The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-26
A BIG INDUSTRY.
Ane BRYAN " nolesale Fruit Company, Its Pro-
essses and Extensive Trade-Bananas,
oranges, Lemons and Other Fruit.
now They are Handled Before
They Reach he Public.

In the endeavor of municipal progress
the public, all anticipation has its eye on
the future and its offerings almost entire
~, or at least to such an exclusive degree
tnat the older concerns grow up. husband
their strength and become gigantic affairs
without the knowledge of the general pub
nc. who, while passing and repassing them
daily and dealing with them indirectly,
are not keen enough in observation or in
quisitive enough in particular to come to
knowledge of the commercial powers
that have sprung up around them.
Take the big Bryan wholesale fruit es-
| Enlistment at 239 North Main street.
How many among the thousands who
pass by their place daily have any idea or
fanciful conception of the work that is
going on within? They little dream, the
majority Of them, that the very stones of
the sidewalk are part of the top of a great
| dark vault that holds thousands of dollars
worth Of fruit. They have little thought
of the glories of southern orchards and
| tropical forests stored away here,
box upon box, pier after pier,
waiting the call of the public, which
is bound to demand lemons for its
drink, its medicine and for many other
articles of domestic and professional
science; its oranges, for desert. for creams,
marmaIades, favors and general sweet
| ness; its bananas to satisfy the tooth that
the public has acquired for this filing but
delicious fruit.
DO YOU EAT BANANAS?
The banana trade is an interesting one
and for all that fruits popularity, it is not
generally understood In company with
Mr. NJ. j. Bryan a member of the EAGLE
staff studied up some of the tricks of the
trade" yesterday. The Bryan company as
! is generally known, occupies their large
three-story building. filing completely
| each floor, besides the basement, of which
more will be said later on.
If you like bananas you will probably
also want to know something about them.
Ii you imagine, when you are devouring
one. that you are eating them just as they
come from the south, you are mistaken.
Bananas come from Central America
and are never sent ripe. They are picked
green and shipped They will probably be
in transit from twenty to thirty days and
will be touched with yellow before they
arrive here. But they are not ready for
the trade. After travelling over two
thousand miles the fruit has to undergo a
ripenIng process. This is interesting.
The Bryan company has probably the
largest ripening rooms in the west, as we'll
as the most completely constructed.
There are three of these rooms
and in toto they have "a capacity of
1000 lunches of bananas These rooms
are built very close, like refrigerator,
with thick walls and no interstices except
few ventilators. In them are large racks
upon which the green bananas are sus-
pended. 1t is popular supposition that
they remain and ripen themselves, but this
is not true, except of the summer months.
In other seasons, the big room is provided
with one little gas stove that burns day
and night and gives a gentle heat which
ripens the bananas without cooking them.
The temperature is kept at a given point
and in the course of four or five days,
there are your bananas solid and luscious,
ready to be eaten. The little stove which
doesn't look like it could do much, has
performed the duty of an equatorial sun.
OF course. some of the bananas are slow
ripeners and they are retained in the
room and taken out with the follow
ing supply. The fruit has to be
kept in all stages for the desires
of the trade. 1t would not do to ship a
perfectly ripe banana too long a distance.
Two of the banana rooms are on the first
floor, and another, larger and new, in
which Mr. Bryan takes great pride, is on
the second floor and is run in conjunction
with the two below it. For instance, if
the two lower floors become too warm, as
is sometimes the case in summer, vents are
opened and the hot air ascends to the up
per one, and its use is not lost Mr.. Bry-
an says he has travelled all over the states
investigating the fruit establishments and
says he has combined their good qualities
in this one.
WHAT A GOOD BANANA IS.
In reply to the question when is a ba-
mana in its best condition for eating, Mr.
Bryan said that the banana at its best
was when it was thoroughly ripe, but
still firm and solid. If you get hold of
mushy banana it is not good. It has been
warmed too long. 1t is what is called |
cooked" A black skin is not always the !
sign of poor fruit. The skin may some |
times be black and the fruit inside IN |
splendid condition.
Another interesting feature Of the |
banana is its market value. Bananas in |
Wichita are as cheap as they are in Calves /
ton or New York, some times great deal |
cheaper. If a couple of car loads happen /
to rippen on the Dealers hand he must /
dispose of them at any cost before they /
spoil There can be no delay. The conse-
quence is, as was shown here last summer. |
that you can buy bananas for almost /
nothing
THE MARKET.
The market supplied in fruits is very |
large and, Mr.. Bryan says, is not touched |
by the Kansas City or other city houses. |
This company buys direct of importers |
and com petition from outside firms is a |
cipher. Some idea of the business can be /
had when il is known that large ship /
ments are made right along TO Emporia, |
Newton, Yates Center, FL Dorado Cherry |
vale. Winfield. Caldwell, Wellington, /
Arkansas City. Guthrie, Oklahoma City. /
Ell Reno, kingfsher and all OF i
Oklahoma. Springfield. Missouri. depends /
on Wichita for her fruit. Anthony and /
Harper, Kingman, Lyons. Nickerson, |
Dodge City and Hutchinson are also sup /
piled. The business. it will be seen. is |
very large. and space with the country, OF /
course is always growing. Fifty cars Of |
bananas are disposed of annually and mil /
lions of lemons and oranges.
IN THE BASEMENT.
Below the building is a big vault that IS !
q curiosity. II is underground and IS re-
doleut with the aroma OF oranges, lemons |
and other fruits 1t is twenty feet /
wide aud one hundred and forty feet long /