we suggest the uso of I'ostum for tho
reason that it furnishes a hot palntnblo
morning bevcrngo, nnd contains natural
elements from tho grain which can bo
used by imttiro to assist in rebuilding
nervo content that coffeo tnny have broken
down.
Likcwlso Grape-Nuts food does not
cum anything, but it doe assist nature
tremendously in rebuilding, provided tho
undigcstihlc food that has been ucd is
discontinued and drape-Nuts taken in its
place.
Charqe No. 2 states that tho passage
of tho Nntionnl Food ,V Drugs Act com
pelled us to di op from the packages somo
assertion regarding tho uutritivo valuo
of Grape-Nuts.
Wo Tinvo never been " "compelled" to
mako any change.
Since the beginning It has been a univer
enl rulo to print clearlv on cvrry package
exnrtlv what the contents are made of.
Rcforc tho passage of tho Pure Food
Law tho packages stated that Grape-Nuts
food was rnado of wheat nnd hnrlnv.
Wo did not esteem tho small nmount
of salt nnd yeast as of valuo enough to
Fpcak of, but nftcr tho new Ijiw catno
In wo becamo as technical as the offi
cials at Washington nnd ndded tho words
"yeast" nnd "salt." nltlinuoli wo havo
no recollection of being asked to.
Wo believed tlmt our statement that
Grape-Nuts will supply elements to nour
ish the brain nnd ncrvo centers is truo
and bring authorities to sup'port tho fact.
Rome stnto chemists believed this n
cross exaggeration and inasmuch ns tho
Food T)cpt. nt Washington could easily
harass grocers, pending a trial on tho
disputed question, wo concluded tint
much tho better wnv would bo to olim
fnnto from our packngos such claims,
however certain wo may bo that tho
claims oro truo.
Another statement objected to read ns
folio wo:
'Tho system will absorb n greater
amount of nourishment fiom ono pound
of Grape-Nuts than from ten pounds of
trncat, wheat, oats, or bread."
Rome Department chemists deceive
(themselves ns well as tho public.
"Caloriod" is the word which defines a
nintt of heat determined bv tlm nmnimt
necessary 10 raise ono kilogram of water
yiie ucpreo ceimgriKie. On this basis a
table of calories w nren.irnl tl,r,i,-;., .1...
Pciccntngo of different kinds of "fond,
flutter kf1iowh 8.00; Grape Nuts .TOO;
.mm v.iv. iicmcmner tlio M itement on
tho package spoko of tlm nourishment tin
system would nl.-nrb. butlid"iiot f penis of
tho raloriCH of heat nnntninn.t Ir. U t
Kho heat is not nourishment, und ' tho
iiuiirisiimcni cannot no judged by tho
number of hcnl nnliu t,m.;ii, ........ 1:
kho fnct tlmt certain rlmmUlo ,,.,,,.1.1 l....'i
tho publio believe ho.
. As an illustration: Attempt to feed n
mnn shty days 1 on butter nlone, with its
R.C0 cnlorics. Tho man would dio be
fore tho experiment had run sixty days.
Then, take Grape-Nuts with 3.01 nnd
milk with 0.70, tho two combined cqunl
4.00 about one-half tho number of calo
ries contained in butter. Tho man foil for
felxty dnya on this fod would bo well
nourished, and could liro not only sixty
It may be remembered that we were first attacked and have since defended
ourselves by placing facts before that great juryThe Public.
A good "scrap" is more or less comforting now and then, if you know
you are right
In the case lately tried, an appeal has been taken to the higher courts. We
Jiave unbounded faith in the ultimate decision of our American Tribunals.
Our suits against the "weekly" have not yet been tried. They are for libel
days, but six months on that food alone,
nnd we do not hesitato to suy from our
long knowledge of the sustaining power
of tho food that a man nt tho end of
sixty days would be of practically tho
same weight ns when ho started, if ho bo
a man of normal weight.
Wo will suppose that from his work
ho lost a pound a dm nnd made up a
pound each day from food. If that prom
ise proved to bo truo the man in sixty
days' time would mako Mxty pounds of
tisuo to rcplacu what had been lost, nnd
this would bo dono on Grnpo-Nuts and
milk with hnlf the number of cnlorics of
butter, upon which no ono enn sustain
life.
Therefore, wo have reason to believe
that our contention is right that con
centrated food like Grape-Nuts, which
is partly digested and readv for easy as
similation by the body, presents moro
nourishment that the system will nb
Fnr" than many other forms of food, nnd
wo will further say that in cases of diges
tivo troubles where moat, white brenir
nnd oats cannot be digested, that Grape
Nuts nnd milk contain 111010 nourish
merit that the svstem will absorb than
many pounds of thoso other foods.
