The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-02-18
new YORK ice MEN ARE DESPONDENT.
Hunting For Their Crystal Crop in
Many Obscure Localities.
Railroad Tracks Laid to Out OF the
Way Ponds and Streams,
And Still They Fear That the Supply
VIII Be Very Small.

ALBANY, February 17.-Albany is today
the headquarters of all the principal ice COM
panies Of New York city. Some of their
every direction. There is not lake, pond,
creek, or mud hole near any railroad or
stream In this region where agents Of New
York companies have not been." said man.
ager Of one Of the largest Ice firms in re-
spouse to the query: "Where are you look
ing for ice?"
There Is no exaggeration In the statement,
for the icemen have nearly all abandoned the
idea of getting any supply from the Hudson.
1t Is trying time for the men directly re-
sponsble to the companies, as they must
continue to wait and hope for cooler weather
In order to harvest and preserve the little
crop they have already secured control Of.
In and about this vicinity the representa-
tivcs of the New York companies have been
chiefly engaged In renting parcels OF land
along ponds and lakes, and making contrscts
with farmers and railroad officials having
charge of the freight departments Of the
roads running near the ponds now covered
with six, eight and ten inch ice. A week or
so ago no lake or pond mile from a railroad
was looked at. Now some icemen are arrang-
ing to move ice four and five miles distant
from the tracks.
At present the Knickerbocker Ice Com
pany has everything in readiness for cutting
a supply on Ballston, Saratoga and Glen
Lakes. Lake George and Lake Channlain,
all on the Rensselaer, and Saratoga division
of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Comp
ny's Railroad: Undertook Lake and Rich
mond Pond, on the Boston and Albany Rail-
road; several ponds along the Delaware and
Susquahanna division of the Delaware and
Hudson Railroad /; at the foot OF the Helder.
bergs, and from the lakes and ponds about
Amsterdam and vicinity on the Central Hud-
Son line. Good ice Ct moder te thickness is
already being cut on Lake Champlain, both
at Tic0nderOga and RouSe's Point. That
from the neighborhood of Rouse's Point is
the thicker, but the more extensive fields are
staked out at the head of the lake. near II
conderoga. The New York companies be-
sides the Knickerbocker who have staked
out fields On Lake Champlain and seized
upon ponds along the Rensselaer, and Sara
toga line are: The Ridgewood, Mutual
Benefit Ice Company, Parker 81 Shute. the
Central Ice Company, and the Glasco.
There is active rivalry and competition,
and no sooner is pond in some secluded
nook, but near railroad, heard OF than the
leemen swarm down upon It, measure the
thickness of the ice, note the proximity t.
the railroad. calculate the cost Of harvesting,
stacking and transporting, the expense Of
switches and side tracks to stand cars on
while loading. make dickers with the farmer
for the use OF his land, with the railroad
company for freight rates, and then return
to report and estimate the cost per ton
delivered at the company's depots in New
York.
1t will probably cost the ice companies to
harvest their supply after this fashion, and
get it to New York. on an average of from
$3.50 to So. and in some rare cases Sc per
ton. The cost this year will be increased By
about every cause possible First,
it will have te be harvested in
new and out of the way places.
with no conveniences for rapid handling or
safe disposal. Second, it must be transport
ed over railroads for far distant points
Third. the waste will be over 40 per cent.
greater than under ordinary circumstances
because Of the lack Of thickness, the absence
of snowy and icy surroundings, and conse-
quent low temperature, the fact that it must
lie in exposed stacks instead of houses, and
the greater waste from more frequent hand
ling
Some OF tho moro experienced ioouon arc
of the opinion that unless the Hudson freeZ-
es over there will not be sufficient ice for all.
Notwithstanding the extensive territory COW
cred. On Saratoga and BallstOn lakes and
Lake Champiain the KnlckerbOcker Ice
Company has already begun to cut, though
the ice Is several inches below their stan
dard Of thickness.