C.O.C.A. Times

employed between 1 50 and 300 people. The only
solution was to sell off the assets of the company.
The inventory and machinery were sold to Bastian
Brothers, then the largest manufacturer of advertis-
ing buttons.
Innovation continue
Frank wasn't the only inventor in the family. In
January 1 901 , Henry flied a patent for a
,, ,,
metal case that carries a clear
kinship to that used in the
1
~·· • classic "long-case" pulver .1J¥..1.
,,
vendors. Interestingly, this
patent was flied the same day
- --"----"""
the Frank flied his patent for r-oi=":"-T.....-::.-r-'•
an improved mechanism for ;
~
, _@-____
the single column vendor.
• .:!....
By 1904, the Pulver company had been
reborn yet again at another location and was
now called the Pulver Chocolate and Chicle Co. Com-
petition grew, with the 1 905 city directory listing five
chewing gum makers including names familiar to
most collectors: TB Dunn, Chase Chicle, and the Lee-
White Vending Machine Company.
Despite the corporate turmoil, Henry shouldered on
filing two patents in 1 903 (granted in
1 904 and 1 906) to improve the
basic mechanism of the flagship
vendor and provide a three col-
rrr;J, umn option. The leadership of
the company seemed to have a
steadier hand on the fortunes
~~<¥'b,,...I
of the company, opening a
branch in Chicago (named Pul-
ver Chewing Gum & Chocolate
Company) , which would endure until 1918.
In 1908, the Rochester company changed
to Pulver Chocolate & Chicle Manufacturing Company.
the address suggests that Frank was off on another
corporate adventure, but hard evidence is lacking.
The Directory listing for 1 907 moves Frank to treas-
urer at the same address and this listing remains un-
changed until 1914, though the Continental Vending
Company is no longer listed in the business section
after 1 911 . State records show that it ceased op-
erations as a company, March 1 3, 1 926
The Continental Vending Company was the trade-
mark holder for "Di-Gesto " gum. Di-Gesto gum heav-
ily advertised in the local newspaper,
soliciting slogans and poems in a series
of contests in late 1 907 and early
1 908. Some of these offered the
princely sum of $25 for a winning
entry. Boys and girls could also
send for a 1 908 calendar located
on the company's mascot bear's
tummy. All of these trappings
suggest a healthy company, but
like so many of the enterprises that
Frank Pulver was associated with ,
there must have been trouble brewing.
A small article in the Rochester Democrat Chronicle
December 20, 1913, carries the
; WE AGAIMST LOCAL ·._ cryptic notice that none other
GOii ~SEID.ED than the chewing gum giant Wil-
Oblec:tlon11 by Wricl•F to liam Wrigley, Jr. had sued Di-
Pacluule EHecrive.
Gesto in 1 91 0 over a the color
aa ..... ••N b•rd '"'NJ ff,. •19
II At Utt Uh:• h• C.'clcu.,_117, •kit'~ Ml,I 1 ,
It :,..'n,
hen : and look of the Di-Gesto gum
91M i.. U1t W UB,un Wn,1,r, Ir .. C..· ,
l"' •r. •Illa ... 11a , Nl CldCQt .
. .
label. Wirgley had asked for
,l 1Ht• I,.,,,. ot Wllli6 • W r4J1'7. Jr .. bf
' N-1,...,..,. ill ""'9rn - ~ •r ,tt ritNI
$750,000 in damages but after
11M! l•fonu doo t . . t di• W ririf'J tv • -
! :::
=-~
~',:,~.:!!.r~
'°w
S
::;
3 years in court , the lawsuit was
..._, .. t ud •-"• • , w, Ot~
l,;4,1mpea,
•Wei,
~n, • f
1'r. w rwt.,
d.•w-d lhiilt th-,. . . . I 'dMI a.SCt •O
settled
for an undisclosed
t11r f lit 11t. ~ • bt -~
ut tll,:
Oi•I Ntll C..p.as, ff . . ,
llotbllft.-r
amount. Rumors had apparently
of , .. ·rw .... ~ c ...
I I ,...,
• Id 7ffl"'d&r lhl t th, ••rt ft 11.d
been ci rculating that Di-Gesto
bNa i ll ~fl ,.,.n., fnr Ol'f"lft JN1' It
, lcUlr au,,N 1ha t '11• !)1 ,lf'l't• C\'laPI.,.
1•k4t.J
,N
(or Continental Vending ?) was to
utf'Cl 117 \\'riah•f . n, Jlil •fCO 0;,a•
, 1 &&1, ~l 11 \11 .... l"4, wUl
W 8PII
P • IAI IMr Utt , . .. _,,. .. w~ Uaiiii
be
sold t o Wrigley. Despite the
I w,1,..,. o,,,,,-.,. obJ.,..._
'J'h Wrid., (»o,p - 111 1,- -
!Gt
or • • •' 11111,.....q•,
later statements of a biographe r
4,oll& N. 4
I ten ot for l a b• a 1 n lUoa oehfftff
tMIDUI N kl '--'
tJu,t tll•
is·
of
Frank Pulve r, no evidence for
-,.,wH t ot u 1
such a sale can be found.
One rem aining curiosity about the Di-
Gesto name persists. Despite the ties
to Continental Vending as trademark
owne r, only one example of a Di-Gesto
vending machine seems to have sur-
vived. This machine is magnificent.
Over 1 8 inches tall , glass-enclosed and
I
I
-
( 1t ('I0'7
W
MH 1 ~ ""'- hN
I UII
CC,\D1.,
~
" =
~ll•N
~ " "l'M)ftr
tokw . ~ .... .
~
1
f
1
Atk ed
•
1111,-
~
An enigmatic offshoot?
About the time the FF Pulver Company was implod-
ing, a new company made its appearance: the Cont i-
nental Vending Company , located at 90 Mill Street,
Rochester. State records indicate that the company
was incorporated March 20 , 1 906 . The 1 906 City
Directory lists Frank Pulver as " pres 90 Mill bds 1 26
Magnolia" but it does not indicate exactly wh at Frank
was now President of. Certainly the commonality of
ti 1t " '
&a &&bC
t' ttl~ Ult
6
MU.l11D u1
Ol l •
dkl M \
aaflil HIOUa.t