I Didn't Know That # 3 Traditional Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This little series is named after little known facts I read in a book and was amazed by them.
ROOT BEER
American colonists became aquainted with the sarsaparilla plant, the roots of which, when boiled, yielded a homemade cough syrup.
In 1866, a medical student in Philadelphia became interested in the syrup. He concluded that it had no medical value, but was intrigued by the novel flavor. Afer months of experimentation, he succeeded in preparing a tasty beverage flavored with sarsaparilla extract. Because it came from the roots of the plant and looked a bit like beer, he called it "root beer."
The young man's name was Charles Elmer Hires. His root beer was first sold in a Philadelphia drugstore at five cents per mug. It made such a hit that Hires put other interests aside, and in 1876, started a national business marketing and selling Hires Root Beer.
SANDWICH
During the eighteeth century, John Montagu, England's fourth Earl of Sandwich, was so addicted to gambling that he refused to leave the gambling tables, even for meals. So that he could keep playing while he ate, he ordered his cook to serve him sliced meats and cheeses between two pieces of bread. His well-known habit of snacking in this way resulted in the sandwich being named for him.
SCOTCH TAPE
In 1925, some Detroit carmakers were putting out two-tone models, which was a nightmare to paint. The carmakers turned to the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M) for a sturdy tape that could be used to keep the borders clean and straight where the colors met. The people at 3M invented cellophane tape. But they skimped--sending off all the batches of tape with adhesive only on the edges, not down the middle. It stuck poorly, and paint bled through.
Disgusted, the autoworkers complained to 3M salesmen for sending them "Scotch" tape, the word "Scotch" at the time being a slang term for "cheap." Said the workers: "Take this Scotch tape back to those Scotch bosses of yours and tell them to put adhisive everywhere on it." The bosses gave in to the workers and made the tape right, but the name "Scotch" stuck.
SUNDAE
In Evanston, Illinois, in 1875, a law was passed forbidding the sale of ice-cream sodas on Sunday. To get around the law, on Sundays enterprising soda jerks began serving ice cream with syruo but no soda water. The concoction became popular, and on weedays customers began asking for "Sundays." City officials objected to naming a dish after the Sabbath, so the spelling was changed--and it has been "sundae" ever since.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)