I have always wondered what Jessie’s dad, F.S. Latham, did for a living. His father, also F.S. Latham, was a well-known newspaperman in early Memphis, editor of the Memphis Eagle, and later, Postmaster in Memphis. Jessie’s dad was a businessman of some kind, and Jessie wrote in her diary on September 3, 1910, “Went down to Dad’s office and got a great big bottle of olives and watched them make and bottle Gay-Ola. Also sampled it.” On September 6th she wrote, “Walked down to Dad’s office [at] the Gay-Ola Co. and drank *heartily* of Gay-Ola.” Since this is the first time Jessie has ever mentioned her Dad’s office at the Gay-Ola Co., and because Gay-Ola, a brand new soda in competition with Coca Cola, had just started being produced in Memphis, this must have been a new job for Jessie’s dad.
Coca Cola sued the Gay-Ola Co. for copyright infringement. Notice the similar script on the watch fob and the bottle, and the red and white colors of the watch fob. Gay-Ola won the first suit, but eventually was required to change the font of their script.
Later in the month (on the 23rd) Jessie’s Mother took her and her friend Sara to tea at Lowenstein’s Department Store. Tearooms became very popular around the turn of the century as some women had more leisure time.
That same day Jessie had to go to the oculist for glasses for distance vision. She got nose glasses.
The last cultural tidbit I wanted to mention was Elmo’s motorcycle. Elmo was one of Jessie’s regular callers, and what they often did (see September 26, 1910) was ride on Elmo’s motorcyle, or, as Jessie always called it, “moto-cycle.” In print ads they are also called “autocycles.” Jessie loved riding that motorcycle with Elmo!
