Story 12: Have a Coke and a smile

Name: Joseph Biedenharn

Act of Kindness: People in the country deserved to taste Coca-Cola, too. So why not deliver it to them!

Result: People around the world now enjoy Coke in bottles and cans.

 

Who here likes Coke? The brown sugary drink?

Well here’s a sweet story you’ll relish, I think.

It takes place during Coke’s 1890s inception

When Coke got a rave soda fountain reception.

 

A boy named Joe Biedenharn “adds life” to this tale

Tall, skinny, a bog joker, nothing on a small scale

He worked at his dad’s Vicksburg candy-can store

Where he sold treats & sweets, drinks, soda and more.

 

Knowing how most all things go better with Cokes

Joe sold glassfuls of Coke soda to all the town folks

But people in the country were behind the eight ball

Getting to town for a Coke wasn’t easy at all!

 

Joe knew the country people, he sold straight to them

Drove stuff out in his wagon, sold it right there and then

One day on his wagon, an idea filled Joe’s head

He’d put Coke in bottles, “Coke is it!” Joe said.

 

Joe found lots of bottles, he had bottles galore

Filled them up at the fountain, cased them up and made more!

He’d fill up the grates, stack ‘em up in his wagon

He’d drive to the country, his ride was a saggin’.

 

Now the country people pleased as punch

To have access to Coke, like the in-town bunch

Little did Joe know that this small act of sharing

Would have a far-reaching most global-like bearing

 

At age 27 this tall, skinny guy Joe

Was the first to put Coke a bottle, you know.

Now people all over, they know it’s no joke

That all things, well, they go better with Coke.

Story 11: Presidential whiskers

Name: Grace Bedell

Act of Kindness: Had strong feelings about how the President of the United States might look better — and shared it with him!

Result: A presidential look that goes down in history.

 

Four score and seven years ago

A young girl helped some whiskers grow

“Whiskers! How scratchy!…Oh my, you say?

It’s the true bristly root of our tale today

 

The little girl’s name was Grace Bedell

Her opinions were many — she’d share and she’d tell.

She’d share with her friend what she thought of her dress

She’d say to her teacher, “let’s break for recess?”

 

Grace adored telling others what came to her mind

Not cruel, not mean…Grace was honest and kind.

Her dad once gave Grace a political picture

Of Abraham Lincoln from his campaign brochure.

 

Grace squinted and looked, turned the photo around

She said, “This man’s tall, his face…how profound!”

It was Grace’s opinion he’d look much more in charge

With whiskers covering his face so boney and large.

 

So Grace sat down and wrote Lincoln a letter

She explained how a beard would make him look better

She said if growing a beard would please be his druthers

Then she’d make sure he got votes from all four of her brothers.

 

With a lick and a stamp, Grace sent off the nice note

And it came right to Lincoln who liked what she wrote

He got out a pen, he wrote Grace back with elation

Would new whiskers be considered “silly affectation?”

 

Lincoln later became the famed 16^th president

And guess what became his famous facial accent?

Whiskers! A beard! A stubbly, unshavenly shimmer!

True to Grace’s advice, whiskers made his face glimmer!

 

So next time you see pictures of Abraham Lincoln

And the roots of beard gets your brain think-a-thinkin,’

Remember how the opinion of an 11-year-old

Helped one stubbly president’s history unfold.

Story 10: Order up!

Name: Louis Lassen

Act of Kindness: Devising an easy-to-eat-and-order meal for workers in a nearby factory by using leftover meat

Result: Hamburgers for the world to enjoy!

 

Make room in your tummy for this tasterly tale

It’s a story of hamburgers, cuisine’s holy grail

Louis Lassen is the story’s hunky hungrily hero

Who ran a lunch wagon in about eighteen nine zero

 

Louis served lunch to New Haven’s factory workers

Who were about to find out how much they loved burgers

When it was lunchtime, the workers would come

To Louis for a big steak served up on a bun

 

His sandwiches were yummy, Louis sold quite a few

People loved the steak lunch, his business, — it grew.

