The Washington times., 1902-08-25
EVEN STRIKES STREET CARS
Traffic Less Than Year Ago and Re
sorts at Terminals of Lines Suffer
Excursions Down the River Have
Lost Some of Their AttractiveResS.

keep the population cool There has
been a perceptible falling off in the con-
sumption OF ice, as compared with last
year. the street cars are patronized
less. fewer persons order ice cream and
other cooling foods; the soda fountains
Of the city are almost abandoned and
even the saloonkeeper feels the stress
of the cool weather. Some say that il
this were the rule they would have TO go
out of bpsinss
A large retail dealer in ice stated the
other day that he is serving at least
one-third less ice this month than he
was last year in August in the same
territory. This year he said. the av-
erage small family gets along with a D
cen. piece of ice each day. There are
very few extra pieces ordered. Last
year the call for ice was almost be
yond the capacity of the dealers to sat
ssfy. Families wanted a 10-ceut piece
avery morning and there was constant
call while the wagons were out for eX-
IRA ice from customers whom the ice
men did not regularly serve. The man
furnishing this information stated that
his receipts this year would be much
smaller than last year. and the business
would yield scarcely any profit above
expenses. The ice man is praying fer
vently for a hot September.
Ice Cream Freezers Idle.
\ similar complaint comes from the
venders Of ice cream and water ices. \
eealer in these commodities stated to a
Times reporter shat sales were almost
half less than they we're a year ago.
Not only do private families take much
less ice cream, but the soda fountains,
the restaurants. and hotels are calling
for less cream than during any summer
he could remember. He stated that
several of his large freezers were idle
this summer, and that he had been
obliged to take off two wagons, as the
trade did not call for the force car
ried last year. The reporter was in
formed that this was about the state
Of the case among all the venders of
ice cream.
The owner of large soda fountain in
lLt ntdA VI Llit NiAg Sdiu lTdut W d5 uOk
nearly as good as last year He said
that people do not consume as much
soda in such weather as we have had
this year as in the ordinary summer
You know" he said, that drinking
soda water is matter of habit with
some people, and that class is large
enough to keep something doing
throughout the year. But when there
comes sizzling hot day our receipts in
crease one-half. Business men, women,
girls and boys crowd in to quench their
thirst at the soda fount. They do not
much care what they drink They want
liquid of some sort with ice to cool their
parched throats When the thermome-
ter is at so the soda fountain makes
hay, but with such days as We are hay-
sng now there is not much business"
Weather Affects Street Cars.
Ger. George H. Harries. vice presi-
dent of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company, said recently that
the cool weather was having a very
marked effect upon the receipts of their
railroad lines, as compared with a year
ago. The cool nights, he said. enabled
people TO remain at home in comfort,
and he declared that the books of the
company show that they are saving
their nickels with vengeance.
The receipts Of the various lines for
the month of August are not expected
tc equal more than about one-half what
they were las year during the same
month. The traffic TO Cabin John, to
Chesapeake Beach and over the othef
lines was a mere drop in the bucket as
compared with the broiling days and the
steaming nights a year ago General
Harries stated that the company was
not running so many ears at night and
that the resorts at the ends OF the lines
were doing a losing business.
A prominent dispenser of alcoholic
beverages on the avenue said that busi-
ness with him was comparatively poor
He was not quite settled in his own
mind whether more people were away
or whether those here were drinking
less on account Of the weather Any
how his receipts were less than for sew
eral years in the summer time and he
was inclined to ascribe the condition of
things TO the weather.
In hot days. and particularly on hot
nights. men drink freely" said he
They seem to need many drinks TO keep
themselves in condition to stand the
heat. and our business thrives. but one
would think 10 look over our books this
year that a temperance wave bad struck
the town. We are not doing the bust
ness we were last summer by 40 per
cent"
Fewer Excursion Parties.
The excursion boats down the river
are enjoying only fair summers bust
ness. There are a good many excur-
sions, and the boats carrying passen-
gers. sometimes crowds OF them. but
there Is feeling among the managers
OF the boat lines hat the people are
staying at home more closely than in
former years. Al all events business
on the river and at the river resorts is
not booming this year.
These facts gathered up at random
go 10 show that the business based upon
giving people recreation. food and drink
are considerably affected by weather
conditions, and that whom the tempera-
ture is balmy and the nights cool the
people OF Washington save their money,
stay at home AID eat and drink less
o. he stun prepared for the heat Of
SUMNER