Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-11
MAIhE DISPATCHES
Historical Facts Prom the Life Of Kenne-
bees Pioneer Ice King,
James L. Cnesssman- The Many For
tunss He Made for aimsslf and for
Others In Long snd Honora BILE Bus
iness Career.

Otners In Long snd Honorable Bus
iness Career.
Special to the kennebec Journal.
GARDINER. Dec. l0.-Intimately con-
necfed with the establishment and growth of
the Ice business on the kennebec river 10
the strange and romantic life history Of the
man who above all others 10 entitled to be
called the ice pioneer Of the Kennebec,
james L. Cheeseman, whose death which
occurred in New York on Wednesday of
last week, has been announced. II would
be difficult to fiud man in any Of the busi-
ness wake of life who possessed more grit,
better judgment or shrewd common sense
than he and yet he was . character, peculiar
and individual
Compelled by necessity to battle agaist DIFF
ficultes and overcome obstacles he became
masterful in his strength and with prsctieed
hand and brain he originated gigantic schemes
and carried them through to success by sheer
force of will. Not only he can we'll be called
| the ice king of the kennebec but he has as
valid claim to be the Ice King Of North
America inasmuch as 1t was he who built the
first ice house on the Hudson, as well ~ our
own river. two points now recognized as the
| leading ice regions in the United States.
James l.. Cheeseman was born in Trenton N.
j., August 22d 1915, and with the time Of
his attaining his majority lived an eventful
life.
The recipient of bu. common school ed
ucation he drifted from one method Of live
lihood to another until he settled down final
| ly to the life work which was planned for
him to accomplish-the establishment Of q
| business which has already assumed gigantic
proportions, and which promises even greater
advance ement In years to come. In l840 he
| Hrst became interested in the Ice business by
| building what was Thea considered q large
| ice house on Rockiand Lake near the Hudson,
| its capacity being 10 900 tons. At this time
| the cities of New York and Brooklyn required
| only 5000 tons of ice 70 supply the demand.
The principal dealers we're Barmore Leon
ard, X. C. Wortendyke. John Wright and the
Kuickerbocker Ice Company, all drawing
their supply from Rockland Lake. His en-
tire product was marketed in New York
city
One year later in order to have . market
for his ice he built on Furman street. between
the Fulton and Wall street ferries, a large
house for the storage Of ice to supply the
retail and shipping trade. At this time l6
ice carts were doing the entire delivery to
the Ice consumers Of Brooklyn and New
York. Nothing daunted he purchased 81
carts in Boston, had them attractively let
tered, Union Rockland Cake Ice Co. and
upon their arrival hired bands Of music and
paraded the principal streets of New York
and BROOKLYN to advertise his new industry.
He was hardly successful at fret. Ice was
then selling at 10 cents on the 100 lbs. He
cut the price to so cents per poun and .
war on prices ensued. The old mefchs-ts
came down to his figures and he continued to
cut until he run il Gown to IL l-2 cents on
the 100. At this figure he secured the patron
spe of the two cities for the year but on the
following season uniform price OF 70 cents
per 100 lbs. was established.
In ls49 Mr.. Cheeseman brought himself
into public notice by his declaration that
river ice was superior to pond ice. His
colleagues in the business derided him.
newspapers held him up TO ridicule, and the
people would have none Of his new idea.
believing that the flth dumped into the river
was caught up by the ice. Despite all this
adverse criticism. aud to prove that he had
faith in his declaration, he purchased site
at yandermark's Point. on the Hudson,
about four miles above Kingston Point and
here he erected the first ice house
built on the Hudson. 1t had capacity OF
1900 tons. From the Union Rockland Lake
leo Comp.ny was formed the New York
Citv Ice Company and the Washington Ice
Company. and finally all these concerns were
bought up by the Knickerbocker Company.
which thus controlled an industry which
alone now amounts to 5000, 900 tons annu-
ally. Cheeseman remained with this COM
| paiiy 4 short time and then left, and few
wears later bull: a $1,000 ton house at
| Athens on the Hudson. the largest house IN
| the world st that time.
In 1853 the ice harvest in New York was
almost a total failure and with all other ice
men Cheeseman was forced TO look else
where for his ice. His attention was called
tn Maine and with t~o other ice experts he
made 4 trip down to Portland and up along
the line Of the Maine Central, until he
reached this city. where the party slighted.
| II was this simple act which started into
active life an industry which is now OF i'm
men,e value to the State and which annually
employs hundreds and Thousands OF WORK.
men. The party examined the river thor
ouyhlv and Cheeseman, who WAS the frss to
loc.,e selectsd site on Bowmane Point,
vbere Ricb's houses nov stand, in Farming
dale. and on this spot put up stack OF eooo
tons which he shipped to Washington.
Asa result Of this shipment he secured IL
| contracts With the government TO supply the
hospitsls with ice during the war In otuef
IN meet these contracts he pot up ouiidinss
with a capacity of $4,000 tons, on the same
site the next year. From this beginning .1s !,
ice Business on the kenneoec made npla
strides, and in nearly all OF the new ensei
$50. cheeseman vas interested. It is said
,h., he built or vas interested in building, as
ie... 20 houses on the Kennebec. which nov
have a storage capacity Of 500,0o0 tons.
Amonr these are the Knickefbockef houses,
the Cochrsu.Oler houses ct Cedar Grove
.ra others. Ope Of his last schemes in tns
ice busiaess vas the establishmens OF ne
K.unebec Maine Ice Company, wnicn sss
founded some two years ago, with the iA'e
lsr.Cov. Bodvell a. president and some OF
the leading Kennebec capitalists - stock'
holders. .,d
has 4 house in Brooklyn and has lO.O TONS
~ ;ce in its house on this river waiting FOR
,;se. A few years previous to his dests q
became interested in granite quarryins ane
vith a company Of Brooklyn capitalists pur'
chased an extensive quarry at the NOUN Q,
The Kennebec River. II was successfui ane
N the time Of his death he vas doing com
} mission business in ice. lumber ana Pssnt
stones on Broadway, New York, and ~ Pc
eoistins to supply the city with On imnen''
number Of paving stones.
In many ways mis- life was somevna. un'
.r~reesful. In his busineas cealinee ~ "a
/ slvavs honest but In some way his siganus
schemes. which we're almost always success
ful vers productive Of bat lissie lasise ees
} 81 IA hinself. He bad made and tose eosese
sors.uee. He vas generous and epsn hsais
a IA VIA b had noasy would dsay nosh