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| Rush Tango Minnow envelope |
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| Reverse of the Rush Envelope |
J.K Rush ran his eraser company and his lure company simultaneously.He cross- advertised his erasers and lures as seen on this early advertising envelope. He even promoted the Tango in non- sporting publications which he typically advertised his erasers.
The following is an ad from the American Stationer. circa- 1915
A FISH STORY BY J.K. RUSH
In the smaller towns and
cities throughout the country the local stationer's store is the place where a person
goes when
he or she wants anything that the grocer,butcher or the hay and feed man do not
keep.
And if people find what they want, they will come again. That is why stationers get
rich,
because they know that they have got to keep a little of everything from a
rattle to
a flying machine! As men will fish and then tell about their catches,
most which
evidently escaped, many stationers keep in stock some fish lines and
artificial
bait. In the latter class there is now on the market a new bait known as the Rush Tango
Minnow bait .
That it is some lively gyrater in the way of bait goes without saying. The Tango
bait, is
according to the statement of J.K Rush of the Rush Eraser Company, of Syracuse , New York,
the
liveliest thing that floats Those who would like fish stories should write the U.S. Specialty
Co., 900
S.A.& K. building, Syracuse, N.Y., for printed matter.That Company will send the fish stories-
with the necessary affidavits;
also a picture of Mr. Rush holding up a stringer of fish that he recently caught,
so that
there would be room in the Atlantic for the submarines.
Although Rush had several inventions he did in fact, not invent the bait that made his name famous among fisherman and lure collectors.
Leroy Yakeley and Filmore Smith both claimed they were the inventor. Yakeley, Smith and Rush all were from the Syracuse ,New york area and they each fished at Sandy Pond, where the bait was said to be tested as early as 1913.
According to court documentation ,this bait was the result of efforts to try to improve upon the Welles patented wooden floating/diving bait. The true originator of this bait design has been disputed in several court cases throughout the years. One of which even included James Heddon's Sons vs J.K. Rush in the year 1921.In this case James Heddon's Sons basically claimed that Rush didn't have rights to the baits design.They claimed Filmore Smith had actually been the original inventor of the design rather than Leroy Yakely. Rush had acquired theYakely patent rights for the design. Rush counter claimed that James Heddon's Sons Tad-Polly bait was an infringement on the Welles patent of which he had also acquired the rights.
The outcome of the adjudication determined that Filmore Smith was the originator of the bait and not Leroy Yakeley. The court also determined that Heddon's Tad-Polly did not infringe on J.K. Rush's Welles patent rights.
Despite all the litigation over this bait, J.K. Rush sold a lot of Tango minnows.The Tango Minnow was a popular fish catcher for years. They were offered in a range of sizes from the tiny 1 3/4" Trout Tango up to the 8" Field special. These wonderfully historic baits can still be found in numbers for a reasonable price.
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