, which extends back nearly 100 years. It began with a former cigar salesman and a real estate broker. There is a connection to New England. And there was a significant embezzlement which rocked the Orange Julius company, yet it hasn't received its due attention from prior researchers on the history of Orange Julius.
The Orange Julius is a frothy citrus drink, basically a mixture of ice, orange juice, and secret food powders. The exact recipe is a corporate secret, although you can find plenty of different recipes online to make your own Orange Julius at home. I've loved Orange Julius since I was a child, commonly buying them at local malls, and I still enjoy them, although now I have to go to certain Dairy Queen stores to buy it.
At that point, one of the creators, Julius Fried, was deceased, so we are left with only a single version of its invention. Can we accept all of the details of that version? Does it conform to the known facts? Or was it embellished, for whatever reason? We also have to consider that after 30 years, memory can fade or details can be confused. We may never know the full truth, but information concerning an embezzlement may shine a new light onto this matter.
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Let's begin by looking into the history of Julius Fried. He was born on February 7, 1880 in Cleveland, Ohio. His mother was Mina (or Minnie) Fried, although the name of his father was listed as "Unknown" on Julius' death certificate. I'll also note that a number of modern sources refer to him as "Julius Freed", although "Fried" appears to be his actual surname.
On May 30, 1895, when Julius was 15 years old, he boldly left Ohio and moved to Butte, Montana. Why did he make this 1800+ mile move? The newspapers don't provide any insight into his decision. There doesn't seem like he had any family in Montana. It was certainly a courageous decision, to travel so far away from home at his young age. What lured him to Montana?
The first Montana newspaper to mention Fried was the Anaconda Standard (MT), May 2, 1897, which noted that he had just returned from a 2 month visit to see his family in Cleveland.
Cigars! The Anaconda Standard (MT), January 27, 1899, reported that Julius was a cigar clerk, and he was obviously experienced enough to be called as an expert witness in a trial over trademark infringement involving a cigar. C.H. Traiser & Co., a cigar manufacturer in Boston, produced the "Harvard" cigar and alleged that Herman Woolf, a cigar manufacturer in Butte, Montana, produced the "Herman" cigar, which seemed very similar to the Harvard. Julius testified that in his expert opinion the Herman was made to imitate the Harvard, and thus deceive the public. Ultimately, and despite Fried's expert opinion, the case was decided in favor of Herman Woolf.
It was noted in the Butte Miner (MT), May 30, 1899, that Julius had resigned his position as a city salesman for Louis S. Cohn, a merchant which sold cigars and other items, to take charge of the cigar department at E.E. Galloghy & Co., a drug store.
Another trip for Julius. The
Anaconda Standard (MT), September 5, 1901, mentioned that, “
Julius Fried has gone to Chicago and New York for a month’s visit.” This trip though included a stop in Ohio. The
Cleveland Leader (OH), September 15, 1901, noted that Julius was visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. M. Fried of 481 Woodland Avenue, Cleveland.
The
Butte Daily Post (MT), August 2, 1902, reported that Julius had purchased the old
Heilbronner cigar stand at 23 East Broadway. The above advertisement, in the
Anaconda Standard (MT), August 31, 1902, may be his first ad for his new venture. Fried, aged 22, now worked for himself, and he seems to have been doing well if he was financially able to purchase his own business.
The start of gamblings problems at the cigar shop. The
Anaconda Standard (MT), January 13, 1903, reported that three local merchants, including Julius, had declined to obey an edict prohibiting slot machines. Apparently, Julius had some slot machines in his cigar shop. The three merchants were charge with violating the law prohibiting gambling, although the merchants claimed that they were being discriminated against, as gambling houses were allowed to freely operate and the police were only coming down on slot machines. The merchants were released on personal recognizance, and after his release, Julius returned to his cigar shop and, in defiance, continued to operate his slot machines.
The
Butte Miner (MT), January 13, 1903, added a little more detail, noting that the slot machines were mostly played for free cigars and drinks. The merchants were upset that “
nickel machine operators” were being prosecuted while gambling houses acted with impunity. The
Anaconda Standard, (MT) January 14, 1903, then reported that the judge had dismissed the charges against the three merchants, and his decision was met with plenty of applause in the court room. These three were not the only merchants who were operating slot machines in Butte, but they were the only three who had resisted attempts to prohibit slot machines.
