Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-01-13
The ice HARVEST.
Jask Frost Has Ripened the Crop and it is
Being Put Away.
where Oar lee Gomez From, How Much
We Use and what We Pay-An
Interesting Write up of
the Subject.

Undoubtedly over nine-tenths of the
people Of this city, who consume ice during
the summer. and have it left at their homes.
every day. by the ice man on his rounds,
give no more thought to the matter more
than to looking after its prompr delivery
and Of the correct weight. when il is depos-
tied at their doors. They never think
whether they are getting good quality or
not nor do they stop TO consider
what the stream Is from which it is cut.
A few facts gathered from the local dealers
concerning the crystal fluid may be of in
terest and worth reading. First of all, it
would be right to state that there are two
companies In the city, and both at swords
points with each other. The Springfield
Ice Co.. represented by John Abel, and
owned by E. E. Upp, of Sandusky. came
here two years ago and over and established
an ice company with the above name. This
company has three other branches
one at Toledo, another at Columbus
and . third at Sandusky. which
b the main depot, where the ice is stored
All their ice Is taken from the lake and is
stored In their immense ice-houses there
and shipped to the different branches every
day. A carload, which is about twenty
tons. is shipped down here every other day,
large quantity of which goes to wholesale
buyers, such as grocerymen, butchers and
dealers Of all kinds. To these they can sell
ice by the ton, anywhere from 81 up to 81.
and in some cases it has been known to go
= low Is % cents per ton. This of course
depends entirely on what kind of season
IT'S.
When the previous winter has been re-
markably severe and long ice is way down.
but when otherwise it is sold for S6 to 81
per ton. 1t is this that makes the market
prices fiuctuate'so much and the man of the
house use bad language when he is made to
pay more one season than the one just
previous But Of course wholesale buyers
always pay their own freight and this makes
Ii somewhat more. The ice is generally
cut when from twelve to eighteen inches in
thickness, and as the lake ice has now
reached about seventeen inches
they begin to cut and pack
today. 1t Is very doubtful whether
the quality will be IS good as that of last
season on account Of the recent heavy
SHOWS. The ice always becomes fiakey and
full Of flaws" as 1t were. when il has been
covered with snow while freezing. The
purity is not affected. however, by the snow
falling on it, but on the contrary made some
what better perhaps. The process of the
cutting and packing system. of this COM
pany, is said to be exceedingly interesting
to witness by those who have seen the work
done.
The other company located here is na-
tive born one, the Champion Coal
and Ice Company, with z. S. Kelley
Is president, NJ. NJ Hedges. secretary;
and treasurer, and Herman Voges, man
ager. This company has been in operation
for three or four years, having bought out
Stuart A. Morrow, who formerly owned the
concern. Their ice is also brought from
Lake Erie and is sent from their own new
Is, 900 ton packing house. The ice in San
dusky will be cut probably today or tomor-
row, and the ice used and cut here, from
Aorrow's old pond, at the foot of the Plum
street bridge, will he cut Thursday. The
packing for the ice cut in this city
alone costs $500. The average guam
sity used here by the families of
the city will shrink about thirty
per cent while stored away in a common
refrigerator. In one season probably :, 500
Dr. 5000 tons are sold annually to private
tamilies alone. exclusive of the amount sold
% wholesale buyers. The brewer. put up
rom 1000 to 8, 900 tons every year. and the
butchers from 1000 to 5000. There are
,ut five private families in the city who
,ack their own. making the total amount
'ut up for them alone about 200 tons. Last
'ear an analysis of the two ices, the Lake
Erie and the home ice, was made by Virgil
,oblentz, the chemist, and is here given In
ull. For the home product: