The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-01-17
AN ICE FARM,
How the Crystal Fluid is Stored for Sum
mer Use.

How the crystal fluid Is stored Tor sum
mer Use.
Congress Lake is beautiful sheet of
water that receives its supply from
numberless springs and runs, both be-
low and above its water level. This
lake has attained considerable nOtOriety
as a favOrite summer resort, and Is
located about IA miles north OF Canton
on the line of the COnnOtton Valley
Railway.
The management of the road has done
much to make the lake an objective
point for picnics, excursion parties ana
campers, as by their endeaYOrs the lake,
formerly an unObtrusive sheet OF water,
with the coming of the railroad has be-
come full-fiedged watering place, not
only for the people of Stark and Carroll
counties, but also attracting numerous
visitors and excursion parties OF Sum
NIT county, thus throwing in the shade
Cuyahoga Falls, which heretofore had
been the Mecca of all Sunday school and
church picnics in the past. The thou
sands Of visitors know how the lake
looks in summer, when the air being
soft and balmy, the lights glimmerlng
from the pavilion, and being reflected on
the placid waters, and boats filled with
merry passengers fitted to and fro, to
the attune of soft, sensuOus music OF the
band, but now we will present
DIFFERENT SCENE.
The winter season has come upon US,
the mercury in the thermometer has
struck for lower wages, and utterly re-
fused to get anywhere near blood heat
the winds howl over the lake, and even
the water tank at the station Is deco
rated with long stalactite icicles, as the
painting engine draws up to get its Gus
tOmary supply of aqua The sound OF
the many little rills from the surround
ing hills is hushed, for they are bound
| in icy fetters, and the broad bosom Of the
lake is covered with an adamantine coat
| of crystal.
Having thus disposed of the romance
of the matter, we will come down to
/ "hard-pan' and describe how our citi-
zens will get ice from the lake the
| coming season. In company with DR..
r. P. johnson, of this city, who has a
half interest in the ice-cut, we took the
train last Friday for Congress Lake,
where busy scene was found.
ICY COLD.
1t was crisp winter day, and the
wind whistled around the ears in man
ner suggestive of fur caps and ear
mufflers. The doctor, who is a genial
gentleman, briskly descended from the
train, followed by the writer, and amid
snow that "crinkled" under the feet,
made tracks for the lake. Here busy
scene was viewed. The ice farm COM
prises about seventy acres, and, as many
of our readers do not have the OppOrtu-
nifty of seeing the process OF storing
ice in wholesale quantities, description
is herewith appended.
PROCESS OF ICE CUTTING.
The snow is cleared off the surface by
scraper, after which an ice-plOw, con-
sisting of half dozen "shares" and pull
ed by horse, marks out in parallel lines
the size of the pieces. Said plOw runs
back and forward in the same furrOw
until the "cut" reaches depth of seven
inches, and then it strikes new field.
Following the plOw come the sawyers,
who with long handled "crOss-cut" saws
separate the pieces, which are tmmedi-
ately taken in charge by "pike-pOle"
men, who, walking along the channel,
push the cakes of ice to the inclined
plane, leading up to the store house.
There are now fOTty-twO men engaged in
the work. Arriving at the end of the
channel, the cakes Of ice are secured by
grapnels and by means Of horses shot up
the incline and landed in the houses,
where they are packed on end, for fu-
ture delivery. The ice is about foot
thick, perfectly transparent and free
from snow.
THE ICE HOUSES.
The ice houses are situated short dis
taDce below L. G. Myers hotel, and have
the following dimensions: : s0x150
feet and 26 feet high, with a storing ca
pacity of 5000 tons, all of which will be
utilized. DR.. r. p. Johnson is the Origi-
nal lessee q the ground" and in con-
nectiOn with the Burke Brook Ice Com
pany, of Cleveland, represented by A. L,
Hyde and John H. Croft, is doing the
storing. The syndicate will supply both
Cleveland and Canton.
After viewing all points Of interest
the company adjourned to Myers hotel
where a bOuntiful supper was laid, to
which all did ample justice, and at p.
m. Canton was reached, each man hay
ing a cake of ice in his pocket as 6
souvenir of the trip.