That wasn't the end of the matter though. The
Anaconda Standard, January 18, 1903, stated that the Mayor had issued an order to his brother, Police Captain Davey, to stop slot machines, despite the recent judge’s decision. Five merchants were cited this time, although Julius was not one of the five. The judge wasn't happy, and the
Anaconda Standard (MT), January 20, 1903, reported that he dismissed the charges against the five merchants and declared he wouldn't punish anyone for operating a slot machine. This would effectively end any future arrests for operating slot machines.
Lots of free cigars! The
Butte Miner (MT), March 14, 1903, related the amusing story of Fried's cigar shop and one of his customers who never seemed to lose on the slot machines. “
He usually averages at least two for one for his money and it is a common occurrence for him to get five for one.” And his best win on a slot machine? “
Yesterday this customer took down twenty-seven cigars for a quarter....” Superb luck!
Slot machines weren't the only gambling game at Fried's cigar shop. The
Butte Miner (MT), April 3, 1903, noted that the back room of the cigar store had card tables, where the game of "
slough" was played, which may be another name for bridge. It was also mentioned that "
Old Nick" was in charge of the card game and had been since the cigar shop opened. It wasn't a secret that card games were being played here, and eventually the police would get involved.
From 1902-1904, there were numerous ads for Fried's cigar store, advertising the different wares he offered from canes to pipes. He even repaired pipes in his "
pipe hospital."
Fried enters the photography business. The
Billings Times (MT), April 24, 1906, reported that Fried and
R.H. Post were doing business in
Billings, Montana under the name and style of “
Post, Photographer.” Post lived in Billings, although he previously lived in Butte and that is where he probably met Fried, and was likely responsible for the bulk of the business and Fried might have primarily provided financial support.
More details on the photography business were provided in The Billings Evening Journal (MT), April 22, 1907, which noted R.H. Post had established his photography business in Billings about a year ago. the article stated, "Mr. Post has a handsome and well appointed studio at No.321 Stapleton block and produces photos and portraits in the highest perfection of the art." It also stated, "Mr. Post is a thorough artist and by his new processes makes the most perfect likenesses possible and all of his work is truly artistic."
The
Anaconda Standard (MT), May 3, 1906, mentioned that Fried was off traveling again, planning to visit Chicago and New York. This might have been a business trip considering the next news about Fried.
The
Butte Daily Post (MT), November 13, 1906, mentioned that
Repetti, a famous confectioner of
New York, was the creator of the “
finest French caramels ever placed on the market" as well as “
the originator of ‘candy pebbles,’ the latest triumph of the confectioner’s art.” In Butte, Fried was now carrying Repetti's products, as shown in the above ad from the
Butte Daily Post (MT), November 22, 1906.
An honor for Fried. The
Butte Evening News (MT), February 5, 1907, mentioned that Fried had been proposed for membership in the
Phagacytes. The article stated, “
This is a great honor and he will probably make it all right.” The
Independent Order of Phagacytes was a new organization of "
good fellows," which was "
non-sectarian, non-conformist, non-political."
More card games and some arrests! The
Anaconda Standard (MT), March 2, 1908, reported that six men had been arrested for playing draw poker at Fried’s cigar store. The game was raided at about 3:30am and Fried claimed no knowledge of the game, stating he had closed up the store and gone home several hours before the police raid. However, Fried was charged with violating the gambling prohibition.
The matter dragged on for over a year. The
Missoulian (MT), May 26, 1909, stated that the judge was making gamblers quite worried. He had recently sentenced one gambler to a $1000 fine and 1 year in the penitentiary. The judge said, “
…it is the time that gamblers learned there is no place for them in this community.” Subsequently, Fried decided to plead guilty and only had to pay a $100 fine. He certainly didn't want to risk a trial with that judge.
The gambling continued. The
Butte Daily Post (MT), July 25, 1911, noted that a card game was found at Fried’s second cigar shop, located on
West Park St. The police raided the shop at about 1:30am and they found a large number of men playing cards and many spectators. The police also checked out Fried's Broadway shop but found nothing there. A number of men were arrested but not Fried.
