Salt Water Taffy and The New York Times, 1897-1939, 1985 (LONG)

[Kathleen E. Miller]

A quick run down of the Time's use:

The first, as Mr. Popik mentioned, was in an ad in 1897 - A Wanamaker's ad
to be precise. The next hit is a 1901 ad - Wanamaker's again. The third hit
is story about trying to describe mountains to a little girl who had never
seen them before and instead giving her candy - which she understood.
(8.18.1901).
Another Wanamaker's ad claiming they have their own candy factory and are
producing Salt Water Taffy in 1902.

Between 1904 and 1915 the only hit for SWT is in a review for a play called
"The Candy Store." The next hit is an ad from a place called Loft in 1916 -
selling 3lb $1.00 "vacation packages" with a "select assortment of
toothsome sweets" including salt water taffies. (BTW, what are "spiced
opera" and "burnt peanut butter"? - also among the assorted sweets in the
package.)

Wanamaker's again in 1921.

In 1924 this hit the classifieds:

"FOR SALE - ATLANTIC CITY SALT WATER taffy business; well established; name
registered U.S. Patent Office; annual turnover nearly $100,000; large
business by mail from inland clients... taffy made by secret process...
large profits have and still being made on Atlantic City salt water taffy... ."

The ad ran for 3 days from 2/26-2/28.

And get this, on 7/30/1923 Blue Laws forbidding the consumption of candy on
Lord's Day in Ocean City were "ameliorated today by the distribution of
1,000 boxes of salt water taffy..." by one John C. Funk, manager of the
Arcadia Restaurant.

There are several hits for candy salesmen in the classified ads. (one from
S.B. Goff & Sons, Co,. Camden, NJ).

Then in June 1925 Mrs. Fralinger dies - "wife of Joseph Fralinger of
Atlantic City, salt water taffy manufacturer."

Mr. Fralinger dies on 5/14/1927 "Salt Water Taffy King" victim of Apoplexy
at 79.

NORRISTOWN, Pa., May 13, - Joseph Fralinger, who made a million-dollar
business out of an Atlantic City Boardwalk novelty by manufacturing salt
water taffy on an extensive scale, died at his summer home, Rockhurst, in
Schenksville today in his eightieth year. He had suffered an apoplectic
stroke several weeks ago. Mr. Fralinger retired from business several years
ago. Though he was known as the "Salt Water Taffy King," the claim that he
was the originator of the taffy has been disputed. He was one of the first
to manufacture it, however, and did more than anybody else to popularize
it.  Mrs. Coughran of Ventor, N.J., his daughter, was with him at the end.
She and two grandchildren are the only survivors. The funeral services will
be held in Mr. Fralinger's home in Atlantic City."

[The Theodore Lapres problem - in his obit -- He married his "employers
daughter, Miss Nettie Fralinger,  in 1893" AND he "is survived by his
second wife, Mrs. Christine Fralinger cousin of his former employer." He
bought Fralinger's in 1902.  -- Divorce?]

The NY Times Obit for Edmiston reads pretty much the same as the one
previously posted but has no mention of the court case. He appears in 3
articles, his obit, the piece about the court case which Mr. Cohen posted
and another in April 1925 about an appeal to the Patent Office.

In 1985 - on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Fralinger's Mr.
Arthur H. Gager 3d - great-great-great grandnephew of J. Fralinger - told
Fred Ferretti of The NYT, "...the founder of the family business first took
note of taffy in a letter to a relative, written in 1883, in which the
candy was referred to as "Ocean Wave, "Sea Foam" and " Salt Water Taffy."

He then tells the story about the cart and a "northeaster hitting the
boardwalk" and the little girl asking, "is this saltwater taffy?" And says
a Mr. Cassidy or a Mr. Bradley, "nobody knows for sure" was the one with
the taffy stand.




Katy

Kathleen E. Miller
Research Assistant to William Safire
The New York Times