Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-12-27
Over 100000 Tons to
Be Cut in Maine.
Prospect Of a Very Busy Win
ter on the kenebec.
MANAGER Ballard Of American Ice Co. Says
Conditions Are Excellent.

Gardiner. Me-, Dec. 26.-L. c. Ballard
of Gardiner, manager for Maine of the
American Ice Co, is of the opinion that
there will be more ice cut in this state
this winter than for a long period, per-
harJs for 10 years or more. This means
from 500. 900 to 100000 tons, one-eighth
of this to be secured from the Penob-
scot and the other seven-eighths from
the Kennebec. with a small quantity
Of pond ice from Boothbay.
Mr.. Ballard has returned but recent
" from New York, where he has been
in consultation with the officials of the
company, and he finds, singularly
enough. that most of them out that
way, through various signs, predict an
open winter, in consequence OF Whlcn
they 10 not look for much ice from the
Hudson. Mr.. Ballard, who is an as
siduouS weather student himself, nav
ing made compilations for the last ~
years, based largely upon the positions
Of the planets, takes exceptions with
the New York officials, and predicts a
hard, close winter, though not so severe
as last season.
However, he is acting largely on the
advice of the New York officials and
has already spent from $4,000 TO $4,000
in prcDaration for the work in Maine,
which. if it materiaiiZcs, will mean
much for the towns in the neighborhood
Of the fields. as q large number OF
farmers and their teams will be en-
ployed. Mr.. Ballard expects in the
event OF large operations. to secure q
number of Norwegians from Portland.
The harvesting of half a million tons
OF ice Will make ii seem, for awhile.
like the good old days cf ice harvesting
before the advent of the American Ice
90
Last seasons crop was we'll cleaned
out, the houses now being practically
empty at I:angor and BOothbay. there
remaining hut ono cargo to be shipped
from Boothbay. which will be taken in
y few days There are about 100000
tons remaining in the ice houses of the
Eennrboc. bning distributed in the In
drpcrdcnt. k"nnchec, Hathorn. Berry,
Ireboro. Stearn's Point and Hodges.
There was plenty of demand for all OF
this lee but ii was impossible to Sc
cure the vessels 10 transport it. For
the rrrmotinn Of the ice trade on "a
large scale. Mr.. Ballard has long con-
tended thtt the river between Gardiner
ana Richmond should he drcdged and
hp has had several conferences with the
Initcd States engineer in Portland.
with u view of spending some OF the
SsooOO that is now available for the
TCcnncbcc for that purpose. He cities
the fact that back in 1868 it was Gus
tonlaIy to take out only about 36S tons
ag the heaviest load. whereas nova
days it is quit" common to ship from
100 to 1900 tons ut Il time. and ne re-
members one load of 1903 tons that he
shipped the past season. AS it is I'M
rn+Siblc to consider rail shipment and
meet TIE competitive" PRICES in th" big
cities. water transportation facilities
furnish the great problem to be solved
III ih, next fcW years.
AS ARTIFICIAL refrigeration has now
coi1" 50 largely into rlay Maine viii
probably never cut 80 much ic" Hs she
one" dii ia III" pamy days of the in
dusty. ana the amount is likely TO
grow loss from year to year. although
it will hc Il long time SO thinks Mr.
ballard before Maine ice will be wholly
super, c,ird by the ncw-fangled pro-
du {. In his opinion, nothing quit"
equals tho Maine ice. and he believes
il will continue 20 be shipped in vary
inf; quantities for many years to corle.
Thor is something about the clearness,
taste and substantiability of the Ken
nrbcc lee in particular that it Is much
sought and often called for i'll the large
cities.
Mr. Ballard said:
The freeze this year is n good one.
the ice being solid and firm. promising
AN exceptionally fine crop. The ice IS
low between and 9 inches thick and
inst ~ soon as it reaches foot we
S'.ali hgrin cutting and continue at It
urintcrrIptingly till the harvest is
sa'h""c! was in Bangor the other
day after the first freeze and had the
i,r started to throw out the anchor ice
an3 the field is now filling in with clear
sUfacc. We are much troubled on the
PorobScot with anchor ice. There are
only about 1-2 miles of the river
available on the Penobscot for prime
Iu2lity Of ice. while on the Kennebec
there are IS miles from Augusta TO
SWln's Island. from which some 5000
Geo tens could be taken. if necessary.
Continued on Page Two.)