Washington telegraph., 1853-08-24
The Ace Trade.

Any thing cool, Is agreeable this hot
weather. In accordance with this truly self
evident maxim we copy from The Philadel-
phia North American the following article !:
The trade in this commodity, originally
of small Importance, has latteraly been
growing with rapidity peculiarly Amcri-
can. Wealth has increased in all parts Of
our country i'll an astonishing ratio, bringing
with 1t, rs a necessary consequence, a more
general desire for the luxuries of life and
wherever there is a demand for any article
there is no lack of traders to supply IT. If
we look at our own city. for example. we
cannot but remark the fact that the banks
of the Schuylkill, where formerly there
were but two or three ice-bouses are now
lined with them thieklv from Fairmount to
the Columbia railroad bridge, and there are
also many others within the corporate limits.
The river Schuylkill, which is frozen up
every winter, is the quarry whence the
dealers obtain their supplies; and the pro-
cess Of cutting and housing the article rem
ders the stream in that season a curious and
busy scene. At the edge of the river ele-
waited platforms, with blocks and tackle. are
erected with tracks conducting to their re-
spective houses, and the various operations
of cutting the ICE with ee-ploughs, floating
and dragging it to the platform, hosting it
up, and sliding it thence into the vaults, at
tract crowds of curious spectators, all graft
fed with the sight except the skaters, whose
amusement is spoiled thereby
At New York and other large northern
cities the trade has grown into similar ir.-
portance; but it is in the vicinity of Boston,
it flourishes most, for the New England
ers having always superabundance of ice
have long been in the habit Of exporting il
to parts where it - scarce They have thus
reaped large profits by sending it to the
tropical regions of America SO great
however has been the growth of our own
cities in population. that in mild winters
the dealers are not able to obtain supplies
adequate to the demand and the stores in
the eastern ice houses are drawn upon TO
remedy the deficiency
Perhaps the longest journey travelled reg
ularly by cargoes of Yankee ice is that from
Boston around Cape Horn to San Francis
CO. 1t is fact, vouched for. by cores
porTdent of the New Yvrk ,Juufnssi of '--loln.
merce, that the enterprising downeasters are
able to send ice to San Francisco, via Cape
Horn, and sell it there on better terms than
are offered by the dealers in Russian ice
This latter commodity is described as of
a superior quality. about twenty inches thick,
clear. and beautifully transparent 1t is OBJ
talned from Sitka, place situated on an
island of the same name, on the northwest
coast of America, belonging to the Russians.
and adjacent to the southern part of their
possessions.
The Russian ice is sold by the Russian
Consul to a company called the American
Russian ice Company and the vessel and
men carrying it to San Francisco are not
allowed to trade with the people of Sitka
for any other commodity. There are about
four hundred inhabitants in the place, and
considerable trade is carried on in furs 1t
is evident, that as the population of Califor-
MIA increases, this ice trade with Sitka must
increase proportionately. Already two large
cargoes of it have been sent to San Francis
co, and the enterprising traders of that -four
ishing city will soon begin to make it avail
able as means of traffic with the Spanish
American towns on the west coast In the
frigid regions from which these stores of ice
are derived, there are such inexhaustible
quantities always to be had, that if any en-
couragement to the trade were held out by
the Russians themselves, instead of keeping
mp prices and limiting facilities for procur-
ing the article, the American capitalists of
California would soon furnish it to all the
tropical regions on the Pacific.
1t is somewhat curious that, even restric-
tive as they are in this enterprise the Rus
slams have gone ahead of the wealthy and
energetic Brtons. Sitka is in the same lat
itude as the northern coast of Labrador
yet what Canadian or British trader has
ever thought of rendering available as an
article Of commerce the ice which lies in
immense quantities in that northern region?
Ice is a dear commodity in Philadelphia du-
ring the present season. on account of the
light crop Of last winter and the Yankee ice
dealers at the East have so many customers
for their ice that they can raise the price to
suit themselves. 1t is evident that we can
not always depend upon this source to sup
ply our DEFICIENCIES and in view of the
great increase of our population as well as
that of New York, it behooves us to look
about for resource in case of necessity
If Labrador could be rendered available for
the purpose by the establishment Of settle
mcnt there either by British Canadian or
Americans. it would be of great use in sup
plying our own aud southern markets with
ice of a superior quality, and in any requr-
ed quantity.
An old Dutch lady at a religious meeting
became much concerned for her soul, and
went about signing and sobbing, and would
nnt he cnnfnrfell Inon hninn asked hu