As we get older we all have things that pop up in our "heads" and we wonder --- "What was the real story?"
"Googling" brought some details of an old story percolating in my mind from time to time. The story that I had in mind was somewhat "garbled". "Googling" took off some of the mystery. Now I can tell the story, leaving out most of the false parts of the tale.
It seems that the "Ross Food Company" manufactured a "breakfast biscuit" so closely resembling Shredded Wheat that the latter company sued, -and after about 5 years, won.
In the meantime Scott Perky dreamed up another form. The fabric of the"muffet" had a similar consistency to shredded wheat, but was circular, -about 4"in diameter and 1 1/2 inches thick. and cookie-like in shape. Things were going well and Mr. Perky wanted to expand. He already had about 40 people employed at that time.
On 29 September 1925 the plans came to a violent end when fire started in the elevator shaft of the manufacturing site and spread rapidly to the wooden building leading to total destruction.
" What's that got to do with you, Grandpa? "
" Well, one of my earliest memories is of tall, massive, wild red and yellow flames with black skeletons of wood moving back and forth in the flames beyond the trees in the foreground. That was "the Muffet
fire" in my memory.
We were out on Walnut Street and my stepfather was mentioning that the fire might be a result of a legal battle. As an insurance man he was very conscious of that possibility. -- To my knowledge no arson was proven, nor was the possibility explored with legal actions considered.
So much for "the muffet fire". I presume there is no more to the story. What do you think?
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