Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-07
ARE ANXIOUS ABOUT ICE
Council Bluffs Dealers Disturbed by Warm
Weather.
HOPE TO GET A SUPPLY THIS MONTH
VIII Be n Very Expensive Luxury
Next Summer Unless Somc-
thing is Done Very
shortly.
IoPE TO GET A SUPPLY THIS MONTH

There has been very little ice cut so far
this season. and the ice dealers who have
been delaying the commencement of the
work in the hope that some old fashioned
winter weather would prevail, are beginning
to get decidedly blue. Several dealers have
sources Of supply that have been most favor
ably affected by the little cold weather that
has prevailed, and they have harvested one
crop Of twelve-inch ice, but those who have
to depend upon the river have not put away
pound
There has only been one year IA the last
twenty when the ice crop was failure"
said one Of them Yesterday, land ia. was
in 1877. During that season the only cold
weather came early in the winter, t,iore
the holidays, but the ice men waited jus.
as they did this season. From the first of
January until the first of March there was
not sufficient cold weather to freeze ice over
six inches thick, and nearly all of The ice
houses in the city were filled with ice Of that
thickness. In conditions that have prevailed
so far this year the present win er is al
most counterpart of that year. No snow
whatever fell In the north or west Of Us,
and the weather continued to be moist and
mild until spring opened. There cannot be
cold weather in this country without general
SHOWS to the north of us. and unless we
have some heavy falls within the next two
weeks the ice harvest will be ruined. The
only thing that gives us any hope Is the
fact that during the last two years we have
had all of our cold weather in February.
Two years ago the mercury did not get above
zero during the first week in February, and
last winter we had solid week of zero
temperature, between the 9th and 18th. Dur
ing this time the temperature dropped to
about twenty below But the conditions
that made that extreme cold possible do not
prevail now. The first week of the month
was stormy and snowy, with heavy SHOWS in
the south and billiards. in the north. Now
we are having regular spring rains in the
to the Canadian line. Ice machines will
be necessary or ice next summer will be
more than ever an expensive luxury il the
ground hogs predictions are realized"
Field Clubs Inst Performance.
The second and concluding performance Of
the Council Bluffs Field club minstrels last
night was perhaps not quite up to the high
standard Of their opening night, chiefly for
the reason, no doubt, that the audience was
not SO large and enthusiastic. But it was
an unique, finished performance, and was
enjoyed immensely by those present. The
"boX Of Topseys," whose presence was almost
a divine inspiration to the boys on the
previous night, was not there last night, and
this was a potent source Of disappo!ntment
Many new local hits were made that kept the
audience convulsed. The music was much
better than the first night and this was the
source of much satisfaction. 1t required a
second appearance for the audience to real
ize the fact that some of the young men pos
sessed ability that should class them among
the top notches on the minstrel stage. This
was particularly so Of w. l.. Douglas the
Eagle laundry man, who, as the Leader Of
Company b." captured the boxes and the
whole house.
The members of the club and all others
who took part have excellent reasons for
congratulating themselves upon the brilliant
success Of every feature Of their show.