However, the
Anaconda Standard (MT), April 11, 1914, mentioned that in another incident, Fried had been charged with conducting games of chance. Two weeks later, he plead guilty and paid a $100 fine. The
Butte Miner (MT), July 18, 1914, the reported that 11 men had been arrested for gambling, playing poker and whist, at Fried’s shop on East Broadway.
Robbery! The
Butte Miner (MT), August 10, 1914, reported that 2 men held up the poker game at Fried’s East Broadway shop. They got away with at least $4,000 in cash and jewelry.
A slap on the wrist. The
Butte Miner (MT), September 15, 1914, reported on another raid at Fried’s East Broadway shop. Fried was arrested for permitting gambling. The next day, the
Butte Miner (MT), September 16, 1914, noted that Fried was only fined $1, as the men had been merely playing bridge whist for “
four bits and a dollar on the side.” It was clear that Fried wasn't going to stop card games from being played at his cigar stores.
The
Butte Daily Post (MT), July 16, 1917, mentioned the sad news that
Mrs. Minnie Fried, the mother of Julius, had died on July 12 in Cleveland.
A business takeover. The
Butte Miner (MT), January 19, 1919, mentioned that Julius Fried had been in the cigar and candy wholesale business since 1902. However, it was now noted that the
Butte Wholesale Grocery company had taken over his business. It appears this may have only applied to Fried's wholesale business and not his retail shops.
More details were provided in the
Butte Miner (MT), May 25, 1919. It was stated that Fried had been a resident of Butte for 25 years and “
has been one of the leading business men of the city.” The new headquarters for his business would be at 24 West Granite St., and the business covered Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. It was also said that his firm had long been known as “
The House that Quality Built” and it was also said that they might now add, “
A Quarter of a Century in Butte.”
An advertisement in the
Anaconda Standard (MT), February 7, 1921.
Another legal problem. The
Anaconda Standard (MT), March 31, 1921, reported on the case of
W.E. Tuttle against Julius Fried for alleged false imprisonment. Tuttle was seeking $5,000 in damages and the incident followed from a ride in a hack where a pocketbook had been lost. The
Butte Miner (MT), April 1, 1921, noted that the trial was held in this case. Tuttle was a taxi driver and once drove Fried and his wife. During that trip, Mrs. Fried lost her gold mesh purse and Julius accused Tuttle of taking the bag. Tuttle claimed that he had been arrested for the theft, although the police claimed he had only been taken to the police station for questioning.
This is the first apparent mention that Julius had a wife. It's unknown for how long they had been married. According to his death certificate, his wife was named Wilmeta.
The Anaconda Standard (MT), April 2, 1921, reported that Tuttle won the case and had been awarded $2500. However, months later, the Anaconda Standard (MT), January 4, 1922, noted that the court had recently ruled that there would be a new trial in the Tuttle case unless the plaintiff agreed to accept a greatly reduced amount, only $250 with costs. Tuttle agree to accept that amount in settlement.
Financial difficulties. The Butte Miner (MT), February 1, 1922, reported that a petition had been filed, by an attorney representing three creditors, asking that Julius Fried be declared an involuntary bankrupt. The total outstanding bills were claimed to be $1623.50. The petitioners also claimed that Fried had committed an act of bankruptcy by paying $8 to the Mountain States Telegraph and Telephone Company in December 1921, the “company having no priority of rights over other creditors.”
Three years ago, Fried had been said to be one of the leading business men of Butte but now he was having serious financial difficulties. What caused these problems? Had his business failed that significantly? The Butte Daily Post (MT), April 10, 1922, then reported the upcoming sale of "all stock and fixtures" of Fried by the bankruptcy trustee.
At this point, there were no other mentions in the Montana newspapers of Julius Fried. At some point, he left Montana, eventually ending up in Los Angeles, California in 1925, but for about a three year period, it's unknown where he resided. Did he return to Cleveland for a time, to connect with his family? Did he move immediately to California?
