Soda Shop Memory

Re: American Profile: June 7-13, 2009What memories this issue of American Profile brought back to me. As a 16-17 year old teenager in Moberly, Missouri; 1939-1940, I was a soda-jerk at Mears Drug

 

Re: American Profile:  June 7-13, 2009

What memories this issue of American Profile brought back to me. As a 16-17 year old teenager in Moberly, Missouri; 1939-1940, I was a soda-jerk at Mears Drug Store. Banana splits; a whole banana split length wise and laid flat side up in the dish, topped with three sundae-sized scoops, one each of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry; each scoop topped with a different topping--marshmallow, strawberry jam, crushed pineapple, butterscotch and thick chocolate syrup. If chocolate ice-cream was in the center, it would have the marshmallow topping with the cherry on top. A vanilla center scoop rated the chocolate topping, again with the cherry. The splits were the premium entree at 35 cents.

My favorite soda shop memory though is about coffee. The pharmacist-owner Wiley Mears, after opening the store; would come to my counter for a cup of coffee. One morning after I served him his coffee he asked, "Where was the newspaper?" In my blissful innocence, I told him I didn't have one and asked why he needed it. He told me, "So I can read it through this coffee you made!" Needless to say I have measured coffee for the pot ever after.

 

Paul A Gasparotti

Hampstead, Maryland

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