Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-10-14

notion to rot, because not sold at once.
No wonder they sometimes made small
fortune in week by "bulling." But what
did they do? Why they just rasped
the life out of business they had
no business to NEEDLE with at all.
Shall a few men hold in check the growth
of this State? This State, too, of whose
future grandeur and greatness the wisest of
US can only catch as itwere ray, glimpse
of? Fill this State with happy, prosperous
small farms, and let these small farms
close up ranks" and who, even in widest
fancy, can predict what great influence this
people may exert on the future destinies
of the human race. What if religion,
science, art, philosophy and philanthropy
were born, reared and cultivated in coun-
tries where tyranny, slavery and abject
misery were the common lot of all? May
we not hope for results infinitely more
exalted in degree from a people who are
free, who are patriotic, who are brave, who
have intelligence and who are civilized
If not, then are all schemes for progressive
advancement the dreaming drivelry of child
ish pedants. But if there be aught of truth,
or even probability Of truth, that this
state of progressive advancement may be
brought about and if we find that few
spectators stand in the way, then it is time
to repeat the celebrated declaration of An
eternal, you shall submit -
Gro.-I am almost convinced that you
are right. Permit me to give you an in
stance that comes right home. Nv neigh
Dor whose land adjoins mine has a tract
containing some forty acres His grape
crop failed almost entirely, but this was
| amply compensated by an abundant peach
crop. He consoled himself by thinking
| that he would after all have fair income,
| but what was the result? He could not
dispose of his peaches except at a loss. He
tried to peddle his crop, but found many
| growers doing the same thing Now this
| man was compelled to earn living by
working out; two of his sons are even now
in my employ. Bear in mind that all this
| while peaches were selling at $2@2 90 per
| box in the East There is en- important
point, however, that should be taken into
consideration
THE DIVISIONS OF THE CARS.
| Shall they be made of lumber or metal {?
| Will they not be costly? How will they
come back to California?
Mer.-There need be no lumber or metal
partitions at all. The divisions may be
made by drawing chalk line on the floor
and sides Of the cars.
Gro.-Thats so; l never thought of that.
But another question. How is this fruit
10 be concentrated to the shipping point?
| Mer.-Who concentrates it now?
| Gro.-The buyer does, sometimes gen.
orally we haul it to the train by wagon, or
forward it to the shipping point by a
branch railroad and deliver the fruit in
| front of the car to be packed.
| Mer.-Now what will prevent you doing
| the same thing with quarter carload lots i?
| Gro.-Nothing You are right again.
But here is point Who will pack the
fruit in the cars?
| Mer.-Who does it now?
Gro-The buyer.
| Mer.-Well, can't they pack quarter
car as well as full car?
| Gro.-Yes; but it requires much skill to
| pack fruit in a car, for stats have to be
properly fastened between the boxes so as
to permit a circulation of air.
Mer.-Well that depends; if tie packer
had to pack the circulation" or " the
air " in the car, admit it mould require
skill; but if Stats are to be put between the
boxes, any stout lad or average man can
and ought to be able to do the work after a
little practice.
Gro.-You areIgsht again; but allow me-
please, TO ask another question Will
there not be times when the cars will be
only partially filed? Can we expect the
railroad company to lose money by carry
ing our fruit?
Mer.-Well, it might not be so poor a
policy as you think it would, if they car.
ried fruit below cost. carry certain staple
| goods upon which the profit scarcely paws
for handling, and so do all merchants. /
do not mean goods badly bought, but
staples-cottons for instance. A merchant
who would attempt TO make twenty per
cent. on cottons would fail in few months.
| Now, If the railroad company would treat
| frIIit tha mn ont do al
would be in fair way to swell the profits
largely. Besides the objection you offef
can be overcome by this fact If twenty
odd millions of pounds of fruit were
shipped this year when there was bar, in
fact, almost prohibitory bar to shipping,
will the cars be only partially filed when
all bars and restrictions are removed? II
there are ten cars on the switch to be filled,
1t will only happen that the last car may
be partially filled. This happens every day
with freight and even passenger cars. But
even this need not occur, for the railroad
company can easily systematic the method
so that space can be sold few days IN ad-
vance. This would also prevent confusion
This principle is observed, you know, in
the sale of sleeping-car berths.
Gro.-And now, friend, before go, de-
sire to thank you for your kind advice. l
hope we will obtain what | now DEEM
practicable relief from the railroad conf
pany.
Mer.-I hope you WILL for l am as much
interested in the success of this plan as you
ale.
Final Chapter.
Subsequent to the conversations above
embodied in single dialogue I met in Sac
ramento dealers and business men who
felt an interest in the fruit-growing indus
try. Thoroughly imbued with the doctrine
OF the small-lot shipments, and the vital
necessity of encouraging the small fruit
grower and limited farmer, presented the
views to these business men in Sacramento
| While the dialogue covers the field already
traversed. the illustrations and methods of
expression being different, and the whole
small shipment plan being condensed into
the new conversations" l have deemed ii
best TO add them to this letter, and solicit
| space for the same
business Manufacturing your accom-
mediation car plan, think it entirely i'm
practicable, and believe it will not have the
effect you claim for it.
Grower-Why
b. M.-Because your theory is that small
Eastern shipments will permit the small
| grower to ignore the local commission men.
make his own Eastern connections and
ship direct, thus saving the SPECTATOR
so-called fancy profit and secure for himself
the Eastern high prices. But, do you not
see that in the first place. the small grower
cannot afford to go East to make connec-
tons; in the second place, that instead of
! trusting to local com mission man, whom
| he can keep fairly under his eye, he must
now trust another commission man thou
sands of miles away, and about whom he
| knows little or nothing; in the third place,
| shipping, as he will into the open market.
| his fruit is likely to arrive at a time and in
| place where hundreds of similar ship
ments have been received, and for want of
| sufficient number of immediate BUYERS
| his stuff is likely to be
SOLD FOR A SONG,
Or worse than that, may even be permitted