The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-12-14
THE TowHEAO AND THE TOMATO.

Once there was boy who, to out
ward appearances, did not differ from
others of his kind. He was just an or
dinary, everyday towheaded boy such
as may be seen on every farm and
street of the country. There was
one difference apparent, however,
only to close observers. This boy
had the commercial instinct in unusu-
ally strong development. He was
always swapping knives, trading toys,
playing marbles for keeps. As many
other boys have possessed these char
acteristics, our particular towhead
would not have been especially nota-
bic from the common herd if his rep
ertory had closed at that point. 1t
was his love of catsup, usually called
"catchup," that differentiated him
from most boys and was destined
to send him on the road to fame and
fortune. 1t is not probable that the
brand of catsup made by this boy S
mother was any better than that put
up by thousands of other mothers,
but her boy thought so, doubtless for
the reason that he had never tasted
any other. At any rate, something
remarkable sprang from his inordinate
fondness for catsup, combined with
his trading instincts. 1t occurred to
him that others might like to have
some Of this good thing, SO he induced
his mother to put him up few bot
ties. These he sold or traded to indi-
viduals or households in the neighbor-
hood. Then he went to the stores and
disposed of small stocks. Later he
visited the surrounding towns and
made contracts with grocers to buy or
sell on commission the "best catsup
ever" a delicious delicacy made by
mother.
1t was not long until the solitary
maker at the boys home was unable
to supply the demand. It was neces-
sary to increase facilities and work
ers, so a small factory was erected.
But the catsup was made by mother S
recipe, put upin improved receptacles,
and sealed Theoretically instead of by
the old-fashioEed methods. The lit
tie factory grew, was soon replaced
by larger one, the supply of catsup
increased apace, and eventually its
fame began to spread over wide area.
More factories and larger ones was
the result, until the towheaded boy,
now grown to a man, found himself
the proprietor of great establishment
He was making money hand over
fst," getting rich in fact, and devel
UpTng TapruIy IDro captain of ;nd~e
try. The taste for his catsup increased
as it spread, until no hotel or restau-
rant table was regarded as equipped
until it could produce this particular
brand. At present, the boy who be-
gan by peddling a few bottles, is worth
over $40, 900, 900, all made out of
catsup.
By reason of this boys industry
and quick wit, thousands of farmers
are now cultivating vast acreages of
tomatoes where before only enough
were grown to supply the home table.
Many hundreds of boys and girls get
wages picking these tomatoes /; other
hundreds are we'll paid for the various
kinds of work incidental to the max
ing and bottling, while the originator
of the plant has not, we hope, for
gotten to bless his old mother for
starting him on the right road to for
tune. 1t is her recipe that has done
the business, brought out, of course,
by the energy and enterprise of the
boy she brought into the world and
contributed as an object lesson to
show what might be done by the
prowess of the poor if the right sort
of spirit be present. There is not a
father in a family who reads this
article who may not accomplish some
thing similar, as the opportunities in
this vast country are boundless. II
is by utilizing the common things,
paying attention to details, finding
out what people like and want, aud
catering to these, that many of the
great fortunes have been made. They
come in by pennies and nickels, which
in time accumulate into millions.
How we progress and what changes
take place in few years "overcom'
ing us like summer cloud, without
exciting our especial wonder. y
Many men now living remember
when the tomato was regarded as poi
sonous, when it was called Glove
apple" and placed on the mantel as
an ornament. Nobody thought OF
eating it, all thought to do so would
be fatal. Alas for the ignorance and
and superstition of man. The most
delicious and wholesome Of vegeta-
bles went for ages neglected and de-
spised because of a studied prejudice.
It is different now. Millions ofacres
smile with promise of riches as the
vines ripen their rich red fruit under
the fructifying rays ofthe August sun.
How beautiful the green vines as they
stretch out in long rows, and how ap-
petizing the luscious globes which
give promise of stews, sliced raw,
picked, fried and sugared, to say
nothing of the all-pervading catsup.
Not a table in the United States but
contains in some form every day the
popular and peerless tomato. Hun
dreds of millions are invested in the
establishments for canning it, othel
millions in farm and gardens fol
raising it, while no human being CAT
now be found who does not love the
once despised love apple" j" Othel
agencies have come in, and other mer
have pushed along the good thing
but none deserve more as benefactor:
than the towheaded boy who so dotet
on the catsup that his mother used te
make.
"DoEs your son profit by your ex
ample? Does he initiate your sue
cesses and avoid your mistake ?"