Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-01
ICE TO BE CHEAPER.
The Natural Crop of Ice in This
Vicinity Is Small, But
MACHINES ABLE TO MEET DEMAND.
The Advance in Wheat Is Sure 10 Raise
Price of Flour Soon.
EApInTS WINS IC 70 nnEEEE NRnp
MACHINES ABLE TO MEET DEMAND.
VARIOUS VIEWS AS TO COFFEE CROP
OFFICE OF PrTrsBURG DISPATCH, I

OFFICE OF PTTTsBURG DISPATCH, I
TUESDAY, March 81.
Natures crop of Ice this season would cut
a sorry figure in supplying the wants OF
trade in this city. Jack Frost failed to do
anv satisfactory work the past winter IN
this latitude. The only good yield in this
line was about 200 miles north OF Pittsburg
Said a representative of the Chautauqua
Cornpauy: 'Our crop of ice from the ponds
in this vicinity amounts to little or nothing
This season. At Pine creek. below SharpsburG,
ana at Lakeville and RaTenna, o., where we
have ponds and storage houses, the yield of ice
from natural sources has been next to
nothing the past winter. At Chautau-
oaa we have been able to fill our
houses with a good quality of ice which varies
Irom II to IS inches in thickness. So far we
have been able to SUPPLY our customers with
artificial ice and do not expect TO draw much
on tine natural product until warm weather"
Owing TO the great scarcity and high prices Of
ice the past four years there has been developed
a strong movement for artificial ice. In the
two cities there are now In operation hve Ice
producing machines With a capacity oil 4OV tons
daily. Two years ago there were no ice max
inc machines in the city, outside OF the
breweries. The machines IN operation now
were not fully ready for business last summer
until the season was nearly over. Now they are
and Will be until the hot weather. The cost of
Ice To the consumer VIII be very much
less the coming season than il was last year.
For small delivery the price last summer was
i2c per ten pounds. The coming season it Will
be Sc for the same quantity, In 50-pound lots
the price last summer WAS Soc per cwt., while
the coming summer the price will be 2Oc for the
same amount. The reduced cost Of ice is an
important item in butchers expenses, IS the ex-
pense of preserving meat the coming summer
will be not above one-halt what 1t was last
season. Said a Diamond Market butcher:
MY expenses for ice alone went up
70 S25S for a single month last summer.
Then paid as high as soc per 100 pounds. Now
! can make contracts at less than 20c per hun
dred. The reduction in our ice bill. however,
will hardly offset the increased cost of cattle
since last summer"
Flour is PiJssburg is low as compared with
the price OF wheat, anu prospects are for an ad-
TauCe IN price Of the staff OF life. If wheat
keeps moving up flour must inevitably advance.
The mills have already advanced prices so that
dealers cannot now lay down stock and sell at a
profit al present quotations. How far the rise
N wheat has been speculative will be de-
termned within few days. That the late ad-
vance has had a legitimate basis is certain.
Spectators however, have undoubtedly worked
the bul movement for more than was III it.
Sume fancy brands of spring patent flour are
already selling shade above our outside quo
IatlOns, and IRON present outlook higher prices
will be established at an early day.
As 10 coffee The supply in this line is reported
very light lighter than it has been at this time
for the past three years. The crop of coffee
MS been below average for two years past.
There j. . conflict of opinions as to the coming
crop which Will he harvested in the next month
ct Two. The month of April furnishes the
buik Of crop.
There are fears OF another season of short
crops and the next few weeks will tell the tale.
AT tie present jobhers are carrying very light
st0cEs. and price OF green coffee is within 341
peT pound Of she highest point reached in The
past three years.