Distortion No. 3 eharces that our tes
timonials were practically nil paid for
and rewritten in Kittle Creek.
lhce testimonials won demanded bv
tho opposing lawyers. Naturally this
demand was refused, for thev aro held in
vatiltH nnd kept snfii to prove the truth,
nnd nro not to bo delivered up on demand
of enemies.
Testimony nt tho trial brought out tho
fart Mint wo nevrr printed a single testi
monial that wo did not havo the genuine
letter back of. Many of theso letters
eamo spontaneously. A record was kept
of twelve hundred and four (1200 let
tors received in ono month from people
who wrote tint thev had either entirely
recovered their health or been benefited
by following our suggestions on food
and beverages.
On three or four occasions in tho past
ten or twelve years wo printed broadcast
m papers offers of prizes to users of
i,:'um .',ml Grnpo-Nuts. two hundred
51.00 prices, ono hundred $2.00, twenty
of fo.00 nnd five of $10.00 each. titin
Mint each must be nn honest letter with
Tinme niul nddni. 'n agreed pnt ro pub
lish names, but to furnish them to en
quirers by letter. Thoe letter writers
verv generally answered thoe who wroto
to them, nnd verified tho truth of the
statements.
I'nder this ngreement not to publish
names literally scores of letters ranm
from doelim. Wo kept our word "and"
either printed their names or mirren
dered tho letters.
Ttight hero notice nn "imitation spasm."
Tho "Weekly" sjus: "Post got thoso tcsti
iiionials by advertising for them. In Now
rork ho used for that purpose tho" New
ork Migaidiio of whoo editor
is now in tho Federal l'enitcntinry for
fraudulent uo of tho mails. For exam
Vl' 1nf't ,n"ntcod in that mignrinn in
19'7, etc., (then follows our priro com
petition). Wo used nearly nil of thn Tnpers nnd
tnngnrines in New VnHt nnd tho rest of
America, but the seuationnl writer glvcH
tho impression to Ins rentiers tlmt tho
only mngnrino wo used was one "whotn
editor is now in tho Federal Penitentiary,"
etc., something Mint wo know nothing
of tho truth of now. nnd never did,
Fnnco wns liought In tho mngazino spoken
of on n business biBis for the reason that
it went to a good class of renders. Tho
incident seems to hnve furni'hed an op
portunity for n designing writer to de
ceive his readers.
Wo look upon honest human testimony
So an attorney from New York spent more or les3 time for
months in Battle Creek hoping to find impurities in our foods, or
dirt in the factories. After tireless spying about he summoned
twenty-five of our workmen and took their testimony. Every
single one testified that the foods are made of exactly the grain and
ingredients printed on the packages ; the wheat, barley and corn
being the choicest obtninnh'c all thoroughly cleaned the water of
the purest, and every part of the factories and machinery kept
scrupulously clean.
That all proved disappointing to the "Weekly." There are
very few factories, hospitals, private or hotel and restaurant kit
chens that could stand the close spying at unexpected time3 and by
an enemy paid to find dirt or impurities of some kind.
In any ordinary kitchen or factory he would find something to
magnify and make a noise about.
But he failed utterly with the Postum Works and products.
Twenty to thirty thousand people go through the factories annual
ly and we never enquire whether they arc there to spy or not. It
makes no difference to us.
He next turned to discover something about our advertising
that could be criticized.
4
An analysis of the methods and distorted statements of the
"Weekly" may interest some readers, so we take up the items one
by one and open them out for inspection. Wc will "chain up" the
harsh words and make no reference in this article to the birth,
growth and methods of the "Weekly" but try to coufine the dis
cussion to the questions now at issue.
trom men nnd women as to tho means by
which they recovered health as of tre
mendous valuo to Mioso in search of it.
Our business has been conducted from tho
very first day upon lines of strict integ
rity and wo never yet havo published a
falso testimonial of human experience
Many of these letters covered numerous
fhccts; some, If printed, would snrcad
over half a page of newspaper. H wo
would attempt to print one such letter in
every ono of tho thousands of papers nnd
magazines wo use, tho cost for printing
tint one letter would run into many thou
sands of dollars.
Wo boll down theso letters exactly; ns
n newspaper writer boils his news, stick
ing sacredly to tho important facts and
eliminating details about the family nnd
other unimportant matters. This work
of boiling down, or editing, is dono
honestly, and with n full knowledge of
our responsibility, but notice tho nrt
of the twister" in tho wav he presents
to his readers this matter of testimonials.
