The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-24
BOGUS Or CREAMERY?
Nature of AndersOn's Butter to
Be Tried in Court.
SUPPORT CHARGES.
Warrants Applied for by Some Pur-
chssers-Affirmation and Denial
of the Charge.

A good deal of feeling has been stirred
up among butter and egg merchants and
retail grocers against w. I. Anderson.
proprietor of the "cow butter store" at
1,423 Front street, because of the charges
preferred against him by Parker Bros. to
the effect that he Is selling oleomargarine
for genuine butter at a greatly reduced
rate. Parker Bros. are in the butter and
egg business at los Pike street. 1t was in
consequence of charges made by them last
Wednesday evening that the Retail
Grocers Association passed resolutions
condemning the sale of oleomargarine as
butter and declaring its intention of pros
ecuting any person who violated the law
on the subject.
Thursday delegation from the Retail
Grocers' Association called on the prose-
cutting attorney and talked the matter over
with him. W. Parker, of Parker Bros,
was present and was accompanied by
Mrs. Frances Thralls. At the instance of
Mrs. Thralls. complaint was drawn up,
charging Anderson with selling her two
pounds of oleomargarine for butter. A
warrant was to have been issued by Justice
Won Tobel yesterday on the complaint,
but the matter was postponed by Mrs.
Thralls until tomorrow morning.
W. Parker was seen last evening by q
PosT-INTELLIGENCER reporter and he said:
Anderson has "played hopb'' with US butter
and egg merchants We have been dealing In
nothing but pure butter-haniling none OF the
spurious article at all We cannot well afford
to sell pure butter for less than 40 cents pound
and until Anderson came into the business that
was our price. This mau has so imposed upon
US, however, that we have had 10 come down to
IS cents per pound, and business with US is very
dull at that figure. He sells what he calls "pure
butter for % cents per pound. He has the stuff
stacked up in the windows of his store, and he
takes it out OF the stamped packages and dis
poses OF it as genuine butter, all of which is
wrong, in violation of the law and an imposi-
ton upon Us and upon those who buy of him.
We will see the matter through on Monday,
when he will be arraigned for trial in the courts
Mr.. Parker went to the pains to have
atiidavits drawn up to be produced in
court Monday when Anderson is ar
raigned. The first affidavit is sworn to by
II. Westbrook, a painter who lives at LA
Blanchard street:
H. westbrook, being first duly sworn, deposes
and says that on or about the 26th day of No.
vember, 1891, went to the store of W. L Ander-
son, called the ''cow butter store" in Seattle,
WASH, and asked for butter. was sold roll,
said to contain butter, which was said to con-
tain two pounds, but Mrs. Anderson said il was
little short OF weight, and she put q small
piece on it to make it full weight. / paid 55
cents for II. / find upon examination that the
roll is oleomargarine, and the piece put on 1t
was butter asked for butter and the roll was
sold to me for butter. There was nothing to
indicate that 1t was oleomsrgarine, but it was
wrapped In thin cloth and put in paper The
roll is presented herewith. Fl. WEsTBRooK
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18th
day OF January, 1892, J. W. sPRIGGs,
Notary Public.
Pearson, employed by J. /. Cole & Co.,
insurance agents, who lives at the north
west corner of Thomas avenue and War
rem street, and is as follows:
Fred s. Pearson, being sworn, deposss an d
says that on the 18th day of January, 1892 in the
store of W. l. Anderson, called the "cow but
ter store,' in Seattle, WASH, and asked him if
he had some nice butter; he said yes, and
brought to me roll and gave me some OF 1t to
try. tasted it and said 1t tasted all right, but
was not much OF a judge of butter. What
wanted was something that was good and If
that was nice would take that roll. He
weighed it and as it did not tip two pounds he
put some more with 1t. paid him SO cents for
1t. find upon examination that the roll was
oleomargsrine and the piece put on it was but
ter 1t was wrapped in cloth and then with two
paper wrappers Between the two wrappers l
found a paper marked thus: ".. pounds
oleomsrgarine." The roll bought is presented
herewith. FRED g. PEARSON.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, this -
day of January, 1892. w. SPRIGGs,
Notary Public.
Mr.. Anderson was seen last evening and
was very indignant at what he termed an
attempt on the part of Parker Bros. to
crowd him out of business by creating a
sensation as to his methods of dealing
with the public. Said he:
/ handle both butter and oleomargarine. I
sell them separately and our purchasers know
what they buying / sell the best Iowa
creamery butter for 50 cents per pound. The
other dealers have been selling the same article
for 40 cents per pound. We also sell another
grade OF pure butter for Is cents per pound. /
do a great deal of business and can afford to sell
cheap. Since started up, nine weeks ago,
have taken in over s., 400. sell over 200 pounds
of Iowa creamery butter day. Today took in
over 500. have cut the prices aud am conse-
queutly getting all the trade. Parker Bros. are
almost bankrupt and they have taken an under
handed method TO save themselves, but IL won't
stick in court