Glad You Asked 6.26

Tuesday, June 26, 2007 2:15 AM CDT

Today's logo

Isabella Kalashian, 6, a first-grade student at Trinity Lutheran School, submitted today's Glad You Asked logo with some very pretty flowers growing. Thanks, Isabella! If you'd also like to submit a logo to Glad You Asked, send to Rob Golub, The Journal Times, Web Editor, 212 Fourth Street, Racine, WI 53403.

Rose from Racine asked, "What does the A&W stand for in A&W Restaurant?"

The "A" stands for Allen. The "W" stands for Wright. In 1922, Roy Allen and Frank Wright joined forces, lending their initials to the delicious beverage that has filled countless frosty mugs ever since, according to two A&W Web sites: http://www.awrestaurants.com

http://www.awrootbeer.com

On a hot June day in 1919, Allen mixed the first batch of the creamy root beer, based on a formula he purchased from an Arizona pharmacist. To this day, the unique blend of herbs, spices, barks and berries remains a proprietary secret.

He sold the first mug for 5 cents.

Now, more than seventy years later, A&W Root Beer is the world's No. 1 selling root beer and is still mixed fresh daily and sold at hundreds of A&W restaurants.

With the success of his first root beer stand in Lodi, Calif., Allen opened a second stand in nearby Sacramento. It was there that what is thought to be the country's first "drive-in" featuring "tray-boys" for curb side service, opened up.

Frank Wright, an employee from the original Lodi location, joined Allen in 1922. The two partners combined their initials and formally named the beverage, A&W Root Beer.

They opened three stands in Sacramento, then on to other northern and central California locations and to the states of Texas and Utah.

Clarence Stapleman, an avid Glad You Asked reader wants to know, "I watch a lot of Western movies and the term 'mule skinner' comes up often. What does this term mean? Do they really skin mules?"

The term dates back to a time when mules were in demand for their tenacious ability to pull heavy loads quickly, over less than ideal ground.

The mule skinner was a professional individual - sometimes called a teamster - whose sole purpose was to keep his wagon - pulled by mules - under control and moving, according to the American Western History Museum's Web site at: http://www.linecamp.com

The mule skinner actually rode one of the mules and guided the entire team with a single rein which was called a jerk line. An experienced mule skinner knew the personality of every one of his mules and could make them into a magical running machine whereas an inexperienced teamster found them to be obstinate and stubborn.

During the 1800s, the mule was in constant demand for civilian and military freighting. Not only were the mules better foragers, they kept better footing in treacherous terrain then the horses.

Country singer Jimmie Rodgers popularized the term in his 1930 song "Mule Skinner Blues," also known as "Blue Yodel #8." Many artists have recorded the song since then.

Don't worry Clarence, they didn't really skin mules.

Brenda called, regarding Saturday's GYA question about working from home. She saw an ad in the Burlington Hi-Liter for stuffing envelopes ($5,000 for 1,000 stuffed envelopes) - how do you find out if this is legitimate? There's a $40 deposit. I'm interested in doing it, but I don't know if it's for real.

When talking about work-at-home opportunities, like stuffing envelopes, Glen Loyd, public information officer for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, doesn't mince words.

"It's a rip off," Loyd said. "Virtually all work-at-home ads in publications are seldom, if ever, work-at-home opportunities."

Most newspapers don't take the time to check out companies that buy advertising like this, according to the DATCP.

The department considers these kinds of "opportunities" one of the most common "schemes."

One promotion promised home workers they could earn up to $250 a week using their home computers for receiving and processing envelopes. Many other envelope stuffing plans make the same kind of promise.

Usually all you get for your money is a list of companies that are supposedly interested in having you stuff or address envelopes. You must contact each of the companies at your own expense and await a possible reply. More often than not, the companies on the list ask for additional money before sending details, or claim never to hire outside help. The details usually consist of nothing more than another list. It's common to find those listed are out of business. Even if the company is interested, the chance is slim. You may have to buy your own envelopes and stamps and perhaps work on a commission basis. The magic commission and income figures rarely materialize.

"If they're offering for you to make money stuffing envelopes and you have to pay $40 then that's a rip off," Loyd said. "Often it takes advantage of young mothers or people who have been laid off of work. The thing about stuffing envelopes is there is a new group of young people, who might be victimized, coming up every time."

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