Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-01-25
TWO THOUSAND TONS OF COLD.


Four million pounds Of Ice year, to
supply the metropolis OF Oxford County.
That is approximately what Ia used In
n twelve-month, in the villages OF South
Paris and Norway and the immediate
vicinity.
What would our forefathers have said,
forty or fifty years ago, when the cool
OF the cellar and the brine In the barrel
were depended upon to keep the milk
and the meat in hot weather, and iced
drinks were practically unknown-what
would they have said TO the suggestion
| that another generation would consume
every year an amount Of Ice equal TO
about half ton for every man, woman
and childf
Well, Ice has come to be q business
necessity In many lines OF industry, and
further than that II Is one OF the luxuries
Of this luxurious sge-a luxury that IL
st the same time q comfort and as
near necessity as anything can be that
| Is not essential TO existence. Ii helps
tremendously to make life worth living
at times when sweltering humanity IL
about ready TO answer the question In
the negative.
It's cheap In New England, too, for
nature makes II for Us, and all we have
10 do Is to saw II out ut the right time,
and pack 1t In sawdust, and then dig II
out again next summer when We want IL.
But sometimes, under adverse circum-
stances, that isn't SO simple n process as
IL reads.
The Ice business Of South Paris Is run
by A. W. Walker 4 Son, who have three
ice houses; one at Norway, one at the
Park Street bridge In South Paris, and
third near the railroad siding In
"Wslkerville." They have been filling
their houses at South Paris during the
past week, with force consisting OF ten
pairs OF horses, 4 large crew OF men, and
4 hoisting engine. That isn't much COM
pared with the army which blsckens the
kennebec At this season, but II IL suffi-
GENTLY large to handle good many tons
Of ice In day.
To one who Ia not familiar with the
work il il something OF surprise to see
how easily the various processes con-
nected with the harvesting OF the Ice are
accomplished. The snow has first to be
scra ped of the surface small Item this
wear. Then a field Is marked out with n
,smarker," drawn by horses, which Is q
pillow cutting three inches deep, and car.
rying a guide TO keep 1t at an even dis
lance from the last groove cut. After
the field has been criss-crossed with this
pillow IL put on, which runs In the
grooves and cuts them TO depth oil
seven to twelve inches-from half &c
two-thirds the thickness Of the Ice. Then
one row of cakes Is sawed out, and wher
they are removed and the space lef'
clear, the other rows Of cakes are split
of with chisels, with an ease and regu'
larity which are truly astonishing TO one
whose ice-cutting efforts have been con-
fined to attempts to get of piece that
will fit the pitcher.
Men with picks slide the cakes rp ar
inclined run and on TO the sled which !:
10 be loaded, and dextrous twist by
the loader when II strikes the sled, lands
each cake about where Il wants to stay,
OF course the ice can't be raised to the
ton Of the Ice house without lifting all
the weight Of the ice that distance, but
Walker does the hosting with steam
engine, and q cake when II Is tipped of
the elevator slides over the last layer and
into the corner where II is wanted with
very little muscular exertion.
4 Walkers ice houses at South Paris and
Norway hold 100 tons of ice, and in ad
dition to that about 800 tons are cut
which are sold on the spot to farmer.
and others who haul them away and
store them In their own Ice houses.
The ice this year was cut at some dis
lance below the usual field, as that neal
the Park Street bridge has 10 1t more o.
less sand which blew off the bank. 1t IL
about fourteen inches thick, clear al
CRY stall. and Walker says he believes u
Is as good ice as he ever cut.
And next summer 1t will keep oul
food, and cool our fevered brows, and
slip down our throats In the form OF vari
Gus delicious and seductive delicacie
and beverages.