Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-29
THE ICE QUESTION.

WHAT PROMINENT DEALERS HAVE To SAY ABovr
T-PRIcEs AGREED UPON IN THIS CrTY-No
DANGER OF AN ICE FAMINs-wHY PRICES Will.
BE HIGH, ETC.
The northward march of the SUI putttng Tn
flight the dallying outposts of winter while It
brings the housekeeper sigh of relief in view
OF reduced coal bills. produces also state of
vague uncertainty as to the length of fine lea
bills. The dealers in this commodity plead the
very singular weather of the past winter as the
excuse for prospective high prices.
lice is now becoming a necessity said NJ n
%. Cilurch. president of the independent Ice Go,
20 STAR reporter Every consumer looks
Forward to the prospect for high or low prices
tor the season The ice merchant. after having
oraVed the storms of winter 10 secnrine his ics
crop, has then to brave the storms of an man.
Knd IN getting it to market and disposing of
that portion OF 1t left by the elements"
nave the dealers succeeded in harvesting
much ice?" asked the reporter,
f,. I'm nnls season proved to be quite hard one
IoI the dealers. The winter being mild one.
with quite number Of heavy snow falls, pre,
vented, in great measure, the Ice from grow
ing thick enough In time to harvest. but sum
ciens mas oeen harvested to prevent anything Of
an zee famine In the eastern and middle states.
new 1ork will, no doubt, have to draw on
Maine and Canada for part of her supplies. az
Huason" W. '''"
IF there should be scarcity, can we not i'm
port ice?" asked THE STAR
I'VE cannot import from NORWAY "a we did
tWo Years ago, as the crop abroad has also been
| small. For the first time in a number of years
the United States is sending Ice to Europe. As
norway usually supplies Germany, France and
Great Britain, the supposition is that the crop
is either short or the dealers have put up prices.
| AS to what extent ice will be imported this sea-
son am unable to say"
What is the prospect in this city?"
:" We feel pretty sure, said Mr.. Church, THAT
| the condition of affairs cannot in any way affect
our supply for the District, as the ice companies
nave their usual supply housed, and, bar
ring accidents they will, no doubt, be able to
keep up their full storage capacity"
will not prices be high?"
GOOD merchantable ice will no doubt COM
mand good price on the kennebec IN June and
| july The retail prices here are based upon a
small margin after deducting cost, meltage and
| freight, and are as low, / believe, as in any
other city south of Boston. All the companies
here have mutual understanding in regard to
| retail prices. which range as follows: From
| wharf, 20 to 40 cents per hundred lbs accord
| ing TO amount; from route wagons, so lbs. or
more so cents per 100 lbs Is to SO lbs, 60 cents
lbs. cent per Id. By this arrangement we
claim that the consumers are largely benefited
from the fact that the companies feel obligated
to assist each other in supplying Ice at any
demand upon them"
4" Has the ice commenced to arrive from
| Maine2''
| sour first vessel of the fleet from the Kenne-
| Dec has arrived and is now discharging."
WHAT Mr.. VAN RISwICK SAYS.
When the reporter approached Mr.. Van Ris-
wick, the president of the Great Falls Ice COM
pany. and said that he would like to talk about
the prospects of the ice season, a smile began
| to play over the shrewd face Of that we'll known
business man, and he said: ''There is nothing to
talk about that l know of. Ice is scarce, and
| that Is all that can be said about it, We have
| our usual supply on hand. however We shipped
from the Kennebec this winter between 18. 600
| and ~. 600 tons to New York and other places
Besides we stored from 5000 to 1000 tons in
our houses"
''How is the quality of ice this year,"
lit is inferior In every respect to that Of last
year; but we selected the best that could be OBJ
| tanned"
What is the cause of the poor quality?"
asked the reporter.
"The great trouble was the way the ice
formed, said Mr.. Van Riswiek. 1.-The river
| froze and then broke up again, and then this
rough mass of broken ice froZe again. The
consequence was that clear surface of ice was
only found at rare Intervals The season was
| getting at the ice. Then the snow covered the
ice, and the blocks had to be scraped nearly all
away to get rid Of It."
''Was the crop gathered as large as usual ?"
asked the reporter
"No," was hereby. 'There was not 50 much
gathered, and the quality was inferior. good
many new houses were put up. but tho owners
Tailed to get a supply of ice to FIJI them"
"Wili there be an advance in prices?"
"There must be, necessarily, for several rea-
sons. In the first place. the Ice has cost nearly
double to gather it, and then the freights are
much higher this year than last"
This ia . sort of a temperance movement to
put stop to drinking juleps. is it not7'
| But those that want juieps will have them
without regard to the cost I don't believe the
temperance people would favor an advance in
the cost Of Ice, even II 1t had the effect Of re-
stricting drinking"
| CAPT. RIoH's VIEWS.
Areporter asked Capt Rich, of Rich Co.,
what he thought Of the prospects.
1.-THE crop Is not as large as last year. and the
quality Is not as good. There is another i'm
portant feature. The cost of harvesting has
been double Of any year"
"What is the cause fthata"
ut Is owing in part" said the ice man. 'to
the open winter and the lack Of cold weather {"
Why was the cost OF harvesting dOuble?"
ION account OF the heavy SHOWS and warm
up sufficiently for harvesting. The snow had
| to be planned from the blocks Of ice before it
could be stored. The weather was very unu-
snal."
''Will this have an effect on the COST"
sit certainly will There Is another thing
There was no ice harvested to the southwark.
| Usually at Philadelphia, Baltimore and other
| points, they harvest a quantity of native ice,
| but this year they have not been able to do it,
! and In consequence the demand for the Kennebec
ice will increase"
Evil! the increased cost be largely In excess
| of last year?"
II should say 80. Last year we gave the Ice
to consumers; but this year the prices will prob
ably be double"
| THE RELIGIOUS REVIVAL ALONG
| THE B. & O. R. n.
| The Result at Keyser.