Evening star., 1935-09-08
BY DON BLOCK.

r uEs lifted $4,000 tons -. Of
Last night he sat down In
l. Il his parlor and figured it up:
Forty-five years an iceman. and he'd
swung 100000, 900 pounds Of ice from
his right hip.
Something Of q record for Lewis
Edward Payne, 1912 Twenty-ninth
street northwest, who'll be "A his next
birthday. Two records. in fact: Old
est active iceman, and champion long
time weight litter of Washington.
Get a picture of this broad-shoul-
dered husky as he chugs across Calvert
Street Bridge some morning about
7:30. He'll be in an ancient fiivver,
vintage 1921 (he started business OF
his own with that same car, by the
way, In March just IA years ago, and
does all his own repairs on it,. and
driving slow. Nothing will perturb
him as he pilots the old ice-f1lled truck
along, sitting straight behind the
wheel, rugged up in crinkled old
poncho and sou'wester, relics OF his
earlier days as fisherman on the
Potomac.
For before the laws were passed
which forbade certain types of whole
sale fishing along the Potomac,
"Cap'n" Payne spent IS years on oys-
ter boats and fishing smacks up and
down the river. With sea-breeZy
verve his memory chases back along
the coves, creeks and bays where. be-
tween the ages Of 13 and 90, he hauled
the nets alongside his fellow fisher
men.
10000 Herring One Year.
There was the great haul Of 10000
herring one year; the catch OF rock
fi-h-three boat loads full: the surpris-
ing take Of white cats" another time.
His conversation rapid admixture OF
nautical reminiscence with fervtd,
deep, religious overtones. he tells OF
adventures long ago on the creeks
that cut into the river: The Chlca-
muxen, Mattawoman, Nangemaia,
Port Tobacco. the Occoquan. Aqua,
Potomac Greek, Jotank. Paspatanzy.
Machurak, Rosea, Munrose, Mattux
and Lower Pope.
On the wall of the parlor or his
front room hangs painting, done
by a friend after Payne's verbal de-
scription of the terrible Winter suf-
fered by IA oyster vessels, icelocked
opposite Brick House landing, on
Harlan Island. in Machoda Greek,
Just IA miles from Fredericksburg.
In 1890 such fishing days were over.
He went to hauling ice for the old
Great Falls company in the days
when ice was shipped from Maine and
the Kennebec River region in freight
ers down the seacoast. Icemen got
up at two hours after midnight and
were loading at the platform by g.
In two more hours they had started
on their rounds. with anywhere from
to 7 tons Of ice to be delivered by
some time in the early afternoon.
Independent Employe.
In 'e8 Payne went to the Independ-
ent Ice Co., Just before it was bought
by the American people. Thereafter
for % years he worked for them.
Three and four tons of ice every day
he loaded on his wagon. scored" cut,
swung on his hardened hip with the
curious swing he had developed. mad
heaved into ice boxes along the route.
Then, in February. 1921, he made
cautious canvass of his customers.
There were 800 Of them. The result
gave him courage He bought new
ice truck-the identical one he drives
today-and became an Independent.
Two hundred and ninety OF his Gus
toners swung over to L. E. Payne, in
business on his own.
There were spots where he tossed
TOO pounds of ice into one box every
other day. One place took half
ton at a time, ION order" Around
Woodley place, Connecticut avenue
and Adams Mill road were customers
who had already been on his route
for q decade. They stayed with him.
They are still with him. Two or three
have expected Mr.. Payne's huge bulk
to come into the kitchen about 8
O'Clock every morning for more than
80 years. Some of these people have
electric refrigerators, yet take ice Just
the same. Sentiment, perhaps. Some
won't have anything but the product