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And now well' briefly look at the background of W. ("Bill") James Hamlin, which was much less covered in the newspapers. The Daily News-Post (CA), June 26, 1953, stated that Hamlin had been born in New Hampshire around 1897. This is the New England connection. Hamlin eventually joined an artillery unit in World War I, and after the war was over, Hamlin chose to resettle in Los Angeles, probably in 1922, where he started selling real estate.
Based on the evidence, I believe that in 1925, Julius Fried established an orange juice stand at 820 South Broadway in Los Angeles, which he had rented from W. James Hamlin. The earliest newspapers all seem to mention that Hamlin first met Fried in 1925, but later newspapers, mostly from the 1970s on, changed the year of their first meeting to 1926. No reason for this change was ever given. However, Fried's death certificate also seems to indicate Fried started his orange juice business in 1925.
Why did Fried, an experienced cigar and candy salesman, decide to sell orange juice in Los Angeles? The answer seems to be elusive. He had spent about 25 years selling cigars so this was a big change of business. During the 1920s, there were numerous ads for orange juice stands as well as plenty of ads selling these businesses too. Maybe it seemed like a potentially profitable business to Fried. Or maybe Fried wanted to get involved in a healthier profession.
At some point, likely in 1925, Hamlin stopped at Fried's stand and tasted some of the fresh orange juice. What happened next is known primarily from a single source, Hamlin. The details of their initial meetings weren't publicly mentioned until 1953, almost 30 years after their first meeting. Unfortunately, Fried died in 1935, so his version was never related in the newspapers. So, can we accept Hamlin's version as completely accurate?
For now, we will discuss Hamlin's version, although we should retain a skeptical mind as we only have one man's version, and that wasn't provided until almost 30 years later.
A detailed version was first provided in the
Daily News Post (CA), June 25, 1953. The article noted that Hamlin (pictured above) "
invented Orange Julius, the nationally famed health drink, because he didn’t like the taste of fresh orange juice.” Back in 1925, Hamlin went to Fried's orange juice, had a free drink, and didn’t like it. He asked Julius for something better but instead, Julius asked Hamlin to develop something better himself. Hamlin claimed that a week later, he returned to Julius with his own mixture to add to the orange juice. This became a hit and the new recipe remained unchanged since then.
I'll note that this article didn't even mention "Fried," the surname of Julius. His first name was mentioned, but he received no credit for the invention of Orange Julius. It was almost like his contributions had been erased.
The Los Angeles Mirror (CA), November 16, 1953, added the detail that Hamlin had been a graduate chemist, and thus was able to develop his own food additive for the orange juice. Julius was briefly mentioned, but again, his surname wasn't stated.
More information came in the Covina Argus (CA), December 3, 1953, although once again, the surname of Julius wasn't provided in the article. It was stated that Hamlin and Julius first met in 1926, which differs from prior articles stating it occurred in 1925. Then, it was said that Hamlin spent much time during the Spring experimenting with food additives and orange juice, a longer time period that the week previously mentioned in the June 1953 article. It certainly sounds more credible that it took at least a couple months of experimentation to come up with his food powder mixture rather than simply a week.
Finally, Hamlin ended up with a powder, a blend of seven different pure food powders. Added to the orange juice, it created a delicious, frothy drink. As to the origin of its name, the article claimed that customers would say, “Give me a glass of orange, Julius.” Hamlin then claimed, “That will be the name of the new drink!” Did Hamlin include Fried in his experimentations? Did he provide Fried ongoing samples during that Spring, to receive his input?
The article also mentioned that Hamlin had $6800 in savings, and pooled his resources with another unnamed man (who will later know as William Larkin), offering to back Julius with the new drink. It was also said that Hamlin would put up a sign on the sidewalk of “a red devil standing in front of a big orange, and there was one word across the front: Julius.”
It would also later be claimed that Fried, when he just operated his orange juice stand, only had average daily sales of $20, but after the addition of Hamlin's food powder mix, average daily sales increased to $100.
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Let's go back in time now, to the latter half of the 1920s, to seek more information about the documented history of the Orange Julius.
Maybe the first documented reference to Orange Julius was in the
San Bernardino Sun (CA), May 15, 1926. There was an advertisement for the
Market Spot, and it noted that their sandwich shop sold Orange Julius, a "
new drink" which was "
wonderfully refreshing."
