The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-02-26
BEWARE THE
RIPE OLIVE
Ripe Stuffed Olives Poisoned BY De-
teri0raticn. Public Warned
Not 20 Use Them

,ht1u6Sy HCb. - 0aSAaA oAu -
fond inspectors in SO towns OF eight
states are making frantic efforts to
Right to locate and destroy dozens OF
bottles of ripe stuffed olives, poisoned
with the deadly bacillus botulinus,
because of deterioration.
A single case of olive poisoning at
Kalispell. Montana, which led to the
discovery Of the danger, is the only
one reported so far. Federal chem
lists were bending every effort to
reach and confiscate the bottles and
a warning has been sent broadcast
advising housewives to return I'M
opened all containers holding suspec-
ted brands.
The olives, packed in 1918 by a
California company. were sold to the
retail trade through Sprague Warner
and Company, Chicago wholesale gro
Gerry house. Major A A. Sprague,
head of the firm and federal fair price
commissioner for Illinois, has fur
nished a record of all sales to federal
authorities and has also fnstructed
his statesmen to call on every custom
er and take up the olives.
Five dozen bottles of the poinsoned
fruit have been distributed to dealers
In seventeen Illinois towns. II is not
known exactly how many dozen are
In stores In other states.
The brands involved are Batavia
"Ferndell," and "Richelieu." Only
ripe olives stuffed with pimentos, and
sold in bottles are affected. ]. M.
Mclaughlin, superintendent Of the
Illinois division OF foods and dairies,
said investigation disclosed that no
blame for the condition of the olives
attached to neither packer, whole
saIer nor retailer
Labels on the bottles show they
were distributed by the. Chicago firm,
but do not carry the name of the pac-
ksr. The bottles contain six n
not, and are of the number 10 size,
according to the labels. Towns in
which olives are known to have been
distributed. and the number OF bottles
in each include:
Wisconsin: Richelieu brand-Mar-
inette, IL; Oshkosh. IL; Madison, 3;
Batavia brand-Beaver Dam, II;
Ferndeli brand-Madison. IL; Fort
Atkinson, r.; Richland Center. g..
Montana: Richelieu brand-Dillon.
"a; Batavia brand-Kalispell. II.
Bacillus botulinus, a deadly poison,
first discovered in a ham In 1899, ap-
raared in ripe olives last fall when
five people died after a dinner at an
Alliance, Ohio, club. The deaths were
traced to the olives. Several other
cases have since been reported. with
many fatal results.
Prior to the discovery Of the pres
ent case federal authorities, accord
ing to Mr.. Mclaughlin, believed the
only dangerous olives on the market
we're the whole ripe olives packed in
glass
Investigators of the department OF
chemistry, Washington, uncovered a
fatal case of olive poisoning at Kalis-
pe!I while Investigating botilinus
cases in New York. Their investiga-
lions traced the poison to the stuffed
olives shipped from here.
Mr.. Mclaughlin warns housewives
to beware of canned goods having an
unpleasant ordoT. TIE affected olives
have a noticeable smell and are usu-
ally soft. The germ. it is believed.
can be kille by boiling canned goods
and Mr.. Mclaughlin advises house.
wives to cook all food taken from tin
can or glass containers