The Washington herald., 1907-07-13

The soda FOUNTAIN, WIN us tfappln6s
OF onyx and silveT-plate and mirrors. is
distinctively American. While ice-cream
soda is unknown 20 the people Of other
nations, it is familiar TO all in this coun-
try. either in city town. or village. The
manufacturers assert that In the United
States proper there are something over
S0,OC0 soda fountains, besides 1909 bottling
works where soda waters and soft drinks
are bottled for use beyond the range Of
the fountains. Each year the American
people spend Si6O0o0.oo0 for soda water
and other soft drinks. The increase in
the consumption of soda water is largely
responsible for the comparative falling
of In the amount of whisky and other
strong liquors consumed. Beer drinking
IS not affected TO so great an extent, bu,
one needs no better evidence Of the fact
that soda swater is superceding alcoholic
liquors as a summer beverage than to
watch the crowds at a fountain on a sum
mer day. SO marked has this tendency
become that some saloons have put in
soda fountains 10 conserve their trade.
The soda water business Of to-day is far
removed from what il was ten years ago.
Then there were but few fountains which
offered thirsty man more than sample
mixture Of sweet syrup and carbonated
water. favored and colored according 70
the nature Of some particular fruit. Now
adays there are combinations of all fruits,
there are drinks with fancy names, the
composition of which no man knOweth,
and there are numerous dope" drinks
about the harmfulness or the harmless
ness Ct which there is a continual contro-
Versy The plain ice cream soda Of other
days has given way TO mixtures of many
sorts. There is The sundae-a name which
no soda jerker IS able TO explain. dish
Of Ice cream with chocolate syrup or
crushed fruit or nut kernels in syrup
poured over il. In some places this sun
dae is a soufiie, and there IS great freedom
in spelling the word ranging from Sun
day 20 SOndie.
The simple milk-shaIe of other days is
the fOrerunner Of the great variety of egg
and milk drinks which are served In q
hundred different ways. Fresh eggs,
cream. matted milk. and all sorts of
things go into these drinks, but they are
all livened I'D with carbonated water. a
big glass, with two raw eggs, shaken
with an ounce of matted milk, ana two
ounces of chocolate syrup and water.
viii indeed give q man a square meal, ="
If he likes food IN that form.
Each year there is a cry from some
quarter that soda water fountains are
running the public health. While there
are many grave charges which may be
proved. it is impossible 10 charge the
sins OF some particular fountain to the
whole system. If polluted water is used.
and If the fountain is not kept clean then
there is danger. II good water is used.
and there is conscientious cleanliness, a
soda fountain is not a source Of danger
TO health. Some preparations sold there
are undoubtedly harmful. but carbOnated
water itself, taken IN moderate quaint
ties. is a wholesome aid 10 digestion, and
IS in no wise injurious 20 a healthy per
sons organism
The people Of England drink more car
donated water than Americans, but they
drink it from bottles without ice. Soda
water is an English institution. however
and as such Is highly regarded in the
fright little. tight little island. although
the greatest improvements in methods Of
making and using It have come from Ger
many and the United states. The first
suggestion that carbonic acid gas be
be mixed with ordinary water to imi-
tate the spring waters charged by Ma
ture, came from DR. Joseph Priestley in
1772 he invented a method Of making
the gas from marble dust and sulphuric
acid and mixing it with water by agita-
ton This method is the basis OF that
still in use. IN 1S10 the first soda water
patent was granted to Simmons and Run
del, OF Charleston, 5. C., for a method Of
saturadhg water with fixed air." as car
bonic acid gas was commonly called.
Joseph Bramah in England was the first
TO popularize the water so charged with
carbonic gas. As he made the gas from
bicaTbonate of soda, the wa,er became
known as soda-water. This name has
stuck, although, until lately, very few
have used the bicarbonate Of soda in
making the gas. Marble dust, and sui
phuric or muriatic acid have been the
most widely used materials for years, al
though in Europe chalk has been used
more than marble dust.
Germany is entitled to the credit for
the invention which has made the mod
ern American soda fountain possible. Dr.
Raydt, a German scientist, demonstrated
that carbonic acid gas could be converted
10 a liquid under pressure, stored in
heavy cylinders, and transported from
submerged empty balloon was attached
10y wire cables TO an anchor rock weigh
ing 5000 pounds, in the imperial harbor
at Kiel. At the bottom Of the balloon was
the iron cylinder containing DIT. Raydt s
precious liquid carbonic acid. A diver
went under the water and turned the
valve leading 10 the balloon. in exactly
eight minutes the balloon appeared above
the surface carrying the enormous weight
Of its anchor with it. Notwithstanding
the immense force Of the expanding gas
the cylinder was proved to be perfectly
safe.
Little country villages all over the
United States are to-day receiving liquid
carbonic acid in cylinders. When the
valve is opened this liquid expands into
its greater body as gas The cylinder Is
attached 20 the fountain, and there YOU
are. Formerly the gas had to be gen.
Grated on the premises, a dangerous un-
dertaking for the careless or unskilled
or else shipped in portable fountains con-
tanning the uncompressed gas, a plan
which expended all the profits in freight
charges.
John Matthews, Of New York, was the
father of American soda water. He be-
gan with a small fountain on a push
cart In New York in 1852. He made his
own gas, charged his water, compounded
his syrups and sold his own goods
Soon after he moved into stone build
ing on Twenty-seventh street. formerly
a JAIL which is still used by the American
Soda Fountain Company. LippincOtt in
Philadelphia, Tufts & Puffer in Massa-
chusetts, A. J. Morse, and G. D. DAVIS
soon followed. These were the pioneers
The business grew in small way but