Distortion No. 4. This is a bad one.
It rends ns follows: "Tho only famous
physician whoso name wns signed to a
testimonial was producod in Court bv
Colliers nnd turned out to bo n poor old
brokendown homeopath, who is now work
ing in n printing establishment TIo re
ceived ten dollars ($10.00) for writing his
tebtimonial."
Wo will wncer ten thousand dollars
fSlO.000.00) with any investigator that wo
have, subject to inspection of nny fnir
committee, upwnrds of three hundred
(310) communications from physicians,
mnnv of them expressing tho highest com
mendation of our products, but theso will
nof, now or ever bo turned over to the
publisher for his uso.
Notico tho statement in this charge:
"Tho only famous physician whoso name
was signed to I'ostum testimonial, etc."
Tho truth is, this Dr. Undcnvood was
ono of a great many physicians who havo
not onlv written commendatory words
nbout tho vnluo of our foods, but every
now and then koiiio phvsieian writes nn
article on colTeo or on food, and sends it
to us with n suggestion of compenntion
for his timo nnd medical knowledge.
Previous to tho time when wo employed
physicians in our own business, wo oc
casionally employed n doctor to write
an article on coffee, always insisting tint
tho jirticle bo nn honest expression of his
opinion and research.
The "Wreklv" hunted up this phvicinn.
nnd becau'e he seemed to bo poor, nnd
ns it savs. "brokendown." hid him
brought to Court to be exposed before a
jurv ns the "onlv physician that hnd ever
endorsed Grape-Nuts." but much to the
chagrin of the "Weekly," when our attor
neys naked him if tho nrtiele he wrote
about coffee was truo he replied, "yes."
Statement No, 5 reads: "Tho health
officers of Mich., M.iitie Penn., New
Ilamp.. nnd other stntes in their official
bulletins have for years been denouncing
ns preposterous nnd fraudulent the chims
made by the Postum Ceresl Company."
W tin not recall nnv criticism except
from Mich., Penn., Maino nnd S. Dakota.
Tho nverago reader might think that
the opinions expressed by the Stnto Offi
cials aro always correct, but that con
clusion is not borno out by facts.
As nn illustration: About thirteen years
nco tho Dairy nnd Food Commission of
Michigan for somo personnl reason printed
n severe criticism on us for making Pos
tum of Hsrley (according to his official
chemist) nt market price nnd Helling too
high. Ho was shown Micro wns neypr a
grain of barley used In Postum. His ro
port w.sh fslse nnd misleading. Tho gov
ernor dismissed him.
We believo that most of the state
officials are honest, and on the other
hand wo aro firmly convinced that somo
of their conclusions cannot bo substan
tiated by facts in scientific research.
They never critlciro the purity of our
foods, for so much we oro thankful.
If our conclusions In regard to Its be
ing a brain food differ from theirs, nnd
wo nro both honest, they have rather tho
advantage, becauso under the law they
can order us to eliminate from tho pack
age any statement if it disagrees with
their opinion. Otherwiso they would
harass grocers.
Spasm No. C eaya: "Tho most dan
gerous thing in the world for ono threat
ened with appendicitis is to eat any food
whatever. Notwithstanding ho knew that
danger, C. W. PoBt advertised Grape-Nuts
at fifteen cents a packago for thoso so
threatened."
This Is Intended to muddle tho render
Into believing that wo put out Grape-Nuts
as a cure for appendicitis.
Mr. Post, himself, has had probably as
wido experience as any other man in
America In the study and observation of
food ns related to tho digostivo organs,
nnd wo proved in Court by the physicians
nnd surgeons on tho witness stand that
tho predominating cause of appendicitis
is undigested food, and that !t Is neces
sary to quit cnting food, nnd when tho
body requires food ngain, uso a pro-digested
food, or at least ono easy of diges
tion. Dr. Oehsner in his work on nppendicitls
refers directly to tho uso of tho well
known pre-digested foods that can bo
obtained on the market. ITo nlso brought
out tho Interesting fnct that In "after
treatment" it is ndvnntagcous to tako
on a pre-digest'ed food.
Tho price of tho packago (referred to
by tho weekly) is not known by us to
havo any relation to tho question.
Our adviea to stop using indigestible
food in bowel troubles and to use Grape
Nuts food has been n great blessing to
tens of thousands of peoplo, and wo hopo
will continue to bless a good mnny more
in the succeeding yenrs.
