Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-03-31
What They Say i'm New YORK
About Ice.
from the Tribune. ]

Z
much curiosity has been expressed by consum-
crs "a TO what makes 80 great difference IN
the retail and Wholesale prices.
at looks like ree4lsr swin'ile, said
prominent resident Of brooklyn" and II
seems to me that the companies have made
use Of the mild winter here simply a. pre-
text. When ice doesn't form on the Hudson
river Il doesn't form anywhere else accold-
ms, 10 the way New York companies view the
matter" In order 10 obtain an explanation
from the COMPANIES, and also for the purpose
of ascerraining the effect Of the unusually
mild Winter upon the ice crop, Tribune
rcnorter visited several of the leading ice
companje. and shippers few days ago.
B. +. Netcalf < Co, shipping merchants,
at No 1870 Front street. said 1t IS true that
We are selling ice at - per ton. but It must
be remembered that il Is at IN take weight
that il. at the weight when shipped IN Name
and does not ALLOW for shrinka2e during the
voyage. This difference Z, atont 30 cents
a ton. That which We are getting no" comes
directly from ponds ard the kennebec and
Penobscot rivers. 1t l. just as good a HUI
son river ice"
.sDocs il cost the ice companies any more
than it cost. you TO ger the ice here from
Naine;"
lit does not. and in many cases much less.
Several companies are getting it now for 30
cents a ton in Maine, and the expense OF
bringing il here cannot be over -. 30 per ton
Az the outside. the ice that they are obtain
ing now ought not to cost over % per ton
There is plenty Of ice in Maine; the crop
ha. been very large. At the present time 1t
is shipped directly from the waters edge
where il is stacked Later, when the nous
ing begins, more labor and reshipping will be
required. and this will increase the price. one
great trouble is the scarcity OF vessels tor the
trade The y. !. ice companies are Charter
ing all the vessels they. can get for the season
Lake Champlain is full Of ice also, but DIT
fcult' to transport it until the canals open.
Yet an icc-dealer told me to-day that he could
bring il here more cheaply by rail from Lake
Champaign than from Maine. BY the 10th of
next month the price will have to be raised,
for by that time the stacked ice will have
been been disposed of. 1t is very probable
that then the dealers in Maine, who are strong
men, after selling enough to build new houses
for the ice, will hold it for higher prices.
They did this two wears ago, and the crop
that they then stored away is still IN their
storchnuses. frozen in SO solidly that they are
compelled to build rev houses But the sea-
son il more favorable for them this year, and
no doubt they will repeat their plans They
see that New York will be unable to get ice
from home. and will b. willing to pay even
Sl2 or SD ton for it later in the season"
Tue Icr CoMrANIEs' ARGUMENTS.
Robert Maclay, President of the knieker
booker lee Co.. said
"Thc reason that we have been Obliged to
increase the price of ice is on account of the
additional expense of gathering, housing,
and TRANSPORTATION We have large ice houses
on the Hudson river, which at light expense
we can usually fill at the rate of $4,000 tons
Der day. But now We are Obliged to 20 else
where. to unusual and remote places. for our
ice Besides this. in these new localities we
have had to build new ice houses. Here on
the Hudson, we have our own bargcs built
expressly for transporting our own ice, and
So arranged that melting Is in great part
avoided This fleet of barges, representing
between 500, 900 and $500, 900. is lying idle.
and our large ice houses along the river are
of no use. Together ri it'll this is the con-
slant expense of some 30 men who have
them in charge. Much of the ice that we
are getting comes from ponds in different
parts of tho State. which makes transporta-
ton by railroad necessary. That which is
procured in other states must undergo trans
to New York. We are cutting now on sara
toga lake and on lake Champlain. All this
adds largely to the cost. is you can see in
fact. the additional expense of trausporta-
/ ton will make the cost of ice four or five
times greater than i'll an ordinary winter
! do You anticipate a scarcity of ice dur
/ ing the summer"
/ II can't say that do was the reply
! there is ice enough to supply the demand
of the country, but the additional cost OF
transportation will make it cost more.
ADVANCE ~ FREIGHTs.
John milford. president of the Mutual
Benefit Ice Company, said:
1--WE are paving $3.50 per ton for our ice,
and usually we are selling it for less than
this. We are cutting more on Lake Cham
plain than any other company. and | tell YOU
! that the quantity of ice there is not a drop in
the bucket compared with what New York
| will need. 1t is much the same in regard to
the Maine crop. There is less ice generally
this year. IN proportion to the demand. tive
10 one than there was in 1870. Everywher,
schooners are looking for higher rates fol
transportation because there is greater de
mand for vessels Both ice and lumber
| freights going up, and this fact will make
ice cost more. All that we could cut on the
| Hudson River this winter was 5000 tons al
Barrvtown, and this was found between the
railroad track and the shore. 4 year age
We cut 100000 tons. We are gathering ice
now that will cost US s. ton when it get.
here. No contracts in ice are being made
this season, the risk being too great"
I Would not ice machines be Of help in a
time of scarcity" was asked.
NO; the quantity produced is too small tt
IL Il saty
of Central Park to accommodate the ma
chinery necessary to supply New York. Ir
/ regard to the ice being delivered here al
ST ton'l can only say that | should like to
buy it. But this intake weight makes otter
/ a difference of one ton in three, and the loss
at this time of wear is at least twenty pei
cent"
MIR. +. Winch. president of the New York
City Ice Company. said;
''oac reason that freights will be high i.
/ that the eanaimen are making contracts tc
| ship great deal of iron ore. and this will
| affect the price of lumber as well as of ice
In regard to what you call cheap ice, | don't
know of any. We are buying large quaint.
ties in Mains, and VIC are Obliged to paw
! 81. 80 a ton for it there. | have been in the
business for thirtv-eight years, and have
never known ice 50 scarce. Every wear we
| have procured ice from Rockland Lake. but
| this wear we have not had pound from there
| Where We usually cut $4,000 tons, this sea
soy, wa sret loss than ~ oll tons and the hal