Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-31

on A MILK ROUTE.
REPORTER TAKES A RIDE ON A
CITY MILK WAGON.

Scene ut the Railroad MIX Depot
Waiting the Houses of Conference.-The
Daily supply.
At l O'Clock one morning a reporter
mounted u milk wagon for the first time
in his life, as milk route tourist"
After hitching up at the stable there WAS
much rafting Of cans, which were finally
well packed in ice in the wagon, and the
proprietor. whom We shall cali David. an
honest and amiable man, drove rapidly
off with his drUwsy passenger to the Hsr
lemrailroad milk depot.
1t was rather early for the average
miIkman to lie abroad, still. there was n
respectable caravan Of wagons awaitlng
their supplies. Two long trains of cars,
each laden with about 3ns cans of milk.
lay upon the tracks in the well lighted
building and there was a sea of cans up
and down the lengthy platforms. spec
ulaturS' walked about negotiating sales
to those who were short of milk for the
day, or bargaining 10 buy Of those who
had a surplus.
Not 4 DROP OF WATER.
Having paid his freight charges David
are daily shipped direct 10 him from the
farmer, each one carefully locked. The
contents were speedily transferred to the
larger cans In the wagon, and the empties
returned 10 the car. forgot 10 mention,
that when starting from stable large
chunks of ice were placed in each can in
order to cool it for the reception of milk
But before the milk was poured into them
this ice and every drop OF water was care
fully thrown out, and | can solemnly
avow that there was "tniCk, yellow
scum Of cream at the top Of each can,
and that We hit neither pump nor hydrant
on our route. 1t was good, pure milk, as
one who drank about a gallon of it during
the morning, can testify.
In fact the milk of the wagon route
men may bc more generally relied upon,
than that for sale in many of the grocery
stores, or even i'll the milk stores a
wagon milkman is liable To encounter All
official milk inspector at any corner, who
may whip ont his iaCtOmeter and If the
milk is found below the standard. it is
summarily poured into the gutter. Ii is
whispered about tina. many of the milk
stores and retail grocers have arranged
pretty little methods OF avoiding such
calamities The wholesale milk dealers
put forty or fifty cans into a large wagon
and start them off TO supply grocerS and
others through the city. and from some
little monkey tricks" we saw during our
ride, it would appear that some OF the
milk dealers know the art of watering
stock As well as the Wall street men.
SUPPLYING THE CUSTOMERS
Hung upon the from II David's wagon
were half a dozen punches OF keys, some
fifty or sixty in all, which would admit
him into the houses of his customers.
There is less of the milkman's "barbaric
yawp' than in former days; he Is generally
intrusted with KEY. with which he opens
his way into the basement or hall way,
where he leaves his little pail or bottle
Thi, is in the early hours after 6 o'clock
Bridget usually meets him at the base
menI door with a winning smile and
pitcher.
An average milk route supplies about
300 quarts daily, and customers average
TO take about three pints. Some take but
pint which costs 4 cents. and others sew
eral quarts at cents per quart. Medium
routes should pay their owner, if he drives
himself, about - per day clear of expen-
penses When milk routes are bought or
quart customer, over the cost of the horse,
wagon, etc.
Our route, which extended over
radius of several miles, took in also some
more than doubtful localities. In such
places, gangs of thieves skulked about
the corners, ready TO pounce upon some
drunken man and rob him Of his valu-
ables Street walkers piled their calling
Loathsome human shapes shambled out
from the shadows of huge buildings-hor
rid, obscene phantoms Of the night. Fetid,
noisome creatures lay asleep in carts, in
dark slleyways and under stoops-outcast
vagabonds who shun the blessed light Of
day
But presently there is a dim and dusky
sense that night is waning. Belated rev.
ellers stop us for a draught of cool and re
freshing milk, drink it feverishly and
skurry on; individual noises gradually
mingle and are lost in the hum and roar
of the great city With the dawn, host
lens come out TO feed their horses: market
wagons rumble by; express and csrtmen
start with their teams; servant girls ap-
pear with buckets and brooms to wash
their stoOps and sidewalks, and soon the
big red sun rises in the east TO announce
the birth Of a new day.-New York Mar
ket Journal