davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-11

Distortion No. 12 reports Mi. Post as a ''dodging witness"
 His eye is not of the shifty kind ob- served in the head of one of his chief critics. On the witness stand MT. Post looks quietly but very steadily straight into the eyes of the haggling, twisting lawyer, trying by all his art to ask double -barreled questions and bull-doze and confuse witness.
 The lodging it seems consisted of replying, T don't know"
 Opposing counsel holds a book in his hand while he queries
 'I want to know if there is a sing!. thing in your whole book here that suggests any particular kind of food" Then followed some discussion be- tween attorneys
 When MT. Post was allowed to re- ply, he said, T don't know until I read the book over to see.'
 This book, it turns out, was written by MT. Post seventeen years ago and probably has not been read carefully by him in the last fifteen years. It would require remarkable memory to instantly say "yes' or mo- as tc what book of 147 pages did or did not contain, without reading it over but such conservative and well bal anced answers are construed by sen- sation seekers to be "dodging."
 The attorney sought by every art to impress the jury with the fact that MT. Posts belief in the power of Mind in relation to the body branded him as unreliable and worse.
 The following is quoted from one of the queStions:-
 (The lawyer reading from the book)
 to say nothing of himself other than as simple instrument through which the Divine Principle chooses to mani fest itself by precept and example.
 Skill in mental practice is gained in the same way as skill in any de- partment of science-by observation, study, experience and the ability to evolve correct conclusions
 Read carefully, thoughtfully no more than twenty pages daily. After ward seek an easy position where you will not be disturbed. Relax every muscle. Close your eyes, and go into the silence where mind is plastic to the breathings of spirit and where Sod talks to the Son. The thoughts from Divine Universal Mind come as winged angels and endow you with a healing power. If you go into the sil- ence humble and trusting, you will come out enriched and greatly, strengthened in mind by contact even for a short time with the Father of all life and all power. You will feel refreshed in every way and food taken will digest readily as the stom' ach works smoothly when under the influence of Higher Power
 ''I ask you if you did not write that. and if you did not believe it when you wrote it.
 For a moment the Court Room was in absolute silence.
 Mir Post slowly leaned forward over the rail, pointed his finger at the Atty.'s face to emphasize his reply and with eyes that caused those of the Attorney to drop he said, "Yes. I am proud to say it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-11

Our advice to stop using indigest- ible food in bowel troubles and to use Grape-Nuts food has been great blessing to tens of thousands of peo- pie, and we hope will continue to bless a good many more Ill the sue ceeding years.
 No ' Is live wire. It refers to c. w. Post and his studies and expe- rience in Suggestive Therapeutics, or Mental Healing" which further lead to a most careful and systematic study of the effect of the mind on the digestive and other organs of the body.
 He attended clinics in Europe and fitted himself for a future career In which he has become known as one of the food experts of the world, htted to judge both from the material as we'll as the mental side of the ques- tion
 For about eight years previous to 1891 he was an invalid In that year, after being under the care of several we'll known physicians he was quickly healed, by what to him was curious and not we'll understood method. Sui ficient to say he became well man, weighing about 1855 pounds.
 This experience challenged his in- vestigation into causes of disease anG their amelioration. Those studies and experiences developed very pro found reverence for Supreme Power which directly operates upon the hil- man being, and this reverence for the Infinite became to him form of re. iigion which included honesty of pur- nose towards his fellowmau. state- ment which will be endorsed by ev- eryone who knows him closely.
 He will make a public announce men in detail of these facts, and the Postum Company will cause that statement to be published in news napers and magazines in due time. We suggest the reader look for it.
 Prevarication No. 8. ''Post spends nearly million year in ad- yertising and relies on that to keep out of the newspapers the dangerous nature of the fraud he is perpetrating on the public.'
 The Postum Company does pay out upwards of a million a year for trade announcements. Newspaper men be- lieve our statements truthful or they would not print them. Large numbers of newspaper men use our products
 They are capable of telling the pub lie whether or not we "bribe' them:
 It may have escaped notice that We did not "bribe" that particular weekly. 
 No. 9 states that the amount ol the verdict will "be devoted by the weekly to exposing fraud
 This is almost real humor.
 We have two suits pending against the weekly" total, $50O,O00.0o.
 We haven't devoted the sum to any particular purpose yet.
 Item 10 is a discovery that wheat bran is part of Postum.
 But the criticism neglected to men,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-11

