The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-03-22
THE ICE CROP.
Prospect of the Trade for the
Coming Season.
AN ENCOURAGING OUTLOOK
What the Officers OF the Several Com
panies Have To Say.

In view OF tho approaching summer an important
subject TO very large proportion OF the people living
In New York that OF leo, the quantity secured by
the various companies, and the prospect as TO prices
during the warm weather. That leo has CHI
mate become absolute necessity the wants and
weli being OF mankind reaectng person viii hasten
to dony. Its uses many varied. Apart from
the domestic comfort which hot months INSOFAR
abo from tho OF ice, the latter an indispen-
sable commodity to many branches OF trade
and commerce. Thus without It, fresh meats
could neither BIO transported nor preserved;
ice parties could further church
terpriscs other amusements butter would literally
run away, and Croton water would 1nd low drinkers
indeed. Tho German would have TO sigh in vain Tor
his lager beer the cosmopolitan to give up his ale,
while II Is likely that the purple noso OF the
topper would It's normal hue whom lace to face
with warm whiskey Ia the dog days. II need hardly
DO stated In the brewing OF malt liquor Is
prime necessity.
The precise date at which ice Arst utilized for
the ladies' well tho lords OF creation Is great
extent shrouded In obscurity, but il Ia not improb
able that King Solomon pleased TO
regaie the Queen OF Sheba with various con-
gea1od deiicaces on the occasion OF the
celebrated visit OF Her Majesty TO the gorgeous palace
OF that monarch Notwithstanding history both sacred
and pro fane, IL silent the subject leo Is extern
sively used In all civilized and in
countries Turkey tor instance. Is said to obtain her
supply annually from the H.maaya Mountains. and
this Is often OF such poor quality that tho
sipped at MONDAY by tho dreamy pacha tho lovely
beings which people his harem have frequently to be
cooled with snow. The padishahs aud other great
moguls OF the Orient look for their supply OF ice TO
Boston, which ships large quantities every year to The
East Indies.
THE CAPITAL INVESTED HERE.
In New York city alone the capital employed in
tho Ice business exceeds $5,0C00O0 The trade en-
ploys immense aeot Of bargos aud s,eamboais. sew
erai thousand men and over thousand wagons The
quantity Of Ice shipped 10 the city during ordinary
season Is estimated NJ moro than million tons,
only about one-haf OF which, however, used, the
remainder melting and otherwise going 10 waste.
Some OF tho companies complain Ihag much OF tho
loss in those respects might be avoided II the
employed in delivering the ice TO private families
would STOP flirting with the servant girls They also
state that owing 10 The competition IN tho bus-
tho icemen almost Invariably yield
TO the reQues; OF the domestic 10 carry her mis-.
trcsses' leu cents worth Of down then
place II IN the refrigerator, that by the lime the
man leaves the house pursue his rounds there ma
nave been My or one hundred pounds Of ice melted
from tho wagon This practice OF the icemon enter
Ing private houses Is unknown, they say ~ Boston,
Albany Troy ANA otner cities where competition ~
| comparatively SlignL
| For tue purpose Of ascortaining tho present con-
duIon OF the ice market, well tho OUTLOOK Tor
the coming season. HERALD representative on satur
day called NJ tho Offices OF mo larger COM
panies IN tho CITY, where the information winch io
| lows was obtained.
