Interestingly, listed as an additional
: ? : i
I " 2 '
director, was Charles V. Chase, who
would leave the company in 1 902, to
found his own competing Case Manu-
facturing Company (in Rochester), that
also made vending machines. Patents
flied by Case in 1903 and 1 904 show a
striking similarity to those of the Pul-
vers and may reflect a less than amica-
ble separation from the company. It
may have also foreshadowed a theme
ll
,
of fractious management that would
Charles Case's
vendor patent
haunt the company again in the fu-
filed in 1903.
ture.
Despite having opened a branch of-
fice in Kansas City, Missouri, there may have been
problems with the young company. On July 30 ,
1902, the Pulver Company reorganized as the Pulver
Chemical Manufacturing Company, capitalized at the
then staggering amount of $150,000 (>$3.5 million
today) and with five corporate directors. Henry was
one of the listed directors (secretary and treasurer),
but conspicuous in his absence is Frank Pulver.
The next year, the Pulver Chemical Company made
its appearance in the directory noting the brothers as
principals and a listing an address of 25 Water Street.
Frank was now also listed as a publisher and Henry
retained his listing as an optician. Frank had moved
his home (he appears to have rented for most of his
life) to 96 Adams Street, one of several moves he
would make over the next few years (five times in
the just the next five years).
In 1897, Frank applied for a patent on the iconic
single column vendor that was the fore-
runner of all the later "Pulver" ma-
chines. This patent (#625,803) was
granted on May 30, 1 899, and as-
signed to his brother Henry. The
granting of this patent gave the
new company the boost it needed.
In a 1933 advertisement Pulver
would boast that "The Pulver Yellow
Kid machine was the first automatic
penny chewing gum vendor ever pro-
duced in the United States."
Frank's spearmint gum didn't sell
well because chewing gum was still a
new product without the wide accep-
tance if would later achieve. A later biography de-
scribes a turning point when an acquaintance by the
name of Kenny, who was a reporter, helped Pulver
stage a public relations coup. The reporter staged
Pulver's arrest on a street corner. The charge: giving
gum to orphans. The stunt provided the needed pub-
licity and soon Pulver's vending machines were dis-
pensing the penny-a-piece sticks in volume.
The new venture
The 1 902 City Directory helps to cast some light on
the missing Frank Pulver: He had moved
to the production of celluloid advertising
novelties with a new name (FF Pulver
Company) and a new business address.
Marked as Pulveroid, Pulver created
bookmarks and advertising buttons that
competed directly with the large manu-
facturer, Whitehead and Hoage, and
.... ,... ___
·-·····•'"·"
... _· ... .,
even patented a perpetual calendar.
W
Growth and change
HYJIIOTM ... _ t •
~1\1......,._
.. --..11.
--
. _ . i . , . . '
Pulver was the main stockholder of the
The turn of the century brought optimism to the
new company, but soon got into a major
city and the Pulvers seemed pleased with the pro-
fight with the directors.
gress of their young company with Frank now listing
According to contemporary accounts,
himself as President of the company, with Henry
a....., h «-•,
Pulver and two other members of the
listed as Secretary and Treasurer. While Frank con-
board squared off against the other two
tinued to list a publishing business (at a separate ad-
board members in a fight over control of the com-
dress), Henry had abandoned his role as optician to
pany. The fight was so contentious that the com-
concentrate on the chemical business. The January
• ·- - • --- - -
•
! any was placed in the
26 t h edition of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle i
i DIR.~CTOI\S AR'£ AT ODD&
d f
·
·
an s o a receiver in
announced the incorporation of the new company
Troubl. 111 lh• F. F. l'ulv•r Cv11111•n1-
905. At the time
with a capital stock of $50,000 (the equivalent of
'Sh••m•l'lt ,., Pt-14,111,
he receiver took
over $1,230,000 today).
ft ~ 1"111!,>Y••d -•~• ••~
af'lnl"ll,ll
• •~•• I' •· l"llh.,r ~- ••1• 11~ . 111•a~r.,·n,ro" •. r
ver, the company
" PUlVIEROID" S,9,.-,
etc
5