tion that for years every Postum package announced in plain type that the outer covering of wheat (bran) {, made part of the beverage.
 They ignorantly fell into a trap here, not knowing enough of food value to know that "Taka-Diastase' the article used by physicians the world over for starch indigestion" is made from wheat bran
 So we use that part of the wheat berry because it contains the element needed to develop the valuable dias- tase in manufacture. Good Postum is impossible without this part.
 These self-appointed critics do make some laughable blunders through ignorance, but-be patient. Item Il is an illustration of the squirming and twisting of the sensa- tional writer delivering distorted mat ter to his readers. While on the witness stand Mr Post testified to his studies in Ana;- omy, Physiology, Dietetics and Psy- chology-all relating to the prepare tion and digestion of food Asked lo name authorities studied he men. tioned six or eight from memory and commented cn some clinical expert ence covering several years in annual journeys to Europe.
 Now notice the distortion. (Copy from the printed criticism.)
 He (Pos) pointed out pile of books in possession of his attorneys as the very ones he had read"
 (Notice-"the. very ones he had read" leading the reader to believe that they were the only ones.)
 Did you consult the books iron. these editions?" was asked.
 From those and various editions" answered Post.
 The attorney picked up book after book from the pile and showed the title pages to the jury-all except tw' had been published since 1905."
 This is an example of distortion and false coloring to produce an uE- favorable impression.
 The facts are MT. Post purpose!y introduced the latest editions that could be obtained of prominent aU- thorities to prove by them the truth of his statements regarding appendl. citis and the analysis of brain, also the latest conclusions in regard to the action of the digestive organs. These works are fsa La.
 Human Physiology, by Raymond
 Physiological Chemistry, by Simon.
 Digestive Glands, by Pawlow
 Hand Book on Appendicitis. by Ochsner.
 Physiological Chemistry, by Ham marsten.
 Biochemic System of Medicine, b, Carey.
 The Weekly" carefully eliminates from it's printed account, testimony regarding the years of research and study by MT. Post in fitting himself for his work, and would lead the reader of the distorted article to be 1905.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-11

ists would have the public believe SO.
 As an illustrations, Attempt to feed man sixty days on butter alone, with it's S.60 calories. The man would die before the experiment had run sixty days.
 Then, take Grape-Nuts with 3.96 and milk with 0.70-the two combined equal 4.66-about one-half the number of calories contained in butter The man fed for sixty days on this food would be we'll nourished, and could live not only sixty days, but six months on that food alone, and we do not hesitate to say from our long knowledge of the sustaining power of the food that man at the end of sixty Lays would be of practically the same weight as when he started-if he be a man of normal weight.
 We will suppose that from his work he lost pound day and made up a pound each day from food. If thai premise proved to be true the man In sixty days time would make sixty pounds of tissue to replace what had been lost, and this would be done on Grape-Nuts and milk with half the number of calories of butter, upon which no one can sustain life.
 Therefore, we have reason to be- lieve that our contention is right that concentrated food like Grape-Nuts which is partly digested and ready for easy assimilation by the body, pre- sents more nourishment than the sys- tenn will absorb than many other forms of food, and we will further say that in cases of digestive trou- bles where meat white bread and oats cannot be digested, that Grape Nuts and milk contain more nourish- ment that the system will absorb than many pounds of these other foods.
 Distortion No. 3 charges that our testimonials were practically all paid for and rewritten in Battle Creek.
 These testimonials were demanded by the opposing lawyers. Naturally this demand was refused, for they arc held in vaults and kept safe to prove the truth, and are not to be delivered up on demand of enemies.
 Testimony at the trial brought out the fact that we never printed sim gle testimonial that we did not have the genuine letter back of. Many of these leters came spontaneously. A record was kept of twelve hundred and four Q204) letters received in one month from people who wrote that they had either entirely recOv- cred their health or been benefited by following our suggestions on food and beverages.
 On three or four occasions in tho past ten or twelve years we printed broadcast in papers offers of prizes to users of Postum and Grape-Nuts-- two hundred $1.00 prizes, one hundred $2.00, twenty of $500 and five of 5000 each-stating that each must be an honest letter with name and address. We agreed not to publish names, but to furnish them to en. auirers by letter. These letter writers very generally answered those who wrote to them, and verified the truth of the statements.
 Under this agreement not to pub fish names literally scores of letters came from doctors. We kept our word and neither printed their names or surrendered their letters.
 Right here notice an imitation spasm." The Weekly" says: 'Post
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-11

