The Portland daily press., 1876-03-27

Ice On THE KENNEBEc.-The Kennebec
Journal has been to great pains to collect the
exact figures of the ice business on the Ken
nebec river. The name, amount sold and all
other particulars of every party in the business
is given. The following is the Journals sum-
ming up:
There are 69O5OO tons of ice housed
on the Kennebec; 1000 tons have been
sod, and A35OO tons are awaiting sale.
Putting the average price at $500 per
ton, which is reasonable figure, the
aggregate value Of the ice is s., ,381 900 After
the lapse of five years, without etfecting any
sale, when the Ice purchasers came along the
nrst OF the season, with sharp eye to making
good bargain, they found companies ready 10
make contracts at $1.25, $1.40 and S1.5O per
ton, the companies thinking they were getting
big thing on ice." But as the winter hes
worn away and the ice has melted and moved
past tne ice houses on the Hudson and other
rivers, kennebec ice has steadily gone up In
the market, until it is sought for at 81. 75 ton,
and refused. Parties now on the 'ianxious
seats are confidently expecting from three to
four dollars. But even at these prices, the
business, as whole, for permanent investors,
since it's development on this river, has Welded
only falr per cent, say from five TO six per
cent annually. One good year is followed by
several bad ones, SO that those "carpet bag
gers who have jumped into luck during the
SOOu JCoIsy duu dNOlQe1 the Dad ones. laV4
reaped the golden harvasts. while those who
have made steady investments have doue uuiy
fair business But at the same time the ice
business on the Kennebec has become perma-
nent institution.
An imense amount of money has been paid
out for help during the past winter, and for
lumber used In the building of new houses.
Ihlrty-three concerns have had at different
times crews ranging from fifty to one hundred
men, at good wages, putting money into the
n0nkQfQ N hr, 1aA 10 ns~r
ly this year. when business has been depressed.
Work has been prosecuted a portion of the
time, day and night We found crews of men
at work yesterday, but the ice is reported to be
porous and growing poor rapidly, though main
tanning thickness of some twenty inches: and
what remains to be done IN the way of secur
ing and housing, must be d0Ee speedily
The sawdust used in storing and shipping is
quite an item, exhausting the product of the
mills at Gardiner, and causing demand for
the article elswheIe This refuse Of the mill.
which Was once cast aside as worthless, is now
sold for 81 cord. It takes from eight to
ten cords to properly pack cargo of ice. In
1868 sawdust brought $1.00 cord, and in 1870,
800.
Schooners and tug boats will be in great de-
mand the coming season, for moving the ice.
One thousand tons of ice will fill three ordinary
schooners, and to ship the 690,500 tons of ice
now on the kennebec, which has been sold
or awaiting sale, it will require that fifteen
vessels be loaded each day during the ice sea-
son. There will be a constant fleet of vessels
passing up and down the Kennebec all sum-
mer and every house will be emptied ready
for the business of ice-harvesting next winter
In this article, which we have tried to make
as complete and accurate as possible, we have
confined ourselves to the Kennebec river. We
may incideLty mention, however, that there
are about $4,000 tons stored at Bowdoinham,
$1,000 tons on the Cathance river, and 10000 at
Harwood's crossing