The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-09-06
&C.

If we trace the history OF ice and snow
as applied to the wants of mankind to
early periods, we find that both were util-
lied in the East at a very ancient date.
The manufacture of artificial ice was
known, we are told, to the Greeks and
Romans. The custom of cooling bcvcr.
ages with saltpctrc was general in Italy in
the sixteenth century. In the seventeenth
century "lcc cups were introduced into
France "nd Spain. A method OF produ-
cling ice by chemical means was invented
by a Dir. Walker in 1872. Leslie intro
duced the employment of sulphuric acid
for the same purpose III 1910. Harrison
patented an icc-malSlng machine III which
ether and salt we're used in 1857. The
ice trade of this country was first intro.
duced by MIR. Tudor, in Boston, in 1906.
1t Is said that in many portions of Asia
the snow was, in early times, gathered in
sacks, far up in the mountains, and trans
ported to the principal cities on the backs
OF mules, and there preserved III cavities
sunk IN the ground, carefully packed lay
ers of straw.
Frederick Tudor, wealthy citizen of
Boston, largely engaged III salt works at
Nahant. about the beginning of the pres.
cnt century, conceived the project Of the
shipment of ice to the West Indies, i'm
1905, ut which time the yellow fever was
prevalent there; and his scheme was con-
sldcrcd about as ludicrous, by his towns
people, as was that of Lord Timothy
Dexter, who shipped to the same locality
a cargo of warming pans. AS to the sue
cess of both Of these ventures, history
has chroniclcd the happy results which at
tended the enterprises, and Tudor is cred
tied with the pionccrship of an important
commercial industry to the country. In
the winter of 1906 Tudor harvested crop
of ice from small pond near Boston,
amounting TO about three hundred tons,
which he conveyed by teams to Charles.
town, where he loaded the brig Favoritc
with his novel freight, and sailed with il
to the island of Martinique, where the az
ticlc was received with manifestations of
surprise and incrcdulity by the inhabitants.
Its beneficial advantages, however, were
soon demonstrated, and in due time add-
tional shipments amply paid the entcrpris-
ing person, who became to be regarded as
bcncfactor, while protiting largely by his
speculation.
The British Government was the first to
appreciate the advantages likely to accrue
to cOlonists from th. introduction of ice,
and ten years after Mr.. Tudor's first ship
mcnt. or shortly after the close of the war
of 1912, he received ovcrturcs that were
very favorable toward the development Of
the industry. The first was the grant of
monopoly of the trade upon conditions
which he at once embraced. The second
was the release of certain port dues (then
very heavy) to all ships bringing ice.
The first regular cargo was shipped to
Charleston, s. G., in the summer o. 1917.
That city was then the most in. .,ortant
commercial port IN the Southern States.
In 1918, Mr. Tudor established a branch
of the trade IN Savannah, rival at that
time of Charleston; and, In 1920, he cs
tablishcd ice houses in New Orleans, which
city, thirty years later, became the greatest
consuming city III the United States, south
CT Philadelphia. Il Is a remarkable fact
that at this time, and for some little time
later, the ice trade was confined mainly to
foreign export and tho supply of the
Southern States, while the localities in the
vicinity Of the sources Of supply in the
Northern States were slow to adopt the
new commodity. At the present time ice
is regarded more as ian article Of staple
use throughout the year than one of mere
luxury. There are delivered and consumed
in New York city alone, during the winter
months, more tons of ice than were cut,
shipped and consumed in the United States
n an entire thirty wears ago