The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1906-10-25
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 1t was arranged to have
the prizes awarded on Apr. 30, 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, combination of amuse
ment and education.
After a while the lists began to
come in to the Postum Office and be-
fore long the volume grew until 1t re-
quired wagons to carry the mail.
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 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 Dictionary was the standard
and each list was very carefully cor
rected except those which fell below
5000 for It soon became clear that
nothing below that could win. Some
of the lists required the work or
young lady for solid week on each
individual 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 impossible
to complete the examination unit
Sept. o. over six months after th'
prizes should have been awarded.
, This delay caused a great many In
, ouiries and naturally created SOM
dissatisfaction. II has been though
: hest to make this report in PRACTICAL.
all of the newspapers In the unite'
States and many of the magazines Il
order to make clear to the people IN
conditions OF the contest
/ Many lists contained enormon
g numbers of words which, under IN
l. rules. had to be eliminated "Pegger
Il would count "Peggers would no
!. Some lists contained over 50.oo
words. the great majority OF whic
were cut out. The largest lists wer
checked over two and In some case
three times to insure accuracy.
o The $4,000 gold prize was won 0
p /. d. Reese. I227-15th St. Denye
k Colo. with se41 correct words. In
b highest $1,000 gold prize went 10
,. K. Fraser. Lincoln. Pa, with ssZl co
rect words.
complete list Of the 33i winnel
II with their home addresses VIII
ID -a,t 70 any contestant enquiring on
t. postal card.
IL Re sure and give name and adore
tx clearly.
ny This contest has cost the co. MAJ
thousand dollars. and prooaoH u
-, not been a profitable adVerusemei
- nevertheless perhaps some who d.
az never before tried GrapeNuts 10
er have been interested in the eonte'
Sc and from trial OF the food have De
IN shown its wonderful rebuilding po
IA ers. 1T.
N. that scientifically gathered 700 :
- ,nep,s can be selected from the n'
- gralps. which nature viii use '0f
10Y building the nerve centres ana PIC
fe' !, way that is unmistakaoie
On users of Grape-Nuts-
pie There's a reason
c.-..1 ca La battle Greer. ~