1900 Harry Johnsons Bartenders Manual (Mixellany)

— 61 —

neath it. If it is made too low down, the space under- neath is wasted, as no keg or barrel can be placed there, and in an ice box you want every inch of room to be utilized. This chamber should also be made of the best material, the beams placed in it not crossed vertically but horizontally. The best material is hard pitch pine, the reason being that it does not absorb water, will neither rot nor decay, nor become filled with the bad odor as is frequent with soft woods. The drip-pan, to be placed under the ice chamber, must be of the proper size, not too small, or else water will drip outside of it. It should be made of galvanized iron or copper, for if cheaper material is used it will soon corrode and even break from the coldness of the water. As this furnishing of a place is only made once in a series of years, no expense should be spared in having the ice box constructed thoroughly and properly. The connections, such as the waste pipe, connected with the sewer should be made in such a manner that when it becomes closed up by the slime, as it will do in sum- mer every ten days or fortnight, it can be easily taken apart, cleaned and then put together with but little trouble. A small platform made of strong material, about two or three inches from the floor of the box, should run lengthwise in the rear and at the two ends, but should not obstruct the passage through the door or doors. The platform should be boarded up tight in front or else left perfectly open underneath, so that it will be easy to clean the vacant space. The top of the plat- form should be covered with smooth, solid galvanized iron to protect it, and also to allow a barrel to be slipped or pushed along on it with convenience. Every first-class ice box should have one or two ventilators, placed conveniently, so that they can be regulated handily, in necessary changing of temper- ature as desired. On the floor inside of the box, close