The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-10-07
OREGON FRUIT.
Does It Pay to Ship the Pro-
duct East?
EARLY SHIPMENTS.

They Prove Improbable, But the
Late Lots Show q Margin
Of Profit.
Portland nregonian.
Since the season OF 1885 began there has
been shipped from this city, The Dalles and
Walla Walla to points IN Montana, Dakota
and Minnesota and to Chicago about 500
tons OF fruit. OF course the bulk of these
shipments was from Portland and made
since August LIST. The Northern. Pacific
Railroad took as last freight fourteen
carloads OF fruit to St. Paul, Minneapolis
and Chicago. These consisted OF 1000
boxes of pears, plums and prunes. The
Northern Pacific also took seven straight
carloads to Helena and Butte, Montana.
Shipments by express were as follows:
soME OF THE SHIPMENTS.
The Northern Pacific Express from Port
land, 4S7,37S pounds; the Dalles, S1,92S
pounds: Walla Walla, $1,000 pounds;
total, 647. 1896. Wells. Fargo & Co.'s Ex-
press from Portland, 21s,5o7 pounds;
Walla Walla, SO,S06 pounds; The Dalles,
46, 915 pounds; total. 346, 228 pounds.
Total by express, 993, 1924 pounds, or in
round numbers 0 ons The season Is by
no means over, either, for small shipments
by express or straight car loads by freight.
This is the first year that any considerable
quantity OF Oregon fruit has found it's way
to eastern markets, and a statement OF the
result will interest every orchardist. To
ascertain the outcome OF these shipments
an Oregonian man devoted much time this
week. and what he learned is given below.
The merchants who bought the fruit
''came out even," but made no money. All
the early shipments were losing ventures
from a variety OF causes-not heavy losses,
but enough to absorb the profits OF later
shipments. Only one carload was shipped
east on consignment by the growers, the
remainder having been bought straight by
dealers here. So, whatever was the out
come the growers got a good price for their
product.
MONTANA AS A MARKET.
The season demonstrated that under ex-
listing circumstances Oregon can find the
best and safest market for her fruit in
Montana, Dakota and Minnesota. As
every one knows, two territories named
do not raise fruit, and Minnesota is week
in that product. Oregon will be able to
compete successfully with California along
the Northern Pacific, but east of St. Paul
our fruit has to be pushed. Every ship
ment this year to St. Paul and Chicago en-
counters serious opposition. In the first
place, this was a big fruit season all over
the Mississippi valley, and there was no
unusual demand for coast fruit. Mr.. F. H.
Page, the commission merchant, who re-
turned from Chicago this week, stated that
the markets of tina city were overstocked
with pears raised in western New York and
Eastern Ohio. California, too, has been
pouring in an immense quantity. In for
mer years Peter Bros, the greatest fruit
dealers in Chicago, had a special contract
with the Central Pacific by which they
were able to freeze out" other shippers,
and they regulated shipments from tue
Golden State, so that there never could be a
glut on any kind OF fruit. Bnt this year
the railroad made a low rate for every
body, and the result was an enormous
export from California. Our season hap
pened to be a month earlier than usual,
and this brought our fruit into market
just when California was pouring hers in,
and the fruit Of the Golden State had the
better reputation. At the beginning of the
season most of the Oregon orchardists had
not learned how fruit must be packed to
lind ready sale in the east. We used boxes
made of green fir, sawed roughly, Inc no
arrangements for ventilation. The result
vas that the fruit when taken out was
sweaty and decayed soon. California
growers packed their fruit in smooth, white
boxes Of seasoned pine with proper venti-
%lation, and the fruit looked better, and
there is almost everything in looks when
it comes to selling fruit.
PRoFITING By EXPERIENCE.
One house in Portland learned this and
ordered California boxes. The result was
that sales were effected, whereas if the fruit
had been packed in rough boxer the Chica-
10 6aa laro wono1 not have 1nokad at II
Another drawback: we can not furnish the
variety that California can. Very few deal
ers outside OF Chicago nave the facilities for
handling a carload of one kind Of fruit, par
ticularly very p%erishable fruit. When it
comes to winter apples or pears, ten car
is no extra lot, but in the more deli
fruits early in the season, a carload is
ii large quantity. For instance, there are
when we can furnish only plums and
prunes; and at best, plums, prunes and
pears. Oregon and Washington do not
Of the demand. California, at the same |
time, car furnish mixeI carloads of grapes,
peaches, pears and prunes. Every
thing that initiated against Oregon fruit
now been stated; yet the growers did
well enough with their product. They got
4 fair price, and a cash market was found
or probably one-third of the crop of the
State, at points east OF Wallula junction, |
otherwise must have been sold for a
song, dried or thrown away.
sEEKING AN EASTERN OUTLET,
This much has been achieved: Our fruit
las received an introduction east OF the
Mississippi river. We have found what
must prove a permanent market in Mon
ANA, Dakota and Minnesota. The daily
OF 10, 20, so and 100 boxes to
points along the Northern Pacific have in
;reased more than th1ee-fold over last sea-
son. 1t should be remembered that 500
'ut OF the S0Otons shipped east OF Wallula
%unction was in lots vi from 10 TO 100
OF course. thu more careful lots the
better for the shipper and the consumer.
md the less profitable to the railroad com.
oany. The regular fast freight to Chicago is
;1.4O per hundred. The time is five and
days to st. Paul and seven days
o Chicago. TIL tariff per carload, carried
IN express trains, is So per hundred, and
he express rate $3.50 per hundred. Very
title fruit has been shipped into southern
IDAHO, and none at all to Omaha, where
AN Francisco holds the trade in coast
ruits.
All shippers agree that transportation
ABILITIES are excellent and every shipment
his season has reached it's destination in
ne condition, owing to the excellent fruit
run by the Northern Pacific, which are
0 arranged with venuilators at each end
nd the top of the car that a current OF
resh air is constantly circulating through
he car, thus keeping the fruit cool. The
temperature along the line OF the
Pacific makes it an exceptionally
route for the transportation OF fruit,
part from the local demand all along the
ne.
OREGO vs.. MICHIGAN APPLE
From present appearances Helena will
ecome the largest market that Portland
ill be able to command. One dealer here
as bought five carloads of fall apples and
ears, and orders were received this week
or two carloads more. There will be heavy
hipments Of apples and pears from now
ntil the LIST OF November. and all go to fill
riders, none on consignment. We will not
e able to ship many apples East after De-
einber 1st, as the Montana people nave an
lea that our fruit will not keep in their
gorous climate so well as Michigan apples, l
hich have found great favor after the
holidays. Whether their esti-
ate OF the ability OF our apples to stand