Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-04-23
THIS IS THE LAND OF
THE FLAMING T0KAY
w. Il. Sherman Presented Children
of the County With 6000
Grape Roots.

The evolution of the Flaming To-
kay is a study worthy of the phil
osopher 1t was planted in a vine
yard and in due time bore its fruit
and the trade papers might have
mentioned it in the markets, but
locally it was entirely unknown eX-
cept to the few. Had it not been for
W. B. Sherman, of Grants Pass, who
admired the fruit; knowing its value
as a table grape, and saw an op-
portunity to popularize it and at the
same time benefit his fellow towns
men, the name of the Flaming Tokay
would have meant no more to the
average home citizen than the name
of any good grape. Every move
ment made by the gentleman in
question was marked with becoming
modesty. He issued circulars and
published articles in the newspapers
but none of these bore his name
Eighteen months ago he COM
menced a campaign of education re-
garding the Flaming Tokay; he initi-
ated the movement by inviting 600
business and professional men of
Grants Pass on an automobile eX-
cursion to the vineyard of the father
Of the Tokay grape industry in this
section; returning from this eXcur-
sion the party was invited to a ban
Quet at which there were 31S plates.
The banquet over there ended the
first lesson.
Later he inaugurated an excursion
around the world" in miniature,
stations at certain points being
named after famous grape growing
centers in the old world OF COURSE,
as before, all the automobiles IN
this section were secured for the oc-
casion, the stations were fitted up
with seats located in the shape of a
horseshoe and at the heel of the
shoe was a platform for orators. On
the arrival of an automobile train
load Of eXcursionists the passengers
were invited to take the seats pro-
vided and an orator talked to them
for ten minutes about the Tokay
grape
The next move was a mysterious
one and seemed to be accomplished
between two days. Along every
roadway throughout the county,
nailed to trees, fence posts, barns,
out buildings, etc, was the word
"Tokay." Go where you would,
either to Murphy, Wilderville, Fruit
dale, Merlin, Galice, Hugo, Jones
creek or any other place, that same
name stared you in the face. 1t
kept people thinking about 1t every
day and every hour. Last fall when
the Flaming Tokays came into our
local market there was scramble
to buy them, proving that adyertis-
ing pays. Last season there were
100000 Flaming Tokay cuttings
planted, and during the summer they
were rooted and this winter were
ready for planting.
On Wednesday morning of this
week there appeared on the street
the following hand bill
There will be speaking on the
depot grounds at o'clock sharp.
Tokay grape vines free to every man,
woman and child in Grants Pass or
Josephine county. 1t has been
thoroughly demonstrated that the
Grants Pass district produces the
best Tokay grapes in the United
States and no doubt a close competi-
tor for that honor of the world
and may yet excel the world. Let
us plant all our ground above the
lrrlgatiug bitches to them. April
IA, 1909"
At the hour specified nearly 1900
children marched down the street
20 charge Of their teachers and tool,
positions five feet apart from curb
.1 curb on Sixth street between the
two plazas on the north side and the
.aU block extending 20 the White
House grocery. Photographic Lewis
v. present and made a picture OF
i.' animated scene
Ava given signal they broke rank.
aud gathered around baggag.
truck which was piled with Toka'
grape roots. Judge Stephen Jewell
Naydr Kinney and ATTORNEY Glen