The national Republican., 1867-07-12
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TIE WAsHINorox AND GKoRoErowN IcE |
CerrAn Editor Of tAs Erpres: 10 your ar.
ticls Of Saturdays pspsr you peak OF the Wash. |
ington and Georgetown Ios Company - . mo-
nopoly The apparent eandor and fairness the
Ezpros has exhibited since lie publioation loads
ne 70 oossluds that no injustice ws intended,
yet . simple statement o. fAots, which hope
You viii allow me 10 make through your col.
umns, will show that We were not Justly repre-
ssntsd. We consolidated because We, like three
drunken men, could stand holding on to each
other, but neither could stand alone. Every
one knows that for the last three years there has
been very close competition between the three
Ice firms now consolidated, and the result was,
that ct the commencement OF the year our con.
dition was like that Of the "Kilkenny cat" We
had but little left. Bach Of us were traversing
the whole city. An owl at MONDAY could have
seen that were all these teams controlled BY one
there could be saving Of twenty i've per cent
Of the expense. We consolidated for that pur.
pose. We reduced the number Of wagons to the
lowest possible number. All our expenses were
rigidly curtailsd, and we have, since January !,
1857, conducted our operations on system more
economical, as find BY recent inspection, than
the Ice companies or firms Of Boston, New York,
or Philadelphia. But by our treasurer's state
mont furnished US July !, 1867, the not very
pleasant fact stares us In the faoe that We have
not TO this date made one cent profit, allowing
nothing, for wear and tear, which every one
knows Is large. Our treasurer, Henry O. Jewell,
esq, corner Of Twelfih and r streets, Is at lib
srty 70 exhibit our books to any ono enough In.
terestsd to oall. Now the practical question
arises can Ice be retsled In this city, In amounts
over 100 pounds daily, for fifty cents per hun.
dredl Afflicted creditors will tell that II cannot
be, for about one.half Of the Ice shipped to this
city for the last ten years has not been paid for,
| and previous 10 that, II my memory serves me,
n.ta for sta laaa tha
pounds daily 10 loss to the dealer, at ono cent
and . half Per pound.
We bought the Great Falls Ice Company's Ice,
and although We regret to say IL, no man osn
sell that Ice In warm. or rather hot" weather,
at so cents per hundred and pay his bills. All
our customers can testify Of this, or else their
complaints arc unjust The breakage In canal
squeduet oompels us, for about two weeks, to
team our Ice purchased Of this company from
Georgetown. In doing this We suffer In expo.
sure and meltage nearly, II not quito, four dol.
| lars per ton. We hope soon to retail Boston
ice. To enable Us to retail Ice at last years
rates we reduced the number Of teams, and
worked tho harder. But people complain Of the
lateness Of the delivery Of Ice. We must have
more teams, thus increasing our expenses, and,
as Q natural consequence In our depleted condi'
tion must have . greater price.
This We have determined to do. All family
| custom consulting our own interest We do moi
crave, but II Is q necessity, and no pains on oui
part shall be spared to furnish them as promptly
and faithfully as We should do did II pay as we'll
Abuses will arise from extortion and short
weight on the part Of drivers. Customers must
sec for themselves that they are not cheated
For repeated offences / always discharge Gun
ployees. We instruct them to give full weight
but common sense and little reflection vii
show that Il Is worth ten cents to call on fan
lily with q "two.horse team and two men, say
ing nothing about ice. An ordinary load Of ic'
will melt more than ten pounds while they ar'
delivering ten pounds, however agile they ma,
be. Our rule from the beginning has been, aut
now Is, to make ton cents per hundred on all ic'
sold. II We cannot do that, then other hand
must peddle ice rather than mine. We are sat
ishsd with that, but nothing less. In Bosto,
they arc now getting nearly our prices, and II
Philadslphia they got more than We do, notwith
standing in both Of these cities, from Q NOR
J general use Of 1t, they can save 20 to 80 20
cont on expense Of delivery.
We have invested In horses oyor sixteen thou
sand dollars, subject alike as they are to aoci
dent and disease. It seems that no rsaeotin
man, no. controlled by ssl6shness, would objec
to paying q fair remunerative price for an arti
! Gle so caprioiout and wasting as ice. It's dutie
arc arduous. While many Of those who com
plain arc locked In the embrace Of morpheus,
: so secure that q gad-hy could not sting them
| life, We, at two O'Clock, o. m, are Obliged
commence our work, and often work until II
, time they were asleep again. Disease lik
, glanders will often deplete a wholeHstable I
horses In q single month. We are exposed o
9 every hand, and while using every sndssvor
4 furnish Ice (nou Q necessity to rich and poo
, alike, at the lowest possible price eonsistsr
with our creditors interests, and whik ssihn
at the old prices, we are assaied publicly a. ND
4 nopolists and almost In the same breath ehsrgs
a with Increased price Of ice." am aware th'
|. often honorable and impartial Journalists al
|. misled by designedy partial or untrue stat
r ments n when the difficulties under which =
labor, as stated above. are removed, We find thi
!, ue can make our ten cents per hundred, aud n
n duce the price, We shall do so at once. ha'
|, ever endeayored to avoid taking any advantal
|. on account Of our uniting, and shall ever do
while have the care Of this company. vi
correct any abuses, and bestow all the attentit
l. to my customers now that I ever have dol
i while pursuing my avooation in competitit
q with others. 0u Wednesday next we shall p'
Il on more teams, whom We hope to serve all o,
q customers early and promptly. Certainly net
n not write to show that people are more unge
It erous to the ioe dealer than any other A hue
II ster In tho market, with $500 capital, can al
Il does stock more money than an Ice dealer wi
d $40, 900 oapital-their prices paid without
N murmur. ours grudgingly.
10 Yours, I. 7. FOWLER,
10 Superinte ndent.