now occupied by the Minto Company Inc. (The Minto
Company Inc. lasts only until 1915.)
After the closure of Di-Gesto gum in 191 3, Frank
Pulver lists an office address that does not match up
with any associated with the then existent 7 chewing
gum manufacturers or the single vending machine
company (Ryede Specialty Works) doing business in
Rochester. Frank continues to use this address until
1 91 7, when he lists only a home address and he be-
gins an even more flamboyant phase of his life.
glistening white porcelain, it proudly displays its
product for all to see. The machine features two
coin entries with a single actuator to deliver the
product. The mechanism is simple and smoothly
working - all the attributes that
should have lead to commercial suc-
cess. Why, then, did the company
fail and so little evidence of its exis-
tence survive? Was it the impact of
the lawsuit? Most likely that con-
tributed to the final undoing of the
company, but since it was flied in
1910, the company should have been well estab-
lished by that time. Was it yet another problem with
management struggles? Given Frank Pulver's pen-
chant for management fights and a short corporate
attention span, this seems a plausible speculation.
Whatever the reason, Continental Vending and the
Di-Gesto name represent a mysterious twist to a
story that becomes even more unusual as it unfolds.
The Pulver Company goes on
In 1 91 5, the Pulver Chocolate and Chicle Manufac-
turing Company made the last corporate name
change it would have, becoming simply the Pulver
Company, Inc. In 1917, George W. Wilson was listed
as the manager of the company, being replaced in
1 920 by lrl E. LaGrange. LaGrange remained the
manager until 1926. In 1927, Stuart Burdette Burne
assumed the role of Treasurer and
General Manager of the company and
remained in that role until the closing
of the company in October, 1954.
/ ''l /
Burne is the individual responsible for ,
the patent on the classic Pulver two-
column clockwork vendors which
have become a part of every collec-
tor's collection or want list. Made in A-r_~-=-.::::.~+eT,.~~S'9--Yllll
white, brown, yellow, green (light and :
dark), blue, and the classic red, these
machines were sturdy and reliable.
With their animated figures they
consistently attracted the pennies of several genera-
tions of patrons.
George H. Clark, who was also a Vice President of
Eastman Kodak, was President of the company with
James Johnson (former Comptroller of the City of
Rochester and an insurance broker) as Secretary,
Robert Y. Myers, Vice President, and Earnest E.
Whitehead corporate attorney. These five made up
the board of directors. Under the new leadership, the
Pulver company flourished.
In 1 928, the company had a national presence and
the net profits of the company reached over
$55 ,000. (The equivalent of $660,000 in 2007 dol-
lars.) With assets of over almost $400,000 ($4.8
million in 2007) the company declared a $6.00 divi-
dend to its shareholders. This was the largest of any
Pulver without a Pulver
From 1909 to 1914, the Pulver Chocolate and
Chicle Manufacturing Company enjoyed a period of
apparent stability, but without a Pulver on the Board.
The 1908 City Directory, just before the Pulver cor-
porate name change, no longer lists Henry as Treas-
urer for the company and, in the 1909 listing, it lists
him as "jeweler 69 Clinton av S h at W Henrietta."
Later accounts indicate that both Frank and Henry
sold their interests in the Pulver company in 1909.
After the 1909 listing, Henry does not appear in the
Rochester directories again until 1 91 2. At this t ime
he is listed as "gum mfr 90 Mill," the same address as
no longer listed Continental Vending, but also the
same address used for the first listing of the Comp-
ton Gum Company. (This is also the same address
used for Frank Pulver and his listing as treasurer.) To
add to the confusion, in the 1 91 2 directory, there is
an entry under gum manufacturers that reads "Pul-
ver, Herbert H, 90 Mill." This is most likely a typo-
graphical error for Henry Harris because the 1 91 3
listing appears to correct the error by listing Henry as
a gum manufacturer at the Compton Gum Co. ad-
dress. Just when we thought we had it figured out,
the final listing for Henry H. Pulver occurs the next
year ( 1 914) that cryptically lists Henry as "removed
to W. Henrietta" and Compton Gum Co. address is
7