Before home refrigerators became common, families bought blocks of ice from local ice dealers. Rather than paying cash each delivery, customers often purchased coupon books in advance. The "2000 Lbs." on the cover indicates the total amount of ice represented by this book.
The customer would:
Hang an "ice card" in the window indicating how many pounds they wanted.
The iceman delivered the ice. The customer left the booklet (2,000-pound book of prepaid ice) near the ice box.
The iceman delivered whatever amount the household requested—5, 10, 25 pounds, or combinations thereof.
He tore out coupons totaling the number of pounds delivered. For example:
One 25-pound coupon, Two 10-pound coupons + one 5-pound coupon = 25 pounds, Four 25-pound coupons = 100 pounds
This type of bookkeeping was common before mechanical refrigeration became widespread because it simplified deliveries and avoided handling cash.
This rare book was issued by Yates & Gartin. The company was located in Franklin, Nebraska.
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