Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-01
AMERICAN ICE co.
Sketch of Growth of Ken
nebcc Ice Business.
The Conditions That Call for ConsoI-
dation Of the Companies.
Said That the Business Will Increase Under
New Management.

the most important subjects now before
the public, not only in Maine. but
throughout the entire eastern and south
ern section of the United States. and one
which is causing a great deal of discus
Son everywhere because of the fact that
a bill relating 10 it will soon be intro
duced in the Maine Legislature. is the
consolidation of the ice companies doing
portions Of the State.
From some of the theories advanced AS
10 the probable results which viii follow
such a movement on the part of the lee
companies. 1t is evident that IA wrong
impression has been created within the
minds OF greater or less portion of the
public. 1t is Il fact that the belief enter
tanned by some is that the ice COMPANIES
have effected this combine. or trust" as
it is sometimes termed, with the prime
object of monopolizng the entire crop Of
the country, and that by thus securing
the control Of the business they can de-
mand for the ice whatever price they
deem eNpediens.
In order that a better understanding
may be had in the matter. a Journal rep
resentative interviewed a leading author
ty on ice upon the question of con-
soIidaton, and from information received
from that source it would seem that the
moveme1. contains benefits for both the
dealer and consumer The following is
the substance of the interview:
Consolija ton. or combination. if you
choose to designate it by that name. III
the ice business, is nothing new, ana III
order to begin at the beginning, in the
treatment of the subject. it is necessary
to go back in history to the earliest days
of the ice industry.
AS the history of the ice business in
Maine is. incidentally, Il part of the ice
history of the country, a brief reference
to it will be Of interest in connection with
this article.
As near as can be authenticated, the
date Of the birth of the ice industry III
Maine WAS in lS2j. ana was accompanied
by somewhat peculiar circumstances
The good brig AriOn. mad come mp The
K.nnehec river late in The previous fuu
and was frozen into the lee near TIE
Pittston shore. opposite Gardiner. Sh,
was loaded i'll the spring, with floating
ice. and on the river being opened 10 nav
the cargo was sold for $3.50. Several en-
goes were in Il like manner put upon ti,r
market, before any attempt was made at
housing.
During the same year 4 house of 1.hfo
tons capacity WAS built at Trott's point.
Richmond, by Rufus X. Page ana a Mr..
Gatchcll Of Halloween. This building wis
filled during the winter, after much hard
labor, and the following summer sod TO
the Tudors of Boston, who shipped it to
the West Indies and other points south
The investment was not Il financial sue
cess, and no further work was done on
the river until 1881, when the Tudors
filed the building and also built one az
Gardiner, just below where the bridge
now stands. From that time until 1SlS-i9
nothing more was done in ice. Theh
came a shortage of the Boston ice crop.
which was followed by quite a revival on
the Kennebec. The Tudors harvested
again, ami Dr. G. w. Whtmore. G. a.
White, and w. \. Lawrence of Gardiner,
put up about 1900 tons, at Pittston ana
South Gardiner. There Were. also houses
at Farmingdale and Hallowell. and about
l0oco tons We're put up along the river
that year
From that time until 1860. during mild
winters. the industry showed percep-
tibla gain. ard gradually new parties were
drawn into it. lured by the speculativ"
possibilities. Many prominent men along
were the p. G.. and VIM. Bradstreet of
Gardiner. VIM. S. Grant of Farmingdale,
G. A. Colburn and Franklin Stevens of
Pittston. Major Andrews of Halloween
and Major Tiffany of Richmond.
The year 1860 marked Il new era in the
Kennebec ice business and established
upon Il permanent basis. The southern
crop failed tnat year. anu me oel man.
er than had hitherto been known. IL
was this year that the late James j..
Cheeseman came TO. Maine. He was "a
New York retailer. In business upon the
Hudson river. He stacked ice upon the
Marshall lot. in Farmingdae. and the
next year with s. r. Marshall; entered
into the business upon much larger
scale. For five or six years he had Won
derful success. and amassed fortune
but lost his hold in 1867, and in the fol-
lowing year sold his entire plant to the
knickeroocker Lee &c, CO. OF tnii tbe Ken
nebec marked the date of the commence,
ment of business by large and solid
.,,.,,o,
bv the Chas Russell Co. the Cochran
DIOR Co, the Independents. Great Falls
HAYNES & Dewitt. and later by the
Morse Co. and Consumers. IN aGalt d.
were governed by conditions and pros
The Enickerbockcr Ice Co. IS the latS-
cst generator in the field. and handles an
nI,ally UPWARDS of 100000 tons. The com
many was established at Philadeloiiia Ill
iS33 and incorporated in ISL Between
hose wears there were about Il COM
operating in Philadelphia. Through
,hn Efforts of Thomas u. Cahiil these
cnmnanies were brought together under
: he name ofa the Kuiekerbocker lee Co..
and Mr.. Cal was elected president oil
-" t,ere was the beginning Of consolit1:t
tinn--the first in This country. anu Mr..
t.i,iyI was the instigator of the move
mrnt. He saw The impossibili'y or CON
.i,c.inr The business single handed: be
'.,use Il was evident that they could not
,,'ain..,;u any uniform nricc of ice ut :,
fajr nroiit. for this reason: during. WIN
o.. ,,f ulenty ice was cut and sold fer
,,r.,cticaiIy nothing. and when winters o:
"a a ,citv followed it WIS found Impossible
fo harvest their crop and sell ut as low
= ,.,tn as during those years when there
;r,e ranid growth of the city of Phila-
:, o,nhia drove the ice operators from the
w ,;lipn;tv and they were obliged to so far
VIENNA s. ;,aU for their harvest In the early
lne -, ~ the industry the entire crop nee
aasn ~ supply the whole of Philadel-
s,s,i. was harvested within 10 miles OF the
city. E,;.kerhockers u,era obliged
"a u. 90 GA as far up the scnuy!kill river AS
- . IN maze