The morning call., 1894-05-29
FRUIT AND WINE.
The Depot in Chicago for
Their Sale.
ITS HELP TO PRODUCERS.
The Scheme a Gigantic One in
Its Scope.
INSTANCES OF PAST SWINDLES.
How the Grower Has Suffered at the
Hands of the Dishonest Com
mission Man.
INSTANCES OF PAST SWINDLEs

The plans of the gentlemen who propose
to establish an exchange in Chicago for
the exhibition and sale of California
fruits increase the proportions OF the nm
dertaking as they near completion.
1t will be remembered that The CALL
has heretofore published the objects and
scope of this undertaking, since which time
some further developments have occurred
and other features have been embraced in
the proposition.
The company having the matter in hand
has secured a location tor the display of
these fruits past which fully 10000 per-
sons travel every weekday between the
hours of II and 1 o'clock. The desirable
ity, central location and adaptability of
the rooms to the purposes designed may be
judged from this one fact.
Yesterday arrangements were perfected
by which the Southern Pacific Company
agrees to give free transportation to all ex-
hibits, and little by little the undertaking
is assuming tangible shape.
Two gentlemen who were in converse
ton yesterday relative to the plans out
lined above fully demonstrated the neces-
sty for action on the part of the fruit
growers of California, and especially the
northern part of the State, looking toward
the protection of their interests. One of
these gentlemen is among the foremost
fruit-shippers of the State and the other is
a man who is probably better acquainted
with the material resources OF this CON-
monwealth and the helpful aids which
they require than any other single person
within its boundaries. They were dis
cussing the difficulties under which the
California fruit-grower labored in securing
I l. IL g. \
ucts and an adequate return for the same.
One of them said: Il knew a. grower
| who sent lot OF plums TO Chicago for
which returns were made 20 him at the
rate of 90 cents a box. He subsequently,
| learned from authoritative sources that
| his lot of fruit had in reality been sold for
| 81 % a box. The scheme which the COM
! mission men had worked in this instance
| is the same that is pract ced in almost all
! other cases. 1t was a simple process, and
I necessltated only the selection of the
poorest fruit in the lot, selling it for what
| it would bring and making returns to the
grower upon that basis. The good fruit
which was retained was placed in cold
/ storage and disposed of as the marke
would justify and at approximately higt
| figures.
Il know myself" said the other gentle.
man, that California fruit doesn't get
fair show in the Chicago market. l recol
| ItCb Uuc zip " I-IdG CITY uuIiUk
which !. as usual, visited the auction
rooms. The auctiOneer would put up
batch OF California fruit and with bu
little preliminary work knock it down Il
an invisible purchaser. Subsequently
| learned that it was the custom Of certain
| private fruit auctiOneers who did not re
ceiye products from this State for sale OF
commission TO drop into these commission
houses and bid in the fruits privately
| then, taking them to their own establish
| ments, sell them over again at auction
Here we have an instance of two middle
men receiving a profit, all of which, o.
| course, comes ont of the producer:
| pocket"
Another fact to which my attention wa:
directed" said the first sneaker, came ouI
during my visit to the Worlds Fair. My
wife and myself were passing truithOust
when my attention was attracted by al
| exceptionally fine display of cherries
| Upon the boxes l observed they were from
lady who has a large ranch near Vaca
| vile, and as / cOmpllmented the appear
ance of the fruit to the dealer, he said tina
he supposed. from the nature of my re
| marks, that 1 had come from California
and | informed him that we were. Durin,
the conversation which followed, tn,
dealer incidentally stated that all his frui
was from Southern California, wherein Dol
| corrected him by the remark that til,
cherries | had admired, at least, were mo-
from that locality, but were from Vaca
Vile. At this the dealer assumed an in
jured air. and with some asperty, said
well, if Vacavile isn't in Southern Cali
fOrnia, I'd like TO know where it isp II,
seemed TO think that if his customers eve
got hold of the idea that his fruit was no
from the southern part of the State, thel
would believe that the goods were fraudu
lent.
1T has been SO for years. The centra
and northern portions of this State have
simply been made su bservent to thu
southern portion in tbs fruit trade unit
the latter section of our State is practi
cally the ouly portion known to the com
mercial world in this respect.
Now, the features about this new prop
ositon which commend themselves to my
mind are that this company proposes t
give Central and Northern California ;
show, and while they are undoubtedly
in this business for money their Interest,"
and ours are so closely identified that it il
impossible that they should prosper ant
we should not.
"They propose to keep a tremendou
exhibit of only the best fruits on hand ant
to sell it before IL becomes decayed. The,
propose to go even further and add wine
to their list, and for this purpose they ar
securing the agency for many brands mad
IN this State.
Now the fundamental purpose of al
this display is simply TO show that Califor
mia lands are capable of producing s.
much fruit to the acre. which can be soil
at a price which is before the eyes of th
inquirer 1t will be an object lesson. bet
ter than pages of type. 1t will show tn
productive capacity of an acre of Caifor
MIA ground IN dollars. and the inquire
won't need much mathematical ability t.
figure it out.
"While these gentlemen who have thu
matter in hand are advertising their lands
they are also advertising those of thei
neighbor and of their neighbor's neigh boz
until, in fact, the whole State comes In TO
a share of the benefit"
The agency in Chicago will be opened il
a manner that will certainly tend to thol
oughly advertise its objects. II is pro
posed to give fine fruit lunch every da,
for several weeks. to which 20O0 person
will be invited daily, and so far as new:
paper backing is concerned yhe fact tina
: three of the principal owners in as man
of the most prominent daily papers in tina
city are actively interested in the enter
prise would seem 10 indicate that Their
will be no lack of publicity.