New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-06
PLENTY OF ICE ~ SIGH1.
PREPARATIONS FOR HARVESTING lhr
CROP
THE lee or GOOD QUALITY AND
PRICES LIKELY TO REMAIN ABOUT

THE SAME.
Tbere has always been great interest mahles'eu
IN the gathering Of NETWORKS annual ICE oiop'
for Il Is a matter that directly aHec's t"e po''''
matron In her housekeeping the cheeriui SUNNI
id.r In her ice cream and the merry bacheior
I'm his sherry cobblers. All grades ana cohu''o"s
OF the people interested in this harvest anu
tho nrospects OF a good crop this year nave
brought that calm complacency IN the posoms VI
all concerned. which comes from the conscious
ness N. well-flled icebox. For the last 'hree
seasons New-York has been through the throeS VI
an ice famine or the fear OF one. The Ice famine
of 1899 gave NEWCOMERS taste OF "ha'
Gotham could be in summer without much zee
and the following season came near peihg d
famine The season OF lS93-s4 was fairy goou
and the price of mint juleps did not go up ana
with the present prospect OF good ice crop ,"e
mon of single blessedness can rest assured that
the prices OF their favorite summer beverages
will remain the same and the Ice cream maidens
can enjoy themselves to their usual capacities
All the ice companies in this city are making
arrangements to gather fun crops Inc hunSo"
River has been frozen over from Schodack 10
Marlboro with n thickness Of Ice varying from
four to seven inches. II the present cold weather
continues this thickness will be Increased to ten
or fifteen inches. Already some OF the Ice com
panies have begun the work of cutting ana storing
ice but the others are holding back hoping that
the ice will attain mare desirable thickness
New-York market. Twelve or fifteen inch Ice ~
much more difficult to handle. and generally 1t
would be too large for the ordinary icebox OF New
York housekeepers.
Last year 3.3S5.N0 tons were consumed ny 'he
market I'm New-York and it's vicinity. and the
prospects are that the consumption VIII he even
greater this year. 80 that the tee companies are
making their preparations accordingly.
&. L.. Durham the manager OF the GIasco Ice
Company. said to Tribune reporter yesterday
"Ail our ice is In the Hudson River opposite
GIasco. which is considered one Of the most de
sirable spots in the river for ice cutting, both as
regards the quality Of the ice and the facilities
for getting II into the market. We usually mar
vest about 1900 tons annually. and the work OF
cutting and storing II employs from 80 to 42o men,
according to the condition Of the weather There
are several bad spots in the Hudson River Ice
this season but as n rule the Ice promises 10 ne
OF good quality and thickness
Mr. T.ey. the manager Of the Westervielt Ice
Company. said: we haryes. about 5000 tons
year. and this season expect A good crop. our
icehouses are al Van Wer's Landing whore We usu-
ally employ about $50 our company has
adopted little different method In the harvesting
Of Tee from the other companies. We have a big
boarding house on our property and can lodge ana
board 90 men A. time. The great trouble in ic"
harvesting usually p the uncertainty ~ the weather
In ihese Isolated places there are few houses ana
when the ice Is ready 10 Doe gathered the men nave
little or accommodations for Sleeping or riuuS.
our boarding house gives them every facility IN ms
particular and (, is luic an Interesting sight on
winters night 10 see th'@c men gather about the
nrss and tell stories. They are men ~ nearly every
calling IN NE. and IN" variety ~ yarns they can
spln i remarkable Tney are stone masons. snip
carpenters. farm hands. iruckmtu. orc. cur com
pany se'.a Ice only A. wholesale and ous price has
varied ltte In the lat few years II - y ton
We so! 20 small dealers ami companies
The Equitable Ice Company also Is making ar
fragments FOR doing blg business The real "lrk
II the weather contni,s favorable, and before the
week is ended some 1900 men Will be engaged III
the work. These men &C. from 81 % to s. % day.
generally Is alck In other trades. the lee harvest
is looked forward ~ with elgerncss The present
lrr season H. about two weeks ater thah lhst year
far a. closing - the river j. concerned n"
Hudson WAS closed December H. iSn. but IN lSi II
Was not clrsed until December =, The cold weather
this season however. has been severer ana slender
d, that the prospects - an early crop much
better than they we're at the same time last sea
son -
Yesterday. The price ~ tee has been a rock
bottom haais for number ~ ycars past. The com
petition IN thu trad" i extremely severe ne
knckcrbocker Ice Company does the bulk or the
ice business, but II ~ no means has monopoly OF
the trade II the price Of ice not on rock
Knickerbock@r has so few competitors"
81 the managers II the knlck"rbOcker Ice
Company said The prise 81 tee In ms ely varies
very much on the Eas, Side Il Is sold at cents
a cake At the rate Of - cents n hundred pounds
Blg retail consumers get the Ice FOR 2 cents a
hundred pounds while other retail consumers who
take Ave ten or twenty pounds day pay from ~
TO 81 cents hundred ! 10 not think that there Will
ing summer The city .'annot be supplied with ice
properly AZ lower ngmre II II could II would have
been done long ae1 The hrli /, open TO a." ana
all have equal privileges The long list of com
panles that have become bankrupt In eudeavorng
to supply tea al lower rate shows that the ruling
prices are as low as they can be.