New-York tribune., 1879-02-01
PRIVATE COMPANIES

These cures do not include any operations IN the VI
entity OF Albany and above, where 1t Is estimated that
some $4,000 tons will be gathered this year Ihe
Knckerbocker Company alone employ over 4ooo men
and 500 horses in the gathering season. ana ABOUT llOo
men in the Summer. They have already paid out TO
these men, since January 11s70. about $4,000. In
the transportation OF their they own and empoy
fftyfOur barges. with carrying capacity of from Z0O
10 300 tons each. They shipped 10000 tons 10 Tor
eign ports last wear principally 10 the East aud West
Indies and China The wages paid for gathering tins
ranged from 75 cents TO 81 80 per day lhe zee
In quality and never 80 quickly stored the Iargesl
days; aud ali viii be- bed by the end OF tho Week
Stacks will be made on the dock adjoining the
house few points on the THIS ice VIII. Of
weather The toia amount of tho Hudson River ice
crop gathered this season has been placed at 3OOOOO0
data will place the about half million less which
IS Doubtless full estmate-Dearly 9OOOOOOO cuDic
ieet, which II arranged in continuous inc one Ioot
wide would reach considerably more than nan way
around the world.
HOW ICE Is GATHERED.
The rt step the process Of gathering ice is called
stalking ponds" and consists OF a careful cXanina
ton Of the frozen surface by few practical iCe-men
soon as 1t become 'uck enough 10 walk apOn This Is
found necessary the fact that the ice varies IL
thickness and quality different points, aud unless the
best s marked at once intervening ia OF snow
would conceal ts location. These ponds are as near
the ee-house possible and yet Il is frequently neces
say go miles away order to obtain suitable icc So
great Is the strife between companies having
houses near each other, in mild Winters, to
stake their ponds first, that tho men
push themselves around m boats over the newly
frozen ice. The existing laws on the rights OF owner
ship Ice which forms the waters Of the State arc
somewhat vague and indetnte and for past the
custom has been TO grant the priority of claim to that
company which frat succeeds stalking out the pondby
row Of bushes hence the carly rush for ponds" at
the first closing Of the Ice Is perhaps the only
staple crop product in the country that forms and
natures without the aid OF The fact OF It's being
thus free crop frequently gives rise to bitter conIro-
versy among the various ice companies, especially IN
mild seasons and 1t would that some special leg
hlation on the subject was necessary
Having staked out these ponds TO an extent deemed
ucient Ill the house, nothing further Is done until
.he ice atains a thickness OF five six inches when II
NOW has fallen IL Is either scraped of or watered
through :" the latter being resOrted 10 II additional
thickness is required and this done by cutting sue
esson Of holes in the at regular intervals When
becomes eight or ten inches thick the process Of cutting
usually commenced. II is sometimes found necessary
plane portion Of the upper surface, which Is done
bya machine made Tor the purpose: marker
sTawn by horse then run IN straight line across
he pond; side Of this marker IS supplied with sharp
Vtbg irons aud the other with hat Gulde'DaTs which