DRUG STORES

     The drug stores were a neat place . They always seemed so cool and smelled so good when you entered. The first half of the century cool days of summer was a real treat. Most store only had a fan stirring the hot air.

      There were four drug stores in the city of De Queen in the 30�s and 40�s. Three was located around the court Square. They were Brookes Drug, Huskins Drug and Palace drug. There was also one just south of where Wilkerson Funeral Parlor is now. I think there is a flower shop there now. A Mr. White was the operator. His daughter taught school at De Queen when I was attending Junior High School. The druggist in those days had to compound most of the prescriptions. The stores had over the counter medicine, such as aspirin, cough syrups etc.

      Some of the medicines were Groves Chill Tonic. It tasted like it had the cork stopper ground up in it. And for coughs we used Juniper Tar. You got a spoon half full of sugar and put 6 drops of the medicine in it and swallow. Then there was Syrup Pepsin. I don't know waht is was really suppose to be for. My mother made me tke it everything from a hangnail to a broken-heart. But the miracle drug of the times was quinine. It was prescribed for almost everything. It sure was bitter and made your ears ring. Most of the drug stores would come down after hours if you needed a prescription filled.

      The Drug stores also sold ice cream cones and fountain sodas. Other sales were candy, All kinds of patent medicine. The stores also sold a lot of odds and ends.

      The drug stores stocked up on Ice cream. Every kid tried to con their parents into getting them an ice cream cone. You could get a double dip for a nickel. Most Drug Stores had a cone that looked like 2 cones but only had one handle. You could get 2 dips on each side of the cone. I always got vanilla or chocolate on one side and strawberry on the other. They also sold cold Sodas of several different flavors. They were a neat place to spend a few minutes on a hot Saturday afternoon.

TOMMY JONES