The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-22
ICEMEN HAVE KICK
AGAINST JUNE.
Month Has Been Worse Than April
From Icemnn's Point of view.


From Iceman's Point of view.
1t is all very we'll to sit in the shade,
absorbing cool drinks and singing
How Would You Like to Be the Ice
man." but sometimes the last nea-
toned individual hasn't quite such
rivetted graft as popular supposition
indicates.
1t looks very easy. to the uninitiat-
ed, to conduct an ice business, merely
a matter of drawing off good clean
water from somewhere below ground
and making a few passes with the am
monia tubes, and presto" the water
at l cent per tankful-becomes mar
ketable ice at so many dollars per ton,
and all that is necessary is to hitch
up three big horses and CARLY the
great, transparent chunks out and
bring back the good coin of the realm
Some years ago, when the manu-
facture of ice was not extensive and
people had not come to regard it as a
prime necessity. at all seasons, the
summer was the only harvest season
for the iceman, but now there is, of
course a demand all through the year
and the business has grown to great
proportions and Importance. Natural
ly, the summer is expected to raise the
demand for ice and the manufacturers
and dealers make great preparations
for the coming of the hot weather.
Now the icemen are having anything
but a picnic, for the weather in June
has made a record such as is seldom
noted. Even with the high mark of SO
degrees yesterday, there is still a de-
ficiency of As degrees for the month,
and every degree means a great amount
of ice saved and unsold by the ice
men.
Talk about being hot" said one of
the big manufacturers yesterday;
maybe it is pretty warm, but what
do you think we'd do if the whole
summer was spring-like and balmy?
The present month, from an icemans
standpoint, has been a great big fall
ure, and we are not pleased much.
have interests in ice plants in some
other cities, and may say that our
output for the month of June is just
about 1000 tons less than that Of last
year. The month has been worse than
April so far in the ice business"
The iceman had other troubles. He
said that trifles that might not be
thought of by the outsider had the
greatest influence upon the ice bust
ness and the weather could beat the
dealers out with the turn of a thun-
dercloud. For instance a few flashes
of lightning and q growl of thunder
early in the afternoon entirely changes
the plans of hundreds of people.
They may have arranged to go to
some one or another of the resorts,
but with the prospect of rain they lay
aside their glad clothes and stop at
home. The purveyors of iced drinks,
creams, and refreshments, has a wealth
er eye out and cuts his order for
ice. A rainy afternoon blocks off the
local trade in cooling drinks, and re-
freshments, and the telephone chops
regular afternoon order in half.
June is always counted upon by the
icemen for fine business, for the peo-
pie who are going away for the sum-
mer hardly ever get started before the
middle or end of the month. While
they are here they must have ice, and
if the weather is hot they will use
great deal. If the weather is unusually
cool they may not get the big refriger-
ator into commission at all When the
hot weather comes at the end of the
summer it only keeps the people away
little 1onger-and the iceman has 20
suffer lust the same