| THE KxicK SRBocKEn COMPANY
Mr. Robert Maciay, President ol Inc kuckor booker
| Ice Company, said:-"During the lust halt Jury
navigation opened early has this year
and CONSEQUENCE the season Tor gathering ice
been unusually short We hnd that this ma kct Will
probably ue i great ure Tho source oi supply
crop, We have ouly secured about two-thrds this
ycur but even at ia az rate we uro IN nv iuup men
better supplied than our negnbors. As proof that
the crop generally short IN inns section, We aro
daily IN receipt Wy mui Vi inquiries from adjacent
cities and villages as 10 The terms on which viii
De prepared 10 serve thom with ice. IL Is quito
unusual Tor those, places 10 make sacn appl:-
Upnion Will have 70 look chiefly 10 Now York Tor
It's supply Of Ice this season. All tnose demands on
The ice stock vi this CITY must have tendency 10
Keep tho market stin, but It cannot DO anything
similar 10 tue state vi affairs waicn existed here
10 1870 there Was NO great demand ia TINS market Tor
Ice IRON the kenncbec River, Inc HUDSON RIVER aud
Rockand Lake having been hitherto deemed sufficient
supply u.s. aud tho shortness OF the crop that year
stimulated the erection ot "a largo NUMBER oil leo
houses on the KenneDec in the following year, which
was u year vi iu supply on tue Hudson. Tue conse-
quenco was that tho supply housed carried over
1874 which happened " be snort year the ud-
LII lS74-75 The S0uses the kennebec again
alicd, and there being great demand leo tho
summer OF 1875 this crop was also carried over TO
1876, wnicn proved be another short year,
as much 80, however, was 1874 The year 1877
was plentiful Que on the KenreDcc, but the
not ali sold SO great potion Of last YEARS. sup
ply stiii remains there ready DO shipped II the
prices Will warrant It, The present rates III tns
kol must say, Will not. to any considerable extent,
warrant pping ice IRON Maine. The item oil ireg
large element Ia tho cost VI bringing this
market from the Kennebcc ana freight rates are
based upon the actual quantity Of Ice snppou, that
tho shipper has 10 sustain ali tho loss ny melting. IL
has been stated recently III evening paper that tho
knickcrbocker Ice Company aono soils annually moro
than million tons, profit oi 81 por ton. THIS
mistake, AS the COMPANY has never sold half that
quantity over the scales IN any one year (bcaring
mind tnat OOOo00 III tne house represent but hall
that quHuty over tho scacs) and they would very
glad they could be guaranteed pront every year OF
hity Genus per ton. We aro now charging ~ thUso
taking Twelve to Dlteen pounds vi leo daily soventy
cents per week, aud SIXTY cents TO families, bel ng
tbs same prices We charged IN 1879 when there
iuii supply IN the market. l caunot tell what the
prcos will be In the summer rhey Will have 10 be
regulated by Inc law soi supply aud demand. Con-
sulners nocd not feel alarmed, however, as tho 100
stored on tho o1nebec wiii serve to regulate tho
prices ana prevent them from becoming exorbitanL"
THE CONSUMERS icE COMPANY.
Mr.. william u. schohck president OF tho Con-
Ice houses on tho Hudson River Is aVout 700 v0O
tons. This year tho crop harvested Is about two-
thirds OF that quantity, or In the neighborhood OF
0vU, 200 tons. Inc tho Hudson ~ not good
as usual Our company has hcd tive houses at
South Gardner, Ne, on the Kenoebcc. This Ice Is
oil u superior qualify, Bong from fifteen to eighteen
Inches thick. In tue nve houses there are about
80 600 tons | lhink there Is ON the Kennebcc about
gathered IN mime has been carefully est.
mated at 100000 tons. Boston, Phiiadelphia
baltimore, Washington and ali southern ci.ies
will be obigcd To OBTAIN heir supply from the East
The present price OF ice IN Maine IL 81 70 per ton
board tho freight Is AZ present 81 70 ana the iowage
fifteen cent? 50 mat the cost OF ice after wasagc VI
twenty per cent, would be 50 SCAT tho dock Ia Now
York IL should also DO borne IN that waste
coming from Name during the months OF Junc July,
August aud september Is IRON thirty 10 lorty per cei
1here has been no leo made south OF Now York this
year. On the Hudson NC have Ia our houses az west
Camp about 10000 tous, that being only ABOUT
thirds vi our Usual crop. Now regard ~ The
south oil Us, Philadelphia, as a rule consumes
about 100000 tons; Baltimore, 3OU, 600. and
Washington aud k,chmond comDinod, about
25U,VOO TONS tho aggregate oil which W
more than Is put up on tho KcnDeboc
River. We have not established new ratio vi prices
yet AT present We are charging - per ton hotels
with winch establishments nearly All our Dusin ess
done. In regard 10 inc prices Tor The coming srn-
son there VIII doubtless be over lne present
rate buti. would DO premature this tlmo 10 stalo