Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-10

Il. j.. Davis, hOW0ll DO[6l.
Mark r. Plaisted, editor ENTERPRISE.
Holmes & Pierson, editors Press.
Riverside, CAL
The Riverside Press OF March q SAYS:
"As the orange is the main source of
Riverside's princely income, and this
the season when the crop is gathered, it
is fitting and proper that the Press
furnish it's numerous readers with a list
of the packers who handle the eighteen
hundred carloads of fruit now going
forward, and the extent of their opera
tions.
All over the valley at this time hum
dreds OF men may be seen on ladders,
half hidden amid the waxen green of
the foliage, clipping off the golden ap-
pies OF the Hesperides, and transferring
them to sacks hung around the neck.
The trees are loaded down with the
beautiful fruit, and scattered through
the orchards are piles of boxes that are
to contain the yellow spheres. Each
picker has an orange clipper shaped
something like a pair of shears, with
which he cuts the fruit from the tree
close to the rind. When the sack is
full, the man descends from the ladder,
and carefully empties it into the box.
Wagons come along and take the boxes
OF fruit to the packing-houses, where
they are allowed to sweat few days be-
fore packing.
"The interior tthese large houses pre-
sents busy scene just now. When the
oranges are ready for packing they are
run through grader-a machine that
sorts out the different sizes-and at the
same time the man who operates the
machine picks out the imperfect fruits
throwing it to one side. The boxes of
oranges are then taken to large table,
where men and women pack them fol
shipment. Every orange is wrapped in
tissue paper before being placed in the
box, each packer having thin rubber
coverings on thumb and forefnger to en-
able them to quickly pick up the thin
sheet of paper. Many packers also have
label printed on each wrapper. When
the box is full-the top row extending
about an inch above the edge OF the box
lit is taken to another table, pat under
a press and held there until the top is
nailed on. 1t is then ready orits Journey
to the eastern market.
'sThe boxes are all made at the large
mills in the pine forests of Nevada and
in the mountains of California, where
they are sawed out, stamped on the end
with each dealers name and brand, tied
up in bundles, and shipped here by the
carload. When needed, men in the
packing houses nail them together.
"The paper used for wrappers is also
shipped here from the eastern manufac-
tories by the carload, ready cut for the
different sizes of oranges, and ready
printed, too.
"The growers sell their fruit to the
packers, either in bulk-so much for the
crop on the trees-or at so much per
pound after it is gathered, after weigh
ing back the culls and understandable
fruit. This latter method the growers
strongly protested against this season,
many of them refusing to sell in that
manner"
The following is list of some of the,
most prominent packers and shippers.
"Boyd & Devine's large warehouse is
situated at the corner of Pachappa ave-
nue. and Eighth street, is built Of brick
and iron, and conveniently arranged for
the handling of large amounts Of fruit.
They have the latest machinery and
carry an extensive stock of box ma
terial, paper wrappers, etc. They
employ force of about fif-
ty men, and are shipping
from three to five cars per day, the out
put for the season being estimated at
200 carloads. This year Boyd & Devine
are handling the fruit of the Pachappa
Orange Growers association exclusively,
and are not buying ON their own ac-
count. The firm is an old-established
one, which deals largely in raisins and
dried fruits, and transacts a general
commission and warehouse business.
''The Pachappa Orange Growers Asso-
citation was formed over a year ago, and
includes some of the finest groves in the
valley. Last year they sold their crop
on the trees, but this season thew are
packing and shipping through Boyd &
Devine. I. III. B. Chamblin is manager.
and his keen business Judgment and
foresight have been the means of much
larger revenues to the growers than they
formerly enjoyed.
Cook & Langley probably do the
largest business of any firm in Southern
California, having packing houses in
nearly all the fruit-growing localities.
Their new two-story brick building was
erected on the corner of Pachappa ave-
nue. and Ninth street last summer, and
is the finest and best arranged OF any in
the country, being 100x120 feet, and
fitted up with the best machinery and
appliances obtainable. The basement
is used for storage purposes and has a
cement floor. Here is located the large
Otto gas engine which runs the ma
chinery and the elevator. Electric bells
and speaking tubes connect every room
with the Office, and both telegraph COM
panles have wires running into the
building. The first floor is used entirely
for packing purposes. In the second
story are fine suite of offices, and the
box-making department"
The following firms are also in the
packing, growing and shipping busi-
ness; Griffin & skelly, W. R. Strong
4 Co., Earl Fruit company, J. H. Leslie
& Company, Barnett Bros. & Company,
Twogood Fruit company, Thomas Bake
we'll, Cooperative association, H. B.
Everest, George l.. Bush & Company, G.
B. Packard and E. r. Sargent.
This year much larger acreage of
groves is in bearing than last, and in
'wo or three years more all that vast
plain OF youfs range orchards above
'he upper canal Will be yielding i'm
nense quantities of the golden fruit, and
instead of SO many cars per day being
'hipped, as now, it will be so many
rains per day. Will there be market
or such quantities OF fruit? We believe
lew markets will be opened, greater
lemand created than the multiplying
richards can pOssiblv supnlv Half tho