Good For Butt Wiping
My history teacher assigned my class to report on inventions between the 1800 and 1920. I wanted to report on something interesting.
Toilet paper was invented in 1857 by Joseph Gayetty. He named the invention, “The Therapeutic Paper.” His secret ingredient was Aloe. Aloe is a gel that is colorless and feels cool on skin. That means it is soft on your butt. The toilet paper was sold in a box that looked like a Kleenex box of today. There were 500 sheets in a box and were sold at 50 cents a box! His name was on every sheet too. The toilet paper was known as “Gayette’s Medicated Paper- a perfectly pure article for the toilet and for the prevention of piles”. This didn’t catch on with the public.
Do you ever wonder what people used before toilet paper? The answer is pretty much anything in reach. People used grass, leaves, fur, mussel shells, corncobs, stones, and clay. Romans used a sponge on a stick that was kept in salty water. Most people in the old west used magazines and newspapers. The Sears catalog got the nickname, “Rears and Sorebutt.”
In 1890, the Scott Paper company made the first toilet paper on a roll. The company became the largest paper company in the world. Thank you Mr. Gayetty and the Scott Paper company for your inventions. Without him, we may still be using those leaves, corncobs, magazines, and newspapers.
If you want to see what it’s like try to live as the people in the old west, take this publication into the bathroom on your next visit. Check to see that there are no coupons first, then wipe.
As always, I’m always looking for something interesting to do or learn. If you have done something interesting lately, let me know. I may mention it in an upcoming issue.
I am having a contest. The first person to write in this week will win 2 Kerasotes movie passes! They’re good at both Eastgate in East Alton or Showplace 12 in Edwardsville.
Here’s an interesting factoid. Did you know the busiest day for plumbers is the Friday after Thanksgiving.
This is Ben Thayer and I’ve done that. Well... not the newspaper wipe thingy.
