Well, Mr. I-Obviously-Don't-Have-A-Job-Because-I-Spend-All-My-Time-Online, the story behind the innocuous and some say "cute" mini marshmallow is one steeped in death not in cocoa, as you have been led to believe.
When James Atkinson invented the effective spring-loaded mouse trap at the end of the 1890's, he revolutionised the art of killing vermin. The only slight drawback was what form of bait was to be used in the traps in order to attract the vile rodents.
After decades of trial and error with various food substances (cheese, although thought to be the only bait that would attract mice and used exclusively in American cartoons throughout the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's is actually a mouse repellent), it was discovered in 1932 Bridgeport, Connecticut that mice loved s'mores.
The campfire favorite for both Boy and Girl Scouts was in fact, also the favorite meal for the common and disease-ridden white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). But human-sized s'mores made with the common 1" x 1 5/8" marshmallow were not only too big for the traps, the sweet treat was also too big for the feces-caked paws of the mouse. Solving this problem was Park City dock worker Dickie Glott. It is he who first invented the mini-marshmallow in order to set the numerous traps around his apartment (now an oft-visited stop on the Historic Sites of Bridgeport tour) with minuscule s'mores.
So remember the name "Glott" and snapping the necks of horrid and foul creatures the next time you sit down with that hot cup of cocoa.
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