Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-01-20
OUR ICE CROP
And How It Compares With
Artificial Ice.
fhfta Sad and Fatal lceldsnts Reported
ffem naine Towns.
Damage by the lee otosm-Andros-
cossin County Poultry.

Especial TO the KEsSEsEc JouRSAL.1
GAzDTSER, Jan. l9.-Kepnebec icemen
are now busiiy discussing plans and arrang-
ing their forces preparatory to the fight
which is sure to take place this summer
between the dealers in natural and artificial
ice. Expressions are made that the ice
busDiess on the Kennebec river has seen ito
be' t days and that the twelve months Of
each succeeding year will witness steady
decrease until it 10 finally abolished. Maine
icemen, however, will not see their business
taken from their hands without long and
bitter struggle. They realize the great i'm
Dorfance Of the result and will leave moth
ing und0ne that may advance their interests.
To this end they are carrying on their oper-
ATOMS with the utmost economy. Only ex-
penses that are absolutely necessary are
| incurred, - they do not wish to expend large
sums Of money from which they may obtsin
no return. Reports from Southern states that
annually furnish considerable ice are not
very encouraging and consequently Maine
icemen are storing all the merehantable ice
possible In order to prevent . shortage in
the crop. While no combine has been
made 1t 10 very generally understood that
ice will be put upon the markets this
summer at the lowest possible figure.
Some even intimate that they will sell at
figure considerably below what the ice ac
tualiy cost them delivered to consumers
Some Of the icemen who have been in
competition with machine made ice aud
who have not suffered materially, are no.
disposed to feel much alarmed about the
present situation and believe that the arti-
fetal product mu-t go to the wall until
Its manufacture has reached a higher de-
gree OF perfection than at present. One
gentleman pointedly remarks: Il
am not much afraid of concern
w5ieh has q bonded debt greater than
it capital stock" Another remarks, "I
never yet knew . company but what failed
or one that was able to pay dividend from
its net earnings" IL is claimed that ice
can be made by the machine process at q
figure ss low IS Sl.25 per ton. One Of our
icemen who has retail houses in Baltimore,
next door to an artificial ice plant, dis
credits this statement and says that after
going through this plant he could not, by
most careful estimate, figure the cost
below 81 so pee ton. Others who were
placed in competition with machine made
Ire for the first time last summer, are not
so sapguine, and openly express their doubts
as to the result 1t is stated that natural
ic, cannot be placed in southern markets At
figure less than SO per ton. If machine
ice can be made for less money, as is
clsimed, natural ice must go. The only
question is that of expen nse of manufacture
In nearly all other respects artificial ice is
as good as the natural product. Ga the
other hand manufacturers of artificial ice
are also aware Of the battle which must be
fought and will put the price down to the
lowest figure, hoping by so doing they may
undersell the natural product. Both sides
are armed for the fray and its progress will
be watched with much interest by Maine
people as it concerns an industry which
yearly brings into the State hundreds of
thousands of dollars and furnishes employ
ment fer hundreds Of our Iaborng men.