But many times, sometimes more often than not

Louis had leftovers, and sometimes a lot!

 

Not wanting to waste all this delicious steak meat

Louis ground it all up — he made quite a heap!

He separated the meat, he fashioned small patties

Louis turned on the grill for the next factory laddies.

 

He cooked up the patties, he made lots of toast,

Louis readied his wagon, he stood at his post

“Who will be first? What chap’s next in line?

Who will try one of my new burgers so fine?”

 

The workers were starved, they wanted to try it

Louis’ delicious creations were now part of their diet!

Savory, grilled, hamburgers were yummy!

They hit the spot of everyone’s tummy!

 

The idea caught on, and these days — oh how!

Hamburgers are sold almost everywhere now!

So next you eat a burger, rare medium or done

Remember Louis and his ground steak on a bun!

Story 9: With a flick of the foot…

Name: Lillian Moller Gilbreth

Act of Kindness: Inventing items that would help her be a more efficient cook for her very, very large family.

Result: The flip-top garbage can, a God-send for mothers everywhere.

 

Lillian Moller Gilbreth did not live in a shoe

But like the old lady, kids were always in view.

First she had six and then seven, eight, nine,

Ten, eleven then twelve — a big family was fine!

 

Lillian spent hours of time in her kitchen

Cooking food for 12 kiddos, whose tummies were twitchin’

She peeled big potatoes, opened cans of green beans

She’d debone the chickens, chop up turnip greens

 

She wiped up their spills, made piles of big peels

Trash would begin to collect after each of her meals

But opening the lid on her ‘ole kitchen trash can

Was tricky when rubbish overflowed in her hand.

 

But Lillian was smart, a real live engineer

A scientist, psychologist — she was a world pioneer.

Tired of trash falling from her hand to the floor

She thought up a way to improve her trash chore.

 

“The can lid, hmmmm, it would have to stay put

But what if I could open it up with my foot?”

Lillian conceived an idea, she devised a smart plan

She put a foot pedal at the base of the can

 

“Voila!” she said flipping the lid up with great ease

“I can finally toss trash — cabbage, meat, even cheese!”

Lillian’s historical, foot pedal trash can solution

Was just part of her kitchen gizmo revolution

 

She invented shelves for refrigerator doors

She devised proper heights for counters and drawers

The electric food mixer was a Lillian creation

For which she achieved worldwide mom admiration

 

So when you slurp batter off your mom’s mixer spoon

Or fling open the trash lid one hot afternoon

Think about Lillian and her big kitchen ideas

That made cooking and cleaning such a breeze.

Story 8: Rolling around

Name: Joseph Merlin

Act of Kindness: Publicly sharing a crazy idea so others could join in on the fun

Result: Rollerskates

 

Now don’t roll away, hold on, WOAH! woah,…WOAH!!!

Let’s talk about skates, spin tales of long, long ago

Joseph Merlin was a top 1700-era whacky inventor

Born in Belgium but working in London’s industrial center

 

Merlin was quirky, a real funnerly fellow

He invented timepieces, instruments, a capello!

He played violin! He’d invent, get dressed up!

He opened museums, he had fun…yup, yup, yup!

 

But his favoritist, best dandiest invention of all

Were shoes with metal wheels on the heel and the ball

These contraptions allowed Merlin to roll all around

When he was unable to ice-skate on the ground.

 

He’d strap on those skates, he’d rock, rattle and roll

He’d roll to his lab, sometimes skid into a pole

Merlin found joy with the wheels on his feet

But he wanted to share his invention so niffity neat!

 

He put on skates, then his old thinking cap

He twiddled his fingers, “how would he do that?”

Then out of the blue he received a fine letter

A masquerade invitation… it didn’t get any better!

 

A party! A dance! He’d sashay onto the scene!

He came up with a plan about which he was keen:

He’d put on a costume, a mask and a hat

He’d play violin and skate in…how ‘bout that?!?!

