Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-17
INTERESTING CONTEST.
Heavy Cost Of Unpaid POSTAGE.

! One of the most curious contests
| every 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 300 greenbacks tc
| those making the most words out OF
! the letters Y-I-O-G rape-Nuts.
| The contest was started in February
1906, and it was arranged to have the
prizes awarded on April 80, 1906.
When the public announcement APP.
peared many persons began to form
the words from these letters, some.
times the whole family being occupied
evenings, combination of amuse-
ment and education.
After while the lists began tt
, come in to the Postum Office and be-
fore long the volume grew until it re-
quired wagons to carry the mail. Many
of the contestants were thoughtles IS
enough to send their lists with insult
ficient postage and for period it cost
the company from twenty-five to fifty
eight and sixty dollars day to pay
the unpaid postage.
Young ladies' generally those swho
had graduated from the high school,
We're employed to examine these lists
and count the correct words. Web
ster's dictionary was the standard and
each list was very carefully corrected
except those which fell below 5000
for 1t soon became clear that nothing
below that could win. Some of the
lists required the work of a young
lady for solid week on each indi-
vidual list. The work was done very
carefully and accurately but the
Company had no idea, at the time the
offer was made, that the people
would respond so generally and they
were compelled to fill every available
space in the offices with these young
lady examiners, and Notwithstanding
they worked steadily, it was impos-
sible to complete the examination I'M
til September 49, over six months af-
ter the prizes should have been
awarded
This delay caused great many in
quiries and naturally created some
dissatisfaction. 1t has been thought
best to make this report in practic-
ally all Of the newspa pers in the Unit
ed States and many of the magazines
III 10 liant ClGell " tIlS PNOPiS'
the conditions Of the contest.
Many lists contained enormous num-
bers of words which. under the rules.
had to be eliminated. "Pegger" would
count "Peggers" would not. Some
lists contained over $4,000 words, the
great majority of which We're cut out.
The largest lists were checked over
two. and in some cases three times
to insure accuracy.
The $4,000 gold prize was won 0,
l. D. Reese 1227-15th ST. Denver,
Colo. with se41 words The, hishes I.
$1,000 gold prize went to S. K. Fraser,
Lincoln, Pa, with 1921 correct words.
A complete list of the 331 winners
with their home addresses will be sent
to any contestant ENDURING on a pos
tai card.
Be sure and give name and address
clearly.
This contest has cost the company
many thousand dollars, and probably
has not been a profitable advertise
had never before tried Grape-Nuts
food have been interested in the con-
test. and from trial of the food have
been shown its wonderful rebuilding
powers.
It teaches In practical manner that
scrienfically gathered food elements
can be selected from the field grains.
which nature will use for rebuilding
the nerve centers and brain in way
that is unmistakable TO users of
Grape Nuts.
There's reason