The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-04-27

ARE SWEET.
Special Correspondence to The Press
FRESNO. Cal. April 27-On Fri
day, April so, raisins will be eaten
wherever the American flag flies in
possessive right, from the southern
gulf states to the Canadian border,
and from the Philippines to Porto
Rico
For that date will be raisin day.
Here is the story of the how and
why of raisin day:
Fresno county, California, lies in
the middle of the San Joaquin val
ley. The San Joaquin is the great
central valley of the Golden state.
Fresno is one of the richest coun-
ties in the United States, and the
city of Fresno is called the hub of
the valley.
Although the value of all the
products of the county is valued
each year at between $25.000,000
and $29,000,00O and the revenue de-
rived from the vineyards is not a
fifth of that amount, the raisin in
dustry is, nevertheless, the source
of Fresno's fame. The great vine
yards stretch for miles in every d.
rection beyond the city limits.
Until the close listed times of
year ago the growers prospered and
each succeeding season brought
greater returns. But last season
fell down" completely. Instead of
selling like the proverbial hot
cakes raisins sold like pink lemon
ade after the circus tents have
been rolled up. The growers found
themselves with most of the old
crop on their hands, with fine raj
sins selling for a cent and three
quarters instead of five and six
cents per pound in the sweat box.
Then came, after months of futile
fight with the big packers, the raj
sin day idea. 1t was crackerjack,
but nobody realized it until the ball
had been started on its roll. Once
under way it quickly assumed enor-
nous proportions.
The idea was to spread the
fame of raisins both as a sweet
meat and household necessity, so
completely that everybody, most
everywhere, would be forced, out
of mere curiosity or fun, to eat
raisins on April 80. 1909.
The railroads throughout the
country. the commercial and news
organizations have taken the mat,
ter up with extraordinary enthusi-
asm.
1t is a conspicuous example Of
the national boost spirit.
Almost every man, woman and
child in this section of the valley is
writing letters to friends all over
the land on "Raisin Day" paper
and mailed in envelopes on which
are photographs of punches OF
raisins. Twenty-Five thousand rails
in postal cards have been mailed
School children have written 5000
letters describing the plans. One
million "stickers,' on which In blue
letters is printed Eat raisins
April 80, California Raisin Day,
are being used, and the men are
pasting them on their hats. The
railroads are printing the words Oh
tickets. On the big date oveI
three thousand meals will be
served in Southern Pacific dining
cars and a free dessert, with rails
ins as the chief ingredient, will be
furnished travellers. There are go
ing to be raisin banquets, raisil
parties, raisin picnics. And these
are only a few of the ideas tina
have been adopted.
Homemade raisin bread-On'
pint water, / pint sweet milk,
Dunes sugar, ounce salt, ounce
lard. ~ ounces compressed yeast
2 pounds seeded raisins, pound
-four. Have milk and water warm
Dissolve yeast In water. Mi
dough thoroughly. Let dough rails
well. then punch down and lie
raise again. Mould in round loaye
and when raised bake in hot over
Raisin NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. TO
afternoon teas. picnics and chi
dren's lunches. Chop fine'1 cup O
seeded raisins. together with / Gu
az nuts. preferably walnuts. mi
9TH whipped cream or the whit
Han egg beaten. season with sal