The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
LINES IN Topeka
New Fruit Used for Most POpu.
lar Drinks.
TOpekanS Drinking 10000
Limeades a Day.
NEARLY UNKNOWN 6 YEARS AGO
Party of Commission Men Gre.
ated a Demand.
Fruit Shipped to This City
From West Indies.


year.
This is an estimate made by a dealer
in lines in this city He states that the
average daily consumption amounts to
three barrels or 5000 lines. Figuring
that at the fountain one lime will make
two limeades, this amounts to 10000
GmeadeS a day-the most popular drink
in the city.
Considering the fact that six years
ago limeades were unknown in this city,
1T is a marvellous record.
Six years ago Topeka was unac-
quainted with lines. The juice of the
lemon, the acid of this fruit, was the
popular squeezed" drink at the soda
fountains.
One day in came shipment of lines
from Mexico. This was in 1907. The
commission men stood face to face with
the loss of the fruit unless it was
made into a popular drink with the
druggist and soda fountain dealers.
1t was a hot summer evening and
the commission men got together led
by Frank Cope, and decided to origi-
nate a demand for limeadeS. They went
from one drug store to another. At
each place the crowd sat down before
the fountain and asked for a limeade.
Nothing doing said the fountain man.
The crowd then filed from the store and
sWarmed down on the next man.
These business getting tactics were
continued for -everal evenings. Final
~ one fountain dealer. then another,
inquired for the lines Soon they found
themselves with the lines on their
hands and with the problem of get
ting rid of them: 1t was up to the
druggists to popularize the drink.
First Sent to SaIoonkeepers.
The first lines shipped to Topeka
were received by commission men fif-
teen years ago. They were sent here
to be used in saloons. Topeka at that
time was not supporting any well reg
ulated saloon system, so the commits
sion men forwarded the lines on to
Colorado and other wet points. This
was the last seen of lines until 1907.
Today the lime has become popu-
lar in Topeka-and Kansas as we'll
that the grocery stores are handling
them for sale among their customers
The largest dealer in lines in Kan
sas is the Copes' Salees System COM
pany- A few years ago this firm con-
sidered ten baskets of lines a big ship
ment. At that time the druggist would
buy one small basket and perhaps he
would lose on the investment. The de-
mand for the drinks was so weak that
the fruit would spoil before the drinks
could be mixed This was only a few
years ago.
Now this commission firm of r. F.
and r. E. Cope thinks nothing of a So
barrel shipment of lines. The increase
in consumption has increased more
than 100 per cent In the last year and
several hundred per cent in the last
five years. Topeka today is drinking
twice as many limeades as she drank
last summer.
1t is predicted that in another year
Topeka will receive lines by the car
load instead of by the barrel.
Just to give an idea on the number |
of lines in shipment-the dealers |
figure an average of 100 lines to the |
81
limeades. In other words every barrel |
Of lines is good for 3,400 limeades-l
and Topekans are using three barrels |
a day with the consumption constantly |
on the increase.
Soda fountain dealers admit that one
drink out of every three today is a |
limeade. Five years ago the druggist |
would have fumbled around his ice box
before he could have found lime to
supply the demand. At one time 10
cents was charged for the drink on ac-
count of the loss in storage.
Limeades Are HeaIthful.
Physicians are inclined to shake
their heads at soda fountain drinks.
They warn their patients against cold
mixed refreshing connections. But 1t
is admitted that the limeade is good
for the hot and weary person who
sinks into a drug store chair or climbs
on a soda fountain stool for relief.
Lime juice and plain water is the
most healthful hot weather drink.
said Topeka doctor today. 1T is
drink tina: cools the blood
The lime is popular on account of
it's peculiar flavor.
The fruit has a thinner skin and
more acid than the lemon. In fact it
is cheaper and the drinks are easier
to make. Grocers did not begin sell
ing them until this summer big de-
mand is expected before the hot
weather season is ended.
Like conditions exist all over the
state. The Cope company. which has
made a speciality of lines and is fur
nishing an enormous supply to all
parts of Kansas, reports big demand.
In one college town-Manhattan-
the winter consumption is heavier than !
students.
Source of the Lime Supply.
For several years Kansas ard most
of the states west of the Mississippi /
have depended upon Mexico for the
lime supply Here the natives gather
the wild lines, ship them to the pro-
duce men along the border. who in
turn pack them in baskets and distrib-
ute them throughout the west.
On account of the revolutionary
troubles there, this traffic has been
abandoned and no lines have come
into the state from this lime produc-
ing district for more than 80 days. For
a time a few shipments came to FRS
90 ny water OUT iater tne plCherS were
afraid to go into the interior and now
no lines come from the west coast.
The entire lime consuming United
States now depends on the supply from
he British West India Islands. One of
Frank Cope's boyhood friends is locat-
ID now at Canefield, Dominica. and
Topeka today is drinking limeades dir
act from the West Indies
Just to show the Importance and the
,xtent of the industry-on July the
teamer Gunan is due in New York
With $40 barrels of lines This steamer
contains lines raised only on this
canefied tract After paying the duty