The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-03-31

Although some of the concerns above included do
not belong directly to the city Of New York yet they
all comprised within the AREA from which this
metropolis draws its supply or ice, whether tho
article be used to cool the rich mans champagne
to chill the poor mans pork.
ARRANGING PRICE
Next month there will be "a convention OF the ice
companies representatives and the wholesale dealers
and Spectators the object Of which is to fix prices
for the summer. The convention will be called upon
to consider the fact that while last years crop
only seventy five per cent OF the ordinary yield there
q surplus this year that more than compensates
for the failing off in the winter of ls77-S
The Knichcrbocker Company keeps going about i've
hundred wagons ordinarily; and each is drawn by
pair of horses this corporation is obliged to have
on hand eleven hundred or twelve hundred draft
animals. Each wagon carries from one to two and
half tons in its rounds according to the demands of
the route which il may be sent. The wagons
make but one trip day each, excepting saturday,
when they arc often obliged double the service in
order to keep their customers cool over the Lords
day; These trips reier TO me FAMILY trade: The
sunday. keep the wagons destined to supply them
always on the run. The average wages paid by the
companies TO their wagon drivers is S1i week. The
mems hours of work vary with the requirements
of trade on their respective routes, In summer
they work frequently ten twelve hours day.
get through with their day labor in three four
hours they enjoy. however. the same rate of wages
the year round Sometimes the drivers loiter
their routes and are thus detained. but at others.
when they wish to finish the days duty speedily.
they save three or four hours The work horses
are kept with much care. A larger number OF them
being required in the busiest months they pur-
chased in the spring, and some OF the undesirable
ones sold off when the trade begins TO
mer season the working day begins at
three o'clock and occasionally ends before noon,
though IL often lasts till late the afternoon. On
saturdays the faded horses and tired do not get
rid of thoir tasks till ten or eleven O'Clock ut night
The proportion of help employed by each company
would represent about man for each 1000 tons
of in stock according to the foregoing table. and
one horse for each 1000 tons.
EMPLOYED.
Some Of the brewers have large vaults attached to
their establishments, in which ss much as 1000
tons OF ice may be seen. These icehouscs
are filed in the spring and replcnshei two
Erhardt, the brewer. takes from 1900 to
10000 tons annually from the knickcrbocker Com
pany. The large brewers have several houses
the premises from which they distribute the ice
required The beer liz usually stored In these houses
and the ice generally placed above the barrels or
around them. In some establish ments the ice Is
kept under the beer. this being good way 20 check
fermentation.
The pork packers. who much ice. keep the
cooling crystal large vaults that hold IRON fty to
sixty tons They use the ice in pretty much the
way that tho brewers do, the object being to
chill the meat. Ice il largely used
to cure slaughtered hogs instead of sugar
and il substitute for this and otner
swine flesh fresh. In point of quantity consumed
the packers the next best customers of the ice
companies after the brewers There some two
hundred packing firms In the city thatUisc from Ave
hundred to one thousand tons each every year. The
butter dealers also good customers. SO that now
there IL no first class commission house in which .
spacious, first class ice cooled refrigerator may not
be found ready tor the reception of butter. This
staple article OF consumption from the West
in refrigerator aud the commission merchants
have vaults boxes in which to keep IL fresh.
the storage warehouses in general must be provided
with the means Of keeping cool such pcrishabc farm