The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-31
ORDER OF THE COURT
The Ice Crop of the Crystal Company
to Be Sold at Once.
COLD DRINKS COME HIGH
II Is Believed That Consumers VIII
Pay a stiff Price for This Cooler
Mild Reference to a Com
bIne or Trust.

Judge Mediation yesterday made an or
der that ]. f. Saville, receiver for the
Crystal Ice company. sell the company's
stock of ice in bulk, instead of retailing
1t out, and close up the business. The re-
ceiver had been appointed on the appli-
cation of Clinton A. Sloan and Edward Nc
Govern, who with Benjamin e. Jacobs,
composed the company. Jacobs then ask
ed the court to order the stock, consisting
of $500 tons of ice. to be sold In bulk,
which was strongly opposed by the other
two members of the firm on the ground
that it was part of an unholy scheme to
form an ice trust or combine and freeze
them out of business because they re-
fused to become parties to the proposed
trust. The order made by Judge McHat-
ton yesterday. 1t is claimed, removes all
distractions to the formation of the trust
and that the people of Butte will the COM
ing summer be compelled to pay heavy
tribute to the ice dealers. In an affidavit
opposing the motion of Jacobs to sell the
ice in bulk Sloan d McGovern claimed
that the receiver could sell the ice at re-
tail at a good net profit The total
amount of ice stored in the city, they said,
does not exceed 1900 tons over that of
any other preceding year. Sloan & Nc
Govern admit that they had received a
proposition from Jacobs to purchase their
interests, but they deny that he made
the proposition with a view to effecting
| an amicable settlement, but that II was
made for the purpose of getting posses
sion of the business with a view to form
ing an ice combine and trust in the city
of Butte and for the purpose of combin-
| ing with other ice dealers in the city, and
| thereby raising the price of ice to con-
| sumers and entailing on them large and
unnecessary expense. Sloan * McGovern
| further charge that W. w. Adams, an
4 IaC fraN NM In
| ested and has shown an undue desire to
| settle all differences between the parties
| to the action, and on March "a Attorney
| w. l. Lippincott presented to Sloan az
| McGovern a form of contract wherein 1t
/ is proposed that they and all other ice
dealers in the city form a combine and
place the management and control OF 1t
| in the hands of Mr.. Adams, and that he
| be allowed to manage and control and
dispose of all ice owned by the parties to
i the contract and divide the proceeds be-
/ tween them. Sloan & McGovern refused
| to sign the contract or have anything to
do with 1T for the reason that they are
averse to forming an ice trust and compel
| consumers to pay an increased price.
! Since their refusal to sign the contract
Jacobs filed his petition for an order to
sell the ice in bulk, his petition being sup
ported by the affidavits of Adams and
| others who are interested in the proposed
/ Ice cOmDlne, ana WHOSE appear oil
/ the contract. The parties who have signed
/ the contract have refused to make con-
/ tracts with their customers for the en-
/ suing season until after the disposition of
| the stock owned and stored by the Crys-
tai Ice company, and Sloan & McGovern
believe that the object of the companies
/ is to obtain possession of the ice and
thereby prevent any competition and then
/ to form an ice trust and advance the
| prices.
A copy of the proposed combine agree
ment was made part of Sloan & MCCOY
ern's affidavits and IL named as parties to
the combination Ben l.. Jacobs, W. w.
Adams, Milton ]. Whitney, w. III. Patter-
sen and the BERTHE Brothers, nearly all of
whom made affldavits in support of ia
cobs' motion that II would be best to sell
the ice of the Crystal company in bulk in
stead OF permitting the receiver to retail
| IL.
The ice OF the company is contained in
three houses and the court directs the
receiver to sell IL in one lot or In three
/ lots, as he may deem best. The sale must
be made within 80 days.