June 10, 1849
Dear Reader,
It's getting rather hot out in the fields. The hay is looking good and we have had a good calving for this year. Old man Getman's bull has had a busy season around the valley and no one got hurt or killed dealing with him this time 'round.
That animal cost Getman a fortune to buy and raise but he has made a pretty penny in stud fees over the past 10 years. Father keeps saying we should get into the business ourselves.
I, on the other hand, have been pushing for getting into the ice business. People will pay a good price for ice as the summer heat rolls around.
The man they call the Ice King, Frederic Tudor, up in Massachusetts is making a fortune shipping ice all over the states and as far away as India! Imagine - 15 years ago on May 12, 1833 he made his first shipment to India as one of his ships sailed from Boston for Calcutta, (a distance of 16,000 miles). Its hold was filled with 180 tons of ice cut during the previous winter. When it approached the Ganges in September 1833, many believed the delivery was an elaborate joke, but the ship still had 100 tons of ice upon arrival which he sold for a magnificent profit.
Father agrees we have the means to build our own ice house for storage but he points out that our pond would not produce enough winter ice to make for a profitable business. I will have to figure out how to get access to larger bodies of water. I will keep my mind on the problem.
Mother and Father remain in good health. Sister Mary is in particularly good spirits as Sam Fish is paying her close attention at church services. We'll see what comes of this. Mother seems pleased.
Continuing in good health, I remain
Your correspondent,
Chauncey Sherman Seckner
