The late Mr* James Spratt 



225 



Department of the Royal Navy. The business was sold to a Mr. 

 Edward Wylan ; he transferred the offices and works to Bermondsey, 

 appointed Mr. Charles Cruft chief traveller, opened up the 

 trade throughout the country and who later became Manager. 

 Eventually Mr. Wylan turned the concern into a Limited Company, 

 and from such small 

 beginnings has arisen 

 the factory, which, I 

 am told, turns out 

 hundreds of tons of 

 feeding stuffs for 

 dogs, game, and 

 poultry, and which 

 has since developed 

 into colossal propor- 

 tions. 



Mr. James Spratt 

 always kept it a secret 

 as to the meat used 

 in the manufacture 

 of the dog biscuits, 

 and even after he 

 had disposed of his 

 business to the com- 

 pany, now known as 

 "Spratt's Patent, 

 Ltd.," he kept in his 

 own hands the con- 

 tract for supplying 



the meat, and I believe this continued to the time of his death, 

 in 1878. 



I am indebted to the courtesy of a friend (one of Mr. James Spratt's 

 first customers) for the materials of this slight sketch of one who, 

 if not actually numbered amongst Doggy People, was intimately 

 connected with very many of them ; and from the same source I 

 am able to give a portrait of Mr. James Spratt, which I believe 

 has never before been made public, and I think may be interesting 

 to some of my readers in the ranks of Doggy People. 



THE LATE MR. JAMES SPRATT 



