The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-20
JERSEY CwRANBHRRIBS
A Trenton Agents Success in
Introducing Them Into
Europe.

It is very well known that our cranberry
crop was very large last year, some 100000
bushels, and that prices were low accord
ingly. 1t is equally well known that a per-
sistent and resolute attempt was made to in
troduce our ~cranberries into European
markets, especially England. Many very
quaint difficulties were encountered
in the attempt. A. j. Ryder of Trenton, a
Jerseyman of much push, was sent out to
England by the Cranberry Association to be-
gin. He began on the voyage with members
Of the Royal Yacht Club, who were going
home from the yacht races, with certain
British editors and Sir William Gu
nard. He also interviewed the chief
cook aboard, who said he had been
satisfaction of passengers, and had given it
up. When told that the trouble lay in his
using metal vessels and not porcelain or en-
ameied ware, since the cranberry acids will
not allow of the use OF metal vessels, the
cook gave over, and on the return voyage
cooked the berries and the passengers relish
ed them. In Liverpool, walking through st.
Johns Market, he found only one girl selling
cranberries, and she said she sold only a few
to Americans, and the cooked berries tasted
to her like medicine. Mr.. Ryder gave her
printed directions for cooking them to dis
tribute, and encouraged her to keep on. She
kept on in her slow, English way, but didn't
Ryder that, he said:-"You can't sell any
thing you don't believe in. Cook those
berries and try them That she did, and
the next time Mr.. Ryder interviewed her
she said, "Oh. cranberriesl | cooked them
and my folks were delighted with them. |
never sold SO many in my life. ! think you
have set people crazy about them Mean
while Mr.. Ryder had interviewed the lead
ing restaurants and hotels of the city. when,
though they all told him they could do moth
ing with the berries because people didn't
like them, after explanations they all tried
them, and found them SO good that these
berries went on their dining cards, n be-
came popular at once. Substantially the
same thing had to be done in Manchester
and London, for the English are a very con-
sentative people, you know"
THE RUSSIAN BERRY.
But meanwhile American cranberries had
to meet a new enemy. As soon as they be-
gan to get themselves sold in the markets,
Russian cranberries came into use. labeled
american cranberriesH by the unscrupul-
Gus dealers, These are a sort of "hog cram
berry, very well known here, bitter and
unfit to eat. Mr.. Ryder at once advertised
the fraud in the newspapers. TIL London
Daily Telegraph fatty refused the adver-
tisement on the ground that it would hurt
somebody's business, and it was only after
an elaborate remonstrance with the editor
that the advertisement went in. he also
threatened to prosecute the dealers who
we're deceiving the public with q false label,
and they soon ceased.
Mr.. RYDER next sent q case of cranberries
to the Marquis of Orniond, vice commodore
of the Royal Yacht Club, of which the
Prince Of Wales is commodore, and after the
Marquis had tried and approved them, he
assisted Mr.. Ryder 60 get a crate OF berries
to the Prince of Wales, whose secretary re-
turned thanks, As the Queen never receives
| presents from anyone, Mr.. Ryder found it a
trihe difficult to send berries to her, but
finally, by the assistance of the Prince, and
through her Majesty's secretary, berries
W ere sent to her at Buckingham palace, and
| taste to like them. For her Majesty's taste
is English taste, you know
CONVINCED THE JAN x
Then Mr.. Ryder tried the leading jam
makers. The English are great on Jams"
and thanks to free sugar, they sell nearly
to the whole world. These manufacturers
were all too busy, we may add too English,
to give Mr.. Ryder an interview, which he
had asked by letter. It is a tribute to Nj.
Ryder's Yankee pluck and push that he
finally succeeded in reaching every one of
them and finally interesting them in his
undertaking. He carried q letter Of intro
ductiOn to a leading manufacturer of
Edinburg, and while the latter was telling
him that the interview was q waste Of
time for both parties, the Ameri-
can says he had opened agar OF cram
berry jam and persuaded his reluctant
manufacturer to taste it: to- change his
mind on the spot and to make an expeisment