Devilish political statement

In 1879, at the age of 28, Edward L. Curial, a jeweler here in Anoka, was a political activist. Viewing the upcoming national election for the presidency between James Garfield and Winfield Scott Hancock, he set about designing, building and patenting a political token in the form of a watch fob. A fob was a small item attached to a pocket watch chain that dangled in plain sight between the pocketed watch and the secured end of the chain. It was a simple way for an individual to make a statement.

Curial’s statement was quite interesting. Each fob came in three forms; nonmechanical, mechanical hand, and mechanical hand and tail. Pressing a foot upward activated the mechanical movement(s). As the arm came up, with the fingers spread. Was the candidate saluting or thumbing his nose at the other candidate? On the third model, with the tail coming up, did it represent the devil or, in combination with the hand influence, say the other candidate was the devil? Either way, it was a humorous message.

To see if his fob had market appeal, Curial secured a New York manufacturer to product 500 items. He then hired street vendors across the nation to sell them. The response was electric — they went like “hot cakes,” and the vendors called for more inventory. Curial asked his New York manufacturer to begin mass production of his creation. Unfortunately, the company was on strike and unable to fulfill the order in time for the election. In an election two years later, another individual used a similar idea, and Curial lost his market edge and did not produce new models using his patent rights.

Curial lived out the rest of his life in Anoka with his wife and two children. He became very active in the temperance movement, being a founding member of the Anoka Temperance Club in the year of 1888. At various times he was nominated for county assessor, judge of probate court, the 6th Congressional seat (1890) and the newly-formed 7th Congressional District seat (1908.) He always came in second.

When Anoka County took advantage of the new “county option” law in 1915, Curial was very active in having the county board vote to make Anoka County a dry county. Remarkably, this occurred four years before the 39th Amendment (Prohibition Act) was passed in 1919, demonstrating the power of the Prohibition Party at that time in Anoka County. Curial died in 1930 and is buried with his wife in Anoka.

Before his death, Curial also patented a small, plate-sized children’s pull toy in 1905 (Patent No. 252,526). When you pulled the two strings, in opposite directions, the sphere would rotate. One could also describe it as whirling or spinning discs driven by twisted cords. If anyone has such a toy or knows where one is, we would be thrilled to talk to you! Do, please, contact us here at ACHS, 763-421-0600.

Chuck Zielin is a volunteer for the Anoka County Historical Society.