Letter: Burma-Shave

by John JJ Ward

The delightful Burma Shave divided couplets originated in West Virginia, my home state. My family owned property adjacent to route IO and readily gave them permission to put a set of red and white signs on it. In those days people actually drove for pleasure especially on Sundays, and happily read aloud the clever little rhymes. However, one of their little poems almost hoisted the Burma Shave people on their own petard. In those days before the aerosol or pressurized cans were developed, Burma Shave came in little glass jars. One group of five signs read something like this:

Be clean shaven
And save your jars
Bring in 500
Win a trip to Mars
Burma Shave

One man actually drove up in his pickup loaded with 500 empty Burma Shave jars and asked for his trip to Mars. The company spokesman only laughed and quipped “we were only joshing.” But the man was adamant and demanded, “you promised a trip to Mars for 500 jars. Here they are and I want to go.” Over the next few days company employees frantically researched and found a place called in Spain called Mars. They sent the winner there and everybody was satisfied.