Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-26
THE ICE CROP.
Kennebec Cut Is Only 325,00c
lions, This Year.
Abou. 485, 900 Tons in Maine Againsf
100000 in 1903.
A Review of Names Ice Industry anG
Present Outlook.


The ice cutting season of 1904 has now
closed. and one of the smallest crops
for many years has been harvested
2lOng the kennebec and in Maine
generally. For the whole State abou,
iS5,00D tons of ice have been harvested
this winter. OF this 325,00O tons ha.
the Kennebec. Last winters crop was
ibout' 100000 tons for Maine, OF which
40. 600 tons was cut upon the Kcnnebec
The ice this year is of exceptionally fine
quality, and the cost of harvesting il
has been greater than ever before
This increased cost has been or ac-
count of the many snow storms anT
he extreme cold weather. which has
prevented the men from working to
he best advantage. The rate of wages
hrs been the same as in earlier years,
but naturally fewer men have been
employed. The small cut upon The
Ncnnehcc is due to the large cut upor
the Hudson and other rivers, for it has
been fine winter for ice elsewhere a:
well as in Maine.
Probably no other state in the Union
has enjoyed Il more profitable infustr,
than Maine has in the ice industry
since 1858 Think of the tons OF sole
water that have sold for cash and tn.
.2bnr employed. bringing hundreds O,
thou:an:is Of dollars into the State
without taking away in mcrchantablt
value. one penny. The month OF Anri'
has more tnan replenishcd the tons o
water sold in each of these YEAR; With
put the outlay of one dollar by nan.
1t has been wisely said Necessity is
the mother of invention" and its appl
cation was never more plainly seer
than in the Maine ice industry. Previ-
Gus to 1855 Maine held the dealers il
many southern cities in its hands es
pecially as far as Kennebec ice was
concerned. although every ice wager
in New York. Philadelphia. Baltimore
Washington, Richmond and Savannah
| had "kennebcc Ice" painted on it,
white top in large blue letters and de
livered ice to their customers with a,
lmany c0lors as Jacobs Coat" People
| wondered at the possibilities OF this
noted river yielding such a quantity ~
ice. There is M question of doubt bu'
that the high price of Maine ice leaC
dealers to believe that something CoulC
be done to place them in Il more indie
lpendent position, as they saw little en-
ICoura cement to continue business OF
the advanced prices of 1890. FollOwinr
the mild winter OF 1880 several machines
for making ice were set up in Philadel-
rhia, Savannah. Mobile, Galveston
later Richmond. then Baltimore
Atlantic City. New York. and today
Boston mas one of the finest equipped
plants for making ice. The first pIar
FOR making ice was the Can System
lso-called. The water was chilled ir
|pipcs passing through d brine tank OF
salt ice and water to tn" freezing can
where il vas congcaled in large blocks
The frost pipes were freely placed
labout the cans and the block frozer
up solid to the center which formed p
core. In cases this core vas white
often n grcenish color. Often machines
were used for months before salable ice
could b" produced. This proved so ex-
pensive that further improvement was
necessary bringing out the Plate Sys-
ten" y first class plant now uses the
most improved charcoal filters, some
d'StiIling their water. using the brine
tank for chilling purposes and theI
using the can method The frost pipe
have been changed, throwing the frost
on one side of the can Or water to be
frozen. The ice forms in the can per-
pendicu.ar with the surface in such =
manner that ALI the air in the water
as the ice is formed. passes out. max
ing the ice perfectly clear. This ice
has become very popular among the
dealers and the trade. There is also
another feature notice ed in using This
ice. that is, where much slime forms III
tho waste pipe with natural ice, the
artificial refrigerator is much cleaner.
Today we find two kinds of ice mon
doing business: the natural and artiti-
cial. where the strongest kind of oppo-
sition is manifested. although in the
employ Of the same company. The
natural ice man. whether in Maine OF
: Washington. will tell you the real
thing is the only safe and reliable ice
for your table or refrigerator. And the
artificial man will show up NOR
worms in natural ice than a powerful
glass tiiscloses in vinegar. Thus thc
battle is being fought. During sucl
winters as tie present. the natural ice
man has the advantage as considerable
: understandable fee has been housed fan
south. And for that reason the har-
vest of natural ice in Maine this season
is small compared with that of 1890
) when the crop wholly failed on tht
Hudson.
The Maine harvest for 1904 appears
about as follows:
Tons
? Maine Lake lee Co. SargentviIle. 50Tg
NmericaD Ice Co PcnohScot River 20 90
Henry Lord PenobScot River. 1908
Rockport Ice Co, Rockport. go co
iAmerican Ice Co. Boothbay, a0.9s
Eoothbay Harbor Ice Co Boothbav 10 90
American Ice CO.. kennebec River. S2s oe