The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-08-29
CEYLON TEA.


Again This Year-The Agitation
for Pure Food Products Has Shown
the Consumer That No Foreign
Substances Are Used Either to Color
It or to Make It More Palaable.
Gradually Driving "Doctored" Teas
Out of the Markets of This Country.
The phenomenal increase in the con-
sumption of CeylOn and India tea in
this country has become very striking
and those interested either from the
standpoint of the seller or the consumer
naturally look for a reason for the
gradual change from teas that our peo-
pie have been using for years to tea
that, prior to the Chicago Worlds Fair
was practically unknown here.
In order to throw some light on the
matter a representative of this paper
interviewed Mr.. Fred G. Williams. Of
New York. who has been intimately
connected with the introduction of the
tea in this country.
When asked how he accounted for
the unusual showing, Mr. williams
said
There are several reasons but para
mount among them is the merit of the
article. It's a long story, but I will
give you a short resume of how the
consumption in little more than a de-
cade has gone from thousands of
pounds up to millions. When the
Worlds Fair was projected, the plant
ers of Ceylon and India tea. who had
already absorbed the markets of Great
Britain and were making inroads on
Russia and other European countries,
| saw the opportunity to bring to the at
tention of the people of the United
states the merit Of tea produced on
virgin soil, manufactured by scientific
machinery and sold to the consumer
uncolored and unaduterated, and when
| the Fair opened a part of the Indian
| exhibit was devoted to tea, and thou
| sands of our people were served with
the cup that cheers but does not in
| ebriate. This was under the manage
ment Of Mr.. Richard Blechynden, who,
| by the way, is now the New York rep
resentative Of Messrs. Vital & Co,
Of Colombo. one of the largest houses
| IN the tea business.
|
continued. and each year the consump-
ton has shown decided increase over
| its predecessor, until now what was
practically an unknown commodity is
| known far and wide.
THE main object has been to show
the consuming public that i'm using thi.
! tea they were using tea that was not
only more economical as compared with
| other teas on account of it's greater
| strength, but tea that was not Colored
| with any poisonous or deleterious sub
stance but is sold with only the at
tributes that nature gives it. The con.
| stant agitation regarding adulterated
foods fortified by pure food laws in
| many of the States, has unuuestion.
ably made the housewives ponder over
| what they have been serving on theil
tables; and as the facts bore out every
statement that was made regarding
Ceylon teas, converts have been many
Not a pound of this tea has evei
been rejected by Government officials
in their enforcement of strictest in.
spectiOn laws. What other tea is there
that has such a record?"
Has advertising helped us? o.
course it has. But advertising ha.
only been a means to draw attention
to the merit Of the article. Without
merit the best advertising cannot sci
anything for any considerable time"
Can tea be grown in this country? -
was asked Of Mr.. Williams He sait
that there We're several States wher,
the climatic conditions We're such tha
! good tea had been raised, hut labol
here was far too high 10 compete will
tea growing countries; but ne added
that he had heard expressions of opin
ions from several practical tea plant
ers regarding the raising of tea in som,
of our recently acquired possessions
The consensus of opinion seemed to b,
that it was quite possible that tei
would in that way become one OF tn,
products of this country.
In conclusion he said that in readn.
the papers the other day chroniclinl
the reception to Admiral Dewey at Co
lombo, where the Admiral and his GREY
were presented with some of this pur
tea. the thought occurred to him, wha
a contrast there was between that te,
party and the other one i'm Boston har
Dor in 177G, and how indicative it wa
of the change of sentiment between tn
peoples of the two great Anglo -Saxol
nations.