Take Me Out to the Ball Game

 

QUESTION: One of the fondest memories I have from my childhood was going to an amusement park and the circus and buying a box of Cracker Jacks. Even though I loved eating the caramel corn inside, I was more excited to see what the surprise toy was hidden within. As I grew older and frequented flea markets, I noticed some of these little toys in glass cases with other small objects. I started buying them and now have quite a collection. I’d really like to know more about the origin of Cracker Jacks and when and where the idea of the toy inside originated.

ANSWER: Did you know that Cracker Jacks have had over 17 million little toys inside their boxes since 1912?

The Cracker Jack story began when a young German immigrant. Fritz W. Rueckheim, went to Chicago to help clean up debris from the Great Fire of 1871. With only $200 in his pocket, he and partner William Brinkmeyer started selling popcorn from a one popper stand. They made their popcorn by hand, using steam equipment. Sales were brisk, and in 1873 Fritz bought out Brinkmeyer and brought his brother, Louis, from Germany to join in his venture, forming the company F.W. Rueckheim & Brother to manufacture "Popcorn Specialties." 

Two years later business was better than ever, so they added marshmallows and other confections to their popcorn specialties. Between 1875 and 1884. The Rueckheim brothers moved their company five times, doubling and quadrupling their manufacturing space as demand for the confections increased.

But the Rueckheim brothers weren’t the first to make sugar-coated popcorn mixed with peanuts. The manufacture and sale of sugar-coated popcorn in America dates as far back as the early 19th century. 

The Rueckheim Brothers produced a new recipe including popcorn, peanuts, and molasses, and first presented it to the public at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. And though he confection was a smashing success, garnering international acclaim from the fair goers,  the molasses of this early version was too sticky. 

In 1896, Louis discovered a method to separate the kernels of molasses-coated popcorn during the manufacturing process. As each batch mixed together in a cement-mixer-like drum, Fritz added a small quantity of oil which became a closely guarded trade secret. Before this change, the mixture had been difficult to handle, because it stuck together in chunks.

That same year, a salesman munching on the snack exclaimed, "'That's a cracker jack!” which was a popular saying of that time meaning it was really good. Fritz took those two words and coined the name Cracker Jack .He also adopted as a slogan from this comment from a satisfied customer: “The more you eat, the more you want.” He registered both the name and the slogan that same year.

In 1899, Henry Gottlieb Eckstein developed the "waxed sealed package" for freshness, known then as the "Eckstein Triple Proof Package", a dust-, germ-, and moisture-proof paper package. He joined the brothers. Later, he developed a moisture-proof package that retained the crispness. freshness. and flavor of the delectable confection. Now the treat could be sold in handy boxes. setting the stage for distribution off Cracker Jack nationally. In 1902, brothers reorganized their company as Rueckheim Bros. & Eckstein.

But what catapulted Cracker Jack to fame nationwide was the release of the song, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", written by the lyricist Jack Norworth and composer Albert Von Tilzer in 1907. To this day, the lyric “Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack” still echoes throughout ballparks. 

Beginning in 1910, Cracker Jack offered consumers an additional enticement, with coupons that could be redeemed for p. A rare 116-page postcard-sized catalog of over 300 desirable articles is one of the most sought after collector’s items by Cracker Jack collectors.

But it was in 1912 that Fritz dropped the coupons and introduced a prize in every box. The Idea was an immediate success. In addition to a lot of fun for kids, Cracker Jack prizes have been a reflection of history, manufacturing processes. entertainment, and popular culture in miniature.

Cracker Jack originally included a small "mystery" novelty item referred to as a "Toy Surprise" in each box. Early "Toy Surprises" included rings, plastic figurines, booklets, stickers, temporary tattoos, and decoder rings. Books have been written cataloging the prizes, and a substantial collector's market exists.

In 1914, Cracker Jack included the first of two baseball card issues, which featured players from both major leagues as well as players from the short-lived Federal League.

Until 1937, Cracker Jack toy prizes were made in Japan. From 1938, Carey Cloud designed them. Tootsie Toy, which made Monopoly game markers, also produced many metal toys for Cracker Jack, During World War II, the prizes were made of paper.

Cracker Jack's mascots Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo were introduced as early as 1916. and registered as a trademark in 1919. Fritz modeled Jack after Robert Rueckheim, grandson of Frederick. Robert, the son of the eldest of the Rueckheim brothers, Edward, died of pneumonia shortly after his image appeared at the age of 8. The sailor boy image acquired such meaning for the founder of Cracker Jack that he had it carved on his tombstone, which can still be seen in St. Henry's Cemetery in Chicago. He based Sailor Jack's dog Bingo on a real-life dog named Russell, a stray adopted in 1917 by Henry Eckstein, who demanded that the dog be used on the packaging. Russell died of old age in 1930. Sailor Jack and Bingo have appeared on Cracker Jack boxes with only slight modification since 1918.

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