Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-11-17
ROCKY FORD, COLORADO THURSDAY, NOVEMBER II, 1898

The best were selling at 10 cents
a crate and a large number were
absolutely worthless. He saw 300
crates sold to peddler for cents
each. The cars were ice cold
when opened. Mr.. Wetzel has
always claimed that Chicago was
a poor market but the speaker
thought to the contrary. In New
York Mr.. Kouns found melons
selling at 1926. He reached New
York after the dump but Mr..
Lyons and the railroad officials
had assured him that l8 cars had
been dumped in one day. The
reputation of our melons in New
York is good. Mr.. Wetzers loss
was nearly 81, 600 in payment for
melons alone not including freight
charges. A number of rotten
melons that he cut open showed
that they had been bruised, but
whether in the picking, handling
or packing lie could not say.
Crates of good melons would be
found surrounded by poor ones,
sometimes on top, again at the
bottom. Position seemed to have
nothing to do with the quality.
The speaker said that, in view Of
the charges that had been made
to the effect that Mr.. Wetzel had
bought him, he was placed in q
difficult position, but he was there
to report things just as he found
them. Both Mr.. Lyons of New
York and Mr.. Porter of Chicago
had said that Mr.. Wetzel was the
proper man to handle our goods
next year. The speaker assured
the members that he had not seen
Mr.. Wetzel while he was gone,
and that the only time he had
communicated with him was when
he telegraphed to send another
car to Chicago. There was no
question, the speaker said, but
that Wetzel would have gone un-
der even if all the melons had
been perfect. The supply was
greater than the demand and he
could not possibly have disposed
of them. He thought next years
market would be all right.
A. c. Conner, in making his re-
port, said that in Kansas City he
opened a car that had just arrived
and found that the melons had
been actually cooked and he in
sisted that the car. had. not been
properly ventilated while on the
road. In st. Louis he found four
or FIVE cars in the same condition.
He could not pretend to say whose
fault it was. He thought that Mr..
Wetzel had placed men on the
trains and the cars opened at the
end of the division of the road.
In this case the melons would have
been saved and the association
would have been paid for them.
So far as he could learn after dill
ligent inquiries in st, Louis and
elsewhere the men who compose
the Western Poultry & Game Co.
were all honorable and upright.
Their moral standing was first
class. Their shipping facilities
and business connection we're won-
derfully complete. Their corre-
spondents in other cities seemed
to be O. K.
Industrial Commissioner Davis
of the Santa Fe said that owing to
the excessive amount of water in
the cantaloupes this year perhaps
they needed ventilation more than
refrigeration, but as the railroad
company had paid the bill he did
not think the association had any
kick coming. He said that when
he was here last fall he was sur
prised to find how hard the board
Of directors was working for the
interests of the association. "Why"
he said, IF I was in company
whose directors were so willing
and anxious to get things right, l
would think that company invinci-
ble." The speaker stated that he
still believed the valley had a
bright future before it. But if
prices are to be maintained ship
ments must be curtailed. If the
members did not stick together
they would most certainly fail.
There should be competent agri-
culturist to oversee the growing
of the melons. That was what
had made the beet sugar industry
svccess. eve believe in you"
said the speaker, 1--WE believe in
your business and we will see you
through. If you want to send a
representative to see how the Ca.-
ifornla associations are run the
Santa Fe will furnish the trans
portation."