Evening journal., 1906-10-17
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 900 greenbaoks "a.
those making the most words out OF
the letters Y-I-O-Grape- Nuts.
The contest was started IN February,
1906. and Il was arranged Ia have the
prizes awarded on April 80, 1906
When the public announcement APP
pearcd many persons began to form
the words from these letters. some-
times the whole family being occupied
evenings. a combination OF amusement
and education
After a while the lists began TO come
in to the Postum On,ce and before long
wagons to carry the mail Many OF
the contestants were thoughtless
enough to send their lists with INSULT
cient postage and for a period 1t cost
the Company from twenty-five 10 nifty
eight and sixty dollars a day TO pay
the unpaid postage.
Young ladies. generally those who
had graduated from the high school,
were employed to examine these lists
and count the correct words Web
ster's Dictionery was the standard and
each list was very carefully corrected
except those which fell below s000
for 1t soon became clear that nothing
below that could win. Some Of the
lists required the work Of young lady
for n solid week on each Individual list.
The work was done very carefully and
accurately. but the Company had no
idea, al the time the offer was made.
that the people would respond so gem
orally and they were compelled 20 fll
every available space IN the offices
with these young lady examiners. and
Notwithstanding they worked sto1dily.
II was impossible 10 complete the ex-
animation until September %. over six
months after the prizes should have
been awarded.
This delay caused a great many in
quiries and naturally created some dis
satisfaction. II has been thought best
TO make this report IN practically all
lof the newspapers IN the United States
and many Of the magazines In order
TO make clear to the people the condi-
tons OF the contest.
Many lists contained enormous num-
bers OF words which, under the rules.
had 10 be eliminated. "Pegger' would
count. "Peggers" would not Some
lists contained over $4,000 words. the
. great majority Of which were cut out.
The largest lists were checked over
two and in some cases. three times TO
Insure accuracy.
The $4,000 prize was won by L. ID.
2 Reese 1221-l5th St, Denver. Colo.
with 9941 correct words. The highest
: $40 90 gold prize went TO s. X. Fraser
3 Lincoln. Pa. with 1921 correct words.
A complete list Of the Ssl winners
I with their home addresses will be sent
TO any contestant enquiring on a pos
tai card.
BE sure and give name and address
clearly.
This contest has cost the Co. many
thousand dollars. and probably has NO
been a profitable advertisement never.
theless perhaps some who had nevei
before tried Grape Nuts food have beer
interested in the contest and from
trial Of the food have been shown it'
wonderful rebuilding powers.
II teaches In a practical manner tha'
scientifically gathered food element:
lean be selected from the field grains
which nature will use for rebuilding
the nerve centres and brain in way
that Is unmistakable 10 users Of Grape
nuts.
There's a reason"
Postum Cereal Co. Ltd Battle
Creek, Mich.