Morning journal and courier., 1890-02-07
COLDER WEATHER

Ice Prospects Pretty SLIM But some
Was Made Last Nfght-Hand Made
Ice-The Industry spreading-A Drop
OF Forty Degrees I'm Twenty Hours
Ice Buying In Maine.
Yesterdays weather was an assurance that
''gentle spring" is some ways off yet and that
winter has not utterly relaxed It's hold. The
thermometer dropped forty degrees between
10 o'clock Wednesday noon and early yester-
day forenoon, as shown by the drug store
thermometers. Last evening at o'clock
the thermometer stood few degrees below
the freezing point. The ice men began to
look tribe encouraged, and the people gem
orally gladly welcomed the wholesome
change in the weather. La grippe has lost
its grip, and the dootbrs report the number
of cases of the complaint as greatly lessened.
Still not few people are on the invalid list
temporarily from the effects of the maiady.
One of the chief topics about town for a
week or two past has been the absence OF Ice
and the faint prospects of there being any
this season thick enough to store in the ice
houses. The New Haven Ice company, as
announced aome days ago in the COURIER,
will erect several large new ice houses the
coming season on the tract of land they re-
above their present houses there. The com.
pany will then cut enough in good ice sea-
con to get q supply sufficient for two years at
least. The company await the result of the
present cold snap with some interest. If 1t
furnishes no Ice for cutting they will look for
Ice In other quarters.
Below il given from the Ice Trade Journal
few words on "hand made ice as an indus
try destined to spread ct the south" Ice
men hereabouts are not in . hurry to form a
company here for artificial ice making for
the reason that q jack frost usually furnishes
| enough ica, being very seldom caught nap
ping ~ he has been this season. Last year
the New Haven Ice Go. began to cut In earn
est on February IA, but for two weeks be.
fore that Whitney lake had been covered
with ice from two to six inches in thickness.
and there had been skating upon 1t for most
of that time.
Ono serious objection to buying ice in
Maine for Connecticut or New York supply
is the loss incurred in shippingit. The pur-
honsss Of .ba ,,urs..s 1 loss Of so per cent.
or fh.-sapouts occurs in melting and hand
ling. This makes ice buying in Maine q
costly transaction. The Ice Trade Journal
says:
Reports from the southern states received
by the publishers of this journal during the
last year or more clearly establish the fact
that Ice. making as an industry is steadily
progressing and that It has come to stay.
The machine men are planting themselves in
every desirable field In the south and are now
furnishing the essential commodity of ice
both along the coast and in the interior cities
and towns at rates which place it within the
reach of all classes of citizens. In the man
agement of their business new methods have
also been adopted of late which are unques-
tionable improvements and which cannot fail
to popularize the ice factory while increasing
the trade and profit of this new industry.
Factories are now being located at central
points wherever the local demand for Ice is
sufficient to ensure reasonable success for
such enterprises and these are made distrib-
uting osnters for the surplus products of the
factory through the neiRhboring towns and
villages.
This IL wise proceeding, ~ 1t enables the
manufacturer to dispose of any surplus stock
not covered by the local demand and at tho
time to dispense with costly storage houses.
In thus extending their trade to places too
small to support factories of their own the
railroad companies in most instances have
rendered material aid by furnishing facilities
to shippers ct rates much more accommodate.
ing than those usually charged BY the large
transportation companies in this and neigh
boring states. Another feature of this trade
In the south, and one which has contributed
largely to the recent development, IL
the system of delivery to customers
which Q few years ago was almost un-
known. except among the dealers in
imported Ice. At the present time nearly all
the leading manufacturers use wagons for de-
livery, and ss the modern improvements in
machiney have greatly reduced the cost of
production, this essential commodity can be
readily obtained in the remotest sections Of
the interior at very reasonable cost. This
comparatively now industry has brought
about complete revolution in tho social life
Of the southern states. and It can safely be
said that It is still In its infancy and capable
OF unlimited expansion. For this inestima-
BILE advantage the south 10 mainly indebted
to northern enterprise and capital. which are
rapidly covering this vast section of country
with these life and health preserving appli-
ances-ice machines.