No. 7 is a live wire. It refers to C. W.
1 ost nnd his studies nnd experieneo in
"Supgetivo Therapeutics." or "Mentnl
Healing" which further lead to a most
careful and systematic study of tho ef
fect of tho mind on the digestive nnd oth
er organs of the body.
TTo attended clinics in Europe nnd
fitted him-clf for a future career in which
ho has becomo known ns one of tlm food
exports of the world, fitted to judge both
from the material us well as the mental
side of tho question.
For nbout eight years previous to 1P01
ho was nn invalid. In that yenr, after
beiag under tho caro of several well
known phvsicinns, ho was quickly healed,
by what to him wns a curious nnd not
weH-under&tnod method. Sufficient to say
ho became a well man, weighing nbout 1S3
pounds.
This experieneo challenged his investi
gation into causes of disease nnd their
amelioration. Thoso studies and experi
ences developed a very profound rever
ence for a Supremo Power which directly
opernteR upon tho human being, nnd this
reverence for the Tnfinitp became to him
a form of religion which included honesty
of purposo towards his fellow-man. A
statement which will be indorsed by every
one wuo knows nun closely.
ITo will make n publio announcement
in detail of theso facts, nnd tho Postum
Company will cause that statement to bo
published in newspapers and magazines
and '$500,000.00 is asked as damages, and may the right man win.
After all the smoke of legal battle blows away, the facts will stand out
clearly and never be forgotten that Postum, Grape Nuts, and Post Toasties are
perfectly pure, have done good honest service to humanity for years, the testi
monials arc real and truthful and the business conducted on the highest plane
of commercial integrity.
"There's a Reason"
Postum Cereal Co., Ltd., Battle Creek, Mich.
Some Facts
Battle Creek, Michigan, December 30, 1910.
We the undersigned certify that never to our knowledge has a
testimonial letter been printed by the Postum Cereal Co., Ltd.,
which did not have behind it a genuine letter signed, and believed
to be an honest statement
To the best of our knowledge and belief the Company has re
ceive upwards of fifty thousand (50,000) genuine testimonial letters.
This company has never knowingly made nor permitted an
untruthful statement regarding its products or its methods.
M. K. HOWE, Treasurer. (With Company about 14 jean )
L. J. LAMSON, Inspector of Advts. (With Company about gM years.)
F. C. GRANDIN, Advertising Manager. (With Company about 13 years.)
R. M. STERRETT, M. D., Physician in charge of Scientific Dep't.
(With Company about 4X years.)
CHESTON SYER, Advt. Writer. (With Company about 3 years.)
CHARLES W. GREEN, Advt. Writer. (With Company about 3 years.)
HARRY E. BURT, General Sup't. (With Company about 13 years.)
H. C HAWK, Assistant to Chairman. (With Company about 7 years.)
C. "VJ, POST, Chairman. (With Company if) years, from the beginning.)
t
In duo tlmo. Wo suggest tho reader look
for it.
'Prevarication No. 8. "Post t spends
nearly a million a yenr in advertising nnd
relics on that to keep out of tho news-
Capers tho dangerous nature of tho fraud
0 is perpetrating on tho public."
Tho Postum Company docs pay out up
wards of a million n year for trado an
nouncements. Newspaper men believe our
statements truthful or they would not
print them. Large numbers of newspa
per men Ufo our products.
They nro capable of telling the public
whether or not we "bribe" thorn.
It may havo escaped notico Mint wo
did not "bribo" that particular weekly.
No. 9 states that the amount of tho
verdict will "bo devoted by tho 'weekly'
to OTnociniT fraud."
This is almost real humor.
We have two suits pending against the
"weekly," total, 5500,000.00.
We haven't "devoted" tho sum to any
particular purposo yet.
Item 10 is a "discovery" that wheat
bran is a part of Postum.
But tho criticism neglected to mention
that for years every Postum packago an
nounced in plain type that the outer cov
ering of wheat (bran), mado part of the
beverage.
They ignorantly fell into a trap here,
not knowing enough of food valuo to know
that Taka-Dinstase" tho article used by
physicians the world over for "starch in
digestion" is made from "wheat bran."
So wo uso that part of tho wheat born
becauso it contains tho clement needed
to develop tho valuable diastaso in man
ufacture. Good Postum is impossible
without this part.
Theso self-appointed critics do make
somo laughnble blunders through Ignor
ance, but bo patient.
