Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-05

To the ice merchant and the Spectator
there Is probably nothing Of more interest at
the present time rhsn the condition Of the
ice market. Warm vesiher set in unusually
early this season and - q consequence the
demand for ice vas male earlier than in for
mer years. Then considering that the last
vas rather poor ice winter and that the
amount of old ice left over was small, the
prospect Of the supply giving out must Of
necessity demand the attention Of those in
teressed- Happening in neishborins town
recently and meeting there one Of the most
prominent and experienced Ice men on the
river. the Journal reporter in asking him
few questions regarding the outlook gathered
the following interesting facts:
Of the 10000 tons Of Ice in the
houseS along the river At the commencement
Of the present season all bat 400 900 tons
has already been shipped. On Friday night
Of last week there Sers in the river lish. and
loading, tfEy sehooners. OF the companies
doing business on the river the following are
shipping ice a, the present time Knicksr-
booker, three crews: Rich, independent.
Great Falls. Consumer. Haley. Berry,
Cochran-Oler, Haynes & Dewitt, Morse, two
crews; Russell, two crews; Clark Chaplin.
These fifteen crews comprise 100 men, and
each crew is loading on an average Of 400
tons of ice day. THIS means 5000 tons
per day for all the crews or SO 600 tons per
week. Now If the shipment should con-
tnue at the present rate il would |
take but eleven weeks to clear the hOases on |
the Kennebec Of even the last vestige Of ice,
an event never before experienced. But it
is here that the spectators get in their work.
They buy the ice at q good figure and stop
shipments until ice is q scarce article in
Southern markets, and q consequent high
price results. Then shipping will be re-
sumed at rate moderate enough to keep the
price up so that the Spectator can clear .
neat little sum from the transaction. As yet
there - no change in the price Of ice, and
shipping will in all probability be continued
until the middle Of September when it will
be stopped for short time. The outlook
now is that there will not be any ice in the
houses to be carried over for the next season
when the present one cioses. The ice is
coming out Of the houses in fine condition,
and is bringing good though not fancy prices.
Our informant says that the great trouble
the present season has been with the
men. They have seemed to have become
possessed with the sole idea Of getting drunk.
Men who never drank before are taking up
the practice and this fact has made the past
. hard summer for the superintendents of
the different houses who have had more or
less trouble with the men in consequence. 1t
Is said that the liquor 10 furnished by pocket
peddlers who do nothing but carry the stuff
around and peldle it out by the glassful. A
man we'll informed on the matter says that
the number of these peddlers 10 on the in
crease and that the methods which they take
to procure their supplies are most open faced.
Just As long as this practice is maintained
just 40 long will the laborers Of our State
be hampered with an appetite which will
make untold trouble for them and their en-
ployers in the future.