Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-16
A BIG ICE CROP
is Now Expected on kennebec, Penob
scot and Other Fields.

Indications are now that there will be
unWontcd activity in Maine ice circles
shortly. Rush orders are expected
most any time and when the work COM
| mcnccS in earnest there Will be the
| largest crews seen on the rivers for
many years. Considerable work has al
ready been done mapping out and pre-
pairing the fields, but within the next
10 81 Is days il is expected there Will be
| 1000 rlen on the I<ennebcc.
| L. 4. Ballard, manager for Maine oc
the American Ice Co.. has just return
ed from New York where he has been
in consultation with the officials and
sizing up the prospects on the Hudson.
| Mr.. Ballard returns with the belief
that more ice will be harvested in
Maine this winter than for any year
since 1890 when such great quantities
OF the commodity We're shipped.
| 1t is only within Il short time that the
steamers have ceased making their reg
ular trips on the Hudson and the ice
| there is reported only about an inch
thick with prospects not very en-
couraginS. 1t WAS the original cSti-
mate of Mr.. Ballard that perhaps $780,
900 tons would be harvested this winter,
but according to the conditions as they
low exist he is of the opinion that
considerably more than that amount
| may be handled.
The employment of 1000 or more men
here for six weeks or longer wound
mcan considerable to the trade Of the
| three cities IN this section. Ii is OK
pPctcd that farmers will como to the
scene of operations from back sin the
country - miles or more a farmer
with > pair of horses will be paid $500
q day. while III" single workman will
| receive from $I.15 TO $500 and the boys
$l25
All the houses on the kcnncbcc will
| be filed. also those ut BoOthbay, on the
PcnobScot and one or two in Portland.
AS showing the carneStncSS of the COM
| phny in gathering the harvest vessels
| are already shipping the ice as fast as
it is cut ut Boothbay. and quite large
number of vessels have been engaged
| The ice at Boothbay is Il inches thick
| and of tine quality. In addition to the
continuous shipments all the houses; at
| that point will be filled. The ice on the
Kennebcc is yet but nine or 10 inches
| tIlI'h cACtDl Ill IidCtS where IL OCCASION
| ally reaches H. 1t will not be the prr-
| pos" of the company to gather much UNI
| til il reaches L inches. If the wea thcr
stiifcns up in Il day or two this condition
| may be reached the last of the coming
week. They have already been running
| ice into the houses 1T Iceboro. where
some L acres are being handled.
There will be five places on the river
| where the operations will be going on. At
Berry's. Iceboro. Smithville, kandolpn
and Richmond. 1t is expected that 1000
| tons Will be harvested ut Boothhly. The
present house capacity of the kcnnebcc
| is about 800 600 tons.
| Just when operations will commence on
| the Ponobscot it is difficult to determine.
| but probably within two weeks Tho ic"
| there now, according to 2dviccS received
| by Mr.. Ballard is only from six to eight
| inches thick and it will be necessary to
wait for Il spell of colder weather
| Although there will be Il great demand
| for Maine ice this year there are not
/ likely to he many individual operators as
the American Ice Co. now controls til"
| market, operating on such Il large scale
| that it would be difficult for anyone else
| to compete. This company controls the
markets of Now York. Brooklyn, Plila-
/! Richmond. In 1890 the last big ice year,
many individual operators went into the
| field, many losing all they put up on ac-
| count Of holding too long for high prices.
| There is Il feeling here that Main" ic:,
| will ne in demand for a good many years
| yet, despite the large number OF artificial
ice factories going up all over the coUn-
| try. There is said to be such wear and
| tear To the machinery of an artificial ice
| part that it practically has to hc all re-
placed in T. years. Comparatively few. if
| amy, of the artificial factories have paid
any dividends.
| Carl Hassctt anu Walter I4unt were bad