Middletown transcript., 1874-05-02
The Peach Growers.

and New Markets, and Prices of Freight,
makes the following report:
After two or three years of correspond
ence, travel and anxiety on our part, we
are able to give you history Of what the
committee has done. On the 1st day Of
November two years ago, (1S71,) the
committee went on to New York, called
over next morning at Jersey City. saw Mr..
f. W. Jackson Chief Superintendent of
New York Division of the Pennsylvania
Railroad. and asked him If he would trans
fer loaded peach cars over the North Riv-
err; he gavo us to understand he would,
and that it would take about II hours to
make the round trip with the lighters
We then went to the office Of the New
Haven r. r., and their superintendent.
Mr.. Hoyt, told the committee that there
had been opened the day before a short
railroad from Thirty second street, North
River, to the New Haven Road, and that
if we would deliver peaches by the train
over the short railroad route, fifteen miles
to their (the New Havcn) Road that they
would at any time during the day or
night, take said train of peach cars direct
on to Boston, uia New Haven, Hartford
Springfield, thence by the Boston & AL
bany Road through Worcester to Boston
aud leaving cars OFF at said towns if we
desired, aud that the rate of speed would
not be less than 20 miles an hour. No
price Of freight per ear was fixed on. The
committee then went to the Grand Central
depot to see Commodore Vanderbilt. the
owner of the l5 miles of connecting road
and Mr.. Toucy, Superintendent for Mr..
Vanderbilt, informed the committee that
they would take cars of peaches from the
North River at Thirty second street to the
New Haven r. r. We could not get
him to name price per car, but we in
lerred that it would be about $40 per car.
The committee then went to New Haven,
Hartford, and Springfield, and at every
place was received in the kindest manner
by the commission men in the said cities
Their books were thrown open to us and
prices shown that they had sold fruit for.
1t was then 50 late in the season that the
committee did not 60 to Northern Penn
| syvania or Western New York and there
fore left these places out of their report at
| the close of the year 1871. In the spring
and summer of 1872 the committee saw
Mr.. jackson at jersey City in regard to
transferring loaded cars with peaches a.
cross the North River to Thirty second
street. He then could not say positively
whether he could furnish lighters or not
and as there was only a partial crop of
peaches that year the committee did not
press the matter, as it was the general o.
pinion of the peach growers that New
York and Philadelphia would furnish US
all the market needed that year, and for
this same reason the committee did not 90
to lock for markets in northern Pennsyl-
vana or western New York The same
remarks will apply to the year 1878, when
there was partial crop only, but never
theless the committee in the year 1878,
did 90 to New York and to the office Of
the New Haven r. R. and to the office OF
the North River R. r. The committee
learned that Mr.. Ioyt of the New Haven
road was dead, but the committee was
told in the New Haven Office that The New
Haven r r. had extended their track
down to the water ON the east side of Har-
!
be made to Jersey City, requiring abou,
ten miles Of fcrriage or lighterng, which
would take, on an average, about two
hours. This spring the committee wen
on again and called on +, W. jackson al
Jersey City, and he informed the commit
tee he could transfer loaded cars over tt
Thirty second street, North river, at which
| ,ln = ha .
slip to land cars The committee ther
went over to said place, Thirty seconG
street, and after long, disagreeble wall
down to the end of the pier found only ;
bulk head and no float. The committe,
then went to the Central d pot and in thu
office of the North River Railroad to SEE
if they would build float, and transfer
cars off the lighters Oh their road and rur
them over ther road to the New Haver
Railroad, and if so, how much per car
they named the outrageous sum of forty
dollars per car, and then if we add ter
dollars per car for ferriage, you have fifty
dollars per Car for going fifteen miles a
round New York city. Then, again, W.
have found out this spring that the rail
roads between New York and Boston arc
the same gauge as the Phila., vii. 4
Bal. Railroad and the railroad between
Philadelphia and New York II inche.
wider, therefore the P, w. & b. r. r
has had made for several years wheel,
with broad tread, but none of the railroad.
east of New York have such broad treac
wheels and therefore none of their car.
can be run to Delaware. There has beer
an immense amount of talk between
Messrs. Clark, Williams and Moody, o
the Boston, Erie Il Hartford and New
Haven railroads, and the committee anc
the President of this association, with th,
committee, have met these railroad mer
once in New York and last week in Phila
delphia, and after volumes of talk it has
finally settled down by the above named
railroad men between Jersey City ant
Boston, making the following proposition
which the committee submits to this asso
citation for their consideration
| Ghar1oc nlo,1, T,,.tno Al D..