Good & Plenty is the nation’s oldest candy brand. The key to its survival comes down to two factors. First, the name. While Good & Plenty my seem obvious – the candy is good and there’s plenty of it – people used “Good & Plenty” as a description in the turn of century when Good & Plenty was created. The name had rhythm, reasoning, and was common – and memorable: “I want to take him out to the barn and kick him good n’plenty” quoted one news story in 1898 while another, in 1905, said “they mixed it up good n’plenty,” regarding a fishing line.
As good as the name was, sales started slumping in the mid-1900s. But the Good & Plenty candy was rescued by two cultural icons. One was “Choo-Choo Charlie” the star of the candy company’s television ads. This cartoon engineer commandeered a train pulling dining cars, as he proclaimed Good & Plenty “Really rings my bell.” The other is the real-life engineer, Casey Jones.
Jonathan Luther "Casey" Jones (March 14, 1863 – April 30, 1900), born in a racially charged nation at the time of the Civil War, reveals the best of America. Jones and Sim Webb, his African American friend and railroad fireman, were operating a passenger train in 1900. The train collided with a stopped freight car. Apparently, Casey Jones made a heroic effort to save the train and everyone on board. Casey perished in the crash although everyone else survived.
Good & Plenty entered this world around that time – in 1893 - a product of the family owned Quaker City Confectionary Company of Philadelphia. The sweet may have gone the way of thousands of industrial-revolution era candies were it not for family member Lester Rosskam. In 1946, after serving as a counter-intelligence officer in World War II, Rosskam joined his family’s business. He realized the power of TV marketing and helped launch the Choo-Choo Charlie advertising campaign in 1950, based on a real life college football player he knew.
But Charlie’s true steam comes from the Good n’ Plenty jingle. It was based on the Ballad of Casey Jones, written by railroad wiper Wallace Saunders shortly after Jones’ death to the tune of a popular song, "Jimmie Jones." The 1950 version was created by advertising executive and copywriter Russ Alben, of Ogilvy and Mather, whose other brainchildren include the Timex tagline "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking."
The lyric has plenty of memorable repetition, a steady rhythm punctuated by the sound of Good & Plenty irresistibly sliding in a box, and the wholesome image of Charlie the engineer, that every kid would love and every parent, trust. Once you sing it, it’s hard to stop:
Once upon a time there was an engineer
Choo-Choo Charlie was his name, we hear.
He had an engine and he sure had fun
He used Good & Plenty candy to make his train run.
Charlie says "Love my Good & Plenty!"
Charlie says "Really rings my bell!"
Charlie says "Love my Good & Plenty!"
Don't know any other candy that I love so well!
Lyrics to Casey Jones: SIDE BAR
Come all you rounders if you want to hear
The story ‘bout a brave engineer
Casey Jones was the driver’s name
On an six eight wheeler boys he won his fame
Caller called Casey ‘bout half past four
he kissed his wife at the station door
He climbed in the cabin with his orders in his hand
Said this is the trip to the Promised Land
Casey Jones climbed in the cabin
Casey Jones orders in his hand
Casey Jones leanin' out the window
taking a trip to the Promised Land
Through South Memphis Yards on a fly
rain been a fallin' and the water was high
Everybody knew by the engine's moan
that the man at the throttle was Casey Jones
Well Jones said fireman now don't you fret
Sim Webb said we ain't a givin' up yet
We're eight hours late with the southbound mail
We'll be on time or we're leavin' the rails
Casey Jones climbed in the cabin
Casey Jones orders in his hand
Casey Jones leanin' out the window
taking a trip to the Promised Land
Dead on the rail was a passenger train
blood was a boilin' in Casey's brain
Casey said hey now look out ahead
jump Sam jump or we'll all be dead
With a hand on a whistle and a hand on a brake
north Mississippi was wide awake
I.C. railroad official said he's a
good engineer to be a laying dead
Casey Jones climbed in the cabin
Casey Jones orders in his hand
Casey Jones leanin' out the window
taking a trip to the Promised Land
Headaches and heartaches and all kinds of pain
all the part of a railroad train
Sweat and toil the good and the grand
part of the life of a railroad man
Casey Jones climbed in the cabin
Casey Jones orders in his hand
Casey Jones leanin' out the window
taking a trip to the Promised Land