In 1926, articles of incorporation, #35447, were filed in Los Angeles for the “
General Citrus Stores Company” and the officers were listed as
J. Fried, W.A. Larkins and
A.H. Anderson. This corporation would eventually start selling Orange Julius franchises. It's very interesting that Hamlin was not listed as a part of this corporation. Why is that the case? Larkins would be involved with the corporation for a number of years, but I couldn't find anything else about A.H. Anderson. This was the only mention I found of his involvement. He may have sold off his interests in the corporation at an early date.
A trademark for "Julius, a Devilish Good Drink," was later filed and it was mentioned that this mark was first used commercially on September 1, 1926.
Based on this information, it seems logical that Fried and Hamlin first met in 1925 rather than in 1926. First, it's unknown for how long Fried had been operating his orange juice stand before Hamlin stopped by to taste it. It could have easily been a few months, if not longer. Second, then Hamlin had to spend time experimenting, to create his food powder mixture, which might have taken a few months.
Next, Hamlin had to convince Fried to sell the new product to his customers, and then Fried had to determine whether his customers would enjoy the new drink or not. How much time did Fried spend in testing the new drink on his customers? Once Fried was convinced the new drink could be successful, Hamlin and Larkins had to convince and negotiate with Fried to partner together to sell the new drink. How long did negotiations last?
Finally, we see that Orange Julius had already spread outside of Los Angeles by May 1926. Overall, it would have been near impossible to have accomplished all of the above in the first four months of 1926. It makes far more sense that the entire process started sometime in 1925.
Maybe the first advertisement for Orange Julius was published in the
Los Angeles Evening Herald (CA), July 22, 1927. The ad was for the Grand Opening of the
Hill Street Terminal Market, and it noted Orange Julius was sold at Stall C-1-B, mentioning it was "
A Choice, Refreshing Beverage."
The Arizona Republic (AZA), July 27, 1927, stated that the General Citrus Realty Company of Las Vegas, Nevada, had filed incorporation papers for the Citrus Company Inc. The capital stock was $20,000, divided into shares of $100. The officers were Julius Fried, William A. Larkins, and James Hamlin. This is the first documented mention I found concerning Hamlin and his connection to Orange Julius.
The Arizona Republic (AZ), July 31, 1927, reported that a new citrus drink stand had been constructed, leased from Central Citrus corp. of Los Angeles (which is an error and should have said "General Citrus"). “The stands are used in the handling of a patented citrus health drink known as Orange Julius.” This is the first mention that Orange Julius was a "health drink." More franchises were contemplated for Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and New Orleans.
There was a For Sale advertisement in the San Diego Union & Daily Bee (CA), August 26, 1927, which offered an "Orange juice business" and the price included the "Orange Julius Formula."
The Sacramento Bee (CA), August 27, 1927, mentioned that the city had acquired a franchise from the General Citrus Corp of Los Angeles to distribute “Julius” drinks.
19 Orange Julius stands! The Fresno Bee (CA), December 5, 1927, noted that an Orange Julius stand was going to open in Fresno. This would be the 19th location of the Orange Julis chain, headquartered in Los Angeles, which had spread across California, Arizona, Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana. The article also quoted W.A. Larkins, “A feature of the company’s business is that each drink is prepared on the counter as ordered and a patented preparation is used,…”
The Times-Picayune (LA), December 28, 1927, mentioned that the General Citrus Corp. of Los Angeles was the manufacturer of Orange Julius and other citrus fruit drinks.
The New Orleans States (LA), January 1, 1928, noted that the General Citrus Corp. of Los Angeles had leased a building in New Orleans to sell Orange Julius.
The devil appears! The Fresno Morning Republican (CA), January 14, 1928, reported that Julius Fried would open his new Orange Julius stand at 1055 Fulton Street. The article also stated that, “the holders of little yellow cards with a fiery red devil, will be served with Fresno’s latest drink, ‘Orange Julius.’”
