The Leon Reporter Leon, Decatur County, Iowa Thursday, April 09, 1914 IT WAS SOME OPENING ______________ Bell & Robinson's Fountain Opening Attracted an Enormous Crowd. A Credit to the City. ______________ The big free opening of the Red Cross soda fountain at Bell & Robinson's Rexall drug store last Saturday was the biggest thing in this line ever pulled off in Leon. This enterprising firm had recently installed the finest soda fountain in southern Iowa, and one of the finest west of Chicago and decided they would give a free opening to their customers and friends, and from the way the store was jammed all day and until almost midnight that evening it was evident that nearly everybody accepted the generous invitation. They commenced thronging into the store early in the morning and there was no let up during the entire day. An effort was made to have all the visitors register, but during the heaviest rush hours this was impossible, and several hundred people were served who did not register. However the young ladies in charge of the registration booth recorded the names of 976 persons during the day, and it is safe to say that at least 1200 persons were served during the day. No expense was spared to make the opening of the new fountain an event long to be remembered. Each lady was presented with a fresh carnation, a cake of soap and a recipe book, while the men were given a Rexall pennant, and the children were presented with toys, buttons and miniature rubber water bottles, and everybody was served with their choice of anything on the elaborate menu card free of charge. Over fifty gallons of ice cream were served. Everything was free and the proprietors and their assistants were on the jump all day. Mr. Charles Stuber, the special dispenser in charge of the fountain, was the busiest man in Iowa that day. He was ably assisted by a large corps of assistants, young ladies being employed to serve the drinks at the tables. A special souvenir menu was used on which were forty different kinds of drinks, and every one listed was served during the day. During the evening the Leon orchestra furnished music and in the afternoon Miss Mabel Bradley played on the piano. So great was the crowd that many persons were unable to gain admission to the store, and this is the only regret of the proprietors, for they wanted everybody to partake of their hospitality. We are presenting two views of the store, one showing the beautiful new fountain and the other a scene taken during the afternoon, which while it only shows part of the store will give our readers some idea of what the attendance was. Bell & Robinson spent a large sum of money on this occasion and their liberality was certainly appreciated by everybody. The boys have the finest drug store in southern Iowa, and we doubt if there is a finer one in the state of Iowa. It is an establishment of which everybody in Leon and Decatur county is justly proud. And it will be found just as nice all the year round as on opening day. Everything connected with it is absolutely sanitary and cleanliness is one of the rules at this drug store. Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, March of 2015

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