Peanut Butter Sandwich (January 1896); Peanut Politics (April 1887)

Sun Jun 27 19:31:38 UTC 2004

  "Peanut butter" is often given as being "discovered" or "popularized" at 
the 1904 World's Fair.  BEYOND THE ICE CREAM CONE: THE WHOLE SCOOP ON FOOD AT 
THE 1904 WORLD'S FAIR (2004) doesn't have much to say, except that it's not 
true.  The book is so bad that it never cites PEANUTS (2002) by Andrew F. Smith.
   Smith gives May 1896 (GOOD HOUSEKEEPING) for the first "peanut 
sandwiches," but we can take that back to at least January 1896, with a hint that it had 
come into vogue in the fall of 1895.
   The July 1897 CHICAGO TRIBUNE "peanut butter" citation here is of 
interest.
   Smith gives 1925 for "peanut brittle" (Pg. 156), but we can take that back 
to at least 1892.
  Smith mentions on page 31: "This unnamed physician reportedly gave the 
recipe to George A. Bayles, who, it was claimed, was the first to manufacture 
peanut butter."  His name was Bayle--not Bayles--and Bayle's Peanut Butter first 
shows up on the databases in the 1910s.
   Lastly, I'll nail down "peanut politics."
   I can do more, but I've got other things to do today.

(IED)
peanut butter
1903 Harper's Mag. Oct. 981 Four sandwiches... Two of wholewheat bread with 
peanut butter. 1926-7 Army & Navy Stores Catal. 2/2 Peanut Butter jarseach 1/-. 
1974 ‘R. B. DOMINIC’ Epitaph for Lobbyist xiii. 113 A carnival with peanut 
butter fudge made by the Soroptimists. 1977 Time 14 Mar. 42/2, I grew up on 
peanut butter sandwiches.

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS) ("peanut butter")
    1.  FOR A TRUST IN PEANUTS; NEWPORT NEWS COMBINE CORNERS THE "GOOBER" 
MARKET. Has So Far Manipulated a Jump of One Cent A Pound and Menaced Dealers 
Expect to See It Three Before the End--Visible Stocks and Their 
Localities--Effect on Venders and Confectioners and Their Customers--Importance of the Crop. 
Effect on Retail Trade. Economic Uses for Peanuts. 
Chicago Daily. Jul 2, 1897. p. 10 (1 page):
   Ex-Senator Hill of New York has been termed a "peanut politician," to 
typify some of his methods.  That use of the peanut to illustrate little things, 
is a great constructive libel.
   Peanuts are no little thing.  Before the war "goober nuts" were thought 
nothing of in Virginia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, the States to which they 
are indigenous.  Now their cultivation afffords employment to thousands of 
people.  The value of the crop of the four States at three cents a pound, which it 
may command at first hands, approximates $3,000,000.  Improved methods of 
cultivation have been introduced, ingenious machinery for cleaning and handling 
devised, and a trade worked up which includes a large section of the globe.
      _Economic Uses for Peanuts._
   The active brains of American inventors have found new economic uses for 
the peanut.  A peanut butter, first designed for invalids, but now sold with 
other food products, is made simply by crushing the nuts into a paste and adding 
water.  Sales of this article is increasing above that of dairy butter.
   Several European governments have placed in the list of rations for their 
armies in the field a nourishing soup made mostly of peanuts.  They use the 
American and African nut for the purpose.

    2.  Toothsome Sandwiches of Peanuts.
The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Oct 3, 1897. p. 24 (1 
page)    
>From the Ladies' Home Journal.
(...)  Or you may buy for these a peanut butter.

    3.  BUSINESS.; FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL. THE FLORIDA ORANGE 
CROP. GENERAL BUSINESS TOPICS. 
Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.: Oct 26, 1897. p. 
12 (1 page) 

    4.  Stock Quote 1 -- No Title
Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.: Dec 1, 1898. p. 
12 (1 page) 

    5.  THE SANDWICH TREE.; A CHARMING NOVELTY FOR SPRING AND SUMMER PARTIES. 

MILLICENT ARROWPOINT. Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, 
Calif.: Mar 19, 1899. p. 22 (1 page) 

    6.  THE DAIRY.; Peanut Butter. Butter From Alfalfa. 
Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.: May 19, 1899. p. 
13 (1 page)  

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS) ("peanut sandwich")
    1.  WOMAN ABOUT TOWN.
The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Feb 2, 1896. p. 17 (1 
page) :HAVE you eaten of the very latest dish?  I say latest in every sense of the 
word, for it's a dish that goes with the midnight Welsh rabbit, and is the 
newest and best sort of a sandwich.  You take fresh bread and perfect butter.  
Then you have some fresh roasted peanuts--it's the fad to roast them 
yourself--ground fine in a coffee mill.  Next yopu mix the ground nuts into a paste with 
a little sherry or old port, spread them on the bread and there you have the 
sandwich everybody is eating.  You may substitute mayonnaise for sherry, or 
add a drop of almond essence, but a peanut sandwich you must have if you are to 
follow the fashion set, they say, by the wife if a Cabinet member.   