got those testimonials by advertising for them. In New York he used for that purpose the New York Magazine of - whose editor Is now in the Federal Penitentiary for fraudulent use of the mails. For example, Post announced in that magazine in l90i, etc." (then follows our prize compeu- tion).
 We used nearly all of the papers and magazines in New York and the rest of America, but the sensational writer gives the impression to hls readers that the only magazine we used was one whose editor is now ill the Federal Penitentiary," etc, some thing that we konw nothing of the truth of now, and never did. Space was bought in the magazine spoken of on a business basis for the reason that it went to good class of read CTS. The incident seems to have fur nished an opportunity for a designing writer to deceive his readers. We look upon honest human testi- mony from men and women as to the means by which they recovered health as of tremendous value to those in search of 1t. Our business has been conducted from the very first day upon lines of strict integ- rity and we never yet have published false testimonial of human experi- ence. Many of these letters covered numerous sheets; some, if printed, would spread over half page or newspaper If we would attempt to print one such letter in every one of the thousands of papers and maga- zines we use, the cost for printing that one letter would run into many thousands of dollars.
 We boil down these letters exactly as a newspaper writer boils his news |-sticking sacredly to the important facts and eliminating details about the family and other unimportant matters. This work of boiling down, or editing, is done honestly, and with a full knowledge of our responsibility but notice the art of the "twister'' In the way he presents to his readers this matter of testimonials.
 Distortion No. 4. This is 3 bad one. It reads as follows: "The only famous physician whose name was signed to a testimonial was pro duced in Court by Golfers and turned out to be a poor old brokendown ho- meopath who is now working in q printing establishment. He received ten dollars ($10) for writing his tes- timonial."
 We will wager ten thousand dol lars ($10, 100000 with any investigator that we have, subject to inspection Of any fair committee. upwards of three hundred (300) communications from physicians, many of them expressing the highest commendataion of our products, but these will not now or ever be turned over to the publisher for his use.
 charge: "The only famous physician whose name was signed to Postum testimonial, etc.
 The truth is, this Dr. Underwood was one of a great many physicians who have not only written commen- datory words about the value of our foods, but every now and then some physician writes an article on coffee or on food, and sends it to us with suggestion of compensation for his time and medical knowledge. Previ- ous to the time when we employed. physicians in our own business, we occasionally employed a doctor to write an article on coffee,- always in sisting that the article be an honest expression of his opinion and re- search
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-11

The "Weekly" hunted up this phy- sician. and because he seemed to be poor, and as it says, "brokendown, had him brought to Court to be ex- posed before jury as the ''only phy- sician that had ever endorsed Grape Nuts" but much to the chagrin of tine Weekly" when our attorneys asked him if the article he wrote about col fee was true. he replied, yes
 Statement No. 5 reads: "Tne health officers of Mich, Maine, Penn. New Hamp., and other states in their official bulletins have for years been denouncing as preposterous and frat dulent the claims made by the Post um Cereal Company" We do not re call any criticism except from Mich, Penn., Maine and s. Dakota The average reader might think that the opinions expressed by the State Officials are always correct, but that conclusion is not borne out by facts.
 As an illustrations: About thirteen years ago the Dairy and Food Con- mission of Michigan for some per sonal reason printed severe criti- cism on us for making Postum of Barley (according to his official chem ist) at market price and selling too high. He was shown there was never grain of barley used in Postrm. His report was false and misleading. The governor dismissed him. We believe that most of the state officials are honest, and on the ether hand we are firmly convinced that some of their conclusions cannot be substantiated by facts in scientific research.
 They never criticise the purity of our foods, for so much we are thank full. e4
 If our conclusions in regard to it's being a brain food differ from theirs, and we are both honest, they have rather the advantage, because under the law they can order us to eliminate from the package any statement If 1t disagrees with their opinion. Other wise they would harass grooes.
 Spasm No. 6 says: "The most dangerous thing in the world for one threatened with appendicitis is to eat any food whatever. Notwithstanding he knew that danger, c. w. Post ad- vertised Grape-Nuts at fifteen cents a package for those so thl catened.'
 rl,io ;c ipt to ,,,uddJo tho rooJ- CT into believing that we put out Grape-Nuts as a cure for appendicitis
 Mr. Post, himself tas had probably as wide experience as any other man in America in the study and observa- tion of food as related to the diges- tive organs, and we proved in Court by the physicians and surgeons on the witness stand that the predomi- hating cause of appendicitis is undi- gested food, and that it is nece ,sary to quit eating food, and when the body requires food again. use pre- digested food, or at least one easy of digestion.
 Dr. Ochsner in his work on appen- dicitis refers directly to the use of the we'll konwn pre-digested foods that can be obtained on tho market. He also brought out the interesting fact that in after treatment" 1t is advantageous to take on pre-di- gested food
 The price of the package treferred to by the weekly) is not known by us to have any relation to the question
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-11

every light is turned from talk about the merits of the products but pon now not hiring that Weekly
 The general seldom details of scraps
 few may lately articles attacking may be interested in the following
 ago disagreement with Weekly" They change the form of advert ing to which we objected,
 Weekly discontinued inserting advertisements while they negotiating changes they wanted the wording and shape and during this correspondence ager gave instructions Advertising Department quit adver Using altogether in that Weekly
 Quite after the advertising had been left out editorial attack came We replied newspapers and the scrap
 Then came libel sides and harsh words
 Generally iresome the public.
 Weekly attacked prominent and reputable manufacturers.
 Company prominent enough for sensational writer to go after little spot crit then dsto twist and present it to public under heads.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-11
Some Facts

