The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-18
A BATTLE ROYAL
THE READT-TO-EdT
BREAKFAST CEREALS


this time between the manufacturers of
prepared cereal foods.
Everybody in st. Louis has been talk
ing about the Reserved for Something
Good to Eat" announcement which re-
Gently appeared in the city newspapers,
and which was posted simultaneously
on the billboards and painted on the
bulletin boards and walls all over
town. The extraordinary volume of
this advertising has caused people to
marvel. When curiosity had reached
its highest pitch the same generous
publicity was given to the sequel,
Something Good to Eat-Malta Vita,
the Perfect Food, at All Grocers."
In this unique and commanding way
was inaugurated in st. Louis one of the
most thorough advertising campaigns
ever put in motion anywhere. Hand in
hand with the newspaper advertising
is the heaviest painted display on walls
and bulletin boards ever seen here. A
regiment of artists at work in all parts
of the city, the unusually attractive
and artistic signs that are poisoning
forth On every side, the curiosity crea-
ted by the preliminary work, both press
and painting, taken altogether, has To-
cused popular interest on the subject
of prepared foods. With a view of CIV
ing the public some interesting infor-
nation, reporter yesterday made the
rounds of the leading wholesale gro
Gerry houses of the city.
The manager of one of these big con-
Germs grew reminiscent when the sub
Ject was preached and observed that it
did not require the memory of the old
est inhabitant to recall the time when
oatmeal was eaten primarily on ac-
count of it's medicinal qualities. Then
it was sold principally through drug
stores, and on doctors prescriptions.
Physicians recommended oatmeal to
patients whose symptoms required up
building, and its beneficial properties
soon became so generally known as to
win for it place on the grocer's shelf.
About ten years ago the American
Cereal Company saw the unlimited OPP
portunity for oatmeal in package form,
if generously advertised, and the goods
identified by the benign Quaker" was
the result. This company was the pi-
oneer in the breakfast food propagan-
da, and their extensive advertising by
all known methods placed oatmeal OH
every American table, and developed
for it a ng-noon-and-n might, all
he-year-round demand. The next ev-
olution was in the direction of cooked
foods. A bright mind in the town of
Battle Creek, Mich, conceived the idea
of a ready-to-eat article. 1t quickly
leaped into favor after aggressive pub
licity had acquainted people with its
nature. Within surprisingly short
period this one enterprise has been fol-
lowed by hundreds of others, represent
ing millions of capital. Battle Creek
the recognized home of cooked break
fast foods, has no 'less than thirty fac
tories turning out this line of goods.
The manufacturers have lain awake
nights thinking up fanciful names for
their foods. But among all the names
coined the one which seems to stand
out sharply before the public eye is the
one now being made familiar to St.
Louis people. Out Of the chaos caused
by these new food names, that of
malta VITA is likely to rise up
permost by reason of the vigorous
twentieth century methods being put
into execution. By means of the large
amount of newspaper advertising and
the heavy painting campaign, the name
of this food will be indelibly fixed in
%I,o, l. til ~ +t..
when any prepared food is mentioned
Malta Vita" will be first thought of,
and thus the entire propaganda of
competitors will serve to accentuate
the popularity of that food
The head buyer in another large
house smiled a tired sort of a smile
when the object of the reporters visit
was disclosed. Said he IF you want
to know just what I think of this war
between the manufacturers of break
fast foods, I'll tell you in short order.
The thing is getting to be nuisance
to the trade. Our men on the road al
most daily send in inquiries about some
new brand, with far-fetched name
that no one in the house ever heard of
before. To keep ourselves popular
with the retailer who wants these I'M
heard-of goods we have got to chase
around and at least make a show of
getting the information and be able to
deliver the stuff We hate like the
mischief to have to do this, when we
are already stocked with more than a
dozen brands. Wry, 1t would take
more warehouse room than we have
got, or ever expect to have, to keep on
hand a supply of all the new breakfast
products now coming on the market.
Mark my prediction, the whole situa-
ton is going to resolve itself into a
survival of the fittest.' Just about half
dozen of these foods are going to hold
the fort and win an enduring place in
popular favor. If all the wholesalers
are like myself they will welcome that
day."
The other wholesale men seen voiced
pretty much the same views and were
unanimous in their admiration of the
vigorous advertising campaign Malta
Vita is waging here and predict an i'm
mense demand for this popular food.
The painting feature of this colossal
publicity work here has been executed
by the St. Louis Cunning system,
whose offices are at sic Walnut street.
A reporter dropped in there and had a
pleasant talk with Mr.. J. J. McAliney,
the manager, who said that the Malta
y L..