Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic was the cure for malaria caused by those pesky mosquitoes that came around every summer. Found in all Greenville Drug Stores.
We have had our share of rainfall this spring. It seems the rain is coming in buckets full. But, don’t get me wrong, we need it. However, there is always those pesky mosquitoes that carry diseases unheard of years ago.
Looking through a recap of local news in June 1900, I discovered many similarities in the two summers. Two large rainstorms inundated areas in the county. The heaviest fell on June 8 when gutters and streets flooded. Town Branch, just south of the GEUS Service Center, became a veritable river flooding homes in the area called the Flats. One family had to escape through the roof of their house. The light plant, where GEUS Service Center is now located, was flooded leaving the city in darkness after 11:30. Footbridges were washed away making it dangerous for pedestrians to be out and about.
Heavy rains fell in other parts of the county on June 22, but Greenville only received a light shower. The heaviest fell south of town. Mosquitoes must have been worse than ever that summer. An ad in the Greenville Messenger offered the best prescription for malaria, chills, and fever with Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic, the first tasteless tonic ever manufactured. It is simply iron and quinine in a tasteless form sold by every druggist in the malarial sections of the United States. No cure, no pay! Price 50c.
Prices that summer are astounding to twenty-first century citizens. Corn sold for 38 c per bushel, chickens sold by the dozen were priced between $1.75 and $2.25. Eggs were 7 cents per dozen, butter went for 10 to 12 ½ cents per pound. Fat cattle sold for 3 to 3 ½ cents per pound while fat hogs were more expensive at 4 ½ cents per pound. New potatoes brought 75 cents per pound. So much for getting rich selling butter and eggs. Watermelons season opened in town on June 26 when several wagonloads arrived from East Texas.
The Penny Store received 5000 palmetto fans to be sold at once. Three fans could be purchased for a nickel. The Misfit Store, no that’s not a typo, often held drawings for merchandise. Ticket # 927 won a suit the second week in June.
A. M. Davison’s Everything Store was loaded with fruit jars, fruit jar caps, and jelly glasses. Mr. Davison promised to unload the whole batch at very low prices. He reminded customers the place was known as the house that keeps everything at 221 and 223 Lee Street. (Greenville street numbers were changed about 1907.)
Of course, there were the requisite injuries that frequently occurred in those days. They included a crushed wrist in a train accident, a man kicked by a horse, amputation of a woman’s foot above the ankle, and stitches removed from an eye accident.
Finally, it was reported that Rev. J. W. Hill was aroused from nocturnal slumbers and dreams one Saturday night to unite in marriage Mr. Carl Wingard and Miss J. M. Mosely, a runaway couple from Clinton. The ceremony was duly and legally performed and the young people went their way to seek parental forgiveness and connubial happiness.
Such exciting times in Greenville.