C.O.C.A. Times
Issue: 2009-July - Vol 11 Num 2 - Page 10
Influenced by the New York tabloids Pulver had seen
during his travels, on March 6, 1925 , Pulver created a
newspaper, The Daily Ne ws, located at 102 Second St.
N. The first edition included 32 pages of syndicated
features, wire news, real estate " readers " and "good-
will" copy, and paid advertising. Pulver regularly
used the tabloid to attack police and city officials.
The police escorted Pulver's reporters from the sta-
tion every day. Pulver's newspaper cost 3 cents a
copy (or $6 for an annual subscription), and though
it boasted of the largest circulation in Pinellas
County, the paper folded after little more than a
year, $200,000 in the red.
In the late 1920s, Frank tried to get the city's wa-
ter supply switched to Weeki Wachee Springs (in
which he had a part ownership). While the effort
failed (the city went with Cosme-Odessa) the de-
bates, white suit and all, were apparently crowd
pleasers.
Frank Pulver ran afoul of the Federal government in
1936. He was charged with income tax evasion and
the federal government's attempted to collect
$20,000 in back taxes. It is said that Frank Pulver
smiled and told a reporter "It puts me in a class with
Andrew Mellon and J.P. Morgan, - It's the highest
compliment that could be paid me."
At age 65, Frank Pulver was not done inventing. In
his last patent, flied in 1936, Frank took the idea of
an animated vendor and combined it with
.F _,,:g.1 .
the then popular Mickey Mouse who had
appeared in his first color movie (The
Band Concert) the year before, to create
the Chic-a-Berry vendor. Completely
unauthorized by Walt Disney Company, :~--
the patent was assigned to Alliance In-
vestment Corporation of Genesco, New
York (30 miles south of Rochester).
Whether it was the effects of war, avail-
ability of quality gum or the ill advised use
of a copyrighted figure, the Chic-a-Berry _____ ,
them right. " When asked, he said "I had an uncle
that lived to be 1 03. I don't expect to get that old.
You see , he didn't travel as fast as I have."
The Pulver Company was a victim of rising sugar
costs, increased competition and a popula-
tion that was familiar with the rapidly
becoming dated vendors. The company
had been hit hard during World War II by
restrictions on metal usage and gasoline
rationing which made it difficult for its
sales force to travel from location to lo-
cation to service the machines. The
company had gone from a high point of
1 00 employees down to 3 5 at the time of
its sale. In its heyday, the company had
more than 50,000 of its iconic machines
on location around the country and took in
over $ 1,000,000 annually in penny sales.
The assets of the company were sold October 26,
1 954. The firm of I. Shoolman & Associates oversaw
the liquidation of the company. This included all of
its manufacturing equipment, patents, parts, trade-
marks, tools, catalogues, blueprints
AUCTION
and other business records. The
PULVH coM,ANY, INC.
Pulver building at 53 Canal Street
w, wm ..
PUILIC AUCTION
was finely sold on September 8,
1955, to Perry T. Sweet and his
wife Gladys who would use it as a
warehouse for the firm Frenchman
& Sweet, Inc. which operated a fur-
niture and appliance business in
Rochester. The final sale price for
Thi• h the Pulv•r Compcu1y, l11c., plant
located at 53 Cc111ol StrHt, Roci..ster, N. Y.
the building was $32,000.
Brackett H. Clark was president at
the time of the company's closing, W. Dewey
Crittenden was Vice President, Secretary was Donald
R. Clark, and the treasurer was S. Burdette Burne.
The last two employees were Lillian F. Lussier, book-
keeper, and Fred P. Coffee who had been the long-
time superintendent of the company.
Frank Fortune Pulver died in 1955 at his home in St.
Petersburg, Florida. He was 84 years old. It is ru-
mored that the ghost of Frank Fortune Pulver can be
seen looking out of the windows on the second floor
of the St. Petersburg City Hall, although that building
was not built until 1 939 , years after Pulver left of-
fice. Maybe he's just looking for someone to join the
party and have a stick of gum.
11 et
4
vendor never became a commercial success , with a
limited number surviving to today.
