Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-04-24
ATALK ABOUT ICE.
Mew xofk View Of the Price Prespees.-
Ane Snipnent from Maine to Enxia nd
and Why IL VIII Pay.

II u not many years since ice as an article
Oh household use throughout the warm
months was luxury only to be had BY the
rich and well-to-do. But the machinery OF
commerce, with the progress of the times.
mas made so easy, simple and inexpensive the
processes of harvesting and storing the ice
crop OF the winter and transporting and sell
ing It IN the cities during the summer, tina,
"nat was once luxury has become an article
OF real necessity. The time has gone by
when ice had no higher mission to fulfill than
that Of grateful adjunct to the morning
cocktail or useful promoter of champagne
IJrdppt From one Of the amenities of life
| ICE mas become an essential part of the
domestic economy, and from the richest
mansion on Fifth avenue to the poorest tene-
ment Of the Fourth ward the ice box is a
necessity to the health of the occupants as a
means of preserving meats and vegetables
from faint and decay during the torrid heat
OF midsummer.
As everybody knows, we have had
what is called an open winter: the past sea
son was much less severe than it is generally
and, as consequence, the ice crop was much
smaller than usual. This fact has already
been taken advantage of BY the enterprising
l : ~ HPiSoh aufodh tfC pfcuittlDn Thai
ice Is going to be very scarce and dear: and
there is very general belief that New York
ers Will not only be compelled to pay very
nigh prices for their Neat this summer but
that the ice which is absolutely necessary to
preserve it will be prOportionately high. 1t is
pleasant. therefore, to announce, upon the au-
thority of a gentleman largely engaged as a
shipper of ice, no makes il his business to
know the condition of the ice crop not only
in this country but in Europe, that the ru-
mors of famine prices for this commodity,
which have been circulated by interested
persons, are exaggerated and to a great ex-
tent untrue.
''Ice will be rather high this summer, said
shipper to a Herald reporter yesterday
''but it is nonsense to say that famine prices
will prevail. The retail ice trade Of this city
and vicinity is virtually controlled by one
company, which has a monopoly of the bust
ness; but making all allowance for the short
| crop there will be no excuse for famine
prices"
''What has been the extent of the shortage
in the crop2"
with regard to this market and the points
from which we. now draw our supplies the
amount of ice harvested is estimated at two
thirds OF crop. As an Offset to this it should
be borne in mind that We can get ice from
Halifax if we need it. We have not done so
in the past because it was not necessary to go
further north than Maine But the Canadian
market is open to us, and the cost of shipment
would not be much more than from Maine;
so that notwithstanding the mild winter we
can get all the ice we want. Prices will
necessarily be higher than last year, when
there was very abundant crop. but they will
not be so high as two wears ago. when there
was sort of ice famine
"How about the crop nearer home-on the
Hudson River and the lakes and ponds in this
State!"
"A good deal of ice was gathered on the
Hudson and Whereabouts, but it is not of good
quality. There is vast difference in ice. If
1t is thin, porous and snowy il will not keep,
and that is the sort that was gathered in this
State last winter. The exact condition of the
New York crop is known only to the Knick-
erbocker people who control the supplies
from the Hudson. and who keep their informa-
ton to themselves"
''Can we not import ice from Norway. rs
we did two years ago?"
"No. The ice crop abroad has been very
small this year, and instead of importing ice,
we are actually exporting it to markets that
have always heretofore been supplied from
Norway. For the first time in our history
except during the Franco Prussian war-the
United States is sending ice to Europe. The
American ship Louis Walsh, of 200 tons
capacity, has just been chartered to take
cargo of ice from Belfast Me-. to an English
port She has begun loading to-day"
'Are there likely to be many such ship
ments this season."
II cannot say, and for this reason Nor
way supplies ice to Germany, France, Great
Britain, the Mediterrean ports and the West
Indies. The quantity in Norway this season
is less than usual. but there is still nearly
enough, my advices show, to supply the de-
mand. On account of the crop being short,
however, the Norwegian dealers have put up
their prices. and the result is that the ex
pertinent of buving ice in Maine has been
tried BY the English. Now whether or not
our short supply is to be drawn on by Eng
land to ary extent depends upon whether or
not the Norweeians lower their prices. !
have no doubt number Of vessels will fol-
low this one in taking ice from Maine, but
think the price in Norway will decline when
thoy find that the English can get ice from
America. in that the shipments from
here will cease
''Does it pay to send ice from Maine to
England?"
eff ice was as much Of necessity there as
here it would not The cargo of the Louis
Walsh will cost over 81 so per ton on board
at Belfast Me-. and the freight is POS. per
ton. This would make total of $3.50. But
we have to allow for a wastage of about one
third, so that, landed in London, the ice will
cost over 50. That would be considered an
enormous price here. but it is not there, be-
cause ice is a luxury and they don't use much
of it..
.tHow much?"
"wel. about 500, 900 tons of ice will sup
Co. xla vrh, Nnu-