Salt Water Taffy (continued)

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   I made a 5:30 a.m. post on the Big Muddy, then walked across town to Penn
Station for a 6:35 a.m. train to Trenton.  I wanted to visit the State
Library and solve this "salt water taffy" thing once and for all, but it
didn't work out that way.
   The NJ State Library really isn't very good.  There's no index to old
articles in NJ newspapers.  There's no menu collection.  There are no news
clipping files.  Look up "cookery-New Jersey" and there are fewer than ten
books!
   There were no telephone directories before 1976 (exactly what the NYPL
has).  The Atlantic City Directory was 1874 and then 1899--and that didn't
contain the word "taffy."
   There was one newspaper--the Atlantic City DAILY UNION, from 1889.
However, it was in the State Archives.  I showed my ID to about five
different people today.  The newspaper was compiled from clippings of other
newspapers; I got bored with it.  I took a look at 1889, then 1904, but I
didn't see a Fralinger's ad anywhere.
   I went downstairs to the Law Library and asked about the Edmiston case,
but the librarian couldn't find anything.  I finished everything by about 1
p.m. and took a 2. p.m. train back to NYC, then went to Lincoln Center for
"General Chang."  If I go again to NJ next week, it'll be to the NJ
Historical Society in Newark.
   The only useful info I got was the following:

SO YOUNG...SO GAY!
by William McMahon
An Atlantic City Press Publication
1970

Pg. 102:
   _SALT WATER TAFFY_
ONCE UPON A TIME--in 1883 to be exact--an enterprising young man by the name
of David Bradley opened a candy store at St. James Place and the old
Boardwalk just two steps above sea level.  He specialized in taffy.  One
night, after he closed his stand, a storm tide sprayed his stock with sea
water.  Opening the next morning, Bradley was dismayed to find his
merchandise in rather wet condition.  However, Boardwalk customers were
arriving so he decided to sell what was available.  A small child bought his
taffy.  Being honest, radley did not try to hide the work of the sea and
disconsolatedly said: "you mean salt water taffy."  The child returned to the
beach and spread the word about a "new Atlantic City candy."  (...)

Pg. 103:
   Bradley's failure to copyright the name "salt water taffy" led to a bitter
lawsuit in 1923 when John R. Edmiston of (Pg. 104--ed.)  Miami attempted to
corner the name by obtaining a trademark (No. 172,016) which would have
prohibited the Atlantic City firms from using the words in combination.  The
James brothers fought the action in court.
   Edmiston came to the resort in 1884 and obtained a stand from Captain John
L. Young at the Victoria Skating Rink.  His first business was writing cards.
 According to Edmiston's testimony in court, David Bradley applied for a job
at his stand and started selling taffy as a sideline.  Edmiston further
testified that he had dismissed Bradley for not attending to business and
shortly thereafter the sea water ruined what candy was left and he, Edmiston,
originated the whole salt water taffy idea.  Of course this doesn't agree
with the accepted legend.  Apparently the court thought the same way and the
James brothers won the case and salt water taffy stayed on the Boardwalk.
Edmiston lost his lease on the 'walk store to Fralinger and rented a place on
Atlantic Avenue.  He eventually disappeared from the resort picture.  Nicoli
C. Tripician, another early taffy maker, had a place on the 'walk between
Arkansas and Missouri avenues.

(Does the trademark number here help any?--ed.)