THE ICE-HOUSE

BACK IN 1943-44 THERE WASN'T TOO MUCH REFRIGERATION. WHAT THERE WAS WAS USED TO MAKE A FEW ICE CUBES AND KEEP THE MILK FROM SPOILING.

OUT WEST OF ROOSEVELT WAS AN CITY POND THAT PROVIDED DRINKING WATER FOR THE TOWN. WINTERS WERE VERY COLD (30-40 BELOW ZERO) AND THE POND FROZE 2-3 FEET DEEP.

CLAIR LARSEN WHO RAN THE LOCAL BOTTLING WORKS ALSO HAD AN ICE-HOUSE. HE WOULD CUT SEVERAL HUNDRED BLOCKS OF ICE, PUT THEM IN HIS ICE-HOUSE AND SELL THEM TO THE TOWNS PEOPLE THE FOLLOWING SUMMER.

SEVERAL OF US YOUNG BOYS WOULD HIRE OUT TO HELP HIM HARVEST THE ICE. HE WOULD PAY US 10 CENTS PER BLOCK. WE WOULD TAKE THESE HUGE SAWS AND SAW THE ICE INTO BLOCKS APPROXIMATELY 2' BY 2' BY 4'. THEN WE WOULD MAN-HANDLE THEM ONTO WAGONS AND HAUL THEM BACK TO LARSEN'S ICE-HOUSE WHERE WE WOULD STACK THEM IN THE ICE-HOUSE AND SHOVEL SAWDUST OVER THEM TO KEEP THEM FROM THAWING OUT.

WE COULD EACH MAKE $1.50 TO $2.00 FOR A BACK BREAKING 10 HOURS WORK IN SUB-ZERO WEATHER. NO COMPLAINTS THOUGH, THAT WAS GOOD MONEY FOR AN 11 YEAR OLD BOY.

LATER THE NEXT SUMMER WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY $2.00 FOR THE SAME BLOCK OF ICE THAT HE HAD PAID US 10 CENTS FOR.