    2.  Inexpensive Decorations of Green.
Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: Feb 15, 1896. p. 16 (1 
page):
      _Recipe for Peanut Sandwiches._
   The latest addition to the 5 o'clock tea table is peanut sandwiches.  Do 
not roll the nut meats, but pound them in a mortar with a little salt until 
they are very fine.  Spread bread, that has been cut very thin, with butter, and 
then with the nut paste.  Place two pieces together and cut the sandwich round 
or in a triangle.

    3.  Toothsome Sandwiches of Peanuts.
The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Oct 3, 1897. p. 24 (1 
page)    

(WWW.NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM) ("peanut sandwich")
   Daily Northwestern   Saturday, January 11, 1896 Oshkosh, Wisconsin   
...duringher absence. Although the PEANUT SANDWICH was a last 
winter's.....strips or triangles of bread. Another SANDWICH much in vogue, to be served..
Pg. 5, col. 3:
   Although the peanut sandwich was a last winter's debutante, its popularity 
shows no signs of waning.  To make it as it should be, remove the shells and 
skins from freshly roasted peanuts.  Chop very fine, mix with a little 
Mayonnaise dressing and spread between thin strips or triangles of bread. 

   Daily Northwestern   Saturday, January 25, 1896 Oshkosh, Wisconsin   
...One gown is of royal blue velvet, The PEANUT SANDWICH is often a welcome j 
a.....gold brocade, while the colly mask-1 PEANUT meats. Make into aj jar 
arui..  

   Perry Bulletin   Thursday, March 12, 1896 Perry, Iowa    
...addition to the 5 o'clock tea table is PEANUT SANDWICHES. Do not roll the 
nut.....Place two pieces together and cut tho SANDWICHES round or in a 
triangle. It..

   Daily Northwestern   Friday, June 05, 1896 Oshkosh, Wisconsin    
...tableshould bnvf salted PEANUTs and PEANUT SANDWICHES on Us menu, and 
should.....brilliancy. New York Times. A Permit A PEANUT party is sreat fun for 
children.. 

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS) ("peanut brittle")
Other 19 -- No Title
Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.: Oct 2, 1892. p. 
16 (1 page) :
      _A Wonderful Increase._
   The trade in our line of home-made candies has increased within the last 
two or three weeks so greatly that we are compelled to enlarge and put another 
candy maker to work.  We make a line of nut candies, taffies, etc., which we 
sell at 25 cents per pound, which have become very popular, and we are selling 
large quantities of them.  We are going to introduce a new line of butter 
cups, peanut brittle, New England peanut, honeycomb, honey taffy, etc., that will 
be entirely new here, and from which we expect large sales.  Keep your eye on 
us, as we are going to lead in the candy business this season.  T. A. Gardner, 
manager.  "The Keystone," 112 N. Spring street.

(WWW.NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM) ("peanut brittle")
 Middletown Daily Press     Monday, February 06, 1893 Middletown, New York      

...of 3 OB IS North St. aad 8 King St., PEANUT BRITTLE Good the more you 
eat..    

(WWW.NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM) ("Bayle" and "peanut butter")
   Chronicle Telegram   Wednesday, March 28, 1990 Elyria, Ohio  
...the spread, for 6 cents a pound. BAYLE PEANUT BUTTER cans from the 1910s 
bear.....surgeon who patented the first PEANUT BUTTER grinder. Kellogg made 
PEANUT..    

 Daily Review   Sunday, April 12, 1914 Decatur, Illinois    
...Colonial Salt. 1 Jar BAYLEs PEANUT BUTTER Geo. A. BAYLE's Food Products 
1.....Hayle's Food Products... .1 jar PEANUT BUTTER Peter Hossi AND Sons. .1 
pkg..

   Fort Wayne News And Sentinel     Tuesday, February 18, 1919 Fort Wayne, 
Indiana    
...Spare Bibs, Ib. .18c BAYLE Quality PEANUT BUTTER, It's pure AND 
wholesome.....Raisins, 2 pkgs. for. .25c Bulk PEANUT BUTTER, pound. .18c Apple BUTTER, 
pound..

(WWW.NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM) ("peanut politics")
 Olean Democrat     Thursday, April 03, 1890 Olean, New York    
...In such a wide field of statesmanship "PEANUT POLITICS" has no part. 
Another.....has becomejmore than an issue of POLITICS. It has become "a matter of..

   Daily Northwestern   Thursday, April 28, 1887 Oshkosh, Wisconsin     
...Republicans have coined the phrase "PEANUT POLITICS" in connection with 
Gov.....that gentleman's annoyance. The term "PEANUT" is indeed suggestive of 
roasting..
Pg. 2, col. 2:
   The Cleveland Democrats and Republicans have coined the phrase "Peanut 
Politics" in connection with Gov. Hill's attitude toward the presdiency, very 
much to that gentleman's annoyance.  The term "peanut" is indeed suggestive of 
roasting.

(OED)
peanut politics
1887 N. York Mail & Express 27 May (Farmer Amer.), If the Governor would 
consent not to play peanut politics.