Charlie O’Hara, who has lived on Ashmont Hill since the 1940s, recalled an event at the Archer drug store at the corner of Ashmont Street and Dorchester Avenue, in the building now called Ashmont Commons. Mrs. Eastman of Ocean Street would visit the drug store every day to buy an ice cream cone with two scoops of ice cream. A one-scoop cone was 5 cents, and a two-scoop cone was 10 cents. The Eastman family were millionaires who gave substantial sums to Harvard University among others. On this day, the pharmacy had just bought a new large scoop, large enough to provide the same amount of ice cream in one scoop as two scoops at the smaller size. When Mrs. Eastman order her usual two scoops, the proprietor had to explain that with the new policy, she would get one large scoop instead of 2 small scoops for her 10 cents. She objected, and the proprietor apologized, saying that he couldn’t make an exception, that he had to treat everyone equally. Mrs. Eastman thought for a few minutes, then ordered two strawberry ice cream cones of the smaller size and paid her ten cents. When she received the cones, she up-ended one on top of the other and then handed the extra cone back to the proprietor, saying he could have the cone back because she did not need it.
Note: the ERA Druggists’ Directory, 18th edition for Massachusetts, shows Fred W. Archer at both 573 Talbot Avenue and 1181 Washington Street. The directory includes retail druggists.