The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-05-07

New York, May THAT the soda
water season, the annual beginning OF
which is now at hand, not only far ex-
ceeds in commercial Importance but In
widespread popularity as well the pase-
bali season, is evidenced despite any
belief to the contrary by the state
ment that $500, 600, 900 will be spent for
the beverage and kindred soft drinks
during the coming year In this country,
To this enormous sum, derived from
the most careful compilation of figures,
New York alone will contribute about
$40 600 900 or nearly one-twelfth, The
total however, is distributed over the
whole country and every section will
share in establishing a new record IN
this field How enormously this IN
dustry has developed is shown by the
fact that the sum which Americans
and to a large extent young Americans
will pour down their threats this
year, in the shape Of carbonated drinks
is more than twice the annual cost Of
the army and navy combined. The
$500, OO0, 900 bill, moreover, made up OF
ten billion nickels, represents per-
capita expenditure for the whole Unit
ed States Of more than six dollars. This
sum would pay for fifty-five dread
naughts, is more than three times the
value Of the yearly output of automo-
biles, or would pay the debts of all
American churches four times over In
dicated by other comparisons, the size
of the soda water thirst is even more
strikingly shown. The total number Of
soda fountains In the country is placed
at 10000 with an average length Of
ten feet If placed end to end they
would form a line, 100000 feet long,
equal to 227 miles. In other words a
soda fountain of sufficient size to reach
from New York to Washington is ne
cessary to take care Of the nations
wants. From this mighty counter
about $1,000, 900 gallons Of liquid will
be served during the year. Expressed
in glasses this amounts to 24,000,000
da1y Of $3.50, 0O0,O 900 annually. In this
respect at least the phrase relative to
drinking enough to float ship is liter
ally true, for the amount of soda water
in Question would, II placed in one body
make lake big enough to float the
largest vessel In the world. Or were
all the liquid put into common soda
water tanks, each holding sixty seven
gallons, 1t would fill 100000 Of them.
With an average height of six feet
each, these tanks would II placed one
on top of the other, rise 8,641 miles in
to the air, or far enough to reach
through the earth with 400 miles over
at each end. Altogether while less is
written about the soda water season
than about the baseball season, 1t is
evident that it's approach is far more
important in its commercial aspect at
least.
Many strange and almost forgotten
memories Of forty years ago were re-
vived this week at an auction sale
which marked the final passing Of
what undoubtedly was once the most
fashionable gambling house in New
York City Back in the late sixties
and early seventies, this house. situat-
ed in the then fashionable district Of
Twenty fourth street, just off Fifth
avenue, was not only the home Of the
highest gambling which the country
has perhaps ever known, but served at
the same time as the meeting place Of
many men, now dead Of national repu
tation, since in those days gambling
was not looked upon as IL Is now. The
house itself has long been closed but
the man who owned II in the days Of
its greatest d destruction has continued
through all the years to live in 1t sur
rounded by the wonderful furnishings
which he Travelled all over the world to
secure, and for which, 1t is said, he
paid nearly a million dollars. AS a
result Of his decision to move away,
however, the house and contents have
been auctioned off. Many were the
curious results Of the sale. The safe,
which in Its time has contained I'M
numbered millionsbelonging to men who
thought nothing OF risking $4,000 on
the turn of single card, sold for sew
enty-five cents. A wonderfully carved
nut wood sideboard, brought from Italy
for which former president Tom Scott
of the Pennsylvania Railroad once Of
fered $4,000, brought only 5000. SIX
teen plates said to be the finest of
their kind in the world for which $500
apiece was once refused brought only
SIS each. In all the once famous mil
lion dollar collection brought less than
$4,000. and only the sale of the house
and lot assures to the one time prince
Of the green cloth in an income for
his last days.
While millions Of people devote more