 

“The people will love it,” he said with a wink

They’ll sign up for skates with indelible ink.”

So off Merlin went to this party so grand

He skipped off to the ball, skates firmly in hand.

 

(What a dumb plan, you think with chagrin?

Dressing up, wearing skates…playing violin?)

Too excited to think how things might go awry

Merlin got ready, prepared to give it a try.

 

“Ta-da!” He shouted, “Ta-da! Look at me!

See my skates? My invention! Ta-da! Weee weee weee!”

Merlin sailed ‘round the party, he picked up his fiddle

But his mask blinded him to a floor gap that was little

 

His skates skipped a step, Merlin started to tumble

He screamed and he skidded, the violin was a fumble

With his legs in the air and his arms waving ‘round

Merlin crashed through a mirror that smashed to the ground

 

And that is how roller skates slid onto the scene

It wasn’t real graceful, it was scary — obscene!

But Joseph Merlin will always be known

As the one who gave skates a life of their own!

Story 7: More…wire hangers!

Name: Albert Parkerhouse

Act of Kindness: Helping make room on the company coat rack for everyone

Result: Something he can hang his hat on — wire coat hangers!

 

This story twists and turns, bends and twists

But not with its plot, but with wire and with wits

It’s about Albert J. Parkerhouse, a working 1903 man

Who lived in Michigan — such a cold windy, land!

 

Albert worked at Timberlake Wire and Novelty

Where he bent wires into shapes, for lamps most probelty

He did the same thing at work each long day

Bending, twisting wires in his own special way

 

Michigan, Burrrrrr! His big coat was a staple.

He’d grab it each morning from the hook near his table

But often when he arrived at his whirly twirly wire work

There was no space for his coat — it made him berserk!

 

One day when he tripped over the growing coat heap

He thought of a twisted idea, oh boy it was deep!

“Ah hah!” he exclaimed grabbing a renegade wire

Then he twisted and bent it, his hands were on fire!

 

Braiding it, turning it, murmuring gobbledygook

Albert fashioned an upside-down T with a hook

He flipped it around, threw it up in the air

Draped his coat on the ends, smiled and said “There!”

 

He quickly made more, one for each co-worker’s coat

He hung them all up, while his co-workers took note

“What a bent up, wrenched, twirly, kinked kind of a plan!

Albert’s made us coat hangars, what a genius wire man!”

 

Thanks to Albert and his writhing, whirly, wirely whack

The world now has a way to hang coats on a rack

So the next time you grab your coat from the closet

Think of Albert and his hangar — such an idea to deposit!

Story 6: Frozen treats of the Popsicle kind!

Name: Frank Epperson

Act of Kindness: Rekindled a childhood mistake for his grandkids, because they thought Pop’s cicles were yummy!

Result: Popsicles for treat lovers worldwide

Burrr!!!! Shiver! Wrap yourself up tight

There’s a cold, cold tale to read tonight

Young Frank Epperson is what it’s about

And the treat he invented kids can’t live without.

 

Born in 1905 near San Fran’s Golden Gate

Frank liked to mix soda, yummy drinks he’d create

One cold winter night, when Frank was eleven

He was stirring his drink with a stick, — it was heaven!

 

But before Frank could slurp up his sugary confection

He was called into dinner, with no time for reflection!

Frank dropped his wooden stirrer into the cup

That boy ran inside, while the cup, well…froze up!

 

The next morning, before Frank left for his school

He took a quick peak at his cup by the stool

And what did he see? What became of the drink?

It was as frozen and cold as an ice hockey rink!

 

Frank smelled the cup and tugged on the stick,

He pulled out the ice form, he gave it a lick!

“Mmmmmmm!!!! Sweet soda! But cold, not so spicy!

Frank gave a name to the tasty new treat that was icy!

 

Do you know it? Have you guessed what it was yet?

It wasn’t a lollipop, it was no sweet baguette.

The name of Frank’s frozen sweetened icicle

Was called nothing less than an Epsicle? Epsicle?