Item 11 Is nn illustration of tho squirm-
ing nnd twisting of tho sensational writer
delivering distorted matter to his read
era. While on tho witness stand Mir. Post
testified to his studies in Anatomy, Physi
ology, Dietetics nnd Psychology, nil re
lating to tho preparation nnd digestion of
food. Asked to nnme authorities studied
ho mentioned six or eight from memory,
nnd commented on some clinical expe
rience covering several years in annual
journeys to Europe.
Now notico the distortion. (Copy from
the printed criticism.)
"He (Post) pointed out a pilo of books
in possession of his attorneys us tho very
ones ho had read."
(Notice. "tho very ones ho had read,"
leading the render to believo that they
were the only ones.)
"Ihd vou consult tho books from theso
editions?" was asked.
"From thoso and various editions," an
swered Post.
The attorney "nicked up book after
book from the pilo nnd showed tho titlo
pages to tho jury, fill except two hnd
been published sinco 1903."
This is nn example of distortion and
false coloring to produco an unfavorable
imprcvsion.
Tho facts nro Mr. Post purposely Intro
duced tho latest editions that could bo
obtained of prominent authorities to provo
by them tho truth of his statements re
garding appendicitis and tho analysis of
brain, also tho latest conclusions in re
gard to thp action of tho digestivo organs.
Theso works are:
Human Physiology, by Raymond.
Physiological Chemistry, by Simon.
Digestive Gland, bv Pnwlow.
Hand Hook of Appendicitis, by Oohs-ner.
Physiological Chemistry, by Ilammar
stcn.
IJiochcmic System of Medicine, by
Carey. ,
Tho "Weekly" carefully eliminates from
its printed account testimony regarding
the years of research nnd study by Mr.
Post in fitting himself for his work, and
would lead the reader of tho distorted
nrticlo to believe that his education
began since 1003.
Distortion No. 12 reports Mr. Post ai
a "dodRing witness."
His cyo is not of tho shifty kind ob
served in the head of ono of his chief
critics. On tho witness stand Mr. Post
looks quietly but very steadily straight in
to the eyes of tho haggling, twisting law
yer, trying by all his nrt to ask double
barreled questions nnd bull-doze and con
fuse a witness.
Tho "dodging" it seems consisted of
replying, "I don't know."
Opposine counsel holds a book In his
hand while ho queries,
'I want to know if Micro Is a single
thing in your whole book hero that sug
gests nny particular kind of food." Then
followed some discussion between nttor
neys.
When Mr. Post was allowed to reply,
he said, "I don't know until I read th
book over to sec."
This book, it turns out, was written by
Mr. Post seventeen years ago and prob
ably has not been read carefully by him
in tho last fifteen years. It would requiro
n lemarkable memory to iu&tantlv say
"yes" or "no" ns to what n book of llj"
pages did or did not contnitt, without
rending it over, but such conservative
nnd well balanced nnswers are construed
by sensation seekers to bo "dodging."
Tho nttorney sought by every nrt to
impress tho Jury with tho fact tint Mr.
Post's belief in tho power of Mind in
relation to the body branded him ns un
reliable nnd worse.
Tho following Is quoted from one of
tho questions:
(Tho lawj-er reading from tho book.)
"The writer of theso pages desires to
say nothing of himself other than as a
simple instrument through which the Di
vino Principle chooses to manifest itself
by precept nnd example.
"Skill in mentnl practice is gained In
tho samo way as skill in any department
of science by observation, study, expe
rience nnd tho nbility to evolvo correct
conclusions.
"Read carefully, thoughtfully no moro
than twenty, pages daily. Afterward seek
nn ensy position whero you will not bo
disturbed. Relnx every muclc. Close
your eyes, nnd go into tho silence whero
mind is plastic to tho breathings of ipirit
nnd where God fnlks to tho Son. Tho
thoughts from Divino Universal Mind
como ns winged nngcls nnd endow vou
with n healing power. If you go into tho
silence humble nnd trusting, you will como
out enriched nnd greatly strengthened in
body by contnet even for a short time
with tho Fnthcr of all lifo and nil power.
ou will feel refreshed In every way nnd
food ale-i will digest readily ns tho
stomach works smoothly when under tho
influenco of n Hifihcr Power."
"J nsk you if you did not write that,
nnd If you did not believo it when you
wrote it."
For a moment the Court Room was In
nbsoluto silence.
Mr. Tost slowly leaned forward over
tho rail, pointed his finger at tho Atty5
face to emnhasizo his reply and with eyes
that caused thoso of the Attorney to drop
he said, "Yes, I am proud to say I did.
A
bf wwJJTti'M,wviin-iri.
