Where can you find information about the Leaf Gum Company?

Answer 1

I do believe this company still exists in the Chicago suburbs. The Chicago Plant on Cicero near Division moved sometime in the 1980's. To my understanding, the building no longer exists. Answer I don't know where Leaf Gum was located. However, it's famous for being sold as "Card-O". For a penny you got a wrapped slab of gum and a beautiful airplane card. This was in 1942 and later. Because of the war and its lack of chicle for civilian use plus the rationing of sugar, most kids, after they'd bought Card-O three or four times, wouldn't bother chewing the gum, which was probably the worst gum in history (during WWII, anyway), since it had absolutely no flavor, and just keep the card. Later, Card-O added U.S. warships. This was probably in 1943, and it's possible that by then they didn't even include the gum, but I can't vouch for that. Best, Richard O'Brien Answer Hi! Folks: Let it be known; I used to work there and have an excellent memory (photo graphic) I may say. It has been 30 plus years. I can relate any thing from managment to mechanical through delegation of authority that managed production workers. From the machine shop to Gum base and how they would spot check to determine "SHRINKAGE" theft of product. They also hired many "DP's" displaced persons from Europe, Germans, Polish, Egypt'ans,(one Paul NaHabidian ran the dept. that put chocolate on Whoppers. He was good, he could sense the right air conditions to keep the "Pans" from clumping.) Lithuanians and Italians Lots of Italians in the PAN depts. Hard coat, soft coat, non pareils reminded me of the seven drawfs, often times family members of existing employees. FACT!! In the center of every TRUE Jaw Breaker is a single grain of sugar!!! That has been added to with thin syrup, in multi colored layers. Leaf some times bought jaw Breaker starts from Mellville Confections out in Melrose Park centers buildt up to 1/4", later they just started with a small gum ball. They had a certain presense of Jews of which I am one. Others Sol Shankman, Martin Leaf, Si Snitcher, Alvan Crueckshank. They hired a lot of Blacks from the community; names that stick with me "Benny from Leaflet dept. printing the chocolate onto traveling belt. First step to making there product "Leaflet" knock off on M&M or their own product "Sixlet", he was an over see'r he also worked in Mr. Freeze." Chester Tabis was Mechanic in Mr.Freeze Dept.. Mathias Polliac Mechanic on Austedt Making Rollo Product(both of these boys were Polish) some labeled as "Bunny Play Boy Chocolate".Paul Peacock was the Chocolate EXPERT in charge of Tempering Chocolate so it would shine when ejected from the Tin molds onto the enrober belt prior to being wrapped infoil thence overwrapped with presentation label. Buy a "ROLLO" Look at it. The chocolate came from Bloomer Mfg and had to be processed. This was a large plant, strictly production minded, not a place for kids to take a tour. Other blacks I remember Masiel Thomas Packer on the Ten Ball; that was ten 120 count Whoppers in a Poly-Bonded to Cellophane Tube. That was one -One legged man at the ass kicking contest operation, to try to make a wage-plus bonus on. She would fall behind and Harry Frosdick and I would pull product from some secret pallet drop non labled and allow it to be dated that day and credited to her ticket. We had an operator on that machine that could produce 300% but she would only be able to bonus out at 175% so we kept surplus on Pallets Marked with a Health inspectors hold ticket for emergencys. LEAF BRANDS was a living breathing BIG-DOG in production of candy for vending and Kid point of interest purchases, the strips of non parted off cello wrap hanging from pins at the discount stores was for kid appeal and cost more than a nickle, Leaf was into small change sales and they also knew how to rack up major contracts. 40 foot truck and rail car loads at a time. Information related here is just a "SMIDGE". I could write a book and 500 pages of small print would not cover it. Ask me about any dept., any machine, promotions, pay-offs, how certain people were awarded with "CUSH JOBS". Companies they had bought out, Government Candy, Rations going to the Army that Jingled in your pack so giving your position away. Mil-KO Cone product how it was bought out as a company and promoted and it being about 95% refeed from their wafer dept Running gangs of Vickers ovens , it could not be refed it was to dark, so becoming the product you pay extra for at the Ice Cream Stand. Commonly called a sugar cone. The owners had their fingers in a lot of Honey-Pots. If the truth be known their production may have exceeded Brachs. This was the best job I ever had, it taught me much, once I was given a second chance by Martin Leaf, because I had broken the company rule of not being nice to a most common employee that screwed up causing a machine wreck."That caused me a chewing out and Mr. Frosdick to fall behind in production." These people were fair and polite to the employees. Martin gave me a leave of absense so I might work with an insurance collector, in the neighborhoods where the Blacks called home, so I could learn compassion for people struggling to earn a living. To the guy who says the gum has no flavor; some didn't but the PAL bubble gum did, I had to ask what the flavor was. Spearmint. How about Hot-Dog bubble gum. One of the noisest machines in the plant pounded and tore it into shape. A true 24 hr a day pick it up and put it down. They had more than 100 products, large warehouses and dock facilities and a machine shop that had cornered the market on the MOGUL mixer for gum base. Yes 500 pages of very small print will not cover the experience. cmv Answer The building STILL exists, But the factory moved to I believe Bannockburn, A far NW suburb of Chicago. free-monitoring.ru