 

Epsicle is right — ‘twas the treat’s first firstly name

Frank sold them to friends — he found early fame!

But Frank’s frozen concoction became much better known

When Frank was a dad, with children of his own.

 

The cold treats Frank made for his family and pals

Became known as Pop’s Cicles by the boy sand the gals

Frank made it official one day after a fair

He patented Popcicles, became a millionaire.

 

So next time you cool off with a popcicle treat

And it makes you refreshed from your head to your feet

Don’t forget about Frank and his chilly misplay

That became a yummy we enjoy to this day!

Story 5: High heeled shoes

Name: King Louis XIV

Act of Kindness: It was his heart’s desire to look like a leader his people would look up to

Result: High-heeled shoes enjoyed by mommies and ladies worldwide

Hear ye, hear ye, please clear the way

For an inventive French King and his story today

His name was King Louis of the 14^th kind

A king who liked luxury to dance and unwind

 

Young Louis was stylish, handsome and short

He liked to wear beautiful clothes for his court

But sometimes his frocks would look far too unruly

Too baggy, too long, he looked way too uncooly.

 

His legs were not long, he couldn’t fix that

But he had an idea brewing under his hat

He called in his cobbler, whose shoes were the rage

Louis said “I demand to be taller,” I’ll pay a high wage.”

 

He threw a purse of gold coins on his gilt gilditty table

With a snap he said “Quickly! Make them fine, not unstable.”

Without even a pause, the cobbler smiled, tapped his head

He sashayed off to his workshop, grabbed a fabric in red

 

He made a shiny, sleek pointy-toed slipper

With sparkles and gold for that trendy old gipper

The cobbler chipped away at a thick piece of wood

And fashioned two sticks for each heel, understood?

 

He carefully fastened the strong sticks into place

He whittled them, polished them with his artisan grace

With one final shine, a big smile and a wink

He ran back to the King, said “sir, what do you think?”

 

The king gasped with delight and said, “oooh, la, la, la.”

These slippers, he whispered, a real fashion coup d’état

He slid his stocking feet right into each shoe

And, wouldn’t you know it, that King, well, he grew!

 

With three-inch sticks now affixed to each heel

His crown sat two heads higher — ideal!

His stockings fit tighter, his robes were not dragging

His calves looked so strong, his bottom? Not sagging!

 

The very next day, the King through a big fancy ball

He invited his court — he wanted them all!

And when all of his guests had arrived looking fancy

Louie took center stage and let his heels dance a dancy!

 

Louie looked so handsome, so lanky, so lean

That high-heeled shoes became all the rage, and I mean!

So next time your mom wears her heels, woo woo ah wooie!

Tell her a man wore them first, the fourteenth King Louie!

Story 4: Band-Aids for Boo-boos

Name: Earl Dickson

Act of Kindness: Made a self-adhesive bandage for his accident-prone wife so she could cover her boo-boos in his absence.

Result: Band-Aids!

 

 

Woops! Here is a story about a clumsy, sweet wife

A wonderful cook constantly nicked by her knife.

Her name was Josephine Knight ‘til a 1917 day

When she married Earl Dickson and the Knight went away

 

In the Dicksons’ home kitchen, Josephine cooked up a storm

She made pies, cakes and meatloaves — she’d really perform!

She loved to chop veggies and fruits for their meals

She’d whack up some lettuce, fill the sink with long peals.

 

When Josephine was whacking and cutting the food

She forgot to be careful, accidents often ensued.

Poor Josephine always had cuts on her hand

On her fingers, her arms, on her chin — on her can!

 

When Earl would come home from a long day of work

He’d find his wife nursing a small wound with a smirk

“Dinner is ready, Earl, but before we dig in,

Would you please help me bandage this cut on my skin?”

 

So nearly each night of the week before dinner

Earl would dress his wife’s cuts, he was no bandage beginner.

But the big bandages he used were clunky and fat

They were made for big boo-boos, not we cuts like that!

