235

Billiken songs have been written, including

The Billiken Man

, published 1909 (

‗

Once a fat

man went a-swimmin; from the surf he tripped, He was flirtin' with some woman,

When his new suit ripped. As he sat down in the sand, He said 'Billikens don't stand,

I'm a Billiken Man, a Billiken Man') and

Billiken Rag

.

Needless to say, with money to be made clever marketers rushed to bring forth every

possible configuration they could dream up (now elevated to the realm of collectible)

including potty-training dolls ('Billy Can' - 'Billy Can't'), belt buckles, bookends, bottles,

clay incense burners, hatpins, marshmallow candies, metal banks, pickle forks, salt &

peppers, tokens, tooth pick stands, watchfobs, you name it - and, fortunately for us,

Billiken corkscrews. Although the facial countenance is unmistakable, the carving is

lacking in lower detail where it will again take a careful eye to make out the stylized

bare feet with ten toes ready to be rubbed.'

.

Another

Billiken is this

celluloid handle

corkscrew

labeled

―

Lucky

Joy Germ

‖

.