"Hokey Pokey" Originator Dead (1907)

[Towse]

Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:

>    Another ProQuest discovery.  A Google search of "Samuel Dunham" and "hokey pokey" turns up nothing...TYPO ALERT: The previous "topeppo" post should read "During," not "Curing."

>       "Hokey Pokey" Originator Dead.
>               The Washington Post  (1877-1954).       Washington, D.C.: Oct 9, 1907.                   p. 11 (1 page):
>    Burlington, N. J., Oct. 8.--Samuel A. Dunham, an aged citizen and originator of the now widely popular "hokey-pokey," or ice cream brick, died at his home here yesterday from heart disease.  Dunham laid by a snug fortune before imitators spoiled his trade.  He took pride in being styled the "original hokey-pokey man."

>       SAMUEL F. DUNHAM DEAD.
>        Special to The New York Times..       New York Times  (1857-Current file).       New York, N.Y.: Oct 8, 1907.                   p. 11 (1 page):
> _SAMUEL F. DUNHAM DEAD._
> _He Was the Inventor of the "Hokey Pokey" or Ice Cream Brick._
>       _Special to The New York Times._
>    BURLINGTON, N. J., Oct. 7.--Samuel F. Dunham, an aged citizen and originator of the now widely popular "hokey-pokey," or ice cream brick, died at his home here to-day of heart disease.
>    Dunham conceived the idea of selling ice cream in cake form for a penny and laid by a snug fortune before imitators broke into his trade.  He lived, however, to see the business he invented become a great industry, and took just pride in being styled "the original hokey-pokey man."
>
> (If the WASHINGTON POST is going to steal the article from the NEW YORK TIMES and not give any credit, can't we at least be consistent with his middle initial?--ed.)

I searched "hokey pokey" and "Samuel Dunham" and, just like Barry sez,
found nothing. Messin' around with the search terms, though, I found
this: <http://www.littlebookroom.com/historicshopsNY.html>

"It didn't take New Yorkers long to acquire a taste for ice cream after
first lady Dolley Madison popularized it early in the nineteenth
century, when she served it at her husband's inauguration. By 1850,
Italian vendors called "hokey-pokey" men made their way through the
streets of the city selling the chilled sweet stuff from small wagons
that were pulled by goats."

Hokey-pokey and ice-cream were linked terms long before Sam was born.
Question is: Why were the Italian ice-cream vendors called "hokey-pokey"
men? Because their goats were recalcitrant?

--
Sal

Ye olde swarm of links: 4K+ links for writers, researchers and the
terminally curious <http://www.internet-resources.com/writers>