A trademark lawsuit! The Arizona Republic (AZ), May 17, 1928, mentioned that the General Citrus corp had filed with the patent office on October 23, 1926 and which was registered on May 31, 1927. They were now bringing a suit for infringement of a registered trademark against M. & W. Root Beer Stores, Inc. of Florida, and John J. Walters, makers of “Orange Demon.” alleged to be described on the labels as a “devilish good drink.”
A hearing was held on the matter in September 1928, and the final adjudication was reported in the Arizona Republic (AZ), May 29, 1929. The judge ordered a perpetual injunction against M. & W. Root Beer Stores, Inc. and John J. Walters, from using trade name “Orange Demon” or using any other trademark connected to Orange Julius.
The Atlanta Constitution (GA), June 16, 1928, stated that the General Citrus Realty company of Los Angeles now operated 25 patented Orange Julius establishments under the name of General Citrus Stores company.
The
Atlanta Journal (GA), June 17, 1928, reported that
W.J. Hamlin was the president and manager of the
General Citrus Realty Company of Los Angeles. There were a number of corporate entities connected to Orange Julius, and trying to differentiate between all of them is difficult.
The
Ventura County Star (CA), July 10, 1928, published this Orange Julius ad, which stated, “
The most novel drink served at Doty’s new fountain. It’s the same drink you get at the finest fountains in Los Angeles.”
The
New Orleans States (LA), February 5, 1929, posted an ad for the second location of an Orange Julius stand in New Orleans. It was noted that Orange Julius was, “
The Health Drink of the Nation.” It was also said that they used Perfection Brand Louisiana Oranges and that “
All fruit juice is extracted before your eyes as it is served.” Finally, it was mentioned that this was the 27th location in the country.
The
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX), July 16, 1929, published this ad, offering three free drinks of Orange Julius, which was referred to as “
The Health Drink of the Nation.” The ad also stated that “
Orange Julius is a health drink of new and unusual health qualities and taste.” None of these ads though provided the specific reasons why Orange Julius was so healthy.
Orange Julius opened in
New York City! The
Morning Call (PA), August 29, 1929, reported that the first Orange Julius stand in Manhattan, and probably the East, had now opened on the corner of Broadway and Forty-Sixth St. The
Wisconsin State Journal (WI), September 10, 1929, also reported that the new Orange Julius stand in Manhattan, which charged 10 cents for a drink, had attracted 11,425 patrons during its first week. In todays dollars, that would be the equivalent of about $21,000.
The
Los Angeles Times (CA), September 17, 1929, noted some changes in the General Citrus Stores Company as the officers were now
Julius Fried, William A. Larkins, and
W. James Hamlin. The corporation had a capital of 1000 shares at a $100 par value. In addition, the corporate paperwork for the
Orange Julius Realty Co. was filed on September 20, 1929.
A Orange Julius cocktail? The
New York Evening Journal (NY), September 19, 1929, briefly mentioned, “
That new Orange Julius drink is getting great play from Times Square topes. Mixed with gin it makes swell Alexanders.”
The
San Bernadino County Sun (CA), September 21, 1929, posted the above ad, which stated, “
Orange Julius is a new health drink made from pure orange juice, cracked ice and vanilla powder. It is absolutely non-fattening and a delightfully refreshing drink.”
The first unofficial recipe for Orange Julius. The
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA), November 1, 1929, printed the above recipe, which required orange juice, sugar, milk and egg. However, I'll note that the recipe didn't include cracked ice, and certainly doesn't have all of the ingredients in the official Orange Julius drinks. It's interesting though that the Orange Julius was so popular that people wanted to make it at home.
The
Arizona Republic (AZ), June 3, 1930, reported that the
General Citrus Realty had changed its name to the
Orange Julius Realty company. The directors included Julius Fried, W. James Hamlin and C.N. Magnuson, all of Los Angeles. The
Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA), July 23, 1930, then added that the
Orange Julius Realty Company, a Nevada corporation, was created “
To deal in real estate, merchandise of all kinds and stocks and bonds.” Corporate paperwork for the
Orange Julius Franchise Syndicate, Ltd. was filed on October 14, 1930.
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Then there was a significant rift in the partnership of Fried and Hamlin, one which I haven't seen previously detailed in any of the major articles about the history of Orange Julius. And it's this rift which might have impacted the origin story of Orange Julius, leading to Julius Fried's contributions being largely erased from the story.
