Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-02-18
Earm!ngdale Locals.

Not much excitement about ice here now. A
year ago every available foot along our river
front was staked out, and every chance 10 invest
in the popular business secured. The lucky ones
who had corner looked upon the kenpebec a
gold mine and believed their fortunes made. More
than one new mansion was built along our road by
faith, as have been "castles in the air, time and
time again before. Men, boys and horses, came
from as far as Whitefeld on the East, and Itch
field ON the west to reap the high wages paid, and
night and day the work went on. The weather
reports from the west were read more eagerly than
were the bulletin board of the goldroom in Wall
street in its craziest days. More than one good
housewife whose husband had not got interest
in the ice looked with envy on her more fortunate
sister, and said she thought it was real mean"
that her husband had no chance to make some
thing. Twelve months have rolled round, and
proved that she whose husband stuck to his egiti-
mate business, were it farmers or anything else,
was best of. The story has been written and told
in hundred different ways the last few months,
that the ice business with few exceptions, was a
failure. And now with this Polar winter upon us,
| in many cases every dollar invested, is consid-
cred dead loss. And the only benefit we reap
from it is the location among us of great conpan-
| les from the west.
The Knckcrbockers of Philadelphia have their
headquarters, office, stables, &C., here. They
have sure market for their ice, and can ALWAYS
| place it. They really do great deal of good and
give employment to many men and horses the
year round. We learn that our enterprising
townsman, Capt. a. Rlch, Jr., has been able to
manage his ice successfully, and give employment
to large crew. Outside of these, it is all que,
here this year. The river is frozen nearly to its
bed with ice, such as New Workers never dreamed
Of "Ice here, ice there, and ice all around" and
as if to mock u.s. it gets into cellars and choice
places that we kept especially for warmth, and
runs riot everywhere. There lay the white fields
that were so much sought for last year, and nc
one wants to think OF them, except our farmers
dairymen, and other citizens, who are general,
helping themselves whenever they have mind to
determined that if there is no market for it abroad
| they will revel in it the next summer, well as
the more fashionable and wealthy folks in the
great cities. Since the Knickerbockers have fin
ished cutting, another crop has frozen, twice a:
thick as the first, and the chances arc that there
will be dozen more. One of our ice men wa,
heard to say in no gentle language, the other day
he supposed they would be cutting ice in the
| "Gulf of Mexico" next.
In the result of last years operations VIC have
been disappointed. Dsinterested ice dealers o.
great sagacty, from New York and Philadelphia
told us this ice must certainly be wanted. VIZ
were about all alike and all believed it. 1t is nj
use for any one to say 90 here or 10 there!
told you So" we nearly all went in. But some
| thing turned up that nobody looked for, the un