The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-11-19
ICE TRUST PROBE
Revelations In Letter Book
Produced at Trial..
HIGHER ADVANCE NOT "SAFE." "
eve Have Not Gone as Far as We
Wished" President Schoonmsker
Wrote to 0ler Concerning
Increase In Prices.

New York, Nov. 1S.-The letter file
book Of the American Ice company
was brought into requisition by the
prosecution in the trial Of the COM
pany for violation of the antimonopoly
law when the hearing was resumed
before Justice Wheeler In the supreme
court. One letter sent by President
Schoonmaker to Wesley M. Oler in
June, 1908, referred to the advance
ments made in the price of ice that
summer.
1--WE have not gone as far as we
wished, but 1t is not safe to go any
further just now"
In the same letter reference is made
to John N. Briggs, the ice man, who
testified yesterday that he had chased
Charles w. Morse for two weeks with
gun. In this connection the letter
said:
1T doesn't seem possible to do any
thing with Briggs on prices. He is al
ways referring to his great losses in
the stock of the American Ice COM
pany. He does not do reasonable
things, but flies off the handle. My
idea is that you ignore him and let
him give his ice away if he wants to
The newspapers are beginning to howl
here, and there have been several re-
quests for interviews, but have been
denied in a dignified way. l send you
newspaper clipping showing Jeromes
attitude"
In another letter to Mr.. Oler, Mr.
Schoonmaker wrote: IF we could get
a dock in Jersey City and open a
bridge we could use it as lever on
{ tnls trade, b1t It would have to be
done quietly. We will give them all
they want to attend to-"
Mr.. Schoonmaker deplored the fact
that the New Jersey Ice company.
which was supposed to carry the
American trade in these towns, was
unprOgressive and it's president, Oren
bennett, an inactive manager.
1--WE will have to shake up Old Man
Bennett" the letter went on. 1--WE
can't stand any more nonsense from
the Mountain Ice company crowd.
bennett will sit up, and it will tear up
the old man pretty well if we start in
| there, but that don't mean anything
in dollars and cents to this company.
We will get 10 to l when the time
comes to throw up hands,"
Another letter, written by Schoon-
maker in December, 1903, referred to
a suit which Augustus G. Sprague
had brought for the recovery of 500
a month for services In addition to
his salary as clerk. In the early
exhibits in the trial Sprague appears
as the intermediary through whom the
American purchased independent ice
concerns.
I'VE doubt if Mr.. Morse is willing to
let Sprague go on with this suit, '"
wrote Mr.. Schoonmaker. "If the cover
is ever lifted off this pot there will be
a very bad SMELL"
On Sept. 2, 1905, President Oler
wrote, Everything seems to be com
ing our way, and all the ifs Of tr
American Ice company have been OBJ
liberated from my mind"
Writing to the late Charles 7. Bar.
ney in 1905, when he was with the
Knickerbocker Trust company, Oler
said: I'VE are making all kinds OF
deals with the least expenditure OF
money. We do not purchase outright
but try to have them keep money in
vested so that they will keep an inter
est in our success"
In December, 1906, he wrote to the
Boston manager: Everything is NOV
ing our way in Greater New York
We have made deals of all kinds, and
no two contracts are alike, but eact
suited to the circumstance. Our coun
sci, Mr. Adams. says it would take 6
Philadelphia lawyer to keep track
The problem has been solved, and the
future looks good for the company"
The jury was interested in entries
in the cash books, which showed thret
different prices were charged different
customers on the same day. In one
instance a customer got $50 pounds Of
Ice for 80 cents, and a minute latel
another customer paid $3.50 for 30(
pounds.