MR. BRADLEY HAD AN ACCIDENT!
The Discovery and True Story of Salt Water Taffy

Once upon a time--way back in 1880 to be exact--an enterprising young man opened a candy stand facing the beach of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Even in those days, Atlantic City was a favorite summer resort of the East. True, it didn't have its million dollar piers, its magnificent hotels, its world-famous Boardwalk. But it did have its invigorating ocean breezes, its broad sandy beach, its vitalizing sun-shine. That's why thousands of people came here to bask and frolic in sunshine and surf...even in 1880. That's why, too, our young candy merchant opened his candy stand--for where the most people gather, the most business is done.

Our hero's name was David Bradley. His little candy stand was on the old Boardwalk--just two steps above sand level. One night, after he had closed his stand, a very generous tide (full moon, most likely) brought a lively surf which sprayed its white churn over his establishment and, ever so slightly, dampened his stock of candy. He specialized in taffy.

The next morning, Mr. Bradley was dismayed to find his merchandise "all wet"--so to speak. Needless to say, he opened his stand in very bad humor. His first customer was a pretty little girl who was very happy because she could buy candy. She asked for some taffy. Bradley sarcastically inclined, but still a witty individual, said, "You mean 'Salt Water Taffy' little sister."

The little girl returned to the beach. Chewing delightedly on a piece of taffy, she boasted , "This is 'Salt Water Taffy.' The man told me so!" By a co-incidence, Bradley's sister and mother overheard the remark. Later, the mother repeated the remark to Bradley and laughingly suggested that it would be a good name to capitalize. Bradley snorted, "Who would eat a candy saturated with ocean water?" His mother replied, "No, no...don't make it with ocean water, just use salt water and call it that."

During the following winter, candy makers were busy trying to develop a taffy that would hold up and not "go flat." They finally perfected a formula and the candy industry in general adopted it. Our friend Bradley, then in partnership with Mr. John Cassady (page Mother Machree), remembered the episode of the preceding summer, so when he opened for summer season, he had muslin signs lettered "Salt Water Taffy" to give distinction to his own candy. It caught the public's fancy in a mighty big way.

That summer, Messrs. Bradley and Cassady did a whole lot of business. But our friends were rather local-minded. They never dreamed that "Salt Water Taffy" might tickle the fancy and the palate of Ezra Parsons in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, or Mrs. Laura Nett of Back Bay, Boston, or of Colonel Ken Tucker away down South or any of their fellow citizens in far flung corners of the great and growing United States. Our gentle candy merchants didn't realize that visitors to Atlantic City came from all over the land--and when they returned home, they told and retold every detail of their trip "East" and raved on about the "marvelous candy called 'Salt Water Taffy'."

So, when the name and fame of this accidentally named candy was spreading from mouth to ear, no one, strange to say, ever undertook to copyright or protect this distinctive title for the world's finest taffy. In fact, it wasn't until twenty years later that a serious young man ever sought to improve the formula, shape, manufacture and wrapping of Salt Water Taffy.

So in 1905 (Teddy Roosevelt was President) another young man, determined to make a finer, a better Salt Water Taffy--entered the field. This young man's name was Enoch James. He had been making and selling Salt Water Taffy for years. He also sold candymaking machinery to confectioners. So he not only knew the candy business but he knew most everybody in it. When he settled down and concentrated on the development of a high-quality, standard "Salt Water Taffy," he captured the field. He swept hit-or-miss competitors from the market. People came to know that "Salt Water Taffy by James" was a guarantee to purity and quality, of honest manufacture.

Some of the things he did were startling. He developed a recipe for Salt Water Taffy that would not "pull out the teeth"--he did away with the stickiness that made the taffy and its wrapper inseparable--he introduced new, piquant flavors--he made a taffy that was smooth, rich and wholesome.

Not satisfied with these achievements, he revolutionized the entire process of manufacture. The kitchens of James' were spotless. The first automatic machinery which did away with perspiring hands to pull the taffy were installed. The operators in the plant were immaculate white uniforms--and those who wrapped and packed the taffy wore white sanitary gloves.

As time went on, James' continued to make improvements in his famous product. He was the first to adapt all automatic machinery for making, wrapping and packing Salt Water Taffy. The same principles, policies and progressive spirit which made this business the greatest of its kind in the world, still guides the manufacture of this pure, wholesome candy.

For many years James' has shipped thousands of pounds of Salt Water Taffy to all parts of the world. Today their mail order business is tremendous. People everywhere regularly send to Atlantic City for a supply of James' pure, fresh Salt Water Taffy. Visitors to this great resort send boxes to the "folks back home" and when they themselves return, they continue to order James' Salt Water Taffy. So the business grows.

James' make two kinds of Salt Water Taffy --the regular and the deliciously different Chocolate-Covered Salt Water Taffy. Both are the finest candy money can buy. The regular Salt Water Taffy is carefully packed in neat "tray-packed" boxes. For easy selection, the flavor is on the wrapper. The Chocolate Covered Taffy is beautifully wrapped in a special foil and packed in a smart, attractive box which makes a wonderful gift or remembrance.