The ice tub challenge

With all of the hoopla over the ice bucket challenge, many people are unaware of its local Schuylkill County origin.

Some say it had it began in the late 19^th century in Mahanoy City at the Kaier Ice Plant.  Others say it began at The Knickerbocker Ice Co. located at Tumbling Run.   One stubborn hold-out believes it began at Rita’s Italian Ice outside of Schuylkill Haven on July 4, 2013.

While these people differ, they all agree that the ice bucket challenge, which has raised so much needed money for ALS research, had its start somewhere in Schuylkill County. 

Ice blocks in Mahanoy City

 Well-respected historians argue that when 19th century beer baron Charles Kaier built a large ice plant in Mahanoy City for the purpose of keeping his beverage cold, someone got the bright idea to raise money to combat the bleenia epidemic plaguing  northern Schuylkill County.  As we all know, carpal funnel-cake syndrome(CFCS) was plaguing the southern end.  Some of those who resided on the dividing line of northern and southern Schuylkill County suffered from both simultaneously. Poor bastards.

The first ice bucket challenge got off to a “pour” start (pun intended) as the ice at the Kaier plant consisted of large, heavy blocks.  The small, drink-size ice cubes (as well as rubic cubes) were not yet invented.  The idea was for a notable personality, such as Nicholas Biddle, Captain Jack Crawford or Judge Pershing, to challenge five others to have an ash tube full of ice dropped on his or her head.

 The ice drop was to be captured by camera by nationally recognized photographer, George Bretz, who we all know, gained his fame taking action pictures of anthracite coal miners.  Bretz had volunteered his services after seeing first-hand the scourge of bleenia at a block party in Mahanoy City. The compassionate shutter-bug wanted to help those afflicted with this strange greasy, potato pancake obsession.  

 

Once developed, his photographs were to be mailed to the Shenandoah Herald, the Miners Journal, and the Mahanoy City Record American for the world to see (or at least parts of Schuylkill County to see).  Remember that cable television had yet to be invented in Mahanoy City yet; newspapers were the main method of communication ( besides the lost art of talking person-to-person).  It would be decades before Schuylkill Countians would be hooked on cable television with entire families gathering around the television set to watch such classic shows as The Real McCoys, Sea Hunt, and (The Fully Clothed) Dating Game,  which didn't insult our intelligence and were story and character driven; not the garbage that is on today. 

In those early days entertainment was confined to the newspapers’ crossword puzzles or, if none, spending hours looking for any misspelled words.

 It was believed that the ice tub challenge would then “snowball” (pun intended) as readers would hurry to join in on the action after making a donation to Stamp Out Bleenia.  

It was a very, very complicated operation.

strong women with tongs

It needed the cooperation of the brewery baron, the U.S. Post Office, the ice plant, the Knights of Labor, Western Union, iron and steel entrepreneur Charles Atkins who manufactured the ash tubes, the fledgling telephone company and, most importantly, big, strong women with tongs to lift the ice into the tubs.

ice tub challenger

Unfortunately the ice tub challenge was a disaster with too many people received concussions, fractures and cold shoulders (not necessarily in that order) from the weight of ice blocks.  Only $5.85 cents was raised before expenses were paid to combat bleenia. George Bretz was so appalled by the injuries and horror that he witnessed that he retreated back into the shelter of the coal mines, but not before taking the $5.85 to spend on bleenies.

                                       Insult upon injury.

Several years later the challenge was revived after the Pottsville Iron and Steel Plant created a primitive, hand-held tray to make small cubes of ice, making the ice drop challenge less hazardous.  The original trays contained only four cubes each.

Tumbling Run was the site of the revived event, raising several hundreds of dollars to combat CFCS.  Incidentally, the Tumbling Run event was also the precursor to the wet tee shirt contest, that we all take for granted but hold dear to our hearts, after one man's long johns got soaking wet. Women were not permitted into wet tee shirt contests until after decades of protests, demonstrations and marches resulted in the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution.  The popularity of that contest soon sky-rocketed. 

