Norwich bulletin., 1909-01-09

(Written specially for The Bulletin.)
When l was a boy--never mind how
many years ago, it was a good many
there was but one ice-house in this
farming township. The big hotel to
which summer guests came from the
city simply had to have ice. It's house
for keeping the chilly stuff was a great
curiosity 10 all the lads of the town,
and lucky was he thought who hap
pened to be near by at the hour when
the house was opened and the days
supply taken out. He could then see
the mysteries Of the dark interior,
which at other times was closely shut
up and sealed against intrusion. 1t
was a great tale he had to tell his
playfellows in the next week how he
had seen great blocks Of real ice,
weighing as much as a barrel OF flour,
taken out and hurried to the ice boxes
at the hotel. And this right in mid
summeri Gradually We came to believe
his marvellous yarn, but generally not
till some other discoverer had likewise
seen the wonder. and corroborated the
tale.
That particular iee-house was exca-
waited against the face of a hill. 1t
was a sort Of outdoor cellar. The
walls were Of heavy stone laid up In
mortar; the roof was covered deep
with earth and sodded over; the one
entrance had double doors, one being
Of plank covered with sheet-iron, and
the other-the inner one-also of plank.
but covered with thick felt. Inside. the
ice was packed in swamp hay. There
was no ventilation, indeed, every effort
was made to keep the house not only
completely protected against the suns
rays, but also against any possible air
AS q result Of these we'll meant but
not over intelligent precautions the ice
used to melt like wax in ladle over
the fire. IF the hotel people got out
one cake for every ten they put in,
they thought themselves lucky. If they
had any left at all by the end Of Au-
boast Of a thousand bushels Of pota-
toes from an acre.
The average farmer, in those days,
would as soon have thought Of buying
q balloon to so to market in as Of
building an ice-house. He relied on
his cellar TO keep fruit and vegetables;
on his spring house" TO keep milk and
butter, Some used to keep their cream
in the well, suspended by a rope around
the churn, so that the mouth was kept
above water. II wasn't till some one
discovered that an ice-house should
be built above ground; that Il needed
ample ventilation; that sawdust was a
better protector than hay or straw
not TIL these things had been found /
out did any farmer dream of having [
his own ice. Even now, in this remote /
town, and I doubt not in hundreds of |
others similarly situated, not one-half |
the farms have an ice-house among /
their Offices.
Yet an ice house is about the most |
enjoyable luxury that life affords dur /
ing the not summer time. Moreover, |
It's money-saver. Not only in large /
dairies, but on the farm where onIv
two or three COWS are kept It's value |
In connection with milk and cream is |
hardly to be overestimated. In many /
farm houses the hot season IS one Of |
worry and WEAKNESS to the |
housewife. because Of her milk and |
cream. A dozen pans Of milk, in an
ordinary milk room, on a sweltering
lay in July. with thunder storms i'm
are more trouble than a
eething baby. OF. course, ice doesn't
Eliminate all the discomforts of the
leated season, but it conquers more Of
hem than any other one thing. Not
'nly in regard to dairy matters but
llso in the keeping of meats and veg
stables 1t is a potent helper.
Hs TOT ICE WATER you can drink II
" leave il alone, according to your
lwn judgment. I think there IS no
loubt that the free use Of ice water
made by plunging fragments of ice
nto the pitcher, thus cooling the wa
er almost to the freezing point, is un-
Such water is cooler than
ny natural spring affords; the temp
alton is TO drink it profusely on hot.
wea.ing days; 1t tastes mighty good
'hile going down, but it must be more
r less Of a shock to the inner or
ans Of digestion. A very cooling bev-
rage can be obtained by putting the
e around the outside Of your pitcher ,
lstead OF directly into the water,
his also keeps the dirt which NAV !
e IN the ice out Of the fluid you drink. ,
nd even the clearest looking ice has I
ome dirt in it-more than you'd
llnk unless you try the experiment {
melting cake and letting the dirt !
sttle. ;
The uses and enjoyments of ice are :
many that I wonder any country Z
ace allows a single summer to pass {
ithout having its own ice house. Per- q
APPS some are deferred from building /
no by fear Of the cost and trouble 7