By John ‘Butch’ Dale
Guest Columnist

OK, here’s a question for you “baby-boomers” yes, you little whippersnappers who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s.

John ‘Butch’ Dale

When you were headed to town, riding in the back seat of your folks’ ugly Buick…in between your horseplay and sticking your arms and head out the back windows…what thoughts were rolling around in that preadolescent brain of yours?

Well, if you were like me, you were thinking about what CANDY you were going to buy with those few measly coins in your front pocket…or, if no money, what tricks you could use on your parents, including begging, to have them purchase candy for you. That’s right…admit it, you were addicted to sweets. Your main goal at age 10was to get a sugar high.

Each time I went to Darlington (or to G.C. Murphys in Crawfordsville), I bought candy. Of course, the best variety was at Arthur Friend’s drug store, but candy was also available at Rentschler’s Regal grocery, Renick’s pool hall, and Brown’s cafe. If I had no money, Dad would always hand over a nickel or dime…not much, but you have to remember that most candy bars in those days were 5 cents.

There were always the perennial favorites…Hershey bar, Oh Henry, Mounds, Clark bar, PayDay, Kit Kat, 3 Musketeers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfinger, Snickers, Milky Way, Charleston Chews, and Nestle Crunch…all of which had been around prior to the mid-1930’s.

However, several new candies, a cornucopia of sugar delights, appeared after World War II. In the atomic age, what better candy to suck on than Atomic Fireballs? A couple of other HOT candies were Red Hots and Hot Tamales. Satellite Wafers were cool, but Yum-Yum Marshmallow Candy Cones must have been styrofoam by-products.

Naturally, since almost all grownups smoked in those days, I gave it a try…candy cigarettes and bubble gum cigarettes, and for the successful kid entrepreneurs…bubble gum cigars. Wanna-be rich kids also bought Fort Knox Milk Chocolate Gold Coins. Girls preferred Candy Necklaces…wear ’em and then eat ’em!

I tried just about everything at least once, but Mamba Fruit Chews, Necco wafers, Chuckles, and Neopolitan Coconut Bars left a lot to be desired. An instant high could be obtained with Pixy Stix, Smarties, and Nik ‘L Nip bottle candy, all of which were 100% sugar.

I liked Junior Mints, Whopper Malted Milk Balls, and Mallo Cups, but Heath bars were my favorite, and many times I crunched it up and sprinkled it on vanilla ice cream…Yummy! For fun, sometimes I bought Wax Lips and made a hole in it to “smoke” my candy cigarette while sitting on the bench in front of the drug store. People passing by likely thought I suffered from a mental condition. Quite a few friends bought Pez candy dispensers, mostly to collect all of the figures.

The favorite candies of dentists were Turkish Taffy, Bit O’ Honey, and Tootsie Rolls…all very capable of removing any fillings they might have put in your teeth earlier, subsequently increasing their profit margin. Bazooka gum was popular, too…1 cent each and you also received a miniature comic strip!

But I guess my all-time favorite thing to buy was…you guessed it…Topps baseball cards. Not really a candy, although it did have a delicious tasting piece of gum inside. I could spend hours looking at the cards and the players’ stats…and praying that the next pack would contain a Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, or Eddie Mathews! And yes, I was licking a double-dip Glovers ice cream cone or sipping on a cherry phosphate drink each time…gotta have that sugar.

The 1950s and ’60s was a candy dream come true. But at age 13, Dad hauled me to Dr. Turchi’s dental office in Crawfordsville…EIGHT CAVITIES!!! His drill was really smokin’! I cut back on candy after that…My new treat at the drug store…Sawdust sundaes (vanilla ice cream with malted milk piled high on top).

One evening, after basketball practice, I ate THREE of those sundaes. Had a bit of trouble falling asleep that night….Ah, the good ol’ days.