The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-12-20
POOR PLACE FOR IcEMEN.
P">vie In the Tropics Dent Ina.lss
Much In Frossn Water-Net
EAsea tial to Comfort.

According to the consular reports
more ice is consumed in Chicago dur
ing "a hours of hot weather than is con-
sumed by all the Latin American states
except Mexico in ~ months. In Chi
cago ice is considered necessity all
the year round, and in the La tin states
1t is considered in some places luxury
In very hot weather, but not an over
desirable luxury. There are medical
men. says the Chicago Chronicle. who
attribute the longevity Of life In the
tropics to the absence Of ice-cold wa
ter and beverages, which force an un-
natural and hurtful temperature Of the
stomach and open the system to dis
ease attacks with little or no power Of
resistance. This is especially true,
they say, OF those who are subjected to
much physical exercise, for cold drinks
greatly shock the system without ma
terially quenching thirst
The nights in the tropics are nearly
always cool, which enables butchers to
prepare meat in the evening for the
next days consumption without fear
of it spelling meanwhile. As for fruits
and vegeta b!es. me are so plentiful all
the year round -, 2 cheap that it
does not pay to :. the expense Of
erecting cold storage houses or keep
Ing refrigerators to preserve them. So
while naturehas not provided the Lat
In American states with ice-making
weather, 1t has provided them with q
climate and ground productions which
make ice not an absolute necessity.
The laws Of nature always conserve
mans best interests.
Most Of the principal cities In tho
Central and South American states
have one or more small Ice factories,
but none OF them can find market for
the production. This comes in part
from the inability Of the people to pay
the price, which runs all the way from
one cent to eight or more cents a
pound, in part from no pressing desire
to have ice and IN part from supersti-
tion that Ice, especially manufactured
ice, is not healthy. 1t may be said that
family ice consumption il confined. en-
tirely to the wealthy and those in fair
circumstances, and they buy It in guam
titles merely sufficient to serve ice wa
ter and cool wines at mealtime. 1t is
believed, however, that II the factories
would introduce improved machinery
so as to reduce the cost Of production
and then manufacture the article in
large quantities at low prices to con-
sumers the people would in time give
them support.
The New Orleans and Galveston ice
factories are trying to build up q trade
in Central and mort thern South America,
but the waste by melting Is so great
that there Is little II any profit in the
business. 1t is said an American COM
pany is talking Of constructing a num-
Der of floating ice plants, which they
propose to move from coast town to
coast town as occasion and demand
may seem to justify. But 1t is clearly
to be seen by the consular reports that
two things will have to be done before
the ice trade in the Latin states will
amount to much. The cost OF ice must
be reduced so as to meet the ability Of
the people to pay and the people must
Ibe educated into looking upon It as
necessity rather than an expensive and
unimportant luxury.
But American money and enterprise
is at work and II possible ice will be
made a popular commercial commod-
ity in the tropics.