, 1874-10-18
Extent OF Chicago Business in
That Article.
Number Of Firms Engaged---" Reg
ularso and "SideHalkers."
Average Profts---The Supply, and
Whence 1t Comes.
California Fruits

Few Of thoee who make the morning round oi
South Water atreet in quest OF their daily allow
ance OF fruit have the faintess idea OF the i'm
postance OF Chicago a. fruit market, or Of the
extent Of territory which il levied upon to supply
the ever-increasing demand Of the Chicago
trade. The present season has witnessed more
bonntifui supply and
THE FINEST DISPLAY
Of fruits Of various kinds than has been ssen
for many d year. In baskets aud in boxes IN
barrels and in crates piled in gracefully y-shaped
pyramids, OF scattered 10 picturesque confusion.
the blusning peach, in ,ta basket-shaped house
OF willow, has smiled genial welcome to her
rosy-cheeked neighbors, the apple and the pear !;
crlnson-biue plutnbs peeped coquettislly out on
heaps OF golden quinces while great clusters of
purple grapes held friendly converse with their
moro dmlnutive rivals, the rich and dainty
berry.
To show the enormous extent OF the trade il
fruits Of various kinds which has grown up 30
rapidly in our midst is the intention OF this arti-
clio. It has been found exceedingly difficult, if
not altogether impossible, to obtain statistics
which are eotirclY perfect but. from such data
Is were collected, it can DO ahown that ~
market for fruit, Chicago acknowledges but ono
peer, and that III Now York City and, in the item
without rival.
Most Of the commission~houses hand1ing fruit
are located on South Water street, ~Llch is
THE BEEHIVE OF CHICAGO.
The street is built up aolidly aud substantially,
aud for 3 distance Of four blocAs, extending from
Wells to State street, on both sides Of the Street,
there are, With but one or two e1ceptlons, no
houses not handling fruit to greater OF less e1-
tent. The street is jammed with teams and tie
sidewalk crowded with foot-rassengera from G
o'clock IN The morning until 7 at night. Renta
other portion of Chicago, cach foot trout
bringing An annual rental of $3.50.
Besides the houses on this street,
there are about TWENTY-FIVE each Oh Vest Lake
aud hlnzie strceta. aud quito number on South
ing total OF $50 firms doing commission buei-
ness only Outside Of these, who may 10 called
the regular deaieEs. arc what are termed, in the
paslance OF the street, 3*sdcwalk men :" that
il, persons who with but little capita! buy Of the
I. regulars " in small lots, reut so many fest
front on the sidewalk, aud there resell to the
consumer. This latter class number about
seventy.five. and are working on capital varying
in extent from $5 to $500. Some OF these dealers
frequently clear - high AZ $50 per day. turning
their capital over lalfa-dozaa times in ten
hours. Somo OF them pay AZ high Is s3G5 per al,-
mum for space Of Sidewalk 10 feet By i, but 1t
il in these primitive stoi crooms that good many
OF the regulars" have commenced. An empty
peacn-oo1 l6 1npfofleeu into a counter, the cell
ing is the universal canopy Of blue, from which
the cobwebs are never swept. and tile rtrees is
the door, which requires no bolts or bars. At
night some neighborlug cellar furnishes friend
u shelter for the surplus STOCK which is usually
small The
StDEwALEEnS
sometimes mntter curser, not loud but deep. over
what they call the perddy OF the ''regulars' in
selling to the consumer BY the single
basket or pound as cheaply rs to then- This is
not generally done, however, unless it is on
Saturday night whom, in the frantic end-avors
OF al the dealers, both great aud small, to
" clean up" the atocs, instead OF carrying it
over to atouday N orning, fruit is sometimes sold
for about one. half Of its firrt cost. The side
walkers +" usually rcoack a'l peaches. pears,
p:ume, aprles, aud ounces. aud sometimes play
many ticks on the Hnwary and conld1g cos-
toners th.t arc yain and peculiar. Some have
seen basket Of slckly-looking peaches, that
Looked as though suffering from seyero' attack
7f contraction" transformed in the twiuk- !
ling OF IN eye by the dcft bands |
II an expert "packcr" iuto taske: of luscious
fruit, glowing with tinted beauty, and blusping !
rith the Consciousness Of tho deceit in wh,cn
hey are unwittlngly compelled to play part.
In order to show