The "Age Of The Soda Fountain Jerk" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading that the American soda fountain shop and the profession of being a "soda jerk" came about in 1874 with the invention of the ice cream soda.  Ice cream became an edible morale symbol during WWII when each branch of the military tried to outdo the other in serving ice cream to its troops.  Then in 1945 the first "floating ice cream parlor" was built for sailors in the western Pacific.  Finally the war ended and dairy product rationing ended.  America could once again celebrate its victory by serving ice cream.  A "soda jerk" was someone who worked at a soda fountain and used to swing the soda fountain handle back and forth when adding soda water to a fountain beverage.  They prepared milkshakes and other treats using drink mixers that feature spindles and agitators to fold air in for smooth and fluffy results served in tall glasses.  Soda Jerks were charged not only with preparing delicious treats, but with entertaining them as well.  I can remember a few of the soda jerks who worked the counter at the Lancaster Train Station in the 1950s and 1960s.  They seemed to have a knack of putting on a show as they made ice cream sodas for the customers.  I can still remember sitting at the counter and hoping a customer would come in and order an ice cream soda so I could sit and watch the soda jerk make one of the special treats they offered.  As for me, I was happy to sit on the round stool with my cherry coke and spin around until I was told to drink the coke and get out of the place.  

The soda fountain at the Lancaster Train Station.  It still
remains, but doesn't look like this anymore.

I recently read about the soda jerk lingo that was used as shorthand for calling out orders at many soda fountains.  Lingo such as:  Black (cola), Bottom (ice cream in a drink), Brown (root beer), Bucket of (several ingredients combined), Cha (chocolate), Concrete (a milkshake so thick it can be turned upside down and not drip), Cow juice (milk), Crash (cookie crumbs), Draw one (coffee), Draw one from the south (strong coffee), Dust (malted milk powder), Egg Cream (a chocolate soda with a dash of milk), Fizz (a scoop of sherbet or sorbet), Van (vanilla ice cream), White cow (vanilla milkshake), Winter (whipped cream), Yip (an ice cream soda blended in a drink mixer).  After I got married, Carol and I moved to the Grandview Heights neighborhood in Lancaster County.  We had three children and I enjoyed taking them to the neighborhood Lemin's soda fountain run by the father of one of my students I had in my high school Graphic Arts class.  The owner did a good job of making ice cream sodas for my kids, but not with the flair that I had remembered from years before at the train station.  Some things are always better the first time when you are more impressionable.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.