The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-04-05

out the year the arrival Of banana laden
steamers will average four each week, or
say 200 per year. An average cargo Is
20, GOO punches, and the punches will each
average 200 separate pieces OF fruit. But
here was the Amicitia, from Baracoa,
Cuba, and 200 sweltering, half mad italian
and "dago" Cuban fruit buyers. An en-
tire cargo Is disposed Of as rapidly as 1t
comes out of the hold. In the old times
three to six days were required 10 unload
little schooner. Now great steamer
will discharge cargo Of bananas in ten
hours. The consignee has notified every
dealer in the city, and they arc nearly oil.
here, motley Int whose iabbering, ours,
ing and perspiration are something ter
rible indeed. They swarm over the
steamers deck and drive bargains ~
though their very immortal souls de-
pended on the hieslo hassNnB over that
load, or that bunch, of bananas.
Gangs Of from eight to sixteen men are
required at each hatch, and these fellows
who work.in the hold In tho most fearful
stencil ever whitfield by hzsnans noscafe-
ccive rs cents an hour. They are the
lowest species Of beings existing along the
docks. They possibly get two days work
a week, That is enough. They live ON
bananas, swill and garbage, sailor board
ing house rum, and lie along the burning
pavcInenfs OF South and West streets In
sodden, opcn-mouthcd stupor, with less
manners and brains than swine. Relays
are formed from the hold, and the punches
tossed thence, one at time, boing caught
on their way out by each man with hands
fiat, palms upward and bowed forcarins,
which act as sort Of pillowfng for tho
fruit. 4.
The rapidity rnd safety Of tho move
ment of theEe bunches arc marvellous.
At each hatch Oh deck are tallYmnn for
"selecter" for the conBignee. THO latter
grades the lunches as they como flying
from the hold with incredible swiftness
and accuracy. A few feet below on tho
docks IRE scores of dealers wagons, and,
according to the grade, a constant stream
of punches flows into each. In these they
are carried to the ''sweat rooms' of the
wholesalers, where they ara hung much
like curing tobacco, and kept at about 40
degrees Of heat night and day for from
three to five days, when the punches,
which were originally nvid green, arc
ripened and transformed to the tempting
yellow clusters which lure Us to tho stalls
Of Lorenzo the Magniflcent's descendants
upon the streets.
The grades are simply "firsts,' "see-
onds," ''culls' and 'ripes." 'Tilsts"
are punches containing the most and
finest fruit. Seconds are oil other
prime condition, marked table punches.
"Culls" are tho lowest grade fruit, and
"ripes" comprise the overripe and partly
decayed bananas. The ''culls" are piled on
deck in freckled, unsichtly heaps. and
you will have to wade ankle deep in
''ripes" until they are sorted and corded,
two tiers lengthwise, in old orange boxes,
one-quarter of a cargo possibly being in
this condition. The price secured for
bananas by the vessel load is about $1.12
per bunch, and the retailer gets them at
$1.40. AS the punches average 200 pieces
each, any one can estimate the profits In
the street banana trade.-Edgar L. Wake.
man in Globe-Democrat.