The Portland daily press., 1874-03-09
TERMS $500 PER ANNUMIN ADVANCE

nneu win wine in the snow, where 1t was
ieit considerable time to cool. AT the end
g. 'n7 seventeenth Century, in France,
.neie were great many persons who dealt
III snow ana Ice; and this traffic. which was
his' Tree 10 all, was afterwards G,rmed ou, bv
government to monopolists. I'm, 90 ,,o,,
raised the price so enormouslv ths -,
almost ceased and the trade aoain ,a,u hann.,u
open in some parts of Portuga, the snoa, =
cohecteu III Gpep gulis or crevices during tbe~
Wl1ter, and covered first with grass or esss,
sod and afterwards with the litter frc,n
sheep-pens. nun
In Persia, Deep fat-bottomed ditch ia
dug; and near it number CT shallow square
holes which are filed with water on A cold
evening, and by morning a crust is formed of
ice on the surface, which is taken off. broken
into fragments and thrown into the trench:
upon these wafer is sprnkled, and BY next
morning the fragments have been converted
into solid lump OF ice. The operation is
then repeated until a large mass OF Solid ice
is accumulated when the trench is covered
with rushes and lett lndsturbed until sum-
mer.
onoW Is consumed in great quantities in
.ne south OF Italy during the summer In
.ne low counties, even in the coolest win
tI us snow never lies upon the ground, but in
epe Appenines there is an iuexhaustible sup
| ply. lhe Neapolitans dig deem wells or cav
ems nigh up the mountains SIDE. or some-
tlmes make use of the natural caves among
tne focRs' INTO these, at the pr oper seasons,
when they can procure it in broad. thick.
I purely white layers. they throw the snow to
be preserved. The snow is well placed 10
seiher, and when the chasm is full, or nearly
so, they throw In quantity of straw, dried
leaves, and branches OF trees, to keep the
external air from the suow, and then shut up
the mouth OF the well or cavern, which is
sometimes, though not always, enclosed by a
small rude stone building. These snow caves
are mostly on the northern face of the noun
tains. When the snow tails in any quantity
upon the lower and isolated ridges it gives oc-
casipn tor sleat JOY among the peasants. who
gather fiom all parts TO collect it, and carry il
oil to safe Snow cave. IL is gathered in bas-
kets and barrows, and also rolled into snow
balls. From the ApenniDes, during the sum-
mer months. snow is constantly brought into
the city, hundreds of men and BOYS being en-
gagged in the business. Monte Saint Angelo,
about twelve miles from Naples, contributes
a large supply. When the snow boats arrive
at Naples they are quickly unloaded, and the
snow carried off to large cold building erect
ed to receive it. The snow custom house is
situated near the port. To this general de-
pot the retail dealers repair. Scaacey street
in Naples that has not its snow shop, and by
an old law of the country these shops are new
er allowed to be closed either day or night
during the hot weather.
The snow trade, like those Of salt and to-
bacco, was from very early time Govern
meat monopoly. The King was accustomed
TO farm it to accompany who paid for the privi
lege, aid who were, moreover, bound 10 sell
the snow at fixed, unvarying price, and Sc
verely fined when they left the city unprovid-
ed with sufficient quantity to meet the de-
mand. OF the mountains of slow brought
daily info Naples, some goes to private fam-
lies, some to the coffee houses and sorbettieri,
and large quantity to the itinerant vebde-s
OF getdtti, and to the stationary dcqudioH or
water sellers. The grea. storehouse OF Sicily
is Mount Etna, and the English and natives
at Malta also derive their supplies from the
caverns and SUBMITS of that volcano.