St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-13
Big FRUIT COMBINE.
Local Fruit Jobbers Inter
ested in a Big Syndicate
FreeZe-0ut
By Which the Middleman Will
Shortly Find His Oeeu-a
patton Gone.
A Trust Formed to Manipulate
the Fruit Trade Of the
Entire Country. e
st. Paul to Be the Distpibut.
ing Point for the Entire r
Western Half.

In connection with the movement re-
| ported to be on foot for the organization
of fruit combine, with headquarters in
| st. Paul. some facts came to light yes
terday which indicate that a powerful
company has already been formed, with
a capital stock of 100000, taking in the
most influential dealers in New York,
the strawberry garden. New Orleans
and st. Paul. The story printed few
days since that j. A. Shea, of Minneap-
ellis, had succeeded in organizing a COM
pany among the st. Paul and Minneap-
oils commission men, proves to have
been simply blind to cover up the ne
gotiations then actually pending be-
| tween the heads Of two we'll known st.
Paul commission firms and probably
| the heaviest dealer on South Water
| street, Chicago. The conference be-
| tween these gentlemen, whose identity
is carefully shrouded at present, closed
few days ago, and there is
| every reason to believe that the
| plan to make st. Paul the
distributing point for the entire fruit
| trade of the North west was projected.
| A trip among the commission men on
Robert street yesterday failed to fix the
identity of the firms which have gone
| into the Ombine, but every dealer on
| the street expresses his belief in the
| truth of the story. 1t is believed that
! shippers, are prominently connected
with the scheme together with Hill
| Bros, of New York, the unknown of
| Chicago and the ST. Paul people. Min
| neapolis is not represented in the trust,
| and will consequently become of neces-
| Sity purchaser of st. Paul.
DE Camps story
j. w. De Camp, of the Robert street
| commission firm of that name. when
| asked what he knew about the new
company, replied that he had heard a
| great deal about the combine, and be-
| leved 1t had been formed as rum
ored. He denied that he was
| in any way connected with the scheme,
and declined to express an opinion as
| to who the prime movers in st. Paul
were. He did not anticipate any dam
age to the retail dealer by the operation
of the new concern. The latter he un-
uerstood was to do a iobbing business
exclusively, and wonld not touch the
retail trade. The idea. as he understood
point for the West. The company
would purchase direct from the shipper
and in large quantities. This would
| permit great saving in freight rates
| and other directions. The dealer could
| purchase from the st. Paul company in
| stead of from the shipper, and he would
| thus be able to buy exactly the quantity
he wanted, instead of being compelled
| to buy more than his trade called for in
| order to secure carload rates.
Chicago to Buy Onions.
A. H. Roake. of the Robert street
| firm of Heine Il Roake, was also seen.
| He had just returned from Chicago, and
when asked if he knew of the consum-
nation of deal there between st. Paul
| and Chicago dealers, he replied that
| there was every reason to believe the
story. He refused to disclose the name
of the Chicago man connected with the
| company. saying that he did not feel at
| liberty to do so at present. When asked
if there was any truth that building
was to be erected for occupancy by the
new firm at the corner of Wacouta and
Sixth streets, Mr.. Roake said tn at a
| building 100XS0 feet, ground di-
mansions, was to be begun there
| at once, he understood He had
not been regularly informed that 1t was
to be occupied by the company, but adj
mitted that he was negotiating for
space in the new structure which is to
be completed by June l. In reply to a
question as to what his business had
been in Chicago MI. Roake said he
meent to buy onions. He denied being
| in the combine.
Hullsiek's Not in 1t.
J. II. Hullsiek, of the commission firm
| of Hullsiek q Sons, was subsequently
| visited. There was, he thought, no
doubt that a company had been formed.
He diSclaimed knowledge of the identity
of the st. Paul firms which had entered
the trust. When told that rumor fixed
one of these as Hullsiek 81 Sons. and
the other as Adam Boyer, he replied:
that he didn't know what Mr.. Boyer
might have to do with the concern. but
the firm of Hullsich & Son was not in it.
He had heard about the new building
He understood that William Dawson
was to erect a structure of adequate
dimensions on Sixth and Wacouta
streets, but did not absolutely know
whether it was destined to be occupied
by the new company. He thought the
establishment of such firm in st. Paul
would be good thing. 1t might per-
hapS freeze out some Of the smaller fry,
but buyers would be able to go direct to
the market and inspect the goods be-
fore purchasing. AT present they were
compelled to buy on the assertion of the
shipper that the stuff was in good con-
ditiOn. The firm would do the jobbing
for st. Paul and Minneapolis, and com
mission men would be able to buy of
them to better advantage than
they could of outside shippers. Ger
tainly it would knock out the auction
sale business, and the occupation of
the broker would be gone, but neither
were essential either to the consumer
or dealer. One broker made $4,000 in
commissions last year. and there wasn't
a commission given in the town that
did as well. The brokers profits had
to come out Of the consumer, in meas
ure, so his loss was not to be regretted.
Several other gentlemen were seen in
regard to the matter, but nothing detin-
lite could be learned as to then names
of the st. Paul parties interested. 1t
is probable that these will become
public property in few days, or as
soon as the plan has been perfected.