 

Earl was tired of the bandages and their unusual shape

So he began to experiment with gauze and with tape

He wanted the best for his ham-fisted young wife

Who was clearly the most important thing in his life.

 

One day he put gauze on a small strip of sticky

He put crinoline on top, rolled it up lickity splickity!

“Voila, my love! It’s the answer to your wishes!

A bandage for wounds you get cooking your dishes!

 

Josephine smiled, she was humbly elated

Easy to cut and affix, they were not overrated

Now Earl felt better when he left her for work

“I love buying cotton for Johnston & Johnston, he’d smirk.

 

When he mentioned to coworkers about his invention

They said, “Tell the bosses@ This will get their attention!”

Earl showed J&J managers how he could bandage himself

They clapped! They raved! Band Aids would sell right off the shelf!

 

Alas, the first Band-Aids did not sell very well

Too big and too chunky, Band Aid sales hit a dry spell

“Oh well,” said Earl, surveying sales that were dismal

“At least Josephine’s gratitude is still great and abysmal.”

 

Then Johnston  & Johnston launched a fantabulous plan

They’d give Band Aids to Boy Scouts all across the land

Boy Scouts by the thousands, hundreds and tens

Would use Band-Aids on boo boos and those of their friends

 

The plan worked! Band Aids were a hit!

Band Aids became the foundation of any first aid kit

Earl was promoted, Josephine full of admiration

Her custom made bandages, the new worldwide sensation

 

So next time you fall, scrape, bruise or break

Remember Earl Dickson and the Band Aids he’d make

Be thankful for Josephine and her whoopsy-doo ways

Without Band Aids, you might look like a mummy some days!

 

Story 3: Play-Doh

Name: Joe McVicker

Act of Kindness: Shared his wallpaper cleaner putty with a teacher who needed molding clay for her class.

Result: Play-Doh for all children to enjoy!

Joe McVicker and his Cincinnati kin

Made soap and wallpaper cleaner by the bin

Squishy and mush, the cleaner worked great!

But with changes in wallpaper, sales began to deflate

 

After World War II, McVicker got sick

Kutol Products was going to sink quick!

Meanwhile, McVicker’s sister-in-law Kay

Was looking for a new kind of modeling clay

 

Kay was a teacher, and her students complained

That the clay used in school was too hard, too constrained

So McVicker and his teacherly sister-in-aw

Gave the cleaner a squish, squash and exclaimed, “Ah hah!”

 

The wallpaper cleaner that nobody sought

Ws perfect for student art projects, they thought

Nontoxic, non-staining, in blue, yellow and red

Use of the new compound could be big — widespread.

 

McVicker got better with Kutol back on track

The new mushy mush helped sales double back

They called the stuff Play-Doh and sold it in tubs

They sold it to schools, then to big shopping hubs

 

Macy’s in New York, Marshall Fields in Chicago

All wanted some of McVicker’s famous Play-Doh

A tried and true salesman, McVicker had a big vision

To see Play-Doh appear on boob tube television

 

If kids everywhere could see this fun toy invention

Play-Doh would achieve worldwide fame and attention.

He marched right up to you’ll never guess who.

He was a television icon — good ole Captain Kangaroo

 

Would the Captain put his Play-Doh on the show?

Captain Kangaroo said maybe, he didn’t say no.

They decided on something, they made quite a deal

Play-Doh would be on the show, for a fee, he’d reveal

 

McVicker’s creation appeared on TV week to week

There wasn’t even enough Play-Doh to meet the sales streak!

Kids everywhere were making Play-Doh creations

All over the world, even in far away locations

 

Good luck, business sense and plain ‘ole insistence

Was the secret behind Play-Doh’s fascinating existence

Family resourcefulness and kids in the classroom

Were the foundation for Play-Doh’s success, we assume

 

Joe McVicker and his sister-in-law Kay

Helped make what is a best-selling toy of today

So next time you mush, mold and stritch stretch your Play-Doh

Remember wallpaper cleaner and a salesman named Joe.