New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-29
THE ICE SUPPLY.
o,,n1E REPORTS OF THE ANNUAL
HARVESTING UP TO DATE.

-. ABUNDANT CROP OF SUPERIOR QUALITY Ar-
,.prSrLY AssURED-Too EARLY TO SET
TIE on PRIcEs-A BIG BUSINESS
WITH MILLIONS IN 1T.
81, nroqress IN harvesting this seasons ice
as been made thus far, according to informa-
cW ohtained by Tribune reporter at the main
w" ~ the Knickerbocker Ice Company. No. Az
oh'e, .t Yesterday. The cutting was begun AT a
oa" :, the many sources of supply controlled by
is" .,ranv on January H. and operations have
wv heen extended to other points as rapidly as
s ,ce was ready for harvesting. II the weather
ine ssr,nued TO be as propitious for the freezing
hA ,,,,nr of ice as 1t was when the gathering of
-,n began work would now have been going
Wv =, oil Of the company's houses. AS matters now
!" va the ice being coated with from four TO six
80. ~ snow. there is necessarily some delay,
~ should the weather continue to be cold the COM
pany hopes ~ "'p Wy
,ts houses.
Ths Knickerbocker Company's principal source of
,, &c at Rockland Lake, on the west side OF
49, hudson River. just over the mountains, down
.,.n the ice is conveyed by cable railroad 10
- ,csho,ses and barges. The usual quantity OF
-. ,nnually gathered at this point is about 10000
80 Part of this is shipped to this city during
w. .Lr,er over the West Shore Railroad. The re-
,.der ;s stored in houses and on barges. The
.ource Of supply next in Importance is Lake Mea-
~ rear Peekskill where about $1,000 tons are
,nualv stored in houses. and about 1O,ooO tons IN
s.r,ss There are about fifty minor sources OF sup
Is, mainly on the river front at different points
s.,veen Marlboro about slx'y-fve miles from this
c,,v and Coeyman's. about 100 miles distant
The average quantity of ice annually harvested
no n. Knickerbocker Company is about 10000
TONS Other and smaller companies, together with
about twenty private dealers also gather about
ON no The artificial icemaking companies manu-
,ac.ure about 10000 tons year. and from 1000 to
N 900 tons are brought yearly from Maine. chiefly by
oascers of some Of the smaller companies. who are
rsrsonaIIv interested in the ice industry of that
state The aggregate average annual supply from
all sources Is about $500 tons. which is dstrib-
uted In this city. Brooklyn. Jersey City and sur
rounding places whose total population is over
100000.
a,t,ons Is said TO be ample without being supple
mented with foreign" ice, as the product from
Maine is technically termed In the trade.
The amount OF capital invested in the ice
Industry OF this city and its vicinity is ABOUT
100000 During the winter harvesting, when
all the sources OF supply are In full operation
employment is given to from 5000 to 90
oo men and boys and many hundreds
OF horses In summer the number of persons en-
ployed In serving transporting and shipping Ice Is
about 5000.
The cutting of ice is generally begun about the
middle OF January and continued I'LL about the
middle Of February. In times past harvesting has
begun as early as New Years. but In recent years
the icemen have found marked change IN me-
neurological conditions the getting later
year by year, and the cutting frequently Deing de-
ferred till late in January or early in FEBRUARY
Contrary to prevalent public beiiet the com
panes IL Is said rarely carry over any consldera-
BILE surplus supply from one year to another. IN
1880 the Knckerbocker Company did not carry over
single pound of ice to the following year. When
the present harvesting began. most or the houses
were entirely empty and the remainder nearly SO:
The season will, therefore. open with an aimost
wholly new crop Of ice. which is said to be 1ar
superior In quality to last years crop, ana one OF
the finest ever harvested. .,
What the price of ice will be next summer
who furnished the foregoing information, mo one
can now tell. 1t will all depend upon the quantity
We are able to gather. and the conditions or con-
sumption. Our present prices, which have pre-
vailed since April l. about ten months are as foI-
lows: For familes-From IL to 10 pounds day.
week: Is pounds and upward. day. at the rate
OF 30 cents for 100 pounds Butchers saloon keepers
and general store tradeAt the rate OF 30 cents Tor
100 hounds Hotels packing houses efc-Speciai
rates according to the quantity taken. II sum,
mer is unusually hot and the crop unusually small
prevail The present harvest outlook is favorable
and il there are serious thaws or oreakups
during the next two three weeks we snail nave
gathered by the end of that time a fuN crop OF
st-cass ice. We never fix prices TIL the harvest
Is ended and the icehouses and barges measured
on hand. Ice will probably be plentiful next sum
mer but the price of it. like that or every other
merchantable commodity. will depend entirely upon
the laws of supply and demand.