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About Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1911)
Some Suspicious Persons Enquired if we were "hiring" a "weekly" paper to abuse us. 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 , 'but * pen honor now , we are 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 : 1 Some time ago a disagreement arose with a "Weekly. " They endorsed our foods by letter , but wanted to change the form of advertising , to which we objected. The "Weekly" discontinued inserting our advertisements while they were negotiating for seme changes they wanted in the wordIng - Ing and shape of the advertisements , and during this correspondence our manager gave instructions to our Advertising Department to quit advertising altogether In that "Weekly. " Quite a time after the advertising had been left out , an editorial ttack 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 seems prominent enough for a sensational writer to go after , hunt for some little spot to criticise , then distort , twist and present it to the public under scare heads. Distortion No. 1 stated that -we have been accustomed to advertise Grape-Nuts V and Postum as "cure-alls for everything. " It has never been the policy of this Company to advertise Grape-Nuts or Poa- tum to cure anything. We say that in cases where coffee disa grees and is causing sickness its dismissal will remove the cause of the trouble , and we suggest the use of Postum for the reason that it furnishes a hot palatable morning beverage , and contains natural elements from the grain which can be used by nature to assist in rebuilding nerve centers that coffee may have broken down. Likewise Grape-Nuts food does not cure anything , but it does assist nature tremendously in rebuilding , provided the indigestible food that has been used is discontinued and Grape-Nuts taken in its place. Charge No. 2 states that the passage of the National Food & Dru.es Act com- ipelled us to drop from the packages some assertions regarding the nutritive value of Grape-Nuts. We "TTave" " never been " 'compelled" to make any change. Since the beginning it has been a univer sal rule to print clearly on every package texactly what the contents are made of. Before the passage of the Pure Food Law the packages stated that Grape-Nuts food was made of wheat and We did not esteem the small amount -of salt and yeast as of value enough to I speak of , but after the new Law came jin we became as technical a ? the offi- clals at Washington and added the words i"yeast" and "salt , " although we have ino recollection of being asked to. We believed that our statement that I 'Grape-Nuts ' will supply elements to nour ish the" brain and nerve centers is true and bring authorities to support the fact. - - * Some state chemists believed this a gross exaggeration and inasmuch as the Food Dept. at Washington could easily harass grocers , pending a trial on the disputed question , we concluded that much the better way would be to elim- .inate from our packages such claims , 'however certain we may be that the claims are true. Another statement objected to read as follows : "The system will absorb a greater amount of nourishment from one pound of Grape-Nuts than from ten pounds of meat , wheat , oats , or bread. " Some Department chemists deceive fthemselves as well as the public. "Caloried" is the word which defines a trait of heat determined by the amount ( necessary to raise one kilogram of water ( one degree centigrade. On this basis a 'table ' of calories is prepared showing the ipercentage of different kinds of food. 'Butter shows 8.00 ; Grape-Nuts 3.9G ; milk 0.70. Remember the statement on i the package spoke of the jiourishment the f system would absorb , but did not speak of I the calories of heat contained in it , for F "the heat is not nourishment , and the Nourishment cannot be judged by the "number " of heat units , notwithstanding fl Jthe fact that certain chemists would have 1t the public believe BO. 1o As an illustration : Attempt to feed a e tean sixty days on butter alone , with its e 8.00 calories. The man would die be of fore the experiment had run sixty days. S Then , take Grape-Nuts with 3.96 and or milk with 0.70 , the two combined equal it C68 about one-half the number of calo irP ries contained in butter. The man fed for P sixty days on this food would be well c < nouriahea , and could live not only sixty days , but six months on that food alone , and we do not hesitate to Bay. from our long knowledge of the sustaining power of the food that a man at the end of sixty days would be of practically the same weight as when he started , if he bu a man of normal weight. We will suppose that from his work he lost a pound a day and made up a pound each day from food. If that prem ise proved to be true the man in sixty days time would make sixty pounds of tissue to replace what had been lost , and this would be done on Grape-Nuts and milk with half the number of calories of butter , upon which no one can sustain life. Therefore , we have reason to believe that our contention is right that con centrated food like Grape-Nuts , which is nartly digested and ready for easy as similation by the body , presents more nourishment that the system will absorb serb than many other forms of food , and we will further cay that in cases of diges tive troubles where meat , white breaff and oats cannot be digested , that Grape- Nuts and milk contain more nourish ment that the svstem will absorb than many pounds of these other foods. . / Distortion No. 3 charges that our tes timonials were practically all paid for and re-written in Battle Creek. These testimonials were demanded by the opposing lawyers. Naturally this demand was refused , for they are neld