The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-07-06

among my sales before I went home for breakfast that morning, besides Police Gazettes' were some striped sticks of peppermint candy, to boy, bottle of st. Jacobs or to woman who came running all out of breath into the store saying that grandma had just tumbled down the cellar stairs, and though, thank God, she didn't break any bones, she was one mass of bumps and scratches and black and blue spots. She asked me which thought would be best under the circumstances, for grandma'-'St. Jacobs Oil' or Wizard Oip? Though the word wizard made 8 strong ap- peal to me, the fact that Jacob was a saint, though I couldn't | recollect seeing his name listed among the saints in the Bible, de- cided me in his favor.
 The small boy of today has no idea how lucky he is in escaping the drudgeries and disagreeable tasks that were matters of course when his grandfather was a boy. For instance, 1t took me an hour every day in 'Webb's' store to clean and fill the kerosene oil lamps, and trim the wicks and wash the lamp chimneys, which were usually black with smoke every morning. Now, all that anybody has to do to get light is to touch a button, and, presto, one room or the whole house, as you please, will be as bright as day. And when you want to put it out, touch the button again. The baby can do 1t just as well as the grownups. And that's all there is to 1t except paying the 'electric-light bill' once month.
 And again, instead of the small boy of today having to spend half his time, and shoe-leather, running errands, the telephone saves him more than half of the running that his grandfather had to do when he was a boy.
 I wish I could show you a pie ture of 'Webb's soda fountain as it looked seventy years ago; but the days of 'kodaks' and other hand cameras, had not yet arrived. Is 1t possible that fhany of the things that seem today to be the very last word in elegance and com fort-will be Imaginable antiques in the year 2olo, seventy years from now?
 But 'Webb's' soda fountain was the last word then, and I felt pretty important standing between it and the counter, facing row of expectant customers, perched up on high stools.
 Nobody ever ordered ice cream soda water then because such thing had never been heard of, and what they did get was principally 'fizz' and bubbles. The sensation of drinking soda water then, was like taking 8 Seidlitz powder. It had to be swallowed quick, while it was effervescing, before It set- tied down to tetaspoonful of sedi- ment.
 However, 'Webb's' oda-fountain was very popular, and l can shut my eyes now and see my custom ers' just as they were so long ago an ecstatic expression on their faces, their glasses tilted up, and swallowing as fast as possible to prevent any bubbles from escaping them. And I can hear the merry shouts and laughter of hilarious groups of my girl and boy school mates who had come in to cele- brate my entree into business. :.
 They 'bubbled over with fun and friendliness. Many suggestions were offered to overcome my immature appearance, such as false whiskerS' , patterned after 'Webbs; which they declared would make nit with the public and increase business.
 One day, when the store was al- ready half filled with customers, the youngsters came swarming in, in riotous spirits. and demanded an immediate audience with the pro- prietor.
 .Webb,' who was putting up pre- scription, heard the hubbub and rushed out to see what the young sters' were ip to. He was greeted with cheers and the crowds spokes- man informed him that they came with glad tid!nRs'-that they had nut their heads together and evolved a grand idea'---that would double his business and spread his fame far and wide, and that he only re- ward they would accept was the assurance that soda water at
 'Wehb's Fountain should be as free as common drinking water--t0 them, forever after,
 Meanwhile. ali the customers had gathered enthuslasticall about sWebb' and the 'y0ungsterT whose ,spokesman' revealed the grand Idea.
 (Te be Centlnuep