The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-11
NOT AN EASY JOB.
Many Are the Vicissitudes of the Soda
Fountain Clerk.

How many thirsty mortais ever stop
to consider the habits and occupation
of the human machine in white
coat and apron who handles with such
cOnsummate skill and disdainful non
chalance the delectable mixtures and
connections that fiZz so seductively in
| the glasses on the white marble coun-
ter of the soda fountain? How many
really know anything of the soda
clerks job, more than that he is a va
riety of the genus waiter and that he
can tell the difference between choc-
late nut Sundae and an egg phosphate ?
Thousands of people every day dur
ing the summer season crowd the
stores of Washington in quest of cool
| ing decoctionS to quench their gilt
edged thirsts and at the same time
tickle their palates, yet few of them
could tell of half the duties and ViciS-
STUDIES incumbent upon the daily
routine life of the boy behind the soda
fountain counter, nor have they any
accurate idea of the size and scope of
the business of dispensing soft drinks.
The dizziness and speed with which
some of the dispensers of soda at the
larger down town fountains go about
their work is nothing short of awe
inspiring if one fOrgetS ones drink
for a moment and stops to watch:
There is one tall, broad shouldered
youth who holds forth at down town
fountain, who is particularly speedy
During rush hours he has been known
TO jerk sodas at a steady rate of
from nine to ten a minute, which
means one customer served every six
seconds. He is an old hand at the
business, and has the statistics of his
fountain at his fingers ends. The
figures which he mentions are start
ling.
"Of all the syrups and flavorings
used at this fountain" he says,
chocolate is by far the most popular
Very often as many as fifteen gal
Ions of this flavOring pass across the
counter in one day, and it is neces-
sary to keep four soda pumps con-
tinually filled with it to supply the
huge demand. Next to the chocolate
in public favor is lemon. Some ide&
of the relative popularity of choCo-
late over all other flavors may be
gained by observing that almost three
times as much of chocolate as of lem
on flavoring is sold, the daily demand
for lemon amounting to six gallons
at this fountain.
lone drink that is becoming in
creasingly popular is the limeade. 1t
is sold a every fountain of any size
in the city and, unlike some other
drinks, is favored with the fresh
fruit juice. Our fountain dispensss
regularly each day 800 glasses of this
drink. Cherry phosphates, cherry
much in demand. The cherry cock
tail is put up in fancy style with bits
of lemon and cracked ice, and looks
though it might be the real thing
The soda fountain nowadays, you
know, is coming to rival the quick
lunch esta Adjustment. Every day,
from II in the morning until and 3
in the afternoon, we handle a large
lunch trade with business men, who
seem to prefer milk and egg drinks
to pie and ham sandwiches. In or
der to make up enough of these food
drinks to meet the daily call for thcm
We consume on an average ten dozen
eggs and $50 quarts of milk and
cream every twenty-four hours. I
have found in my work here that it
is principally the men who order the
heavy drinks, such milk shakes and
egg phoSphates; the women come IN
to crafty their tastes rather than
their appetites, and with them we do
an immense trade in ice cream sodas
and sundaes.
Il do not believe that many of our
customers have any idea how big the
business of large soda fountain really