New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-20
THE W0ES or BERRY MEN
LARGE LOSSES PROM TuEFrs or CRATEs-soMH
HING ABOUT 1nE TRADE.

LARGE LOSSES PROM TuEFr5 or CRATEs-soME-
HING ABOUT THE TRADE.
Tho berry tralo Ia this city amounts to nearly
e9 600 600 ooob season and cnrrcd by about 300
b,naoa ON "a small commission Tho season begins In
tho earl, part Of May aud continues until the middle
Of August Strawberries come first from Maryland,
and then follow from Delaware, Ncw Jorscy and along
tho Hudson River. while tho last of them come from
Oswcgo. about Juno l. Raapbcrrcs begin TO arrive in
june and they laat until August l. Blackbenios aud
whorloberrica begin 30 como july l. aud lnat until
Aneust ~ Tho taapbcrrtcp arc acnt frat from Mary
Land aud Delaware md others follow from New York,
y1o tho whortlobcrrioa arc received chiefly from
f. .i,yIynnin though there some raised among the
Caala Tho tfado from points upon tho North
River i "a heavy one, aud tho bcrrioa arc mostly
brought to tho city by two lines OF boats-th Kings
ton Line and tho Poughkeopae Iransior Company
Tho berries in cups packed IN crates. when re
taller purchases crate of berries he il required 20 de-
post for the crate which he receives back upon ITS
return the shipper holding the commission merchant
responsible in that amount.
For several year. there have been organized bodies
of thieves who have made a business of stealing these
crates either from the wharvos while they are on
their way to the boa and taking them to the com
mission merchants to receive a dollar for each one
This has resulted in great loss to the merchants, and
they have tried many ways of stopping the robbery.
One way was 60 issue tickets without the return OF
which with the crates the money could not be collected
But many of the dealers have discarded their use be-
cause of the trouble involved. Customers whom they
knew to be honest would frequently lose the tickets
and were generally annoyed by the consequent delay in
settling The greater part OF the business is done in
the morning, when there Is continual rush. and little
time to exercise any care.
ATR1Hrvy reporter talked with number Of the
ala. yf he
found that they all suffered or less from these
robbories Charles VI Purdy. of No. II Barclay-st..
said that there we're causes for 1t. one was the
dishonesty of some Of the drivers who would permit
the thieves take the crates of their wagons WINE on
the wav To the docks and another was the way III
which rhe steamboat companies treated thom. SAID
MI Purdy: ,
crate. on the docks at clock, and refuse 10 receive
anv after that hour Then too, they reinse to give ~
receipts for them. alleging an excuse that they do
not charge return fret ghts But they charge enough
down frcight- 10 cover the return me- Two COMPANIES
combine together and fix the lr"ights to SUIT them
ST. yes and there be no opposition as they nave
nouounlv of the trac The boat of the hinSSion Line
leave, al ( p. M, and the other al 70 D. I'll ana
the crate. lie around on the dock Tor from two
To four hours. II il an easy matter Tor a UucA-
man 10 toss two or three Of them upon ms cart as
b. drive. OIL for one TO carry hem oil the per
in hi. hands Only short time ago. there were LOT
of crate. left on of the dock over Sunday without
any protection Whatever from the thieves. %. ,
Another thing hat we have {" complain oil /. rue
way in which the berries are handled on the boats
The crates are often tipped and come To us with the TOP
berres smiled out Of the cups and lying IN the bot
tom of the crates. We would mad no fault i h' com
panes would load the crates a. soon ~ received on the
uicr or take some means of protecting them, "a the
railroad companies do with their freight
Probably the heaviest losers by the thieves arc
Eldridgc Il Carpenter, Of West W a'mngton MaIhol
bo hive already lost several hundreds ol dollars this
season Mr. Carpenter however succeeded in catching
one of the thieves lat week aud securing his conUc,
ton He thinks that the gang to- which he BELONGED
il Lroken mn He said also that he IL frequently
victimilcd nv boys who INTO his stall, and picking
no crates rglt before him demand payment tor them
ne discovered this rick recognizing Ono OF the crates
which he had paid "a customer for only few moments
Iaf,