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Callustro Company Stock Certificate [128457]

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Stock & Bond - Mining Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 200.00 USD
Callustro Company Stock Certificate  [128457]
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Issued to William H. Little on August 23, 1900, for one hundred shares in the Callustro Company. Green ink on orange paper. Extremely rare.



In 1885, Emma Eels of Calistoga, CA discovered clay on her property that was free of grit and smoothness yet left a powdery residue. Brushing the residue from her hands, she saw the powder had readily polished her wedding ring.

Taking more pieces of this substance into her kitchen, she attempted to clean and polish her silver, glass and jewelry. Everything glistened immediately.

She then tried scouring the counters and floors and found this clay had removed all dirt and stains easily. Even though Eels was very excited by her discovery, as were the many lady friends with whom she shared her discovery, she was in mourning over the untimely death of her husband, the Rev. James Eels.With seven of the women closest to her, Emma Eels established and incorporated the Callustro Co. for the manufacturing and marketing of “the greatest cleaning preparation in the world.”

Mining began and a large three-story mill was built on her property. Enough initial shares were sold at $1 apiece to put $100,000 into their treasury.

Even though she and her partners had not yet developed a plan to pay dividends to the stockholders, Callustro (“Cal” for Calistoga and “lustro” for luster) was launched.

The raw substance was mined, delivered by wagon loads and dumped into the top floor where a brick furnace was used for drying. It was then passed along to a crusher, which had a capacity of 1 1/2 tons per hour, descending to a second-floor pulverizer, then down to a worm conveyance system to separate the powder into four grades — from very fine for polishing powder to coarse for use as a degreasing soap for mechanics. The final product was then packaged and labeled for shipment.







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Provenance: Ken Prag Collection