in vaults and kept safe to prove the truth , and are not to be delivered up on demand of enemies. Testimony at the trial brought out the fact that we never printed a single testimonial menial that we did not have the genuine letter back of. Many of these letters came spontaneously A record was kept of twelve hundred and four (1204) ( ) let- ters received in one month from people who wrote that they had either entirely t recovered their health or been benefited by following our suggestions on food and beverages. On three or four occasions in the past ten or twelve years we printed broadcast in papers offers of prizes to users of Postum and Grape-Nuts , two hundred $1.00 prizes , one hundred $2.00 , twenty of $5.00 and five of $10.00 each , stati that each must be an honest letter wit. name and address. We agreed not to publish - lish names , but to furnish them to en quirers by letter. These letter writers very generally answered those who wrote to them , and verified the truth of the statements. Under this agreement not to publish names literally scores of letters came from doctors. We kept our word and neither printed their names or surren dered the letters. Right here notice an "imitation spasm. " The "Weekly" says : "Post got those testimonials menials by advertising for them. la New York he used for that purpose the New York Magazine of whose editor is now in the Federal Penitentiary for fraudulent uee of the mails. For exam ple. Post announced in that magazine in 1907 , etc. , " ( then follows our prize com petition ) . We used nearly all of the papers and magazines in New York and the rest of America , but the sensational writer gives the impression to his readers that the only magazine we used was one "whose editor is now in the Federal Penitentiary , " jj ai etc. , something that we know nothing a the truth of now , and never did. ti Space was bought in the magazine spoken _ ] on a business basis for the reason that t went to a good class of readers. The ' Incident seems to have furnished an opportunity - " portunity for a designing writer to deceive - * " ceive his readers. * * We look upon honest human testimony So an attorney from New York spent more or less 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 obtainable 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 times 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 are there to spy or not. It makes no difference to us. He next turned to discover something about our advertising that could be criticized. 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. We 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. from men and \qpmen as to the means by which they recovered health as of tre mendous value to those in search of it. Our business has been conducted from the very first day upon lines of strict integ rity and we never yet have published a false testimonial of human experience. Many of these letters covered numerous sheets ; some , if printed , would spread over half a page of newspaper. If we would attempt to print one such letter in every one of the thousands of papers and magazines we use , the cost for printing that one letter would run into many thou sands of dollars. We boil down these letters exactly as a newspaper writer boils his news , stick ing sacredly to the important facts and eliminating details about the family and other unimportant matters. This work of boiling down , or editing , is dona honestly , and with a full knowledge of our responsibility , but notice the art of the-"twister" in the way he presents to his readers this matter of testimonials. Distortion No. 4. This is a bad one. It reads as follows : "The only famous physician whose name was signed to a testimonial was produced in Court by Colliers and turned out to be a poor old brokendown homeopath , who is now work ing in a printing establishment. He re ceived ten dollars ( $10.00) ) for writing his testimonial. " We will wager ten thousand dollars ( $10,000.00) ) with any investigator that we have , subject to inspection of any fair committee , upwards of three hundred (890) ( ) communications from physicians , many of them expressing the highest com mendation of our products , but these will apt now or ever be turned over to the publisher for his use. Notice the statement in this charge : "The only famous physician whose name was signed to Postum testimonial , etc. " The truth is , this Dr. Underwood wa one of a great many physicians who hare not only written commendatory words about the value of our foods , but every now and then some physician writes an article on coffee or on food , and sends It to us with a suggestion of compensation for his time and medical knowledge. Previous to the time when we employed physicians in our own business , we oc casionally emploved a doctor to write an article on coffee , always insisting that the article be an honest expression of his opinion and research. The "Weekly" hunted up this physician , and because he seemed to be poor , and as it says , "brokendown , " had him , brought to Court to be exposed before a jury as the "only physician that had ever endorsed Grape-Nuts , " but much to the chagrin of the "Weekly , " when our attor neys asked him if the article he wrote about coffee was true he replied , "yes. " Statement No. 5 reads : "The health officers of Mich. , Maine , Penn. , New Hamp. , and other states in their official bulletins have for years been denouncing as preposterous and fraudulent the claim ? made by the Postum Cereal Company. " We do not recall any criticism except from Mich. , Penn. , Maine and S. Dakota. ,1 The average reader might think that the opinions expressed by the State Offi cials are always correct , but that con clusion is not borne out by facts. As an illustration : About thirteen yeara ago the Dairy and Food Commission of Michigan for some personal reason printed severe criticism on us for making Pos tum of Barley ( according to his official a chemist ) at , market price and selling too high. He was shown there was never a grain of barley used in Postum. His re port was false and misleading. The gov ernor dismissed him. iiC iiP We believe that most of the state P It may be remembered that we were first attacked and have since defended ourselves by placing facts before that great jury The 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 courtsWe have unbounded faith in the ultimate decision of our American Tribunals. Our suits against . the "weekly" - y - . have - not yet " been tried. f r They > _ are : _ . for . libel , - officials are honest , and on the other hand we are firmly convinced that some of their conclusions cannot be substan tiated by facts in scientific research. They never criticize the purity of our foods , for so much we are thankful. If our conclusions in regard to its be ing a brain food differ from theirs , and we are both honest , they have rather the advantage , because under the law they can order us to eliminate from the pack age any statement if it disagrees with their opinion. Otherwise they would harass grocers. Spasm No. 6 says : "The most dan gerous thing in the world for one threat ened with appendicitis is to eat any food whatever. Notwithstanding he knew that danger , C. W. Post advertised Grape-Nuts at fifteen cents a package for those so threatened. " This is intended to muddle the reader into believing that we put out Grape-Nuts as a cure for appendicitis. Mr. Post , himself , has had probably as wide experience as any other man in America in the study and observation of food as related to the digestive organs , and we proved in Court by the physicians and surgeons on the witness stand that the predominating cause of appendicitis is undigested food , and that ; k is neces- eary to quit eating food , and when the body requires food again , use a predigested gested food , or at least one easy of diges- , I Dr. Ochsner in his work on appendicitis refers directly _ _ to the use of the well- 1 1 ? I t f 1 1 known pre-digested foods that can be obtained on the market. He also brought out the interesting fact that in "after treatment" it is advantageous to take on a pre-digested food. The price of the package ( referred to by the weekly ) is not known by us to have any relation to the question. Our advice to stop using indigestible food in bowel troubles and to use Grape- Nuts food has been a great blessing to tens of thousands of people , and we nope will continue to bless a good many more in the succeeding years. No. 7 is a live wire. It refers to 0. W. Post and his studies and experience in "Suggestive Therapeutics. " or "Mental Healing" which further lead to a most careful and systematic study of the ef fect of the mind on the digestive and other - er organs of the body. He attended clinics in Europe and fitted himself for a future career in which he has become known as one of the food experts of the world , fitted to judge both from the material as well as the * mental side of the question. For about eight years previous to 1891 ei he was an invalid. In that year , after ein being under the care of several well- n known physicians , he was quickly healed , by what to him was a curious and not well-understood method. Sufficient to say he became a well man , weighing about 185 I pounds. This experience challenged his investigation fa gation into causes of disease and their in amelioration. Those " studies and experi ind. ences developed a "very profound rever d. . ence for a Supreme Power which directly olb d.ol operates upon the human being , and this ay ] reverence for the Infinite became -to him form of religion which included honesty ) of purpose towards his fellow-man. A statement which will be indorsed by every one who knows him closely. He will make a public announcement detail of these facts , and the Postum Company will cause that statement to be published in newspapers and magazine * ne Some Facts Battle Creek , Michigan , December SO , 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-j ceive upwards of fifty thousand (50,000) ( ) genuine testimonial letters This company has never knowingly made nor permitted ani untruthful statement regarding its products or its methods. M. K. HOWE , Treasurer. ( With Company about 14 years ) L. J. LAMSON , Inspector Of AdvtS. ( With Company about gK"years. . ) F. C. GRANDIN , Advertising Manager. ( With Company about 13 years , ) R. M. STERRETT , M. D. , Physician in charge of Scientific Dep'tf ( With Company about 4 years.- CHESTON SYER , Advt. Writer. ( With Company about 3 yeafs. ) * CHARLES W. GREEN , Advt. Writer. ( With Company about 5 years. ) HARRY E. BURT , General Sup't. ( With Company about 13 years. ) H. C HAWK , Assistant to Chairman. ( With Company about 7years. ) C. W. POST , Chairman. ( With Company 16 years , from the beginning. ) in dna time. We suggest the reader look for it. Prevarication No. 8. 