There have been numerous soda fountains in Fowlerville -- some may remember Tomion's, Woods Drugs, and Spag's, just to name a few. But earlier, in 1877, there was Bell's where a refreshing soda could be purchased. The editor of The Fowlerville Review wrote a glowing article, although I have to wonder if it really was an advertisement in disguise. It follows:
"Whew!" whistled a seedy looking individual on Monday in front of Bell's as he mopped his face with his shirt sleeve and then sat down on the sidewalk in the shade of a dry goods box, "I believe I'm sun-struck." A bystand noticed the ghastly aspect of the fellow and suggested that a glass of soda water might make him feel better. "Yes," he remarked as he sauntered up to the fountain. "I have been feeling it coming on but I guess this'll fix it." He swallowed the draught, passed out and was shortly afterward seen "hodding-up" brick on the Palmerton block, something that under ordinary circumstances it would have been next to impossible to have prevailed upon him to do. It's surprising what a wonderful effect Bell's soda water will have on a person.
I'm not sure what "hodding-up" is supposed to mean, or if it was a typo in the newspaper. "Holding-up" maybe? No matter, it definitely sounded like the fellow was nicely revived.
1 comment:
"hodding up" refers to carrying bricks in a hod. I suspect he was working on the construction of the Palmerton building that was being built after the wooden one burned.
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