Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-02
FRUIT INTERESTS.
The Great Fruit shipping House of the
Coasf-M. r. Brewer d c..


PROGRESS.
For several years we have directed at
tention to the fruit interests of the Stat
as represented in this city, now admitted.
the most prominent fruit market of Cali
fornia for shipment to the East and tn,
States and Territories this side of the Mis-
sissippi. From the outset we were called
upon to give special notice of the mos
extensive of the fruit shipping houses, thai
of NJ. L. Brewer & Co., firm consisting o.
NJ. T. Brewer and John f. Farnsworth
These gentlemen are the pioneers of fruit
shipping. Our reviews have been annual
records of their successful management Of
one of the most precarious of commercial
vacations, of the obstacles they have en-.
countered, and the ultimate and final sue.
cess they have achieved. Indeed it is not
in the slightest degree exaggeration to say
! that no house in the State has done more
| than this one to advance fruit interests in
California and promote the great industry,
horticulture. The firm has stood by Sac
ramento and the fruit shipment trade from
the beginning, fully convinced, as the Sc.
quel proved, MISUNDERSTANDING were
such as to develope it into the leading fruit
| market of the coast-a position it attained
all the sooner through the indomitable per.
severance and business sagaclty of Brewer
& Co. Ten years ago the firm entered
upon the business of shipping California
fruits to Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Ne
vada and the far Eastern markets by the
transcontinental railway. Since then the
business has gained enormous proportions,
and while not few rivals have entered the
field, they have been unable to shake the
Sacramento firm or stay a single step of its
progressive march. As early as 1878 they
had perfected system rendering the use
of ice in fruit shipping wholly unneces-
sary, and by which California products
were forwarded to the East in better con.
dition than ever before. Since then they
have availed of, originated and introduced
many new elements in packing and trans
porting fruits, until now the business
has very nearly attained the unat-
tainable-perfection But their trade has
not been confined wholly to shipping
fruit. Being heavy dealers in grass
and farm and garden seeds, honey, trop-
ical products, nuts, dried fruit, etc., they
have commanded large local trade within
the borders of the State and throughout
Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, Idaho, Mon
tana and Utah, and to the trade of these
nearer sections they have given especial
attention. To give statistics of the bust.
ness of this house would lead us to speak
of hundreds of thousands of dollars paid
by it at the railroad freight office for car
rage rates, and of millions of dollars
which have passed through and been rep.
resented by the transactions of the firm in
the last few years. In 1878, reviewing the
business of Sacramento for 1877, the CON-
mercial report of this paper spoke Of the
fruit and produce-shipping business as
Is the most active Of the city," and that it
had so increased in volume and area as to
compel this firm, with others, to limit it
as to themselves, being satisfied with the
then safe returns. In the succeeding year
the review of the same paper justly placed
NJ. T. Brewer & Co. at the head of the
fruit. shipping business. 1t was then
pointed out that the traffic had grown to
vast proportions, and that nearly all prom
inent fruit. growing sections OF the State
were contributing to Sacramentos import
ance. 1t was shown that Brewer & Co.
had been compelled to have one of the
firm in the Territories, the Western States
and the East every season to make crit
ical examination of the markets, and
SO arrange that neither the business nor
the fruit interests OF California should take
harm by any missteps. These personal ex-
aminations led TO the limiting of the ship
ments to tfrst-class products only, to the
most careful selection of goods for ship
ment, and to their dispatch to Colorado,
Idaho, Wyoming, Chicago, New York and
Philadeiphia in the best manner possible.
This led to greater care being exercised by
fruit-growers, and very soon the market
felt the good results of the new departure !;
for California products, which had suffered
in those markets because of over-anxiety
of both shippers and growers to supply a
growing demand, soon attained better
standing, and eventually came to be the
choice exhibits of the distant markets.
The centrality of Sacramento, the ease Of
handling goods, its nearnesa by twenty-four
hours lin shipping) to the East, its climatic
advantages, the lowness of rents, the many
radiating lines Of transportation, all com
bine to make this city the best point at
which to conduct the fruit.shipping bust
ness, and NJ. T. Brewer & Co. realizing
these facts, and finding their efforts to give
California fruits d standard position
crowned with success and That the fruit
growers had become convinced of the just
! ness and wisdom of the firms acts in rigid
" rejecting defective products, have stood
between the fruit-shipping interests, and
what at times has appeared the ruin of fruit
interests.
| In 1880 the RECORD UNION, again re.
ferring, in its annual review, to the firm
of NJ. T. Brewer & Co., pointed to the re-
markable success Of the house and the
value of It's labors to the horticulture of
the coast, and added that the house was
81 an established authority for market quo
tations Of fruits throughout California.
Il also called attention to the fostering of
raisin culture by this firm, and predicted
that that industry would grow into vast
proportions in the Sacramento valley.
| This has been demonstrated by the season
of 1851, and ii may now be set down that
raisin culture, especially in the immediate
central portion OF the State, and near to
| Sacramento, has entered upon growth
leading to an early and giant maturity.
The firm finds 1t to its advantage to deal
also in the tropic growth of this State, and
has a system OF exchange and purchase by
| which oranges and lemons, and other tropic
and semi. tropic fruits grown In California,
and the sea islands, Mexican and Austria
han growths, are here marketed and then
shipped eastward. They deal in all kinds
OF dried fruits also, aud in maple syrups,
fruit buffers and other delicacies of the
East Candies and canned goods have
been added to their lines of traffic, while
their department of garden, field and
flower bed seeds has greatly enlarged, and
embraces the best obtaiDable stocks. The
list of goods in which Brewer & Co. are
now wholesale dealers-to enter some