Middletown transcript., 1891-04-02
New YoRK. March 81, 1891,


California to new York.
New York, March 81, 1891.
Mr.. EDITOR II am glad that the
people of Delaware are beginning to
be awakened to the Importance Of
legislation to secure better trans
portation service for the farmers Of
the State.
Since my article on possible way
to reach competition in the matters Of
freight as published by you. ] have
Investigated some of the freight
charges for fruit, (Which generally is
the highest class freight from other
parts of the United States.
On the Delaware railroad 10000.
pounds of fruit is considered to be q
carload, but the railroad company. I
understand, on some occasions permit
$4,000 pounds to be shipped as a car
load over that road all above that
quantity pays extra freight, not in
proportion, but at extra rates. A
carload of peaches shipped from
Bridgeville to New York costs the
fruit growers $97.50 1.-The distance is
about 1870 miles that is at the rate Of
about fifty-four cents hundred up
to what is called carload, but ex-
cess is charged at about double that,
or upwards of one dollar hundred.
The railroad contracts to take the
fruit after it has been loaded into the
car, and convey it at the rate OF about
eleven miles an hour until it reaches
the limits of Jersey City, where it is
placed by the railroads agent some-
where between quarter Of a mile
and mile from ferry, and that con-
stitutes their delivery in New York.
The fruit thus delivered by them is
taken by New York truckmen out OF
the cars, placed in very inconven-
lent place for the business, and the
railroad neither loads nor unloads.
Let us compare this with the service
the fruit growers get from San Fran
cisco.
The railroad companies will take
from the trucks or from the farmers
wagons in Californis 10000 pounds
of fruit or more; by their own labor.
ers will carry it from the wagons to
the cars, load it into the cars, assum-
ing all responsibilities for unskillful
loading, and carry it to New York
and deliver it on the platform in
easy access to the receivers wagons
and for this service charge $45O.OO, i
the fruit be transported at express
rate of speed, or across the continent
| in six days. If, however, the shipper
be willing to take slower freight
line they can ship this same amount
Of fruit, the railroad companies per-
forming all the labor, for $1.25 PEI
one hundred pounds, which for a car
load Of twenty thousand pounds
! would be $3.50. 90 or for Delaware
carload 1925 90; and the cars on th'
express freight train will average
twenty-five miles an hour, while or
the slow train they average about
twelve miles an hour. It will be seer
that carload of fruit from Califor'
MIA can be shipped from that State OF
a fast freight time for $1,25 per hun
dred pounds, while from Delaware i
costs "a cents per hundred.
| I have stated the distance from
Bridgeville to New York to be abou
1870 miles. 1t is twenty times as fal
to California, and at the same rate pc
mile paid by the Delaware fruit grow
ers. the California fruit grower
should pay $1,000 per hundre'
pounds, or if the Delaware fruit b
moved at the same rate that the Cali.
fornian fruit is moved, then Delawar
should pay but six and one-quarte
cents per hundredweight. Is it posi-
BILE for the Delaware fruit growers t
compete in any. such unequal struggle
| as that? In Delaware fruit of al
kinds is an uncertain crop. In Cali
tornia it seems to be more certain
than any other products of that state
Such things as failures of the frui
crops of California are unknown
The climate is dry, their fruit wi
; mature more perfectly than the east
ern fruit, ana can bear transports
; tion that would be the destruction G
the fruit products of Delaware. Thei
seasons last longer, as they are largel
regulated by the different attitudes 9
the different plateaus on the mountain
sides in which the fruit is cultivated
Then again we will go nearer home
There is in the western part of Mary
land and in Southern Pennsylvani
f along the Cumberland Valley an
J across the Potomac in West Virgins
a rapidly developing peach GROWN
region. The peaches in that countr
are gathered up by the express com
panies, Chat operate through an
with the railroads. in large and sma
quantities, to suit shippers from larg
J and small orchards, and they are de
, livered by these express companies
the doors of the commission merchant
, in the large cities. The train whic
! leaves the Cumberland Valley late
the afternoon cf one day places th
fruit in the New York market in tim
for the early market, and it is possibl
, to get fruit from the Valley 1of. th
Cumberland more recently pickle
e from the trees than it is from any {
; the eastern shore counties Of Mary
> land, or any of the counties of Della
ware, and the cost Of the rapid trans
/ portation, though I cannot at tn
r moment give the exact figures, is col
| siderably less than is paid the rail
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