I was playing cards recently and commented on how much I love caramel corn, as my friends and I munched on it companionably. Somehow that segued into talk of Cracker Jack. As a kid, I loved the taste of the stuff, but the best part was finding a delicious peanut with its conjoined sibling--a fluffy piece of popcorn. The woman across from me said, “Well, I liked the PRIZE!”
Of course! How could I have forgotten those perfect little trinkets which were just the right size for play? I remember a blue pony on its own stand, a little silver whistle, an elf-sized pair of scissors, and a set of twisted metal thingamabobs hooked together—a puzzle I couldn’t seem to solve.
For more details, I consulted my trusty advisor, the internet. It seems a German immigrant named Frederick William Rueckheim marketed the sticky delicacy from a cart on Chicago’s streets. Eventually It became so popular, he brought his brother to America for help and they founded the company, Rueckheim & Brother. The word about the fabulous concoction spread as they sold it at the 1893 World’s Fair. Soon they had the name “Cracker Jack,” uttered by one of their salesmen after he tasted it. At the time, that was the ultimate compliment.
So the product name and its slogan, “The more you eat, the more you want,” earned a trademark in 1896. While the brothers were the production experts, it was their company’s new partner, Henry Gottlieb Eckstein, who came up with that sealed, waxed box we all remember. Since similar items were sold loose from tins or bags, that box was considered a marketing breakthrough. How clever! Now the molasses-based treat could be marketed country-wide.
And about that box: did you like the cheery little sailor boy on the red, white and blue box? He was known as Sailor Jack, accompanied by his dog Bingo. Legend has it that he was modeled after Rueckheim’s grandson, who died at age 7 from pneumonia.
The product got another boost in sales when one Jack Norworth wrote the famous song, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” including the lines, “Buy me some peanuts and Crackerjack. I don’t care if I EVER get back.” I only saw one live baseball game in my life and found it long and boring, but the peanuts and Cracker Jack made it bearable. Heaven knows I visited the Snack Bar enough!
Nowadays, the little prize and its box are long gone, victims of increased costs and labor shortages. Somehow the piddling amount in those current little bags, with a QR code for some sort of game, just aren’t the same. I’m glad this Old School type had a chance to experience Sailor Jack and his delicious product first-hand. It was the cat’s meow or “Cracker jack!”
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