Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-01-26
The Ice Harvest In Name.

The only large concern On the PeBOb-
scot, Maine, that will cut as much as usual
is the Philadelphia knleksrbocker, which
depends on Maine as source Of supply
IL stored 200. 600 tons year ago, and viii
cut as much this year, If not more. They
cut every year in u good many places
along the Kennebec river, and they also
have ponds at North BOothbay, down near
the coast, where they cut for current use
during the winter. At these ponds they
take the blocks out of the water and shoot
them directly down an inclined plane TO
the ships that lie there loading. The New
York Knlckerbocker, which came up to
Maine last year and bought several houses
at Richmond with the ice in them, 10 exc
out the short supply on the Hudson, will
do some cutting, but the extent of it de
pends on the weather in New York State.
A few days ago they sent orders to Rich
mOnd, few miles above Bath, not 20 do
anything at present, but to wait until later
in the season. b. W. & Ii. F. Morse, of
Bath, cut largely year ago, and will do
the same this winter. Their business is
largely with the Gulf States, and is indie
pendent to that extent of the weather in
New York. They handled during the
summer 260, 900 tons of ice. The Arctic
Company will propably repeat its cut of
"a, 900 tons. This concern also does
large business with the south and the West
Indies. AT Bowdoinham there are six or
seven small companies, which will store
30, 600 tens in all.
II costs to cut ice on these two rivers
from II to % cents a ton; 80 cents to load
it on vessels, and about s 80 to freight it
to market. The fIeights vary great deal,
however, according to the supply of ship
ping. In the early part of the summer the
Arctic and other companies were obliged TO
telegraph to Europe frequently to charter
ships for this trade, many vessels coming
across the Atlantic in ballast to take car
goes to New York city and the South. Ice
was selling at from 30 to 70 cents ton,
laden ON board the vessels Oh the kenne-
bee, but the freights were as high as SS a
ton, sometimes 81. Later IN the season, as
ice rose in value, the supply Of shipping
was larger, and freights dropped from 81
to So. 35, So, s.. so, and finally to 81 toR,
the price of ice going up, however, recip-
rocally and rapidly, and ending month or
two ago at So a ton. The first lot, which was
sold as high as 81, vas sent to New York
by the Arctic Company. The New York
buyers of the first two cargoes of 1000 tons
each at that price unfortunately lost about
$500 on each cargo, on account of fluc-
tuatIon in values, which took place before |
the vessels arrived in port; but that was an
exceptional experience. Nearly all who |
dealt in the commodity the last part OF the |
season make handsome thing out of it, |
and few concerns that can be named |
made fortunes. They all sold out clean. |
Their profits stirred up the good people of |,
Maine amazingly, and this winter several |
firms who own vessels and sail them in /
general trade on their own account, are |
contemplating enlbarking in the ice busi-
ness now as a new field of operation. y /
number of vessels are now building which /
expect to do a part of the freighting. |
Some of these are shoal vessels of large |
capacity, which can run long distances up |
the rivers. THIS class of schooners is par
ticularly adapted to the business, and can /
usually command high prices in freighting.
This is trade in which they meet with no |
competition from steamers, and such
trades are, unfortunately for the depressed |
shipping OF this country, few and lar be- /
tween now.
Maine is particularly adapted for earring
on the ice business on large scale. Here Is
an unfailing supply of ice and an abundance
of the large vessels required for sending 1t
to market. The ice now goes almost all
over the world. Cargoes have been sent
even TO the East Indies. The arrival of
few small ships from Norway last tall,
when ice was reigning at SO ton, with
cargoes of the commodity, gave a moment
ary shock to the trade here, But the COM
petition of Norway is not feared for the
future. No ship can afford to go to Nor
way for ice unless it is confident Of selling
out at So or So in the United States. The
prospect now is that this exceptional price,
Will not be reached at any time the coming
season. If it be true, as rumored here,
hat there is ten inches of ice in Virginia,
The price will not go above IS or 81 at the
most, freight included.