Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1848-12-11
DEFERRED.
THEICE TRADE.

The American Almanac for lS49 has from the pen of
n. j. Wyeth. Esq very interesting article upon the
ice trade of the United States rather of Boston and
entity where his inquiries have been confined The trade
We told, was Commenced in 1905, by Frederick Tu
dor, Esq, of Boston. who made shipment from Sangus
to St Pierre, Martinique, in brig called the Favorite of
Boston, the speculation resulted in loss of $780, He
continued his operations until 1915 with varied success
until he made contract with the government of Cuba
which proved profitable In 1917 he extended the trade
10 Charleston, next 10 Savannah, and in 1920 New
Orleans. In May 1888 his operations extended to Cal
cutta by shipment in The Tuscany which the first
made TO Calcutta and the foundation of new vey
profitable and extend business. The increase in the
trade was small, the shipments reaching in 1882 only
1852 tons, all shipped by Mr.. Tudor The objections
Of ship to take ice and the want of information as
to The bes Of packing to preserve it, kept
the trade nall, but perseverance and ingenuity
removed all Obstacles and in 1917 the shipments coast
wise from Boston reached 81 1897 TONS forming part Of
the cargoes of 40 ships 80 baIks, As briggs and l25
schooners, with foreign export OF 2259l tons. in 81
ships, "a baks SO brIs and IL schooners, in all "A AIS
TONS The coastwise s pments are to all the seaport,
from Philadelphia, to Galveston Texas; while the for
elgn market includes, besides the West Indies, and
est Coast of South America Maui titus. Isle of Bourbon
Manila, Calcutta, Madras, Bombay Ceylon, Hong
Kong, Whampoa, Batavia, and Liverpool.
The lregh of this trade perhaps greater than
other in the world, in much the article shipped is
Of value, except that incident labor and machinery
The freight paid on the 7447S tons shipped in lS47
from Boston, is estimated $50 per ton or $3.50 1885,
and the value of the ice 81 per ton, SAG $50. There
were also shipped in ice from Boston by cargoes of per
lstabIe materials valued at $72 500, which could not
have been taken to market without the ice. To all this
may be added 500 900 for profits those engaged in the
ice trade and we have return to the country Of $5U7
Ool. The Ice thus shipped is the outward rgoes Of
vessels seeking fTeghls enabling them TO make Profitable
voyages, and at the time aordiug this luxury 10
the South at small price. In the early part of the ice
trade, the manner Of fitting vessels very compca
ted, and consisted in forming air tight chamber inside
the hold of the vessel, filling the space between the
chamber and the ships side with tan, shavngs The
process is made very simple, and layer Of sawdust
between the ice and the ceiling of the ship is the only
protection. The saw dust used at Boston is brought
from Maine, and no less than 1900 cords Of wood were
used in AZ at a cost of s. 50 per cord.
Ihe price at which Ice is sold to the varies
very much AT Havana, where it is monopoly it
coss6t cents; al n Orleans -2a3 cents, which has
stimulated the consumption to % 900 tons in lS47
galnst 2,3l in 1882 At Calcutta the price has not
been over cents per pound, and is 2 cents. The
consumption OF Ice In Boston and vicinity for 1917
II 200 tons, costing the $72 $40, and yield
Ing profit TO seven houses which supply the market of
$40, 50. The capacity of the sorehouses for ice in
lo47 equal to IA $3.50 TONS exclusive of those at
Charleston and East Boston, where Temporary deposites
made.
The season OF gathering ice is very short, not
twenty days In good season, when the ponds have the
active appearance Of harvest field. In lS47, about
So5O was paid daily for services Of men, and $3.50 for
that Of horses employed to secure the crop In the in
fancy Of the trade, Common agricultural implements were
used to gather the ice, but the progress Of the trade has
brought into use machines closely adapted the
spinning machines for cotton Horse power and ma
chinery used to scrape the accumulation Of
from the tops of The ponds, to allow the freeze
thick and solid. Machinery is also used to cut it into
IN drav IN tho b,pS anAf,, hon,
there. The trade il small one, as is shown by the
statistics, and illustrates in the most striking
how profitable trade be created by the ingenuity of
from materials that in themselves without
she least value, but rather obstruction ordinary
business.
Among the shipments from New York in September
last, experiment, basket Of peaches packed
in ice. They were as fresh and highly favored when
they reached London as when they left New York-and
this little experiment predict, will prove the be-
ginning of trade by which American fruit will be sold
as readily in Paris and London at home. Honor to
the universal Yankee nation" who commenced and
pushed this enterprise its present profit and success
~: Z. Eamess.