Archibald Campbell “Spader” Seruby: The Trenton Peanut King
Written By Robert Schenker
Local History Librarian
In a city as old as Trenton, there are bound to be countless “town characters”—people so iconic that they leave a permanent impression on the memories of an entire generation. Archibald Campbell Seruby, best known by the moniker “Spader,” was one such person.
Born in Pennington, New Jersey, on August 5, 1877, he was the son of a Black Union Army veteran and himself a Spanish-American War veteran. He was named after Archibald Updike, the owner of the farm where his father worked. Had you visited his home in Pennington in the ’20s or early ’30s, you’d have seen a great sign across his porch: Spader the Peanut King. And what a king he was.
For nearly 40 years, Spader traveled throughout the county, but especially to Trenton, serving up fresh roasted peanuts from a wicker basket in his trademark white paper bags. A master of the salesman’s pitch, Spader would wow folk with his knowledge, sharing facts and tales alike about the humble peanut. At a nickel a bag, everyone felt they got their money’s worth—even if the bag’s contents sometimes measured only a penny’s worth.
Spader’s favorite trick was to heap handful after handful of nuts into the small paper bags while chatting with customers. Of course, they either didn’t notice or didn’t care that as he poured, the “extra” nuts fell right back into the basket. Still, the appearance of abundant generosity, combined with his excellent manners and bright smile, brought him scores of return customer
He was a fixture at all major events, always wearing his signature black frock coat and top hat. Walking about, he’d cry out: “Peanuts! They’re strong as a rail and never stale. Always on sale!” So skilled was he as a salesman that he could make change from a coat pocket without ever looking away from the customer. A former baseball player, he would often toss a bag of peanuts to a prospective buyer and catch the returning payment mid-air. At times, he was even seen setting down his basket to catch barehanded fly balls during local games.
As for the name “Spader,” it remains something of a mystery, though most believe it was given to him by Princeton University students. One rumor suggests that in years prior, another vendor called “Spader” had sold wicker baskets to students; when they saw Archibald with his large wicker peanut basket, the moniker was passed on to him. Regardless of its origin, the name stuck. When he passed away at Mercer Hospital on September 24, 1935, headlines reported: “Spader, Trenton’s No. 1 Peanut Vendor, is Dead in His 59th Year.”
Archibald Campbell Seruby may be long gone from the streets of this city, but nearly a century later, the memory of Spader remains.
The End
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