Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-09-30
The Refrigerated ponchas.
REPORTS OF THEIR noT1INa-pEoBABLE LypLAN
TInN oF THE eTOuY.

REPORTS OF THEIR norIISd-pRoBABLE LlpLANA
TIoN OF THE sTonY.
From Middletown reports have come TO this
city, which have found their way into print, tc
the effect that tho peaches in Mr.. Rikers re
frigerating house arc rotting. The probable
failure Of tho effort to establish such al enter
prise is discussed ut Mddetowh, 80 we are
informed by a gentleman who came up
tho road yesterday. but the points in the diacus-
sion are very meagre indeed. 1t is stated that
at the first OF the week an examination OF the
peaches revealed the fact that some OF them are
specked, and 1t 3 Inter examination further
| progress had been made in the decay Of tho
| fruit. This may or it may not be true. Mr..
liiker is himself in New York and has not been
down to Middletown for about two weeks, and
| there is no one ut Middletown authorized to speak
for him. All visitors are carefully excluded
from the refrigerating house, and hence tliose
who are discussing the probable failure have
very little margin to go on.
We are in possession OF information, however,
from gentleman who is probably better inform
ed upon this subject than any one outside Of Mr.
Riker and those immediately, connected with him
which may in some measure explain the story OF
the decaying fruit, il true. III the location of
this enterprise at Mddletown Mr.. Isiker has
been making some experiments, but without en-
dangerug the failure Of his main effort in tho
event OF their non success. 1t is his firm con-
vction that fully ripe peach, II refrigerated,
Will TcelhE Lne tueCIS Oh decay III bIle open
air longer than similar peach freshly picked
from the tree, and he has been endeavoring TO
prove this theory. About two weeks ago he sent
to New York a Car of refrigerated peaches from
his house at Middletown, part of which WAS
put upon the market the next morning, and tho
remainder the second day in good condition. If
there are decaying peaches in the re!rigeratng
house our informant il Of tho opinion that they
are those which were picked in n fully ripe state
Tor experiment, and not those which 1t il OK
nffIt TO- npt, ,,,tI init tni,n sxf
more firm nature. This gentleman does not re-
gard this enterprise at Middletown as an expert
ment at all, for. lie says, Mr.. Riker has similar
house at Now York where he has attained the
best result possible. Certain it is the effort has
not been abandoned, and from whatwe can learn
is not likely to be.
MORE ABOUT THE ROTTEN PEAcuEs-sEvEN Hum
DRIED BASKETS THROWN AWAY,
Correspondence efthe Commercial
AlrDpLETowN, Sept. 81.
noticed all article in tho CoMaIERcIAI5 of last
Saturday, in relation to tho refrigerating of
peaches at Messrs. Riker Il Co.'s building near
this town, and at once concluded to investigate
some Of tile statements therein made, but no in
formation could be cleaned except by seeing. as
those in charge OF the building are rather I'M
communicative in the absence Of the principal
member Of the firm. There had been various
rumors in circulation, last week, one being that |
the peaches, when taken out OF tho building. |
tasted Of the pine boxes in which they were
placed.
After this came the news that peaches were |
being taken from the building rotten and thrown |
away. The last statement WIS too true. for near |
tho building are piled elk or seven hundred bas- |
kets Of fine fruit Of early varieties. This may |
be tho result of an experiment, but it is costly
one and the fact IL undeniable ; yet 700 baskets |
ia very small loss from the IL, 900 or 10000 |
now slowed in the building A great interest is |
taken in this refrigerator, tho SUCCESS and fall |
ure OF which ia daily argued in all places where |
peach mon meet, as many Of them have largo |
quantities on deposit.