The Yarn Spinner

  Green River: Pop-ular Folklore I saw it in the soda aisle in Jewel-Osco today. It’s back: Green River soda - a lime flavored, caffeine-free beverage with a tangy sweetness and a hint of citrus. It “pops” up in the spring. The soda has a zestful taste and Irish Green color that’s in keeping with the Shamrocks’ Shakes unofficial holiday. The grand kids love it, and it goes hand-in-hand with the Irish Soda Bread and   corned beef and cabbage my wife likes to serve on St. Patrick’s Day. Green River soda dates back to the time of Prohibition, through the diners and drugstore soda fountains of 1950s and '60s. While Green River became an iconic soda associated with Chicago,   it's not from Illinois at all. The story of Green River soda actually starts in Iowa.   Richard C. Jones took over a confectionary shop near a high school in 1914. It was here   in 1916 that Jones invented the electric-green soda. With Jones selling ice cream and sodas at his shop, Green Riv...

  Sarsaparilla A gust of   air   briefly invades the saloon’s privacy stirring the wispy miasmic haze floating over the heads of cowpokes smoking “Quirlys,”   Mexican-style roll-your-own cigarettes popular in these “parts.”   They are made with Bull Durham tobacco and corn shuck paper.     A large ball of dead foliage rolling down the street can be seen through the lower portion of the swinging doors. It forsakes its seeds in contrast to   the honky-tonk music and laughter that flows into the street inviting passers-by to join in the fun. But the “batwings” are only used during operating hours. Large, heavy, double doors that can be bolted tight stand at attention nearby to keep people from helping themselves during closing hours and   to fend off bad weather – or bad company. Eventually both are assured. It is late summer, dry, and Tumbleweeds roam freely.      The vaquero’s horse neighs when the rider dismounts ...

  Dopp Kit   If you ask around, I think most people are going to tell you this is a toiletry bag but perhaps some folks from The Greatest Generation (and I think it was) and a few others may know it as a Dopp Kit. Dopp kit bag is simply another word for a toiletry bag that many of us know and use.  The name  makes sense when you learn more about its history. A Dopp kit—spelled with two p's, not Dop kit—is a toiletry bag designed to hold grooming supplies. Dopp kits open wide and their compact  size that makes them particularly helpful for individuals who are traveling. Without taking up too much luggage space, a Dopp kit is able to offer a convenient space to pack a shaving kit, razor blades, shaving cream,  shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap, nail clippers, and other essential toiletries. The Dopp Kit acquired its name from a German leather-goods maker named Charles Doppelt, an immigrant to the United States. He invented his toiletry case, ...