The case of Jacobs v. the State Bar, 219 Cal. 59 (Cal. 1933), which was decided on September 23, 1933 in the Supreme Court of California, involved a review of a recommendation from the State Bar which called for the suspension of the petitioner, Attorney Jacobs, from the practice of law for a period of three years. However, the underlying matter in this case involved Fried, Hamlin and Orange Julius.
Attorney Jacobs had been practicing law in Los Angeles since 1907. Julius Fried and Miss Wilmetta Crawford brought forward a complaint against Jacobs, with "charges of conversion and misappropriation of funds; for knowingly making a false return on a garnishment, and upon two other charges, including one of unethical conduct in revealing to a third party information prejudicial to his client."
As an aside, we know Fried was married in 1921, although the name of his wife was not provided. This legal case seems to indicate that Wilmetta was single, although Fried's death certificate in 1935 listed her as his wife. Was Wilmetta actually his second wife?
In 1931, it was also noted that Fried and Hamlin were the two-thirds and one-third owners, respectively, of the stock in Orange Julius, Ltd., and its corporate subsidiaries. Fried was also the president while Jacobs had been the attorney for the corporation. If Hamlin had been the primary inventor of Orange Julius, then why did Fried own the majority interest of stock in the corporation? Why wasn't it at least a 50/50 split? Is it possible that Fried played a larger role in the invention of Orange Julius than was later claimed in the 1950s?
Fried was also responsible for collecting the receipts from all of the Orange Julius stands in Los Angeles. In June, 1931, for some reason, Hamlin started to suspect that Fried was engaging in nefarious activities, essentially embezzlement of up to $100,000, equivalent to about $2,000,000 in today's dollars. Quite a huge amount of theft. It doesn't appear that Fried contested this accusation, so it's likely he had actually engaged in some level of embezzlement.
In response to the accusation, Fried resigned as President and also handed over all of his stock to Hamlin, disengaging himself from the corporation. However, Hamlin allowed him to remain as an employee, still desirous of his help. Fried must have been an excellent salesman, or had connections that benefited Hamlin. Fried would continue as an employee for four years, until his death in 1935.
This embezzlement probably, and naturally, angered Hamlin, and might have later colored his version of the origin story of Orange Julius, causing him to significantly reduce any contribution from Fried. However, Fried's nefarious actions continued, which probably added fuel to the fire, giving more incentive to Hamlin to largely omit Fried from the origin of Orange Julius.
Later that year, Fried hired Attorney Jacobs to try to buy back his stock anonymously, not wanting Jacobs to reveal his identity to Hamlin. After some negotiations, Hamlin agreed to a purchase price of $25,000, requiring an initial cash payment of $15,000. Fried had already given Jacobs $500, and then provided him the rest, paying him with a $10,000 bill, four $1,000 bills and five $100 bills.
When's the last time you heard of someone using a $10,000 bill or even a $1,000 bill? On the $10,000 bill, which was first printed in 1918, was Salmon P. Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury under Abraham Lincoln, and a chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The original $1,000 bill featured Alexander Hamilton but was eventually replaced with President Grover Cleveland. Both bills were discontinued in 1969, when the largest denomination bill that was allowed in circulation was a $100 bill.
Soon thereafter making this payment, the Orange Julius corporation served Jacobs with an attachment as part of an action against Fried. Hamlin had previously hired detectives and learned that Fried was the person trying to anonymously purchase the stock. Despite the attachment, Fried somehow convinced Jacobs to return $7500 of his money back to him.
Jacobs didn't answer the first attachment, so a second attachment or garnishment was then served on him. Jacobs finally turned over $7000 to the sheriff in response to the attachment, and that money was subsequently split between Hamlin and Fried, a settlement of the case Hamlin had filed against Fried. And obviously, Fried couldn't purchase any of the Orange Julius stock. Fried's attempt to anonymously buy the stock, on top of the embezzlement, probably angered Hamlin even more, giving him more incentive to write Fried out of the Orange Julius story.
Attorney Jacobs's three year suspension was upheld by the Supreme Court of California.
