Marketing Toothpicks: Another Massachusetts Innovation

Charles Forster, of Charlestown, took toothpicks from whittled objects to mass manufacture through clever marketing: 

"To get toothpicks into restaurants, Forster hired Harvard men. After they had finished dining on Forster's dime at a local establishment, such as the Union Oyster House, they demanded wooden toothpicks. When they were told none were available, the students raised a ruckus and vowed never to eat there again. Naturally, when Forster came around some days hence, the restaurant manager purchased boxes of toothpicks to distribute to his customers." (Image:  Voodoo Toothpick Holder available from The Green Head)