The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-09-07

A man in New Jersey claims the
distinction of having invented" ice
cream soda, and a woman in Califor-
MIA makes the same claim. A genera
uon ago, as generations are ~mea Sured
in countries boasting a heightened aV-
erage or life as a result Of improved
hygiene and sanitation. ice cream soda
was not known. The New Jersey pio-
neer in the development Of the soft
drink says he hit upon the plan OF
dropping spoonful Of ice cream into
the soda water TO please the children
The California pioneer says her hus-
band invented" cream soda and that
the difficulty of keeping the cream.
fresh in hot weather caused her TO
try ice cream as a substitute and to
discover by chance the happy combina-
tion that eventually became a national
favorite.
There has been such progress in
soft drinks in America within the last
thirty years that the soda fountain
now has as many recipes as the sa-
loon. offers nourishment as we'll as
mere refreshment to its patrons. and
has list OF mineral waters and sim
pie medicines in addition
Recently the iceless soda fountain
has come into vogue. Frederic J.
Haskin writes OF the iceless fountain
as follows:
There has been a great advance
in the mechanism of the newest soda
fountains during the past FIVE years.
NOW the tcelesS fountain is the proper
thing, and it is being demonstrated
that the extra cost Of this is more
than replaced by the lessened expense
or production when the freezing tenn
perature is produced by chemicals in
stead of ice. The iceless fountain
also does away with the slop supposed
10 be inevitable around a soda foun-
tain. a Boston soda shop, with a
a nfNrN N m Ia IL
piled with strips OF handsome carpet
behind the counter. on which the
girls stand as they serve the soda, and
there is no more slop there than be-
hind a ribbon counter"
The soda 'jerker" has become a
fancy drink mixer. He is paid as
much as 500 a month at fashion
able fountains in large cities, and
commands even higher pay when he
proves his virtuosity to his employer
and patrons and makes himself a
necessity by imparting finer flavor
to the Drinks he serves than is found
in those of others Of his calling.
There are more soft drinks sold
today in American bars than there
were thirty, twenty ten. even five
years ago. The buttermilk fad" has
made il necessary for every well sup
piled bar to keep n stock of the latest
proclaimed promoter OF health and
longevity. A soda fountain drink that
has made millions for an Atlanta firm
has become almost as common in
saloons as in soda fountains. Mineral
waters are commonly sold.
Soda fountains cater to a small pro-
portion of former patrons of bars.
although their trade is chiefly with
women and children and with men
who have never formed a taste for
alcoholic beverages. Drunkenness is
treated with less tolerance in busi-
ness life and in social life than il for
merly was. Along with the increase
in the sale of temperance drinks there
is decrease in the proportion of in
ebriates among men who drink in
toXicants.
Since prohibition is a failure. and
so acknowledged by the national or
gan of the ProhibitiOnists. the we'll
wishers of the human family-per-
sons who desire temperance and are
not trying to get political office by
making capital of human frailty-
will hope that wider sale of non-al-
coholic drinks and beverages contain
ing a smaller percentage of alcohol.
such as beer and light wines. will
lessen the harmful results OF indul-
gence in drink, and that evolution
may accomplish what revolution has
repeatedly failed to bring about
Courier-Journal