Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-10-18

crop decidedly the most profitable crop
raised on the Delaware Peninsula. As to
freight charges, he thought that the rail-
road rates to Philadelphia and Jersey
City very reasonable, considering the char-
acter Of the services rendered. Governor
Biggs said he was stockholder In and
| president of the Queen Anne's and Kent
railroad, He was one of the original
| stockholders, but never received any
dividend, the road having been sold
under foreclosure of mortgage. The
governor considered that the average pro-
duction Of we'll kept, cultivated orchard
is one and one-halt baskets per tree per
year. One of his peach orchards, near
Millington, has for the past IA years
averaged clear annual profit of $3.50
per acre. Last year 1t realized $1S7 per
acre.
Governor Biggs, in answer to Mr..
Birds queries, said that in his Judgment
more than hslf Of the people who en-
gagged in raising peaches In New Castle
county made money. In the purchase Of
his Maryland farms he paid FROM $40 to
$76 per acre. He said his relations with
the railroads were friendly and he con-
sidered them the making of the country.
The commission here took recess
until 2.15 o'clock, p. m.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
When the afternoon session opened,
Governor Biggs was cross-examined ct
length by Levi o. Bird, Esq, Of COM
plainantH' counsel. He said his interests
with the Pennsylvania railroad system
were of friendly character; in fact, be
was friendly to all railroads, and be-
lieved they were benefit to the COM
munity. He said he had no particular
interest in the railroad, and paid his
freight rates, the same as other people.
Catching the drift of Mr.. Bird'n ques-
tion, Governor Biggs said that when he
was running before the people as the can
didate for governor, II was charged
against him that he was the especial
friend Of the railroad interests. But
since he was elected the railroad company
had increased the rates Of both freight
and passenger traffic.
Replying to Mr.. Massey, the governor
said that one result of the railroads SER
vice was to divert shipments from New
York, where they formerly concentrated,
and to scatter them to number Of other
cities moi previously reached.
Robert Craven, secretary Of the p, w.
d B. II. 3. Company, presented and GER
tined to the correctness Of reports setting
forth the business of all the Pennsylvania
railroads Peninsula branch systems.
They showed q uniform loss. Mr.. Craven
eaid, in response to Mr. Batea' questions,
that the Delaware railroad had been
leased by the p, W. Il B. since 1855, and
the net result of the operation up to
1875, when the first lease expired, was
loss- The lease was renewed in 1876 for
2l5years, the terms being the p, W. & B.
to take 40 per cent of the gross earnings
end pay per cent interest on the bonded
debt Of the road. The p, W. & B. COM
pany, he said, was not desirioua Of sur
rendering its lease of the Delaware rail-
road. AS matter of fact, for many pur-
poses, he considered that it was largely
beneficial to the p, w. u 3. to have con.
trol of the Delaware railroad and its
branches. He said he did not know that
his company had opposed the granting OF
charter rights to any other company to
run a railroad down the Peninsula, nor
did he know that his company would be
willing to surrender its lease Of the Della.
ware road.
DR.. Hugh Martin, of Seatord, testified
that he had been peach grower about %
''a"-? - GS,s'fT,.+' s,-'7 i Sfigi7 iih All
had Ia I&ht Etlg. OH zoo RECDt ! co,
trees. las gralsest soyssEe durinp tn
: time he has been in the business was IOl
acres with about 5000 trees. His expert
ence was very satisfactory, his profit
having been considerably greater thar
those derived from cereals. Lands in the
neighborhood OF Bridceville had greatly
enhanced in value during the past Il
years, which he attributed to the Rrowins
: Of fruit. Lis average profits from grow
ing peaches were from $50 to $50 pei
: sore. The peach markets during the pas
rev years nave been much improved BY
buyers coming to the stations to buy thu
FAINT. Last year he reslizsd as high as
%l.5o Per basket for his peaohes-nevel
less than 81. This year be realized from
/, 20 to 9O cents per basket. New markets
were opened ia Canada and Northern
New York, caUsing much more yarieC
distribution Of the fruit. A general dis
: tti5ution tends to keep the bulk of th,
fruit ont OF the city markets, more psr
ticuiarly the Nsw York market. The in
crease Of psach acreage in Sussex county
! DR.. Martin said, has been increasing rap
idly OF late years. He said he considered
the railroad aervics in transporting
: peaches satisfactory and the rates reason
able
On cr9ss.examinBtion DR.. Martin sal,
there vas some complaint on the part o
I growers against Ehe railroad, but he dix
no. th'nk the complaint was general. IL
had Col. Ross Of aeaford, making com
plants. In his opinion, the large ma
jarst Of growers did rot complain. Il
said hsweg act allowed any special freigh
rates o. rebates Gyar the road prior to til
passage Of the Interstate Commerce Law
and WAS not interested IN the RAILROAD il
any way,
Samuel Armstrong of Wyoming,s aai
] he WAS nAinber OF the Delaware Stat
! Granga, Patrons Of Husbandry. He ha
oeen q tantut, fc- the past six yen.a, of
farm OF $50 acres near Wyoming, an
has $50 aeres in peaches. He had onl
! 20 acres When he first took tho farm. 81
rents Eis farm on shares, and la PAID bi
landlord, or account Of peach rent, dui
inc the six years 10 follows In 1888
} S2 zoo IN 1851, So, 200; in 1856
: S7UHo in 1885 SllD; IL 1857, So ,OOO
IL 1883 "a 100 He did net think, frol
, his observation and experience, that IN
. o,hss crop was SO profitable az the peac
I crop. This year ha sold Is 600 basket
Of peaches to buyers at Wyoming an
{ shipped about 1000 baskets Generally
. this year, he was offered prices 10
: peaches at Wyoming equel 10 the eros
3 price he received in New York. 4
4 Thought that the establishment of til
8 home markets realized for the grower
from one.third TO onA.half higher price
= than were formerly obtained.
I MIR. Armstrong, on REORGANIZATION
t said the fsrm be rented was known as th
q 'AshorGft farm aud that il was motor
z Gus az farm that was much more OK
e duetive than any other farm in thu
loeality.