The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-22
SIGNS OF AN OLD VILLAGE
THE AGED LAWYER TALKS ABOUT
HIS TOWN OUT IN THE STATE.
Excitement of the Dudish Paper Hang
er over the First Soda Fountain
The Doctor and His Office.

"The administration Of an eccentric
bachelor uncle's estate has neCessitated
me making frequent visits recently TO my
native Indiana town." said the old lawyer
the other day. "and / am constantly re-
minded OF many OF the characters and In
situations that are fast passing. For in
stance. the drug store. usually situated
on the principal corner, contains a little
or everything from a cage Of squirrels in
the show window TO paints. oils and glass
In the back room. Intervening, near the
front Is a little case full of geological
specimens and Indian flint arrow points.
Between the two wall cases some impro-
vIsed shelves of unfinished boards contain
popular books. such as Darkness and Day
light and Tempest and Sunshine by
siary j. Holmes; Opening OF a Chestnut
Burr by z. p. Roe. and a few by that
woman delineator of love and passion and
many nitials-Mrs. F.. d. f. n. South
worth; some red plush photograph albums
with a piece Of beveled looking glass in the
center and hinged clasps and a few OF
Catherine Beecher's cookbooks bound in
white oil cloth. Once / remember the drug
list tried TO sell an elderly woman one of
these cook books and he called her atten-
ton, with the humor OF an a~uctioneer, TO
Its binding. which, he said, could be put
in dishwater and il wouldn't hurt the wa
ter
over on the other side is the soda foun-
tain 1t runs four months in the year, the
rest OF the time the metal work IS covered
with whiting and liver pads hung on the
faucets. Further along are the usual drugs
and sundries. Interrupted only by a stock
OF wall paper. Inside a case. conspicuous
~ displayed, Is either a gold watch and
chain, a diamond ring or shirt stud, which
bears a card reading To be ratified off.
300 chances-from 1 cent TO 81 If you but
glance at it the prentice boy will bat
Up from behind a counter somewhere, open
the case, take it out. place 1t in front of
you. at the same time putting in circula-
ton a quantity OF hot, stale air from in
side the case which smells of soap and
perfume with cloves. musk and paregoric
the predominating ingredient. He will tell
you In a sliding scale. from soprano to
sepulchral tones Of his changing voice.
that all the big number are gone. He will
probably tell you 1T belongs to a carriage
trimmer right around the corner, the ia
Their OF the triplets, whose house was
struck by lightning. his COW died. and the
Ao -Hl-ldW went 10
get him his supper and the cooking stove
blew up The fair association last fall
gave him privileges to exhibit his trIplets.
but he uidn't make anything and had to
sell his ring The boy takes more interest
In the rattle than in acquiring a knowledge
of drugs. The ambition to craftsmanship of
the average drug store boy knows no
bounds. If a negro comes in after a
Mobiles urnr -
ing for it to be cut or his change. he ham
pens 10 look towards the showcase the boy
will try to sell him a toothbrush.
The drug store in one OF these towns in
the old days was a substitute for the CITY
club Men In every walk of life assembled
there from representatives in Congress 70
the town drunkard, of whom everybody
said, He would "a been a great man if he
Just didn't drink, when. as a fact. In the
history OF the community, he was never
sober long enough for one TO Judge one
way or the other. Then there was the
hunchoack. who was the best dressed man
In town. and opium eater who dropped to
sleep while talking 20 you. The whole ag-
sregation usually represented one contin-
gent OF a local lodge, and most of the time
was given up TO discussing factional mat
eS Al Inc uTuRKlSI himself.
although nothing organic was the matter
with him, had been inhaIing drugs. medi-
cines. paint, oil and turpentine so long that
ne was shriveled and ratified like a pair of
eeiluloid cuffs when he walked. and his
clothes hung on him so he resembled a
dressed up bed slat.
THE FIRST SODA FOUNTAIN.
This particular drug store was the first
IN fnurn 70 haxr.
marble-box affair having a gooseneck in
the center and six syrup faucets below in
the form of nickel-plated balls. with wing
spread eagles on top. It's possible advent
was long rumored over the county. for the
proprietor had been seen in a secluded
corner of the store mysteriously examining
soda-fountain catalogues.
Among those who congregated around
the store was a little stubby fellow whose
legs looked like they had been melted and
poured into his pants. When talking he
punctuated every sentence with a defiant
nod Of his head. He wriggIed when he
walked and bumps OF self-satisfaction
stuck out all over him. Every week he
cantered up the iron stairway on the alley
side Of a building that contained the photo
graph gallery and had tintypes taken of
tiulocA. Ic was "A painter and paper
hanger by srade-the two went together in
the old days-and when not at work he
put In his time around the drug store:
even when employed during the day about
the town he would come around at night.
with lead-colored paints under his finger
nails and smelling OF turpentine.
"One day a dray came along the street
loaded with boxes and a tank OF charged
water When il backed up to the store.
the gang all rushe for the front door and
the proprietor went out on the sidewalk
bareheaded 10 examine the boxes from all
sides 1t was the soda fountain, All
hands carried the boxes in, opened them.
and their contents were soon spread over
the floor. There were pieces of marble.
nickel-plated faucets. syrup labels and cans.
block tin pipe, valves. wrenches, and a pro-
fusion Of excelsior and tissue paper. The
proprietor fnding at the bottom Of one of
the boxes a book about how TO mix flavor
ings, went behind the prescription case to
get the syrups ready. coming out now and
again TO watch the unpacking. To add TO
the confusion. some carpenters came in