An 84-year-old retired beverage distributor claimed recently that he has had
the original Coca-Cola formula for almost 40 years.

Lee Williams wrote in to Dallas Morning News columnist Marylyn Schwartz, after
she had written about the "new Coke" in her column.

Williams said he was given the formula in 1948,
when he had a sales route for the Dr. Pepper Company.

A pharmacist named John Reed told him that he used to make his own syrup for
the cola because he had been given the original recipe.

Reed said he had gotten the recipe from an ingredient salesman
who wanted to sell him the ingredients for the syrup.

He then pulled the formula from a jar marked
"1898" and let Williams make a copy of it.

If it's true, then this is your big chance to make up a batch of "The Real
Thing" yourself.  Here's the recipe:

    30 pounds of sugar
    2 gallons of water
    2 pints of lime juice
    4 ounces of citrate of caffeine
    2 ounces of citric acid
    1 ounce of extract of vanilla
    6 drams (3/4 ounce) of fluid extract of cola
    6 drams of fluid extract of coca

Don't forget to mix with carbonated water before you drink it, like any
fountain drink.  If you try it, let us know how it comes out.

According to the Coca-Cola Company, the formula has never been given out.
But who knows?  This could be the biggest leak ever...