Stranger Than Fiction: The Deadly Wolf Peach
Throughout the 18th century and early in the 19th century, most Americans and Europeans believed the tomato was poisonous. Many thought they were pretty o behold and were useful as adornments in gardens but the acidic juices contained within the tomato, commonly referred to as the wolf peach, was highly toxic and would cause stomach cancer almost immediately.
Colonel Robert Johnson was an entrepreneur who first introduced the tomato to the American diet. Do get Americans in the mindset that it was safe to eat the tomato he was forced to demonstrate the vegetable was not poisonous through a bold, desperate act that shattered a myth and gave birth to a new industry.
Born in Salem, New Jersey, Johnson soon became the champion the tomato needed. In 1820, he returned from South America with a large quantity of tomato plants. He had hoped to sell them to the previously untapped American market. He gave the plants to local farmers and offered a prize for the largest tomato grown. But despite his tireless promoting, the tomato was still rejected in his hometown and everywhere else as well. Growing anxious, Johnson decided to take a desperate measure.
He publicly announced he would stand on the steps of the local courthouse and eat an entire basket of tomatoes in full public view. He then proceeded to hand out fliers promoting his death defying feat. Upon hearing of his planned venture the townsfolk were shocked. Johnson’s doctor predicted he would foam at the mouth then collapse and suffer a painful, horrible death for his foolish gesture. He went to Johnson and attempted to persuade him not to attempt this foolish gesture.
Colonel Johnson’s physician, Dr. James Van Meter, warned that: “The foolish colonel will foam and froth at the mouth and double over with appendicitis. All that oxalic acid, in one dose, and you’re dead. If the Wolf Peach [tomato] is too ripe and warmed by the sun, he’ll be exposing himself to brain fever. Should he, by some unlikely chance, survive, I must warn him that the skin will stick to his stomach and cause cancer.”
Fortunately, Johnson refused to listen to his detractors.
Finally, the fateful day arrived. Two thousand people, hungry for macabre entertainment, surrounded the courthouse to watch what they thought would be a man committing suicide.
The crowd fell to a hushed silence as Johnson, dressed in a dark suit, and carrying a basketful of tomatoes ascended the steps of the courthouse. When the clock struck noon he picked up a tomato and held it up above his head. He then addressed the crowd.
“Friends,” (Ironic he called them friends. After all, they did come out to watch him die in agony). “The time will come when this luscious, scarlet apple will form the foundation of a great garden industry, and will be eaten, and enjoyed as an edible food. To help speed that enlightened day, to prove that it will not strike you dead – I am going to eat one right now!”
At that moment he removed a handkerchief from his coat and polished the tomato. Then he took his first bite. A woman in the crowd shrieked and fainted. There was a loud collective gasp of shocked spectators followed by a low rumbling of spectators talking to one another. There were a few men wagering on how long it would take to kill him. Some women wept.
“Someone stop him!” came a frantic scream from the crowd. After finishing the tomato, Johnson picked up another and started eating it. There was another collective gasp. Another woman fainted. Johnson continued eating. Each time he finished one tomato he immediately picked up another to the amazement of a stunned audience.
Soon, the basket was empty. Johnson removed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his lips. He then turned to the audience and smiled. The local fire department band struck up a victory march. The audience exploded in applause. A few were disappointed at the conclusion of this strange event. Throughout the crowd a few disappointed men could be seen paying off bets. Robert Johnson was a hero. Within five years the tomato became a major crop in America.
Today over 50,000,000 bushels of tomatoes are produced each year. More than 40,000,000 cases of tomato juice are consumed as well as millions of bottles of ketchup. Truly, the tomato has become a major industry.
The tomato might never had become a part of the American diet had it not been for Robert Johnson’s desperate measure.
