The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-20
COLD DRINKS IN FRANCE.
An American Consul Discusses the
Prospects OF the business.


Consul at Rouen, France. has written the
State Department concerning the ice
cream and cool-drink business in France.
He says
Since the publication in the Consular
Reports Of my recent brief despatch in
regard % ice In France. ] have received
many letters. requesting additional infOr-
nation upon the subject In almost ev-
cry instance, one Of the first enquiries IS
What are the prospects for the estab-
hshment Of an ice-cTeam and C0ol-drink
business in the large French towns2' /
do not know whether the answering Of
such question comes within the sphere
Of ConsuIs duty, as the opening Of ice
cream saloons and the running OF cool
drink establishments by Americans in
France would hardly affect the output Of
United States products. but speaking gen
orally, I should say that as far as Rouen
is concerned, the outlook for such estab-
lishments is good.
"A few evenings ago, ! stopped at one
Of the largest cafes mere and asked for
fee cream. II was served in a little glass
about the size OF A wine glass There was
certainly not more than three level table
spoonfuis. and Of "A poor quality at that
The cost was % cents There are only
cream IS served In order to make such
a business pay. a great deal Of patience
T. would have to be exercised In Norman
dy. new ideas filter into the peoples
minds very slowly, and the person who
opened an iee-cresm saloon would. in the
beginning, be regarded with suspicion.
| Then. there is a deep-seated prejudice
against cool things, and physicians. gen.
orally. say that ice is most injurious 20
the health
Another question which has been re-
peatedly asked is. Can ice be had at a
reasonable price, and II not would
small ice-making plant pay welI2' Tn
doubleday. market exists in many of the
larger cities Of France for ice-making
machinery Of American manufacture As
a natural consequence. all else connected
with the comforts Of cool living in hot
weather would follow the introduction Of
these machines. This spring a Mr. Pat
tersonr an American. established the first
lee factory in this city. Heretofore all Zee
was shipped from Norway, but il cannot
be long before such competition must give
way 10 the manufacturing product. even
7 though the imported ice is admitted free
OF duty A letter received recently from
Mr. Patterson Will throw some light upon
this subject. In this ne says:
90 The capacity Of my plant is twenty
| four tons per day The entire plant. in
Guiding boiler, pipes. and fittings. was
purchased from the Viltcr Manufacturing
company Of Milwaukee In addition 10
the above, We have a large cold-stor.c,e
department operated from the ice plant.
But by separate ammonia compressor.
his line is new over here and il Will
possibly take years TO obtain Anne iean
results, yet it will cert " come sooner
or later Our plant employs twenty hands.
& including teamsters- The comuetfrf1n is
T Norwegian ice This ice Is delivered in
France for little or nothing. and has beeD
sold at retail as low as francs a -o,,
T We however, take our stand purely on
4 lhe question Of hygienic ice and believe
/ success VIII crown our efforts, as the
rvuch are keen Oh hygiene
- LAST year ice retailed in Normandy a 2
-" names ton. and this wear due 70
our Efforts, the retail price is hrt n
francs let the clientage has 10 be made.
TOT W 10 the present ice has been A Ink
I uIt that only the rich could afford tn
Ndlue OF cheap ice is little known and in
great part, doubted By the people in
gene raj The cost to uauufa ctrfr.. TO-. -
d about double that Of American 1,rir,.s 80
. mostly 10 the high price OF coal 0iIe sr1-
. mona etc Our company is formed not
& ti-ts LOT hoLtn, nut Tor this entire sec
. non OF rance, and as fast as We can de-
. Nri'P sales We Will start plants else
/ "i-tIe. At present. We have under con
4 hloeIatlon out two new Installations as
. .tIi"Iu require great patience and labor
I 10 secure consumption Of an ar5orIr+
4 equal 70 - per cent Of the American CON
SUMPTION per inhabitanJ without three
/ plants operating
/ a number OF persons y-rfrfus- IN rbfs
/ oI.ce nave asked II. independent Of the
I aelual making and selling frozen dgiuti.s-
] a paying business COulN be worked nm in
7 me sales Of Ice cream rreezers, milk sha k
I trS. soda water fountains etc rqn ,.T,.
answer by saying that such things must
. l"H"W the general introduction of fge
Judging by the tone OF Mr. Patterson. 8,
. letter one must conclude that a mark. r
lot lheSe articles Is fast being developed.
ALL,atE TtITiserators are making their
. appearance IN ROueu- Only a few DAVIS
. ago. 1 saw. Tor the first time a cirrrITsr
. win diagrams and cuts explaining In
. french what "a refriEc ratur V.as-its prin-
4 Refrigerator. 90
The agent FOR this article is an ansri-
- can and tn al probability he is haudIirn
. an American refrigerator. 7 aIn-SErp Ea
VIII meet with success All over this rify
are the butchers. the dealers in horse
hrSh pork beef. and mutton The ma
Jot-IL OF th'- people buy only few cents
. worth Of mat al "a time 6 10 or I'd
. Genus perhaps All during the day the
/ butchers make these petty sales The
/ serving Of ice-c10led meats directly from
reirlgeratOrs would undo. btedIv ircraq ~
their business and ultimately lead 10 a..
Introduction Of this convenience NOT only
I into private houses. but hotels restarI-
Z rants, cafes etc However no firm i'm
America can build up a trade in this linz
/ simply by writing letter 10 some CON
. Sulate- asking that the two OF three Eng
/ lsh circulars enclosed be handed TO Uer-
[ sons who may be Interested.
/ hat duties are pave bic on the ar
! tClcS mentioned has Dseu asked in
Z many letters. This question Is difficult 70
I answer with absolute correctness from
/ the fact that refTiRerators are not men
I toned in the French tariff An ice-crearn
! churn- Tor instance, may be made of zinc
[ and wood the import duty on the wood
Z would be Sl-44 per 100 pounds and on the
zinc Sl15- But on such articles the tariff
[ IS calculated on the material paving the
/ highest Cuty, hence. the churn would
I have 10 be entered at the rate Of 81. a per
100 pounds. II is difficult 10 say under
Z what head articles ike Trfrigerators etc
[ coming for the first time into a French
I port. would be classed. Information
Z might b. obtained. however. from the
: collector Of customs 81 the particular
/ port where entry is intended through the
. medium OF the United States Consul
/ there"
POSTAL SERVICE RIVALRY.