The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-11-03
The Dried Fruit Business.
CHARLOTTE, Oct. n, Il


Nh y.rps.-Your notice in this weeks
Democrat of the extensive business done III
Rlackberries by the merchants in Salem, WIN |
stop and other points in that part OF the state:
NAV nroduce a smile upon the face Of some IN
credulous readers but having just returned from
= visit to Salem and Winston, desire TO alu you
in your efforts to awaken the people OF heckleh[
burg. Union, and through the large region OF
country in which your paper elrculates' 10 '.ne
importance of turning to profitable account the
rich resources which Providence has stre"n go
profusely amongst them
To appreciate the 'Dried Fruit business
which includes Blackberres, Apples and Peaches,
It will be necessary to hear the business men at
the trading points where they accumulate, con
verse in regard to it, and to look through their
extensive warehouses aud examine their prepara-
+;o,s for the business TO see their large rooms
nartitioped off into sBins" to contain the differ
ent varieties of fruit, and the different grades OF
the several varieties, and see their long tables
nied with dried fruit and each side closely seated
with women and girls busily engaged in assert
ing the different grades preparatory to belng
barreled for export, will convey some idea OF It's
aorreciation there. | did not procure statlseles
Of this business, but your suggestion OF SiUo,oVo
worth being sent North from Salem and lnS,oh
7 am satisfied is below the mark. Mr. Vo9ler
400 barrels Of blackberries, and that there had
been 800 or 900 barrels shipped by the other
merchants of bis town, but i'll value apples anc
neachcs far exceed the berries.
The important consideration IN the matter
that it is the product of the labor OF the "onle'
and children of the country. The Biackberrle
being gathered from the waste lands ana lehc
corners. and the frnits from the orchards, n
heavy or expensive labor is required to produc
or prepare them for market. The Sheriff o
Forsythe has paid his county taxes into IN
State Treasury, and reports but trinlnS iiSt
insolyents, and says the blackberry crop PAID tn
taxes and left comfortable surplus to the people
The merchants report the people IN the count
to be in easy and prosperous circumstances an
able to pay cash for all their wants
IF the people of Meeklcnburg, and IN tn
counties in which the Democrat circuiates. WouI
only employ the women and children, VINO al
struggling for the means of subsistence. IN gathe
ing aud drying these fruits for market, iafs
nopulation would be comfortably supported al
the taxes of the people burdensome as they al
would be paid and their cotton and other lar
products would be large surplus to he turn'
to profitable use in building up our delapldat'
and waste places and in developing the rich
sources of our country. W C cannot expect III"
who perform the labor of preparing dried fru
IOr HdThcb ~ tbS"s5o III ~ U'A'NA"
assisted by the farmers and merchants OF Il
country. 1t requires some energy and apple
ton, as overy thing profitable docs;: but nothl
can be more simple than this Let the farme
prepare the necessary drying conveniences, q
organize the unprcductive labor attached to t
families in their employ and the idle women a
children in their neighborhood, and employ Tho
for few weeks in the Summer and they Will
enriched and will cause the smile of happln'
to beam upon faces new clouded with anxio
cares
Allow me to say for the ancient town ct Sale
that there is not in any State South commun
provided with better mere comfortable nous
or people who have more appearance OF s,
stantial prosperity There is no effort at d'sp
any where, but every thing bears the aPpcarai
Of substantial utility. Winston, the county sc
is separated from Salem by an 'imaginary lin
and the much younger, is growing and eztendl
its borders in a manner to excite the jealousy
its ancient neighbor.
The Superior Court was in session IN WIns
last week. the machine being run" by his Ho1
Judge Cloud, who presided with all the disn
with which he possessed, and administer
Justice and the law according to his best ablt
His Honor had dark shade around one eye
suppose from sympathy with Judge 1oure
His Honor, it was said, had just before b.
rudely embraced and perhaps otherwise rons
manipulated by some uncivil mountaineer, '
had not the fear of the Judge before his c.
AN OBSERVER