The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1906-10-19
INTERESTING CONTEST.
Heavy Cost of Unpaid Postage.

One of the most curious contests
ever before the public was conducted
by many thousand persons under the
offer of the Postum Cereal Co., Ltd,
of Battle Creek, Mich, for prizes OF
81 boxes of gold and 800 greenbacks
to those making the most words out
of the letters Y-I-O-Grape-Nuts.
The contest was started in Febru-
airy, 1906, and it was arranged to have
the prizes awarded on Apr. 80, 1906.
When the public announcement ap,
peared many persons began to form
the words from these letters, some.
times the whole family being occupied
evenings, a combination of amuse'
ment and education.
After a while the lists began 10
come in to the Postum Office and De-
fore long the volume grew until 1t re-
CURED wagons to carry the mall
Many of the contestants were thought
less enough to send their lists with
insufficient postage and for a period
it cost the Company from twenty-five
to fifty-eight and sixty dollars Gay
to pay the unpaid postage.
Young ladies, generally those VINO
had graduated from the high school,
were employed to examine these nsS
and count the correct words. Wee-
ster's Dictionary was the standard
and each list was very carefully cor
rected except those which fell oeio~
5000 for it soon became clear tnal
nothing below that could win. Some
of the lists required the work OF
young lady for solid week on ea'u
individual list. The work was done
very carefully and accurately but INC
Company had no idea, at the time inc
offer was made, that the people Wou'u
respond so generally and they "eie
compelled to fill every available spass
in the offices with these young iauy
examiners, and notwithstanding INC!
worked steadily, it was lmpoSslu.u
to complete the examination ulu'
Sept. 20, over six months AFTER 'u'
prizes should have been awarded. :.
This delay caused great many N
ouiries and naturally created sun.
dissatisfaction. 1t has been tnous ~.
best to make this report in pracucaln,
all of the newspapers in the Oni'1 ~
States and many of the magazines 49, -
order to make clear to the peop'0 Wv
conditions of the contest. .,,
Many lists contained enormv .so
numbers of words which, under ~
r.les had to be eliminated "Peseo,
} would count "Peggers" would - I Ooo
: Some lists contained over 0v's ,os
: words, the great majority Oh WIZ" ",sre
wera cnt ont. The largest lists "eis
checked over two and in some oS'''
, three times to insure accuracy. r.,
!, The $4,000 gold prize was wou ~
L. D. Reese, 1227-15th St. Deu Tss
Colo. with 9941 correct words E :
bigbest $1,000 gold prize went 70 - ?,
K Fraser, Lincoln, Pa, with SSzl y"
q rect words. ~, .-,;,rers
|. A complete list of the 81 Mil he
with their home addresses VIII "
d sent to any contestant enqulrins %
i postal card. ,d address
8 Be sure and give name ana auu
= clearly. 10 many
:, This contest has cost the 90 i no,
;. Thousand dollars, and probably a nI
, not been a profitable adVertlseSa had
nevertheless perhaps some WIN ,ood
never before tried Grape. Nulo lost
j. have been interested in the cOI seer
i and an from trial of the food have U Dos
/, shown its wonderful rebuilding
u ers. ito ,nannel
J. It teaches in a PRACTICABLE, I p,a ele
, that scientifically gathered f tSo 6elt
: ments can be selected from 'n sor re
Grains which nature will use iU %-sir
building the nerve centres ana !" 4
in way that is unmiSIaA"'
, users of Grape.Nuts.
= = There's a ryasOn."
" ! Postum Cereal de., Ltd Ba''s