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ICE HARVESTING. The snow is first cleared by means of scrapers very much like the scrapers used in building roads or making excavations for the foundations of buildings. It takes two people to do this, one to lead the horse, the other to hold the scraper to its work.

After the snow has been cleared away deep parallel grooves are cut in the ice with what is called an “ice plow.” These ice plows are sometimes driven by steam but horses are usually used as you see in the picture. With this plow grooves are cut in the ice in both directions so that the ice is divided into blocks about three feet square. Unless the ice is very thick the plow cuts very nearly through.

After the ice has been cut nearly through with the plow the rest of the work is done with a saw, one end of which runs down into the water. After the ice cakes are sawed out by one set of men another set pry them apart with crowbars, while a third set floats them down channels, made for the purpose, toward the ice house.