The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-11

Enterprising druggists and depart
ment stores in the shopping districts
get out these special drinks, which can
be obtained nowhere else, and publish
them in little pamphlet to distribute
among customers or on the street. 1t
is remarkable what this little advertis-
ing will do on some hot days. The
wording of the advertisement must, OF
course be unique and attractive, and
the name given to the drinks appropri-
ate to the season and location. One
druggist confessed that he caused a
run on simple and harmless drink
in this way that averaged a sale of 500
glasses a day through July, and some
of the big department stores must
even exceed this.
The shopping district is the best all
round soda water district in the city.
Down town in the business district the
soda water season is short compare
lively few men will call fer this typ
ical American drink except in very hot
weather. Then the stores do a rushing
trade, especially in the phosphates. A
phosphate soda is considered about as
harmless a cold drink on a hot day
as any concoction yet devised, and it
quenches the thirst as well. Conse-
quently staid and sober business men
will indulge in one or more glasses
of this drink in preference to clear
ice water. On the hot days some of
the down town drug stores sell a thou
sand or two drinks, chiefly of plain
soda and phosphates.
Ice cream soda is not a mans ia
vorite drink, but in the shopping dis
trict it outclasses almost all other
drinks. 1t has a long season, begin
ming early in the spring and lasting un-
til cold weather comes. The depart
ment stores make a speciality of the
ice cream soda because 1t is in such
general demand, but on the whole 1t is
not as profitable as the palmer drinks.
The reason for this Is not that the
cream costs so much more, but because
of the amount Of time required to con-
sumo it, Time is everything to a soda
water man on a hot day. With new
customers crowding and jostling each
other to reach the counter 1t is money
in his pocket to get rid of consumers
as quickly as possible. 1t takes a wo-
man considerable time to eat and
drink her glass of ice cream Soda
Usually she expects to make this an
excuse to rest and gossip, and she may
occupy her seat at the table or coun-
ter for 10 or Is minutes. In that length
of time a dozen or more sodas could
have been dispensed to new customers
who would like to take their places.
So as a matter of business the ice
cream soda is not favorite with the
soda water man in the hot weather.
Some absolutely refuse to serve it, ex-
cept on ordinary days when there are
no crowds. 1t is convenient to be out
of ice cream when the mercury is
climbing up among the CO.'S
The largest recorded days business
in soda was made on one Of the hot
days in June, when one uptown drug
store which keeps open all night sold
over it's counter 5000 glasses of soda
and soft drinks. There were many
other stores which sold from 5000 to
5000 glasses. Such records are not
made often, but there are always from
a dozen to 20 days in each summer
when the average runs high. During
the rest of the season the demand is
what is called moderate, but in reality
the profits are enormous.
In former days the few manufacturers
of soda water controlled nearly the
whole trade in syrups and all carbon
ated waters. To make more of a mo-
nopoly of it and to hold on to custom
ers, the manufacturers supplied their
customers with elaborate fountains
and signs. The old stipulation was
that the customer bought his soda from
the manufacturer. The outfits did not
go out of the possession of the manu-
facturers and could be taken to another