The Verse by the Side of the Road by Frank Rowsome Jr.

“The Verse by the Side of the Road, by Frank Rowsome presents the complete texts of the hundreds of “verses” created and presented by an author whose name appeared at the end of each poem the poet’s initials are BS, and were proudly displayed with no giggles in those days to acknowledge the possible profanity associate with those initials. This book won’t stretch your imagination like space travel logs may do, but I guarantee if you show this book of verses to anyone born before President Eisenhower proposed the Interstate Highway System, that person will have a story or two to tell you. Thinking back to, and experiencing, a car trip in those days is very much like telling Scotty “Beam me up” in today’s science fiction. Before there were hand-held video games or back-seat DVD Players, there were signs - little signs, close to the road, easy to read, not too many words. There was a time, not all that long ago, when making a trip in the family car, was an adventure in and of itself. In this Christmas season, with Oscar nominations looming and Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri, generating a national buzz, this book from 1965 is a real nostalgia agitator. We'd read stupid little doggerel verses on the side of the road, and then took them as a theme message for a discussion in the car, until we came to the next new thing to discuss.

Most people alive today weren't born when we drove on something other than interstate highways, and didn't isolate ourselves with ear buds and hand held games. And Burma-Shave delivered on its promise it sent him and his wife to Mars.It's sort of science fiction in reverse.

So French, assisted by Red Owl, collected 900 jars. The ad manager promptly wired, 'Our rockets are ready, we ain't splitting hairs just send us the jars - and arrange your affairs.' The ad manager wired back, 'If a trip to Mars you'd earn, remember, friend, there's no return,' to which French replied, 'Let's not quibble, let's not fret, gather your forces, I'm all set.' One of the Burma-Shave jingles was, 'Free, free, a trip to Mars, with 900 empty jars.'įrench called the company's bluff and asked where to ship the jars. This book has more details on the Mars trip, won by Arliss French, manager of a Red Owl grocery store in Appleton, Wis. It's 'The Verse by the Side of the Road,' by Frank Rowsome Jr. The story: The popular Burma-Shave signs of years ago, and of the man who got a free trip to Mars for collecting Burma-Shave jars.įeedback: David Torkelson and Jarral Jones, both of Fargo, tell of a book containing all 600 of the Burma-Shave jingles.

The Verse by the Side of the Road by Frank Rowsome Jr.