Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-03
ON A MILK ROUTE.
A REPORTER TAKES A RIDE ON A
CITY MILK WAGON.

Gene ut the Railroad MIX nspot-
Neither Hydrant nor Pump Resorted to
Visiting the Houses OF Conference.-The
Daily supply.
At O'Clock one morning q reporter
,opnted a milk wagon for the first time
!, his life, IS q milk route tourist"
After hitching up at the stable there was
much rafting Of cans which were finally
veil hacked in ice in the wagon, and the
,roprietOr. whom we shall call David, an
honest and amiable man, drove rapidly
NJ with his drowsy passenger to the HN-
'smrailroad milk depot.
II was rather early for the average
rilkman to be abroad, still, there was q
rssrecta6le caravan OF wagons awaiting
their supplies. Two long trains Of cars,
sscb laden with about POS cans OF milk,
low upon the tracks in the well lighted
bnilding and there was a sea Of cans up
and down the lengthy platforms. Spec
majors" walked about, negotiating sales
>, those who were short Of milk for the
4,v. or bargaining to buy Of those who
hal a surplus.
NOT A DROP OF WATER
Having paid his freight charges David
I'm found his six cans OF milk, which
se daily shipped direct to him from the
farmer. each one carefully locked. The
contents were speedily transferred to the
larger cans in the wagon, and the empties
,pturned 10 the car. forgot to mention,
that when starting from stable large
,hunks Of ice were placed in each can in
,rler 10 cool it for the reception OF milk.
But before the milk was poured into them
This ice and every drop OF water was care
hllly thrown out, and l can sOlemnly
syow that there was a Athick, yellow
scum" Of cream at the top Of each can,
and that we hit neither pump nor hydrant
On our route. Il was good, pure milk, as
pne who drank about a gallon Of IL during
the morning, a testify.
In fact, the milk of the wagon route
men may be more generally relied upon,
than that for sale in many Of the grocery
stores, or even in the milk stores. A
wagon milkman is liable to encounter IN
official milk Inspector at any corner, who
nav whip out his lactOmeter, and il the
milk is found below the standard, il is
,lmmarily poured into the gutter. Ii Is
WLlSDGEGN dDOAI kAAE many VI NAG AAAAA
stores and retail grOcers have arranged
pretty little methods OF avoiding such
ralamities. The wholesale milk dealers
nut forty or fifty m into a large wagon
and start them of 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 rs the Wall street men.
~sUpPLYING iii CUSTOMERS
Hung upon the front Of Dayid's wagon
were hllfa 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
intrusteI with q key, with which he opens
mis- WAY into the basement or hallway,
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
mgut door with a winning smile and a
pitcher.
An average milk route supplies about
~ quarts daily, AMI customers average
,otlks ABOUT three pjnts. Some take but
lp.ut which costs I cents, and others sew
Fk#l Nt.t.Al - hl & NFlAAN - NAAA~ AA@NAANAAA
routes should pay their owner, il he drives
himself, about s. per day Gear of eXpen-
peu>es. When milk routes are bought or
sold .t isu5ulI,y on u basis Of 81 for each
quart customer, over the cost Of the horse,
wagon, etc.
our route, which extended over q
radius of several miles, took in also, some
more than doubtful localities. In such
places, glngs Of thieves skulked about
the corners. ready TO pOunce upon some
drunken luan anil rob him Of his valu-
ahleS Street walkers piled their calling.
LOaJasOme human shapes shHmbled out
from the shadows of huge buildings-hor-
rid. obscene phantoms Of the night, Fetid,
uOisOme creatures lay asleep in carts, in
dark alleyways and under stOOps-outcast
ya.abOnds who shun the blessed light Of
DAY.
But presently there is q dim and dusky
sense that night is waning. Belated rev.
r.lrr, stop us for a draught of cool and re-
.rr,hing milk, drink it feyerishly and
ssurry on, individual noises gradually
miugle and are lost in the hum and roar
Of the great city. With the dawn, host
lers come out TO feed their horses; market
wagons rumble by; express and cartmen
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.