The Wilmingtonian., 1886-03-13
HARVESTING ICE,
Az Industry of This Century-How the
Crystal Cakes Are Gathered.

Crystal Cakes Are Gathered.
The gathering and storing of ice is a
Yankee invention. 1t was Frederick Tudor
who thought of it,, ami could he have
Snown at the same time the mount of high
way robbery in the shape OF everlasting ice
bills he was bringing on our molern civili-
Eltion he likely would have buried the
idea at once; or had he known the amount
of this pressed material that is consumed
annually over the bars of our land or in the
deadly ice cream, his name would be ass J.
ciated with that Of the inventor of viii ky
itself in the memories OF our people But
the inventor believed he was devising
scheme that would be a boon to mankind,
and taking a in all, maybe it has. His en-
deavor 10 develop his enterprise was met
with ol stacles Of every kind, of which
the following is rief summary: Begin
hing in the smallest and most modest man.
ner in the winter of 1905 he gathered ice
from Fresh Pond, lake near Cambridge
Mass, tmprOvising implements that would
amuse modern iceman to look upon. But
ice cream had not vet been invented, the de-
mand for the novel product was small, few
became attracted by the new business, and
Mr.. Tudor continued to monopolize the ice
trade for twenty years. Then, in
1882, the grand ice total gathered amounted
! to 4, 3j2 ons, which is now exceeded by
some private ice houses. But as will be
seen, even this small stock. proved an
ample supply to satisfy both the local
and foreign trade just about this time
Mr.. Tudor hfcame impressed with the feast
bility of shipping ice to tropical ports He
tried to find vessel to carry his crystalized
product, hut ship owners demurred. They
feared rapid melting on the way would en-
al,
properties of hay sawdust, etc, being then
imperfectly understood Undaunted by
this, however, he purchased an old brig,
which he hastily retitted, loaded with ice,
stepped ON board himself and sailed for
Havana. Without stopping to recount the
details of a somewhat eventful voyage, ex-
cept to note the heavy loss by melting, it
must be observed that Tudor's safe arrival at
Havana only brought him new tribulation
for time. He knew the people had never
seen ice and knew nothing aboutit and heex-
pected to be obliged to teach them its uses.
But he found they were afraid of it. Thus
while the remnant of his perishable cargo
was rapidly running away into the hold of
his old brig, he labored lngeniously and in
cessantly to create a demand for it, He put
pitchers of ice wate er on the hotel bars, pay
ing for the privilege, but charging nothing
for the cooling beverage. The natives tasted
it cautiously and quickly spit it out at first,
but at length finding it harmless they began
to drink it freely. Then Mr.. Tudor took
away the free pitchers and opened shop
where he sold the ice, charging only small
sum at first His first cargo was thus of lit
tie direct pecuniary profit, but it made a
foreign demand for ice, and subsequent
cargoes brought handsome returns.
He afterward secured large contract
from the British government to furnish ice
for the army at Calcutta, the paper bearing
the royal signature of Queen Victoria. This
be held for several years, making large sums
of money thereby. The ice business was
then developing slowly, and in 1917 about
rs 600 tons were shipped from the port of
Boston, nearly all having been gathered
from the ponds and lakes in the vicinity of
that city. Soon after that the business in
creased more rapidly new uses and adapta-
tions Of ice became apparent, until to-day
il is one of the permanent profitable indus
/ tries