The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-02-25
THEY WILL FREEZE THEIR OWN ICE,
Consumers Who Are Trying to Get
Even With Jack Frost.
Modern Inventions to Compete with
the Old Time Methods.
At Present MAINE Seems to Have.a
Big Monopoly.

New YORK, February PA company has
been formed at Trenton, N. j., to maaufac.
ture ice for private consumption. Peter Do
elger, Jr., son Of the brewer, his son-ln-law,
Frederick Kuser, .his brother, A. r. Kuser,
and ex-Mayor Frank MCGOWAN Of Trenton
are financially interested. The enterprise
starts with $4,000 capital, and Delaware
river front site of 240x130 feet On this
one-story building. suitable for the operation
of the plant, will be erected. No time will
be wasted in getting the enterprise In
smooth running order. 1t is planned to
have two machines of 125 tons capacity each
per day, and that one will be In motion by
June 1st, and the other month later. Wa
ter will be drawn from the river as needed,
and frozen by the consolidated system into
3OO-pound cakes after an evaporation process
to eliminate impurities. The capitalists in
terested are very enthusiastic over their
prospects.
The mild winter has, in no small dsgras,
influenced the men behind this enterprise,
and 1t has also inspired other schemes In the
same line that may be developed into for
midable opposition to, or, rather become
lively competitors Of the old ice companies
At Newark an ice mandatory Is being built
by stock company. OF which r rkreuger, the
intends to seek private trade in the home
field, like the Trenton concern, and this
means that they will extend their business
In any direction outsids when the demand
warrants an enlargement Of their plant. A
report Is current that Delavergne, the ice
machine man, contemplates the establish
ment OF a plant in this city with daily ca
paclty Of 1000 tons.
A syndicate Of saloon keepers is In the
New York field already with plant under
A hat rrkN.
streets The saloon keepers have G. mbined
in this case on the theory that they can save
money In Ice bills by ignoring the market al
together. The only rock In sight that NAV
check the smooth sailing Of this organiza-
tion is a lack OF harmony by reason OF too
many stockholders.
Another scheme Of an unique kind Is un-
dergoing incubation in Williamsburg. A
company Is to be, or has been, formed to es-
tablish plant near the foot Of Broadway. In
the eastern district Of Brooklyn, with a view
Of adapting the ammonia brine cooling sys-
tenn in vogue with all brewers Of prominence
to saloon use by means of underground pipes
That this Is feasible there can be no doubt,
and there Is strong evidence Of the fact in
one Of the largest east side breweries, where
the brine Is being pumped easily through
IL miles OF tubing.
Ordinary winters in this latitude are cold
enough 70 produce an abundance of Ice, but
the extraordinary weather this year has
been forced to avail themselves Of far away
fields to get anything like an adequate sup
ply for the summer.
Even with two months Of favorable wealth
or 1t is feared that not more than half of the
usual crop can be harvested from Lakes
George and Champlain. New York compa-
MES want their share Of It, and they have
contracted for many thousand tons Of ice in
Maine. a good idea Of the situation may be
had from the fact that 1t was not until last
week that the actual harvesting Of ice at the
head OF Lake George was begun. Thus far
the Hudson river has not contributed mate
rally to New York's supply. The latest re-
ports from the up-river section state that the
Ice between Hudson and Albany Is not more
than four inches In thickness. The situa-
tion, therefore, Is one that is calculated to
stimulate the Investment OF capital in arti-
fetal ice enterprises.