The end of an epoch
Frank Pulver lived long enough to see the end of the
Pulver vending company 1954. At age 80, he was
still actively running his laundry business and follow-
ing is credo, "Get things done, hire good men , treat
10
during his travels, on March 6, 1925 , Pulver created a
newspaper, The Daily Ne ws, located at 102 Second St.
N. The first edition included 32 pages of syndicated
features, wire news, real estate " readers " and "good-
will" copy, and paid advertising. Pulver regularly
used the tabloid to attack police and city officials.
The police escorted Pulver's reporters from the sta-
tion every day. Pulver's newspaper cost 3 cents a
copy (or $6 for an annual subscription), and though
it boasted of the largest circulation in Pinellas
County, the paper folded after little more than a
year, $200,000 in the red.
In the late 1920s, Frank tried to get the city's wa-
ter supply switched to Weeki Wachee Springs (in
which he had a part ownership). While the effort
failed (the city went with Cosme-Odessa) the de-
bates, white suit and all, were apparently crowd
pleasers.
Frank Pulver ran afoul of the Federal government in
1936. He was charged with income tax evasion and
the federal government's attempted to collect
$20,000 in back taxes. It is said that Frank Pulver
smiled and told a reporter "It puts me in a class with
Andrew Mellon and J.P. Morgan, - It's the highest
compliment that could be paid me."
At age 65, Frank Pulver was not done inventing. In
his last patent, flied in 1936, Frank took the idea of
an animated vendor and combined it with
.F _,,:g.1 .
the then popular Mickey Mouse who had
appeared in his first color movie (The
Band Concert) the year before, to create
the Chic-a-Berry vendor. Completely
unauthorized by Walt Disney Company, :~--
the patent was assigned to Alliance In-
vestment Corporation of Genesco, New
York (30 miles south of Rochester).
Whether it was the effects of war, avail-
ability of quality gum or the ill advised use
of a copyrighted figure, the Chic-a-Berry _____ ,
them right. " When asked, he said "I had an uncle
that lived to be 1 03. I don't expect to get that old.
You see , he didn't travel as fast as I have."
The Pulver Company was a victim of rising sugar
costs, increased competition and a popula-
tion that was familiar with the rapidly
becoming dated vendors. The company
had been hit hard during World War II by
restrictions on metal usage and gasoline
rationing which made it difficult for its
sales force to travel from location to lo-
cation to service the machines. The
company had gone from a high point of
1 00 employees down to 3 5 at the time of
its sale. In its heyday, the company had
more than 50,000 of its iconic machines
on location around the country and took in
over $ 1,000,000 annually in penny sales.
The assets of the company were sold October 26,
1 954. The firm of I. Shoolman & Associates oversaw
the liquidation of the company. This included all of
its manufacturing equipment, patents, parts, trade-
marks, tools, catalogues, blueprints
AUCTION
and other business records. The
PULVH coM,ANY, INC.
Pulver building at 53 Canal Street
w, wm ..
PUILIC AUCTION
was finely sold on September 8,
1955, to Perry T. Sweet and his
wife Gladys who would use it as a
warehouse for the firm Frenchman
& Sweet, Inc. which operated a fur-
niture and appliance business in
Rochester. The final sale price for
Thi• h the Pulv•r Compcu1y, l11c., plant
located at 53 Cc111ol StrHt, Roci..ster, N. Y.
the building was $32,000.
Brackett H. Clark was president at
the time of the company's closing, W. Dewey
Crittenden was Vice President, Secretary was Donald
R. Clark, and the treasurer was S. Burdette Burne.
The last two employees were Lillian F. Lussier, book-
keeper, and Fred P. Coffee who had been the long-
time superintendent of the company.
Frank Fortune Pulver died in 1955 at his home in St.
Petersburg, Florida. He was 84 years old. It is ru-
mored that the ghost of Frank Fortune Pulver can be
seen looking out of the windows on the second floor
of the St. Petersburg City Hall, although that building
was not built until 1 939 , years after Pulver left of-
fice. Maybe he's just looking for someone to join the
party and have a stick of gum.
11 et
4
vendor never became a commercial success , with a
limited number surviving to today.
The end of an epoch
Frank Pulver lived long enough to see the end of the
Pulver vending company 1954. At age 80, he was
still actively running his laundry business and follow-
ing is credo, "Get things done, hire good men , treat
10
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).