George G. Hill as president is head of one of the most important business institutions of the City of Concordia. He directs the destinies of a public utility, though owned by a private corporation, which is as intimately connected with the welfare and health of the people of that community as can be claimed for any other single enterprise.
This is the Concordia Iee and Cold Storage Company. Mr. Hill had been its president for the past ten years, and from the time of its organization in 1902 had been one of the executive officers of the company, having held the position of vice president for five years.
The vice president at the present time is A. Hirsch, a prominent business man of Kansas. Mr. Hirsch immigrated to this country at the age of thirteen from his native Germany. In 1874 he came to Kansas and had also been identified with the Concordia Ice and Cold Storage Company since its beginning. He is also president of the First National Bank of Formoso, Kansas.
E. S. Huseher, secretary, treasurer and manager of the company, is a Kansas boy and was reared and educated in Cloud County. He had been connected with this concern for the past ten years.
Mr. George G. Hill was born in Carrollton, Illinois, where he was reared and educated. Coming to Kansas in 1874, he had been a worker and business man of this state for over forty years. For a number of years he was in the telephone business and held importaut responsibilities under the Concordia Telegraph and Telephone Company as secretary and treasurer.
A business like the Concordia Ice and Cold Storage Company deserves some special mention regarding its extent and efficiency. The most scientific health specialists are practically unanimous in their opinion that the best grades of natural ice is more or less impregnated with disease germs and that its use for domestic purposes is dangerous. Thus oven in the Northern cities, where natural ice is plentiful and cheap, the artificial ice is more favored by the public even at a higher price. Therefore the people of Concordia and surrounding towns have reason to congratulate themselves upon being able at all times through the Concordia Ice and Cold Storage Company to procure absolutely pure ice at a minimum cost. This ice is manufactured from distilled water by the best modern methods and the finest of table waters are not freer from impurities than this ice itself. When the company began business in 1902 they had a capacity of twelve tons of ice per day. In ten years this was increased to a plant of sixty tons capacity, with a storage capacity of 160 earloads. The entire plant covers a half block and had 225,000 cubie feet of refrigeration space. There are two complete generators, a boiler capacity of 500 horse-power, and three distinct ice making machines, two being operated in the summer and one in winter. The power house, separate from the storage plant, is built as nearly flreproof as possible, the material of coustruction being reinforced concrete. When the plant is filled to capacity the contents represents a value ranging from $600,000 to $700,000. At times twenty-five carloads of frozen poultry, 100 carloads of eggs, 30 earloads of butter and 30 carloads of apples find storage within its walls.
These figures indicate something of the magnitude and extent of the business. In order the better to handle and take care of the growing patronage the company had from time to time had to enlarge the facilities. No money had been spared in order to give the best of service to the patrous of the concern. During the winter months a staff of twelve men are employed in the business, while thirty-five are on the payroll in summer. The yearly payroll runs between $18,000 and $20,000.
The officers and men back of this concern are doing much for the City of Concordia. Mr. Hill, Mr-Hirsch and Mr. Huscher have been responsible for its growth and development, and their associates and the citizens generally give them credit for this splendid situation.