New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-19
A SCARCITY Of lCE'

THE DEMAND GREATER lnN' or coysuuEns
IN. ,.,xcr N PRIcEs--0PINIoNs on ooNSeNl"n'
,vu,rTue COMPANIES off'0""'
rr,crrrRF OF ARTIFICIAL ICE a..
A.. zoo famine has been adueu W w. '"'"'
.,,,forts of the present heateo 'ern' s,,
,ho c;tv the demand far exceeus '"e supp n,
'"o :. formation can be obtained, 10 IN Pi"'
ifo" we" .ro sunply will become still smaller
f"'e -. H. ,rces have advanced. BY the ton
N' 'u'' I'm 81 O 10 S12; at retail to those VINO
i'0 - Iaroa quantities. 1t is go and 40 Genus
- nounds; in offices and private famh'es
- ANAL onantty is needed, from 81 To @l 20
81, &c charged Even at these prices many "'''
I'm unable 10 obtain any ice, and mucn sunoii1
-. loss have been caused by the lack OF IT, III '"o
tenement districts, especially where many lauii'ea
on,ot otf,rl TO purchase ice regularly anu uepe""
nou obtaining il in small quantities from VIC o0i
,ar groceries when 1t becomes a necessity u :
to,pd almost impossible TO obtain any, "ha'cNei
the prizes offered. . ,.o,s
I,oui-y among saloon and restaurant kesPoiS'
a,co,sts butchers, grOcers and Others whose pus-
;ess reonires them to use large quantities OIL zee
- that ali the companies have advanced their
,,r,css ,p, that many storekeepers Dave peen iel9
ts,,,relv without ice. In Washington and Fulton
W,rets the same increase of price and scarcity Oh
20 fonnd. Many who grumbed at the prices
ahor,ed would have been wiling to pay even more
LII they have obtained enough ice 10 fill their
rosr;,,ar,tors. aud thus avoid the loss which must
necessarily follow its absence.
Among all who consume ice the opinion prevails
.b+ +be present scarcity has been artiticaly pro-
d,ced nv the companies There was large guam
ti,v of zee left over from last year. they saw, ana
slfhouqn the zee crop in this nelghO0rnOOd was u
failure, the houses along the lafes ana III 'ue -
wera well filed. They claim that the ice compa-
mes have formed combination 10 regulate me
ouantltv brought To this cry, ana tho pIiTes d,
which shall be sold at wholesale anu leudii, "iu
tbot if there Is not enough zee here now to supply
those who need il, IT Is the fault OF the companies
themselves. A. o+ho-
side of Tia question. TRIBUNE reporter Vlsleu 1'e
Off e of the knckerbOcker lee Company IN canal
ST. On asking for the president he was Iola 'na.
that officer was very busy Just then ana coalu not
he seen. Waiting until H. might be at leisure Ihe
reporter remained III the office, and soon after saw
the president huTvng past with some papers N
his band. In reply to a question, he answered.
have not single minute 10 spare eacn oI us mere
Is doing the work of ten men, and heSaes can 'e'i
you nothing that would be OF any use =. -,
There Is a scarcity OF ice and an advance IN the
puceip
81 O what is that due7"
why. there Is none IN our houses along the Hud-
son and we have 70 bring II here rom Name vi
course that costs more there are great ueaNs III
u getting IL mere ana ne"F9 ""''"|' -i'-- '
mr. ,..5
Without waiting for another question he retreated
10 an inner Office. and the reporter was uhaDle 10
learn whether prices Will keep advancing wheCher
the scarclrv will increase dlmnlsh. WIaL acLl'h
was taken bv the directors at their meeting on
Thursday, and other thugs he would nave liAeu ~
AT the Offices of other companies the same disin-
clnation ~ give information was shown. Along
the river front II was seen mat very rev NesSeIs
with zee were al the plcrs. MOST OF tuose III lon'
were schoOners from Maine, ana lew from New
Brunswick ard other Eastern points Az the once
on the pier of of the companies IL was sdIu Una.
there was httle or no on the Hudson or the
lakes and If the present weather continues the
suuplv from those sources Will be entirely eX-
bausted The ice brought from Maine is carried III
sailing vessels, and If the wind Is untavoraoie tne
supply is delayed and the wastaGe. large I'D All
cases is greatly increased. The pronts maze oy
tie companies are thus reduced to a small amount,
and at times the venture results IN loss instead oil
profit. 81, =,
A retail dealer who was present agreed with all
that mad been SAID, and added that IN such warm
weather as that of yesterday the wastage OF zee I'D
carving 1t through the streets is large Peo-
ME caII ms a band of robbers" he said but If
Ihey would stop 10 consider the cost OF gathering,
storing and transporting Ice, the amount tnat mel
away the wear and tear on horses and WAGONS ana
also the fact that there are only TOUR mouths ~ when
we can make anything to live upon Tor the year
perhaps they might not talk so wildly. . -,
" Do YOU think the present scarcity WILL cOnIlnue'
d1n't know. it depends upon the wind and
weather; If II keeps on ike thls' thousn IL WILL "'
ecarcer than II Is nOw.
And how about the prices "
well you'd better 70 to the office of the knlck
booker ana tneN ii give YOU al ino hct ~
YOU about the prices. They regulate those things.
visit Was then made 10 the ONCE OF me New
York Ice Machine Company, IN Cortlandt-st. me
secretary of the company said that without doub
the power of the ice companies would soon o'
broken up by the Introduction Oh artf
6c,sI ice If company with a capita
OF ABOUT 300 900 was formed to manufacture art
fetal ice II could be made At cost tar below the
cost of cutting and storing natural zee. Additional
saving would bc made by the ct that there would
be 10 expense for transportation, and little Loss
from wastage, as the ice coud De made as needed
AT the office Of the Pictet Artificial Ice Company
I'm Greenwlch-st, the same opinion as TO the ieas
b,lty of entirely supplying the demand for ice by
Its artificial manufacture was given. IL was STATED
that there Is al ice machine now running IN IDuls
will Ky by which ice is made at a cost OF ~
ton The company owning Il finds ready sale to
which II is now sold IN this city.