The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1909-02-16
'IheSanP ancoBlend
By Frank H. Spearman.

WELL" said old John, no head
rooster. ITS failure again, isn't it?"
1T looks that way" responded Wal
ter Stevens. He was standing near the
ovens, with one foot ON a hopper OF
roasted coffee.
IF l were Blakesler,"- continued
John, running trier deity into
revolving cylinder of smoking berries,
"Pd quit. That last bination we
Drowned smellcd so it drove us all
out on the roof"
The talk was in the roasting room
of a great coffee establishment-one
Of those which supply the high-grade
roasted coifees to the American people
who make so great pother about
their breakfast cup of Mocha and Java.
1t is the business of such houses as
that of Clarkson Brothers TO see that
the cup is precisely right in streigth,
flavor and in that certain refinement
Of flavor termed aroma.
There were several other depart
ments in the house of Clarkson, but
the biggest one of all was the coffee
department. In this Walter Stevens
was assistant, and Mr.. Blakesler was
manager.
For some months there had been I'M
easiness in the house, owing to a
startling inroad made on their coffee
business by young and growing firm
which was putting out a Mocha and
Java roast coffee that was simply set
ting the trade on fire." complained the
situation was serious; it was necessary
that Clarkson Brothers should put out
q coffee equally attractive to the
trade.
Equally attracuve! There was the
rub with Blakesler and with young
Walter Stevens, and with old John.
II shouldn't think that would be
very hard" remarked Mr.. Stevens,
Walters father, that night, when his
son was going over the difficulties at
the store. Simply buy the best Java
coffee you can and the best Mocha cof-
fee, and roast it and offer it TO your
trade"
''~,>eat Nounds simple enough" re-
piled Walter. But, father, I'm afraid
you don't know much about the coffee
business"
II know when l drink cup of cof-
fee whether it's good or not, my son"
Precisely; and it's our business to
see that it is good, and at the same
time to make a profit to do business
on.
ITO begin with" Walter went on,
Java coffee and Mocha coffee are con-
venional trade terms, which really
mean little more than this: That cof-
fees so named shall be the best coffees
In the cup Only a small fraction of
the coffee sold as Java coffee is gen
uine Java, and for that matter, gen
uine Java coffee doesn't come from
lava, but from Sumatra. The fine
Sumatra coffees are what the trade
calls Javas; but the consumer is de-
luded with coffees grown all over the
world, as Java coffees The best of
these coffees which pass for Javas-I
am not sure they are not as good as
the genuine-are grown in Central
America. Mexico produces perhaps the
first drinking coffees in the world;
they reach consumers as Jayas.
"As to Mocha coffee" and Walter
laughed slightly-"there may be some
/ don't know Mr. Robert Clarkson
was once in Alden the port in Arabia
from which they ship the Mocha, and
saw there ships from Santos, Brazil
unloading peaberry coffee to be sent
back TO the world as Mocha.
"The Baltimore firm has hit on some
happy combination of good coffees, and
are taking ali our trade with it,
Something must be done"
The young assistant in the coffee de-
partment expressed only what every
one In the house of Clarkson Brothers
knew. There is In such big establish
ments an unspOken pressure so strong
that It will lift a man completely out
Of his seat If he does not meet &C
promptly. Every department manager
IS held responsible for the business Of
his department, and the business never
stands still. IL goes ahead or it goes
back If 1t goes back, that manager
must meet the conditions that are talk
ing his trade or he must resign Mr..
Blakesler stirred himself Unfortu-
nately he was stubborn when he should
have been energetic, and spasmodic
when he should have been steady Ho
tried many combinations to match tho
qualities of the mysterious new cof-
fee which was making such havoc
with his trade.
Experimenting In this haphazard
way he struck the combination Of cot.
fee which, when put into the roasting