6
Wednesday, June 24, 1987/Kansan Summer Weekly
Ice
Continued from p. 1
"You won't be traumatized if you see it."
People holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Southwest Missouri State University. Before coming to Lawrence, he was a sales manager for a Kansas City, Mo., building materials supplier. When the building business slumped, People decided to make a move.
"I came to Lawrence," he said,
"because it has good schools for my kids and a low crime rate. I came because of its size, because it's mellow and because of the constant supply of customers."
Pepple's customers are treated well. A list of people who want things and their phone numbers is tacked to a shelf above Pepple's desk.
"Sam remembers stuff that people want," Fisher said. "In fact, one lady said she furnished her whole house from Everything But Ice."
People even makes house calls if a customer is dissatisfied with a purchase.
"Everything in here is new or was brand new," he said. "My buyer tries to get nice, quality merchandise, but most of the stuff has been smashed and mangled."
ase.
Pepple makes enough money to survive because of demand and may be partly because of his rapport with customers. One day he held a customer's baby girl so the man could try some exercise equipment. Pepple joked, "Wanna trade her for something?"
Ice business left a chip of history
By DEBRA A. PETERSON
The history of the building at Sixth and Vermont streets is almost as colorful as its current tenant.
More than 100 years ago, the Lawrence Ice Co. cut ice from the river in winter and stored it for summer use. Sometimes the supply was adequate for the demand. Sometimes it wasn't. And sometimes the storage houses were dangerous.
According to a letter at the Watkins Community Museum written by Fred Smithmeyer, Seattle, to local author Elfriede Fischer Rowe, "The ice houses made spectacular fires when they burned. Layers of ice had to be separated with sawdust or they would have been frozen in a solid mass."
Modernization came in 1894 when A.J. Griffin of Lawrence erected a $13,000 building and installed $9,500 worth of artificial ice-making machinery. The ice was agitated during the freezing process because
it had been observed that ice frozen on a calm lake was opaque, while ice frozen during a brisk wind was clear.
Griffin and another Lawrence ice facility incorporated in 1897 under the directorship of local entrepreneur Roberts who doubled the capacity of the plant.
Despite a flood in 1903 and a tornado that caused $15,000 damage in 1911, the plant continued operations until 1928. In September of that year, the business was bought by the American Service Co. of Atlanta. Ten years later, American Service reemplaced the plant.
The remodeling was completed in eight months mostly by local men at a cost of $75,000. Almost all the old machinery was destroyed. New diesel engines provided electricity for the huge ammonia condensers that made the ice. "Imagine a 1951 Cadillac stood up on its end," Sam Peple, proprietor of Everything But Ice, said. "That's how big the ammonia condensers that made ice."
Ice was big business in the days before air conditioning. Nowadays, $5 buys about 56 pounds of ice. In 1920, $5 bought 1,000 pounds. Housewives would hang a card in their windows that told the ice man how much ice they needed. KU football players were often hired to carry the 25-, 50-, 75- or 100-pound blocks of ice.
The plant was overwhelmed with calls in October 1942 when regular operations shut down because of a strike for higher wages by newly hired men. One company driver, Jack Dillon, sought police protection to return to his job after lunch.
When electric refrigeration became popular in the 1950s, the ice business declined, though the building maintained its cold storage facility.
In 1960, Robert Harrison of the Gill Real Estate Agency purchased the building from the American ServICE Co.
Now the building houses Every thing But Ice.
All films will be shown at 7:00 p.m. in Woodruff Auditorium.
Admission is $2.00; tickets are sold at the SUA Office level 4, Kansas Union. No smoking is permitted in the theatre.
Wed., June 24 THE LAST HURRAH
Director:
John Ford
Spencer Tracy is the powerful Irish-American mayor, heading a corrupt political machine. A fascinating study of ethics and power, with Pat O'Brien and Basil Rathbone.
Thur., June 25
Director:
Akira Kurosawa
Kurosawa's classic and most widely acclaimed film is the absorbing tale of seven warriors defending a farming village. Don't miss a masterpiece. (Japanese with subtitles)
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for Gyros, Falafel pita. 711 W.23rd burger or puffs. Malls Shopping Center
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