The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-31
MUSIC AND PEACHES.
How shrewd Grower Facilitates
the Packing.
From the Atlanta Constitution.

From the Atlanta Constitution.
The peach industry Is getting to be one
of the biggest things in Georgia. Such a
crop as this year has never been known
before. and the millions Of sheekels that
are daily flowing into the pockets Of the
Georgia farmers and the hundreds of car
loads of the luscious fruit that are travel
ing in all directions from this section. is
really surprising
President Egan, Of the Central Railroad,
has Just returned from "a tour through the
Georgia peach districts, and entertained a
number ofacity officials al the city hail yes
tcrday afternoon telling about the enor-
nifty of the crop this year. lie says there is
no doubt that the peach industry In Geor-
gia will soon be larger than the orange in
dustry In Florida; and that hundreds of
thousands Of dollars are being made by the
growers this year. lie gave some surpris-
ing figures about the number Of peaches
handled over his road this season.
THE peach crop and the peach indus
try in Georgia" sad he. has grown TO be
something really wonderful. l have just
returned from the peach-growng districts,
and | have been greatly surprised at what
I saw and the enOrmity this business has
attained. This Is probably the largest crop
this state has ever seen-certainly the
largest for a number Of years. The ship
ments have been tremendous. and there
seems TO be a good market for Georgia
peaches everywhere.
I'm 1895 the Central road hauled 739 ears
of peaches. In 1896 we hauled only $50
cars, as the crop was short. This year we
have already hauled go car loads, and
from present indications we viii handle 40
cars before the season IS over. These fig
ures may seem large, but they are posi-
tive. The Central road alone has hauled
a number Of peaches sufficient to give
every person in the United States and Cane
ada two peaches each.
1.-The Fort Valley and Marshall districts
seem to be the most prosperous this year !
believe fully a million and half Of dol
lars WIZ be received there from peach
shipments. The money made by these
growers Is better than a Klondike invest
meut by far. We have "A section hand down
the road owning q small peach orchard
who has averaged $2.50 a tree so far. The
Hale grove at Fort Valley contains 200 600
trees, and although thousands OF crates
have already been shipped, the trees look
ed a II they had never been touched when
/ was there few days ago. / cannot say
how much these trees will average, but
even if they only go 81 each, a $4,000 ina
come in one season IS not a bad BUSH
ness. one man from the North bought an
orchard down there the other day, paying
ready made 100000 profit this year
1.-THE Hale farm is one Of the most inter-
esting places | ever visited. II looks as ~
there Is a whole world of peaches there.
The proprietor has large packing house.
and he Is very careful 70 see that only the
very best fruit Is shipped. The pickers
gather their fruit In baskets, and are desig-
mated by numbers. When a picker reports
at headquarters he leaves his number IN
his basket. If there are any detective
peaches in the basket, the picker is imme-
diately notified and If he is found guilty
again he as discharged.
Some of the prettiest girls l ever saw
work in that packing house. They are from
the rural districts, and are perfectly beau
tful. Mr.. Hale keeps a string band on the
lower floor that gives concerts at all hours
Of the day. This is to keep the workmen
and workwomen in good humor When
the band strikes up a lively tune the en-
ployes keep time by packing peaches. and
the result Is that Mr.. Hale moi only keeps
everybody i'm a good humor, but makes
money out of the band investment by get
ting more work out of his employees
IAN these peaches are shipped In refrig-
orator cars by fast freghts. These cars
are icea at intervals along the way and
the fruit IS fresh on arriving at It's deg
tination. These freights have through
schedules. passenger trains often being
sde-tracked for them. ! was talking with
q Northern man the other day who had
Just arrived on a train several hours late
What was the matter?' ] asked. Nothing
but your internal Georgia peaches was
his reDly