New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-27
FORTUNE BUILT ON SAND
LETTER CARRIERS SECRET
His Death Shoes Hoo He Sold
Health Food While off Duty.

| The death of Jacob Seller, a letter carrier at
tached to the West Chester station. on Tuesday
/ In St Lukes Hospital. revealed the faSt 'ld' nc
was the inventor of patent medicine PIePai a'i'n
known as Health Grains, and the fortune winch
he leaves is estimated at thousands OF collars
Seller lived with Mrs Bertha Berthsche, at
Gebe and ST Peters avenues. West chester. Nheh
her boarder suggested that she might make 20
cents day washing and baking what appeared 10
be a quantity of white sand Mrs Berthsche. being
a widow with five children. took the work, and
she saws she washed enough sand to beach ship.
Seller occupied the upper story of the small
frame house where Mrs Berthsche lived, and When
his rooms were opened yesterday bags of the sand
like material which Mrs. Berthsche washed were
found stored there. Cans of syrup and of rock
candy were also found. and many tins labelled
Health Grains found and inspected TestI-
monials by the hundredweight were stored away,
and from the statements of those who wrote them
it would appear that Health Grains was cure
for all Ills.
Mrs. Berthsche said that it was easy matter
TO run water through the sandlike substance and
then dry it in small pans her Kitchen range
The health grains sold for 81 box. and the
of the secret grew rich Seller leased the
upper rooms in Mrs. Berthsche's house last March,
All that the neighbors knew about him was that
he was one Of the most courteous letter carriers
who distributed mall in the village of West Chester,
and he showed fondness for getting acquainted
with medical
In of the room a pile of elab-
orately printed pamphlets and letters. apparently
manifolded. One of the circulars headed,
Health Grains Company, Jacob Seller, Pro
prietor," and then followed a number of nicely
worded testimonials One of these testimonials
purports to have been signed by the housekeeper
It states that years soon after she be
a resident OF West Chester village, she was
stricken with rheumatism and her aiiction resulted
in her losing the of her feet that she had been
blessed by having placed in her hand one of the
Of
edy. and that she had Immediately bought one
bottle of the medical substance, and that TINS one
bottle wrought such a wonderful change in her
physical condition that she was enabled to walk
miles and miles each day.
This alleged testimonial read to the house
keeper by one of the neighbors. Mrs Bertsche de-
cared that she had been sick in years, that she
had never before heard Of the remarkable curative
powers of Health Grains and that her greatest
trouble in life was to provide for herself and her
five children. For that reason she had worked
almost every day she said, was hing and drying the
powdery substance used by Seller
There were also found in the rooms in which Sell
ger lived many stacks of letters which showed. ap
parently, that Health Grains popular rem
edy throughout the country. There were many let
tiers from ST Louis. Chicago. Atlanta and st. Au-
gustine. woman in Florida wrote to Seller few
DAYS before his death that she had been told to
take Health Grains" She incosed s. for six
boxes and she said that she thought that amount
would suffice for her present needs.
In the mouds such used by
confectioners and it is presumed that Seller ground
up into fine powder the rock candy in these mouds
and then mixed the candy with maple syrup and
the other preparation all of which went to make
the Health Grains There many jars Of
maple syrup and manv boxes of rock candy in the
apartment.
The printed covering in which the preparation
placed forth that it a useful remedy
in OF indigestion, chills and fever and many
common maladies.
The funeral of Seller will take place to-day.
Before he died he left will bequeathing all of his
estate his married sister and brother, both Of
whom live in Germany II Is known that he left
two bankbooks showing that he had large deposits
in Harlem banks and about 1920 cash in hand. As
he was the mail carrier the route which in
Guided his home whatever letters came for MIN
were received by him the West Chester postof1ce