New Britain herald., 1928-03-09
ICE CREAM

II IS Wrlt, had hard time conv1nc- ing anyone that 1t was first class food or . delightful tidbit. The public took to the newfangled food slowly. But that was in the good old days, so far back that scarcely any one nowadays can remember the time when they began selling frozen cream. To the present generation they have always been selling it. and scarcely anything is more common than lice cream parlors.'
 Which Is by way of introducing ourselves to the latest example of mergeritiS which has encompassed the ice cream industry in the east ern states. From one merger to an- other Is an easy jump in these merger days. It was only a short time ago that many of the Ice cream plants in New England merged into the Eastern Dairies. an organization which retained the various trade names in the various districts, so that the public really did not know much about the merged company. Perhaps few independents re- mained independent, but the Eastern Dairies had capital of &10,000. .O00, and that was considered big enough to get along with.
 The other day came the additional information from promoters that the New England merger would merger with bigger and better merger of eastern dairies, the whole shebang to be known as the General Ice Cream company, having securities outstand- ing. etc., of a cool soo,o00.oo0 There are still a few independents, who refuse to play marbles with the big fellows.
 You can bet from this there must be money in ice cream. The manu- facture of the confection or the necessity. has become a great Amer ican industry. Folk used to make it at home to a considerable extent, just like they formerly used to bake their own bread: but in these days few seem to have the time for such household activities. Buying the ice cream around the corner is much easier. and of course. no home made ice cream competes with the in. finite varieties. there found in stock. Thus the big business idea in ice cream. the big merged concern which is going to continue furnishing everybody with the product that makes profits.
 And why shouldn't there be money in ice cream? Time was when an ordinary sundae cost dime, or 15 cents. Try to find one at that price today. A dash of whipped cream atop of an ordinary portion of ice cream. some fruit juices, and few nuts. and we have q connection costing 25 cents. It's the service that costs. my boy: serv. ice in a nice place. fit for the young. the spooning. the aged: polished tables, comfortable chairs, every thing fancy, handsome, polished, I'm modern."
 The ice cream manufacturers have found how to put the homemade product entirely out of business. The chief competitor has been killed off by superior service. Huge trucks scoot around the country distribut- ing the product from the main plants and Sunday is big day. The old idea that ice cream is something only for hot weather has been blast ed completely; one finds ones self eating the necessity throughout the winter just as well, and it can be zero outdoors and a blizzard in the air--ice cream goes just as good. Some people even think it is good for colds and numerous other wintry ills.
 Let's have fudge pecan, a Lind bergh Special and a raspberry fruit smacke-! And boy. that waitress is easy to look at!