The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-10-03
PEDDLING FRUIT TRAINS.
VIM. H. Mills Interesting Comments
On the Eastern Experiment.
The Scheme Has Been Made q Success
in the South and VIII Be
in the North.
Tsan Francisco Examiner October Cd !

lSan Francisco Examiner, October I'd.
William III. Mills was shown a dispatch
IN yesterdays papers from Chicago re-
latIng to the running of peddling fruit
trains. He was asked if this presented a
practical illustration of the idea recently
suggested to the State Board of Trade.
He replied:
1.-The dispatch declares that trains are
run lor The purpose OF peddling produce
from point to point, none of the points
being large enough to absorb carload
shipments. 1t illustrates by saying that
an Italian starts from Chicago with a car
load of bananas. He may have to stop at
i've points and be one hundred miles
from Chicago before ne sells his carload.
lie Is charged the rate to the furthest
point and an agreed amount for switch
ing. This charge isgasually S. for each
stop with the privilege of delaying the
shipment for a day Or less The dispatch
further says that the system has spread
to all kinds of fruit, and that now coun-
Try towns are largely supplied in this
way.
This is practical illustration of the
suggestion made by myself to the Board
OF Trade and to the fruit-shippers of the
State. Of course, l am highly gratified
10 ma that since the suggestion made
two months ago to the board the matter
mas been put into practical operation at
the East. But long before that il was in
practical operation in the South with such
perlshable articles even as ice. Cars are
fitted up to carry ice throughout the
country and notice is given of their COM
ing. Persons desiring to purchase ap-
pear at the depot and are sold directly
from the cars while the freight train
stands. Watermelons and vegetables are
peddled throughout the country in this
way.
SUGGESTING THE METHOD.
'The suggestion of this method oc-
CURED to me five years ago. | spoke
with leading railroad men on the subject
at that time, and while / encountered
some conservatism | found no one will
ing to say that it was wholly impracti-
cable. There were some to declare that
the difference in freight rates on carload
lots and part carload lots would interfere
because II a car started out loaded and re-
duced its cargo on the way, the rate
would be constantly changing. | see
that where it has been put into practical
operation the shipper is charged carload
rates to the farthest point, and an addi-
tionalamount for stopping and switch
ing. That is. OF course, beginning.
When the service is better understood. a
change more in proportion to the service
rendered will be made.
Transportation always adjusts itself
when wisely controlled to the necessities
of production, because by this method il
augments production. What has been
suggested by myself in this matter has
grown out OF observation of the present
method. We are distributing the fruits
OF California by the channels and i'm ac-
cordance with the method which would
be adopted for blankets or dry goods or
otherimperishable articles. Our methods
OF distribution should fit all the facts of
the case. There Is a large market
throughout the world for California fruit.
The people of the United States cannot be
reached by sending it to great CONNER
cial centers to be redistributed; that
method is not applicable to perishable
article. The distribution of the fruit in
part carload lots should be the province
OF the Eastern railroad lines. The long
lines connecting California with the
Eastern States have simply the problem
of getting the fruit to the East in the hest
condition. The roads there will natu-
rally take hold of the matter because
there is a profitable freight earning TO he
made out OF the enterprise.
A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT
1.-THE most important feature of this
whole matter is that the experiments
which have been made in the direction
of supplying fruit OF all kinds to country
towns not large enough to absorb a oar
1t means that instead of making our fruits
accessible to one, two or three millions of
people, we can make them accessible to
fifty millions of people. A considerati ON
of this subject has convinced me that
fruit-growing, fruit-shipment, fruit-dis-
tribution and fruit-consumption at the
East are only in their infancy, and that
California has in her capacities to pro-
duce fruit more economically than any
other country, a source of wealth and per-
manent prosperity which is most surely
to be realized.
sour fruit industry has made Roadway
against continued predictions of over
production. 1t should be remembered
that every country possessing the capa-
city to produce something useful to men.
and produce it more economically than
other countries, will find an elastic adj
justment of commercial methods to suit
that situation. The apprehension that
the great fruit-growing capacity of Cali
fornia will not be availed OF by the world
is. and always has been, absurd"