'Tost spends nearly a million a year in advertising and relies on that to keep out of the news papers the dangerous nature of the fraud he is perpetrating on the public. " The Postum Company does pay out up wards of a million a year for trade an nouncements. Newspaper men believe our statements truthful or they would not print them. Large numbers of newspa per men use our products. are capable of telling the public whether or not we "bribe" them. It may have escaped notice that we did not "bribe" that particular weekly. No. 9 states that the amount of the verdict will "be devoted by the 'weekly' to exposing fraud. " This is almost real humor. We have two suits pending against the "weekly , " total , $500,000.00. We haven't "devoted" the sum to any particular purpose -yet. Item 10 is a "discovery" that wheat bran is a part of Postum. But the criticism neglected to mention that for years every Postum package an nounced in plain type that the outer cov ering of wheat ( bran ) , made part of the beverage. , y They ignorantly fell into a trap here , not , knowingenough of food value to know ! that/Taka-Diastase" the article used by physicians the world over for "starch in digestion" is made from "wheat bran. " So we use that part of the wheat berry because it contains the element needed to develop the valuable diastase in man ufacture. Good Postum is impossible without this part. These self-appointed critics do make some laughable blunders through ignor ance , but be patient. Item 11 is an illustration of the squirm ing and twisting of the sensational writer delivering distorted matter to his read ers. ers.While While on the witness stand Mr. Post testified to his studies in Anatomy , Physiology elegy , Dietetics and Psychology , all re lating to the preparation and digestion of food. Asked to name authorities studied he mentioned six or eight from memory , and commented on some clinical expe rience covering several years in annual journeys to Europe. Now notice the distortion. ( Copy from the printed criticism. ) "He ( Post ) pointed out a pile of books in possession of his attorneys as the very ones he had read. " ( Notice. "the very ones he had read , " leading the reader to believe that they were the only ones. ) "Did you consult the books from these editions ? " was asked. "From 'those and various editions , " an swered Post. The attorney "picked up book after book frdm the pile and showed the title pages to the jury , all except two had been published since 1905. " This is an example of distortion and false coloring to produce an unfavorable impression. The facts are Mr. Post purposely intro- luced the latest editions that could be btained of prominent authorities to prove them the truth of his statements re tarding appendicitis and the analysis of rain , also the latest conclusions in re tard to the action of the digestive organs , ihese works are : Human Physiology , by Raymond. aitl Physiological Chemistry , by Simon. tl Digestive Glands , by Pawlow. tlfa Hand Book of Appendicitis , by ( Deba fatl ter. he Physiological Chemistry , by eten. Biochemic System of Medicine , bjj Carey. The "Weekly" carefully eliminates from , its printed account testimony regarding the years of research and study by Mr. Post in fitting himself for his work , and * would lead the reader of the distorted ] article to believe that his education * began since 1905. Distortion No. 12 reports Mr. Post as a "dodging witness. " His eye is not of the shifty kind served in the head of one of his critics. On the witness stand Mr. Post looks quietly but very bteadily straight in to the eyes of the haggling , twisting law- ver , trying by all his art to ask double- barreled questions and bull-doze and con fuse a witness. The "dodging" it seems consisted ofi replying , "I don't know. " Opposing counsel holds a book in hb' hand while he queries , 4 'I want to know if there is a single thing in your whole book here that sug gests any particular kind of food. " Their followed tome discussion between attor neys. neys.When When Mr. Post was allowed to reply- he said , "I don't know until I read tha book over to see. " This book , it turns out , was written by Mr. Post seventeen years ago and prolP ably has not been read carefully by hinF in the last fifteen years. It would require- ' a remarkable memory to instantly sa/J "yes" or "no" as to what a book of 147 < pages did or did not contain , without reading it over , but such conservative , and well balanced answers are construea by sensation seekers to be "dodging. " The attorney sought by everv art tof impress the Jury with the fact that Mr. Post's belief in the power of Mind in | relation to the body branded him as un reliable and worse. The following is quoted from one o the questions : ( The lawyer reading from the book. ) "The writer of these pages desires to say nothing of himself other than as & eimple instrument through which the Di vine Principle chooses to manifest itself by precept and example. "Skill in mental practice Is gained in. the same way as skill in any department' of science by observation , study , expe rience and the ability to evolve correct conclusions. "Read carefully , thoughtfully no more than twenty pages daily. Afterward seek an easy position where you will not be disturbed. Relax every muscle. Close your eyes , and go into the silence where mind is plastic to the breathings of spirit and where God talks to the Son. The thoughts from Divine Universal Mind come as winged angels and endow you with a healing power. If you go into the silence humble and trusting , you will come out enriched and greatly strengthened in body by contact even for a short time with the Father of all life and all power. You will feel refreshed in every way and. food taken will digest readily as the stomach works smoothly when under tha influence of a Higher Power. " "I ask you if you did not write that , and if you did not believe it when you wrote it. " For a moment the Court Room was in absolute silence. Mr. Post slowly leaned forward over the rail , pointed his finger at the Arty's face to emphasize his reply and with eyes that caused those of the Attorney to drop said , "Yes , I am proud to say I did. 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 testimonials menials are real and truthful and the business conducted on the highest plane of commercial integrity. " ' " "There's a Reason" % Poatum Cereal Co. , Ltd. , Battle Creek , Mich.