Delaware tribune, and the Delaware state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1877-18??, 1877-08-16
rHiE PEACH BUsfURss,

8t11l F1fm-Tm0 AUv0usA8U~ VI
New Charter Car System-Asro
Active Composition Ansoug the
Copmmiasion Men The DanGer OF
Overloaded Cars.
Utrrssp ohdensc Of Etsry Nvehng and Commercial.
M,pbIErowN, August i5.-About seten
hundred thousand baskets Of pesches have
bssn marketed from tile peninsula, Up ta
the present writing, over five hundred
thousand having gone by way OF the
Delaware road. The season b now at its
food, and the gratifying conviction has
forced isoelf upon tile growers that their
fruit is paying them good profit, con-
trary TO all expectations. When the season
opened fruit could have been easily bought
in any quantity at from fifteen TO twenty |
cents per basket, delivered at the depot. |
Now the growers refuse to sell, in most |
instances, at thirty cents, and gentleman
at Dover who has purchased ten thousand
baskets at from twenty-five to thirty
cents, thinks that he has made q good
bargain, and probably he has. The
Chicago md other Western merchants
have sent their agents here, and they are
now roaming over the peach districts
offering TO buy fruit at from thirty to
thirty-fve cents.
The growers are, however, slow to
accept those figures, as the markets are
now firm and the first, II in good order,
netting them better profit than those
figures represent. As l have predicted,
now that the larger and frmer varieties are
being shipped, there is marked improve
ment in the markets.
The shipments on Monday were quite
heavy, and it was feared that there would
occur break in the markets, but prices in
Philadelphia, New York and Boston ruled
higher than at any time during the past
week, and the quotations now are:
| Boston, from $1.75 to $2.25 for crates,
| 4l.2O for baskets; New York, $l.25 to
$1.75 for crates, seventy cents and $l.2'
for baskets, Philadelphia, 81 to $3.50 for
crates, and seventy.Ave cents to 81 for
baskets. These are unprecedented prices,
during season when the crop has been
| full on1 and when the heaviest shipments
are being made. The Western markets
are fully up to this, Quotations furnished
shippers here being as follows: 49,
Chicago, ninety cents to 81 for one-third
crates; Cincinnati, 50 per crate; Urbana,
Ohio, "a; Pittsburgh, S1.25 to $1.75 per
crate; Toledo, 81. % to $3.50; Louisville,
81. so to 81. 25 per half bushel; Columbus,
$3.50 per crate.
Tho firmness of the Philadelphia market
has been a pleasing surprise to all the
shippers, as the water shipments and late
afternoon consignments over the railroad,
have always before easily, and at an early
period in the season, broken that market
down. The explanation is simple. In 1873
shipments were made by the car load to
Reading, Scranton; Harrisburg and other
points, where it was possible for the Phil
adelphia commission merchants to sell
their surplus fruit and ease their own
L arket, and when the fruit ran over in
amount what was necessary for home con-
sumption glrt WINS the consequence, as
the contiguous cities had already been sup.
Piled. This year the commission men al
those points have not been able to get the
supply by tho car load, as
they could not warTan,
the markets to stand it. The consequence
has been that Philadelphia has been quite
, as good a shipping poiIt as New York
sometimes even better. At the opening Of
the present season, the railroad company
broke up the old chartered car system
i Many of the shippers found fault with the
, new arrangements modification of thu
old system by which now shippers car
charter car for one shi1m'ent, at an.
time, by giving proper notice-a day-ant
/ subscribing to certain conditions us tc
. liability of the company. 1t is eviden
now that the present firm condition of thu
markets is due, in n great measure, to tn
: : new departure Heretofore combinatio,
\ of commission men and large grower
. would control the trade of the diiferen
i stations, as they would charter the car
q and allow no one else to be consigners o
i fruit but themselves. 1t must be under
stood that after certain date before tn
season began, according to the old system
= no cars could be chartered, and tn
y commission men, who were not i
-eanaition to risk tn
heavy premium of chartered cars, withor
y certainty of being able to get theI
q loaded, were not able to get any fruit
because the houses who had chartered III
cars, would, as l have said, not let thel
% ship in their cars The consequence WI
in many cases, that few houses handle
nearly all the fruit, and were not able
= sell it to advantage, and very often, as HI
> been frequently proved, they would con
bine and make what returns they pleased
n They commanded the position, and i
grover, ut tho station where they hu
n chartered the cars, could get their fruit
"a market without shipping to them. The
being no reason why they should NAL
"a competition sales. they did about as the
10 pleased. This was not the unusual cons
m auence of the old chartered Ca syster
a. but was sufficiently prevalent to make {
!, the difference in the world in prices.
Of The advantage of the new arranseme
"a is easily discovered if any of the lar,
ot shipping points be studied closely for
q, few days.
' There is active competition among Il
commission men as to good rates, for I
R shippers con now, at q days notice, ma
4. arrangements to ship car to other hous
n if their returns are not prompt and
- good as the market will warrant. Amo
many of the growers, and especially amo
the railroad authorities there is a pref
strong opinion that the present active n
lv healthy state of the markets is due to I
change. Certainly it would seem that
l.. present way of managing the shipment
Il. car loads is more just than the old syste
en- The railroad company has for years be
M complaining Of the custom of overload
m. cars, which has several times placed ira
he in serious danger. The load allowed
ise sixteen thousand pounds to the car. I
lat company have made provision for cases
81 which It is necessary to overload up
' $4,000 pounds by an extra charge for
ms excess This extra tariff was put
nd as a check to the shippers to prevent {
& overlooking whatever, exceptin cases VIII
seN it might seem absolutely necessary,
be not to bring revenue into the compal
I'VE Golfers.
Ar, 1t sometimes occurs that a shipper, Y
re- charters car, does not get full load
md few hundred pounds. This is loss,
course, to hi,a, as he must pay for the
hes car load. Now, in case car is overloa
.alf few hundred pounds, to make the til
bly even, the company, if l correctly un'
,ro- stand the question, will not take
ion excess in account.
vii. Many of the shippers, however, are
the satisfied with reasonable turning of
the tables on the railroad in this way, but !
ing coed to make business of heavily o
loading their chartered cars, present
!, the company with false invoice and