Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-08-30
THE SODA WATER HABIT.
cARBoNlc ACID THE BASIS OF MOST
SUMNER DRINKS.

Money in fho Duslness-How Good
syrups Arc HTade--The "Foam''-Fioat-
ing Island.
He was a pleasant looking young man,
with well trained bang and set Of stock
smiles-sympatheticx questioning, confiden-
tial and deprecatory-t would have done
credit to an emotional actress Taken alto
gether, a superior person He is the presid-
ing genius Of a $4,000 soda fountain, and
what no does not know about soft drinks is
as yet undiscovered.
''The soda water business is better than a
gold mine this year" said he. "Never be-
fore have carbonated beverages been so pop
ular See that man there filling up on
vichy waterl That's his tenth glass for to-
day. You SEQ the carbonic acid habit gets
as firm n hold on its victim as does the alco-
hol habit or smoking. Not generally known,
but it's fact. If we oncc succeed in Turing
a man within our doors he's gone for the sea-
son. This It is that makes the business good
this year. Heretofore we've only had the
women. They're all right, but speaking can
didly, they don't like to spend much money
on such intangible stuff as froth It's differ
emit with the men. Take that young fellow
who has just called for phosphate and egg I;
this liquor will cost him 81 or s. daily, SO
he regards fifty cents worth OF soda water as
a mere bagatelle. His sister now, I'll war
rant, thinks herself extravagant II she drinks
one, or expends one-half Of that sum on SUM
mer beverages. 1t is peculiar 10 notice the
way in which man accustoms himself TO
the soda habit. Take the steady consumers
Of mineral water for example. They viii
commence on q glass day, nominally for
the sake Of their digestion, and end by coz
ing into the store every chance they get.
BIG MONEY IN IT.
"Much money in itl Yes, young man, an
income that would make the owners Of some
first class hotel bars turn green with envy.
One Of the large drug stores pays its rent and
clerk hire out Of the profits from its soda
fountain, and has large balance left One
thousand two hundred glasses per day Is per.
haps the best business done in this city This
includes all sorts Of soft drinks and half g
dozen semi.hard ones, as soda with dash Of
spirits OF some kind in it. It's safe TO say,
think, that 100000 people In this city pa
troniso a soda fountain every day of Their
lives. This must be so, because there are
over COO fountains in this city kept busy
during the waKm weather months. OF coursG
the number Of the all-the-year-round foun
tains Is much less
'Soda water, as you may happen 70 know
is nothing but pure water heavily charged
with cnrbonic acid gas. When properly
made it is the best and healthiest hot weather
drink known. This is when it is taken plain
as IL comes from the fount. When mixed
with syrups Of greater or lesser degree Of
purity its effects on tho-system is a matter OF
doubt.
There is lot OF hocus-pocus about the
business Watch that blonde junior Of min,
draw the glass Of vanilla and ice cream hc'I
fixing FOR that 8 o'clock young lady First
he put in the glass an ounce or SO OF syrup
heavy, rich looking stuff, then he dashes il
a thimbeful Of cream, then a dab of icl
cream, and now watch him manipulate tn,
faucet. he's an expert, Is that young man
you observe, the maximum OF iizzy and foam
with tho minimum Of soda. There isn't il
that largo glass, that will hold two-thir.is O
pint over two gills of soda water But th
foam is there, rich creamy foam that look
hard enough to stand alone and thick enough
to eat with q fork.
A RICH, CREAMY FOAM
"This effect does not all come from the dis
pensing. Good syrups are made in this way
70 the mixture OF plain sugar and water
clarified with sizing Of some sort, is added Al
nntiscntic 20 keep the stuff from fermenting
/ This is usually salicylic acid, which is q vorl
| good thing FOR tho purpose. Next the flavor
ing extract is mixed with the syrup. Tn
other ingredient is a small percentage Of
preparation sold by the dealers calle'
foam This is nothing more than clariiel
| gum arabic dissolved in water, clean muci
lage, in fact. The object Of this is to Civ
body TO the mixture OF soda and syrup, s.
! that bubbles Of gas raised on tho surface @
/ the liquid will not subside This practice j
all right, because the public demand rich
creamy foam and it is to be obtained in II
other way. But it doubles the profit on
| glass OF soda water.
'To satisfy an absurd prejudice crushe
fruit syrups have come in vogue We tai;
lot Of fresh berries strawborries, blncl
berries, raspberries, or whortleberries-a an
crush 'em and mix tho mass with syrup.
modicum of this Is ladled into glass whic
is filed with soda. A more insipid mixtu
cannot be imagined The flavor Of fires
fruit is too delicate to be retained under sue
circumstances, and the essential oils used
making the essences from which regull
syrups are coucocted are fully as hoalthfu
wher used, as they are, in small quanttic
as ais the juices Of fresh fruit
"Theapplication Of a spoonful Of ice crea'
TO a glass Of soda has proved tho most su
cessful innovation Of years Never befor
since 1882, when first used this way, has sod
water with floating island in the center
the glass been SO popular. 1t has a sugge
ton Of a hot oyster with every drink abol
it that is captivating. IL seems 70 be
bonus and that's taking. Convince tho Peep
that they're getting something for nothir
and you'll have 'em around you in flock
The ice cream used for this purpose is favo
less, and as a little Of it goes a great way
q glass Of soda, the chestnut parngrapher
Z the contrary Notwithstanding, a skillful di
penser can sell tho mixture for five cents
i glass, although almost all the downtov
places charge either eight OF ten cents. p
Chicago Inter Ocean.
A Livelihood IN the City.
Tn n great ft,ntrouolis liEa Now Wori- ~