 Unfortunately the Challenge faded quickly into obscurity as Schuylkill Countians were more interested in using the smaller cubes to make mixed drinks such as Scotch on the Rocks for immediate consumption.  It would be decades before the local population enjoyed cocktails which made life so much more comfortable,  such as the frozen  banana daiquiri, the Singapore Sling and Sex on the Beach.  

The Atkins Diet Schuylkill County Connection

Dear b.b.

I heard there is a connection between the Atkins diet and the County. Is that true?

Signed, Wondering

Dear Wondering:


I was flabbergasted to realize that there are people like you with neither a sense of history nor local pride. Did you not ever hear of the Atkins Mansion in Pottsville? From the ignorance shown in your letter it appears not.
What if I told you that Hope Tower (affectionately referred to as the Old Moose Building), located at South Centre and Mauch Chunk Streets was once a leading center for nutritional advancement? What if I told you that local hero Charles Atkins – the famed industrialist and Exalted Moose Lodge President- was a diet guru to boot? Would you believe me? Probably not.

Did you not ever hear of the controversial “Schuylkill food pyramid” promoted by Atkins but ridiculed by the so-called professionals? If you did not, I can probably guess what were you doing during your high school home economics class.

Atkins was a clear visionary; one not to be content with the typical 19th century diet. He thought that nutrition should be exalted as a true science, along with the other sciences, such as biology, botany and astrology. He researched the basic eating habits of his neighbors and developed his famous “Schuylkill Food Pyramid” which overturned many longstanding beliefs and rearranged the foods that we eat into basic building blocks. He arranged these blocks into pyramids after several failed attempts at parallelograms and circles. Circles were a disaster.
Many local residents, you and your like included, have forgotten that Atkins created this pyramid, as well as instituting the many changes in the way we eat today. So many of you take for granted the fact that we eat hoagies with two hands, a radical departure from the dining habits of the 19th century. You have Atkins to thank for that.
The foundation of his pyramid would no longer be the “serf diet” eaten by our ancestors, which consisted of porridge, gruel and turnips. From now on, the basic foods of the day would be the protein “building blocks.” Most of this protein could easily be obtained by a high consumption of hot dogs, scrapple, beef jerky, bologna, summer sausage and, of course, gravy.





Eggs were to be considered just as important as the meats. Atkins espoused the nutritional value of pickled eggs that float in jars for days in barrooms; eggs that you and so many other ignoramuses eat without ever given a thought to the creator while in a local tavern.
Poultry was also important. Atkins touted the nutritional benefits of eating both city chicken and Buffalo wings. In fact, he started the first Wing Night in the county. A proud tradition carried on to this day where young adults can consume as many chicken wings (dipped in bleu cheese or ranch dressing) as possible at a greatly reduced price.





As for legumes and beans, they were only to be consumed if they were made into a soup and served at a block party and washed down with healthy cold beer, which he thought to be a magical elixir which cured most ailments as well as increased one’s self-confidence and ability to attract the opposite sex.
Seafood was considered taboo due to his fears of high mercury content. In fact, the only seafood he proposed be eaten was a small amount of Swedish fish, which are soft and chewy and are similar to gummy bears in shape and texture. They have a flavor that lasts from head to tail. Many of you may remember that these Swedish fish were quite popular at the Capitol and Hollywood Theatres years ago. You have Atkins to thank for that.
Moving upwards on the pyramid, we find the good carbos such as bleenies and Tasteycakes. Bleenies eaten on a paper plate or paper napkin provided an individual with sufficient fiber to keep oneself regular and avoid constipation, thereby eliminating the necessity for fruit and vegetables. If one gives in to temptation and wanted to indulge in fruits, then Raisinets, peach snapps, and Fruit Loops taken separately or together were acceptable. The only vegetable permitted is tobacco.
Climbing to the top, you reach the dairy products level; important for the calcium to make the strong bones and strong teeth needed to work in the Pottsville steel mills. For this he recommended Eskimo Pies, Fudgesicles, Reddi Whip, Cheese Whiz and Milk Duds.
Lastly Wondering, Atkins also cautioned his male compatriots that there was one food that should be avoided at all costs, and that was, of course, “the wedding cake.” It is a pity that so many failed to adhere to his warning.
That is the story behind the Atkins Diet: Schuylkill Style.