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Legal and financial difficulties. The San Antonio Light (TX), October 2, 1931, noted that a suit had been brought by Central Building of San Antonio, Inc. against the Orange Julius Realty Co, et al, for a matter concerning a lease. The plaintiff would ultimately prevail on their suit for rent. Then, the New Orleans Item (LA), March 18, 1932, reported that the contents of an Orange Julius establishment at 736 Canal St. were to be sold at auction in the matter of Porkorny Development Company, Inc. vs Orange Julius Realty Co.
The Los Angeles Examiner (CA), December 21, 1932, reported that involuntary bankruptcy proceedings had been instituted by 3 creditors against the Orange Julius Realty Company (also known as Orange Julius Corporation and Orange Julius Ltd.) due to their outstanding claims totaling $2550. This matter may have been settled as there weren't any follow-up articles in the newspapers.
Some of these matters were restricted to the individual franchisees, while the Los Angeles proceedings involved the main company.
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On April 27, 1935, at age 55, Julius Fried passed away, due to “
Sclerosis of the coronary arteries of the heart.” His death certificate indicated that he had lived at 1536 Cambria, Los Angeles, and had been married to Wilmeta Fried. His trade was listed his trade as the Owner of a Soft Drink Stand, and he had spent 10 years in this occupation, up until the time of his death. His father's name was listed as unknown and his mother's name was listed as Mina. Although there was a brief mention of his death in the newspapers, there apparently wasn't a more detailed obituary, and there was no mention of his connection to the Orange Julius. In some respects, he died in obscurity.
The
Orange Julius website does pay homage to Julius, although they get his surname incorrect, referring to him as "Freed."
The
Daily News Post (CA), June 25, 1953, provided some information on the extent of the Orange Julius franchise and its value. It was noted that, “
Nothing but fresh orange juice and pure food powder is used in making the highly-secret concoction.” The company started in 1925 and in three and a half years, their total sales had reached over $2,000,000. Pictured above is the new Orange Julius store in Monrovia, California, the 92nd franchise. The average franchise could be expected to earn about $80,000 a year. Orange Julius even sold well in winter, and Hamlin stated that, “
In Boston one winter we did a bigger business than in Los Angeles and on a Jan. 2 New Yorkers bought 6000 Orange Juliuses in a single day.”
The article also mentioned that the Orange Julius stand in New York City paid $2,000 a month in rent. In addition, the Orange Julius stand at Seventh and Broadway in Los Angeles, which had been the 20th franchise, had just sold its 13th millionth Orange Julius!
Six months later, the Covina Argus (CA), December 3, 1953, reported that there were now 104 Orange Julius stores, grossing nearly $4,000,000. It was also mentioned that shortly before the market crash of 1929, Hamlin had been offered $2,000,000 for the Orange Julius trademark but he refused. It wasn't mentioned that Julius Fried was actually the majority shareholder of the Orange Julius corporation at that time, so he was probably the one who actually refused the two million offer. Hamlin may have agreed with Fried, but Fried had the control of that decision. And there were older newspaper articles that mentioned Fried was the one to refuse the two million offer.
In September 1967, Hamlin chose to retire and sold the Orange Julius company to International Industries, Inc., which grew the franchise to about 745 units. In 1985, Orange Julius was then sold to the Custom Creamery Systems, and only two years later, it was sold again, to International Dairy Queen. Orange Julius can still be found in some Dairy Queen locations.
On May 29, 1987, W. James Hamlin passed away at the age of 90. He was survived by a daughter, Judy Roach, and three grandsons. A number of newspapers, all across the country, printed his obituary, noting him as the creator of the Orange Julius. Julius Fried received very little credit, if any, in these obituaries.
However, what's the truth? Did Julius Fried play a larger role in the creation of the Orange Julius? We will probably never know the truth but we have reason to be skeptical of Hamlin's claims. We only have a single version of the origin story, told by Hamlin, and that version is first mentioned about 30 years after the its invention. There are also discrepancies in the various origin stories, which cast additional skepticism on the tale. And if Hamlin was so instrumental in the creation of Orange Julius, then why was Fried made the President and majority stock holder of the corporation?
Now I'm thirsty for a cold, frothy Orange Julius.
