40d 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST* [December t, 1887. 
To the Editov of the " Ceylon Observer." 
ME. McCOMBIE MUBEAY'S EFFOBTS TO 
PUSH CEYLON TEA IN AMEEICA : 
HELP NEEDED. 
Office of the Ceylon Pure Tea & Coffee Company, 
9 North 13th St., Philadelphia, 6th Oct. 1887. 
Dear Sib, — We have had a long personal intetview 
with Mr. Finley Acker of this city, and may say, 
in a few words, that he is willing to place his 
channels at our service provided we are backed up 
by the planting community of Ceylon with a con- 
signment of tea to be given away as free samples 
in the city and suburbs. 
We can say no more now as mail closes, but will 
give you full particulars by next mail. 
We do trust that the planters will seize this, 
the best possible opportunity to assist us, in placing 
their teas on the market. Messrs. Finley Acker 
& Co. are the most powerful and enterprizing firm 
in Philadelphia, and if we have your assistance 
they will, in Mr. Acker's words, work it for all it 
is worth. We have been trying to get Mr. Acker 
over to this for some time back. Now that we 
have been successful in our purpose, we look to 
Ceylon to bring about the completion of our arrange- 
ments by a liberal contribution of tea with which 
to "boom" the city. — Yours very truly, 
J. M. MUEEAY & CO. 
Philadelphia, 8th Oct. 1887. 
Dear Sir, — We have now pleasure in enclosing a 
letter from Messrs. Finley Acker & Co. which shows 
that we have at length been fortunate enough in 
securing the interest of one first-class firm to take 
up Ceylon tea in earnest if the planters will show 
a little interest in our undertaking and assist us. 
We only regret that winter is so near at hand. 
People are already coming back for the season. 
The tea ought now to be on the way. Nevertheless, 
if a consignment were sent off straightaway, we 
are here to see Ceylon tea " boom'd " in this city 
in such a way as to force it upon public attention. 
As a powerful, enterprizing, and influential firm, 
Messrs. Finley Acker & Co. stand alone in this city. 
If there is a real desire among the planters to 
establish their teas in one great city in the United 
States, let them seize their opportunity now. 
We are glad to see substantial assistance given to 
Messrs, Shand, Haldane & Co., London. They, 
no doubt, require it at the hauds of their late 
fellow planters. We can sympathize with them as 
they with us. 
If, in a country where the people take so kindly 
to Ceylon tea, those gentlemen find it hard to 
make a business, what, do you suppose, have we 
to contend with where we have to introduce the 
Bame tea to a people quite unprepared for such a 
total change in flavour ? 
The writer would that he could stand in the 
midst of his brother planters once more as they 
assemble themselves together within the Library walls 
at Kandy. One hour there would be better than 
volumes of letter writing. It is hard, discouraging 
work here. We wish you to know it. We could 
make money by selling blended teas and leaving pure 
Ceylon out of the question, but we don't. Nor can 
we afford to wait for the assistance we ask. While 
we work we have to live, and to live we must be 
doing business. We have taken bold steps that 
Ceylon tea may be brought prominently before the 
public and that at the risk of our own livelihood. 
If we do not make enough headway during 
winter to keep us afloat, the " Kootee" Brand must 
die in its infancy for want of support from the 
mother country, the nurse in this country having no 
more milk to nourish it. The machinery for work- 
ing Ceylon tea into this market is in motion and 
must not be allowed to stop for want of driving power. 
What say you ? 
Now words won't keep the thing going. What is 
done at all must be done at once and we will do 
all we can to help. If anyone with authority will 
cable us to go on, we will to save time put 
out samples from our own stock provided our stock 
is replenished by the planters as soon as possible. 
Everything depends on prompt action during the 
month of December when people feel disposed to spend 
money and feed fat on the best of everything. As 
a representative tea we will put out a blend of a 
tea which cost Is 3d and a tea which cost 2s 3d 
per lb. in London. This will be some guide to the 
planters as to the tea we consider most suitable 
for this market. We have now said our say — we 
are prepared to continue the fight if provided 
with powder. 
We send yon a weekly publication received this 
morning. A reporter interviewed us last week about 
Ceylon tea at the request of their representative 
at Pittsburgh where an interest in our teas has 
apparently been awakened. The notes under the 
heading of Protection are scarcely in keeping 
with information given by the writer — 
who merely stated that it would not pay 
a Ceylon planter to send in adulterated teas or 
rubbish into the London market, as the result 
would, in all probability, be a change in the 
superintendent, and possibly severe criticism at the 
hands of the local press who jealously guard the 
name of their produce and very properly reprimand 
any defaulter who might send teas to London which 
would tend to damage the name of Ceylon as a 
tea-growing country. 
We have sent off two photos of our exhibits at 
the fair. On account of a strong light behind the 
exhibit, these photographs do little more than show 
that there was something there representing Ceylon. 
Unassuming as was our show, these photos in no way 
do us justice. There were other tea and coffee 
exhibits, but ours got the only diploma in the line. The 
President of the Agricultural Society congratulated us 
on our endeavours, and wished us every success in our 
undertaking. This exhibit, although it proved an 
excellent advertizing medium, cost us about $ 100 
more than we realized on sales of tea and coffee. 
Few came to the fair with the intention of buying, 
and giving away was so common that we had some 
difficulty in persuading that our packets were for 
sale, and that our cups, saucers and spoons were 
for the practical purpose of enabling those interested 
to taste our tea, and not, as many supposed, for free 
distribution as mementos or as samples of china- 
ware. — More anon. — Yours faithfully, 
J. M. MUEEAY & Co. 
Mr. J. McCombie Murray, Philadelphia. 
Dear Sir, — We are in receipt of your recent favour 
in relation to pushing the sale of Ceylon tea in Phila- 
delphia and America. In reply we would say that we 
have carefully tested the sample of tea which you 
kindly sent us and think that it has sufficient merit to 
warrant considerable effort, on the part of those who 
are directly interested, to push it. We think the 
most effectual way to do this is by the free distribution 
of samples, accompanied by appropriate advertizing 
matter. Should your tea friends in Ceylon see fit to 
send a good sized quantity of tea for the purpose of 
sampling, we will be glad to co-operate with you in 
getting them into the best places. Wo will also per- 
mit you to have the native, to whom you referred, 
appear in costume and give out cups of Ceylon tea in 
our establishment. In addition we are willing to make 
