The
remnants of the ancient wooden structure, silently succumbing to constant
exposure to environmental wind and rain, are located in Terrell County, Georgia,
nearer to Parrott than Dawson, at the crossing of Scott's Store Road, Beulah
Church Road and Warner Road.
At one
time Scott's Store was filled with animated customers who were generally friends
and neighbors and was considered a booming establishment, for a little
enterprise located smack-dab in the country. There were probably twenty other
country stores in the vicinity but of course, this one was my favorite.
The
family owned country store was a place of enchantment and delight for this
inquisitive youngster; one of the advantages of being the first-born Scott
grandchild was that I was usually the first to evaluate and/or test the latest
sweet selections in the enclosed candy counter. I expect the impression of my
nose is still embedded in that now abandoned glass showcase.
From
Granddaddy Scott I received my first ever piece of Dentyne chewing gum and
consequently from Nanny I was given words of advice; enjoy your sweet treat but
do not let me see or hear you chewing, grinding, or chomping it. My mother was
not a fan of gum either and if she realized I had it in my mouth she suggested
that I quickly dispose of it in the garbage; ladies do not display their
fondness for chewing gum.
The
petite strips bursting with flavor are wrapped in a crimson colored wrapper, and
those cinnamon favored jewels proclaim to clean and refresh your mouth without
sticking to your dental work. The package is bright red and white with Dentyne
written in bold red letters. There were numerous kinds of chewing gums for
selection from the candy counter; Juicy Fruit, Beemans, Cloves and Blackjack,
Fruit Stripe and Clarks, to name a few, but my granddaddy never carried but one
type of gum.
In an era
where size does matter, Dentyne continues to be the more compact version of gum
manufactured for chewing. In
1899, a New York City druggist named Franklin
V. Canning formulated
a product which he promoted as an aid to oral hygiene; the name is supposedly a
combination of the words hygiene and dental.
As a
youngster I was taught to save the paper wrapper to use when I finished the gum;
nothing upsets people like stepping in soft gum and making sticky tracks with
their shoes. Most unsightly black circles seen on sidewalks and walkways are
various kinds of gums that were not disposed of properly. Granddaddy Scott
always had a package of Dentyne gum tucked into the pocket of his khaki work
pants; I believe he kept a special stash of gum for his and my chewing
pleasure.
Here is a
random concept to ponder when you have a quiet moment; do you think how a person
chews gum is directly related to their personality type? Give this concept some
contemplation. I did some limited research in this area and I believe the
parallel to be true but I certainly welcome your thoughts, concepts and
comments.