Creek, Michigan December 30, 1910 undersigned certify that knowledge has e printed Cereal Co., Ld which did genuine letter signed and believed be honest statement l To knowledge belief the Company has received upwards fifty thousand (5OO0O) genuine testimonial
 This Company has knowingly made permitted untruh- regarding it's products or its methods M K HOWE Treasurer (With Company about IA years) - HANSON Inspector of Adv With Company about 9 yearsl F. c. GRANDn, Advertising Manager
 With Company about 13 years.I STERRETT M D. Physician in charge of Scientific Dept
 With Company about 41a yearsN CHESTON SYER Adv Writer (With Company about years CHARLES GREEN Adv Writer With Company yearsN HARRY BURT General supt With Company years) H HAWK, Assistant Chairman With Company yearsy POST, Chairman With Company 6 years beginnngN
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-11

OlSUOIGlOIl lNO. Stdlcu 'hoe we have been accustomed to advertise Grape-Nuts and Postum as "cure-alls for everything"
 It has never been the policy. of this Company to advertise Grape-Nuts or Postum to cure anything.
 We sayNthat in cases where coffee disagrees and is causing sickness its dismissal will remove the cause of the trouble. and we suggest the use of Postum for the reason that it fur nishes hot palatable morning bever- age, and i, contains natural elements from the grain which can be used by natuse.s to assist ~3n rebas.tsnas,a hefve centres that coffee may have broken down.
 Likewise Grape-Nuts food does not cure anything, but it does assist ma ture tremendously in rebuilding, pro vided the undigestible that has been used is discontinued and Grape-Nuts taken in it's place.
 Charge No. 2 states that the passage of the National Food & Drugs Act compelled us to drop from the packages some assertions regarding the nutritive value of Grape-Nuts.
 We have never been "compeled" to make any change.
 Since the beginning 1t has been a universal rule to print clearly on ev- cry package exactly what the con. tents are made of.
 Before the passage of the Pure Food Law the package stated that Grape Nuts food was made of wheat and barley.
 We did not esteem the small amount of salt and yeast as of value enough to. speak of, but after the new Law came in we became as tech nical as the officials at Washington and added the words yeast" and salt although we have no recollec- tion. of being asked to.
 We believed that our statement that Grape-Nuts will supply elements to nourish the brain and nerve cen tres is true and bring authorities to support the fact.
 Some state chemists believed this a gross exaggeration and inasmuch as the Food Dept at Washington could easily harass grocers, pending a trial on the disputed question, we conclud. ed that much the better way would be to eliminate from our packages sucE claims, however certain we may be that the claims are true.
 Another statement objected to read as follows: a4
 The system will absorb greater amount of nourishemnt from ono pound of Grape-Nuts than from ten pounds of meat, wheat, oats, or bread
 Some Department chemists deceive themselves as well as the public. 'Calorie' is the word which defines a unit of heat determined by the amount necessary to raise one kilo- gram of water one degree centigrade On this basis a table of calorie is pre- pared showing the percentage of dif- ferent kinds of food. Butter shows 8.60; Grape-Nuts 396; milk 0.70. Re. member the statement on the package spoke of the nourishment tLe system would absorb, but did not speak of the calories of heat contained in 1t, for the heat is not nourishment, and tl,e nOurishment cannot be judged Joy the number of heat units, notwith- standing the fact that certain cnern-
 It may be remembered facts before that great jury l
 A good "scrap'' is nor In the case lately tried, in the ultimate decision of our Our suits against the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-11

Before the passage of the Pure Food Law the package stated that Grape Nuts food was made of wheat and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-11

Item 10 is "discovery' that wheat bran is a part of Postum.
 But the criticism neglected to men,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-17
Quality

of the Penny Savings bank, Birming- ham, delivered an address, which car- ried with it the doctrine of do for yourself and the negro's faith in his own possibilities. He showed how the foreigners coming to this country would be a help to the negro. He said that the negro of the south was the cotton raiser of the world. He told the preachers to not anly preach Jesus Christ into the people, but at the samo time preach business sense into their heads. "The negro race is short on business men;' he said, "and you must help to make them."
 Prof. J. A. Bray, A. NJ, D. D., pres ident of Miles Memorial college, Vine vile. invited the conference to visit the school in body. This will be done some time during the day. Rev. L. H. Chandler of Anniston re- ported that he had raised for church during the past 12 months $2590 Last night the Rev. Dr. M L. Bailey preached the annual missionary ser mon to the Womans Missionary so- ciety.
 "Education" will be discussed to- night. pr. J. A. Bray will preach a sermon. a