The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-04
Amerlca's Celery City.

Writing to the Buffalo Express a
Kalamazoo, Michigan correspondent
says: All tho markets and grocories
arc now displaying appetizing bun
chos of pale green and white col
cry. No table IS complete without n
few stalks of it. 1t is served daily
in all the leading hotels and cafes of
tho United States.
10 the handsome city of Kalama-
700, Michigan, belongs tho honor Of
making smolIage 2 popular table
relish undor tho namo Of colery. Gel
cry, in turn, has made the city ia
nous as tho celery gardens of tho
world; in fact. Kalamazoo is now
called tho Celery City. This city,
with it's queer Indian name, was for
years made tho target Of fuony
stories and minstrel songs. Situated
on tho banks of tho river of tho samo
uume, tho city extends back on tho
hills, and is acknowledged to bo one
Of the handsomcst cities Of its size in
the United States. Tho railroads
ontcr Kalamazoo along tho river
bottoms, which extend for miles and
arc the most fcltilo lands north Of
tho Ohio river. Tho soil is rich
muck, and is from two to eight feet
deep.
AstranSor entering tho city by rail
can distinguish tho peculiar odor Of
colcry gardens long before reaching
tho town. During the growing soa-
son it is Il pretty scono, long rows Of
bright green against a black back
ground. Not II weed or brush is to
bo soon. Bill Nyo said it reminded
him Of an Irish womnn's black dress
trimmed with green braid
Celery as table dclicacy cnmo
hl'o 'Ai"loL0o III elio way. AhioiiS
tho carly srttlors locating in Knla-
mazoo was family direct from Hol-
land, named Blylicr. Dom Blykor
was its head, and his father had uc-
| cumulutcd Il fortune in tho East In
dia Company. Other families fol,
lowed and prosporcd, and finally
quito n colony camo Of tho poorer
| class. at this timo the flats on the
river bottoms woro conSidcrd al
most worthless lands, but wcro pre-
fcrrcd by tho Holland cmigrants
| Many littlo streams flow down this
| hillside, and soon tho land neur the
city WAS pnrcoled and ditched into
small plats, lillo tho low lands Of tn,
Netherlands. 1t was Just like nom,
for thom, except that hcro they sool
could own their own farm. At lirs
onions and cabbage were raised une
shipped out to olhor cities.
In 1878 gurdonor named Val
llanfton raised somo smellago, which
grow so rapidly on the rich mucl
bottoms That no had to draw tin,
dirt up against it to koep it standing
In tho fall, whom taken out, 1t was
found to bo bloachcd whito anC
worry brittle and palatablo. A sam
plo box was sent TO Il Louisvill,
hotol which bought his onions, fo
trial as table relish. Tho instruc
tons woro to eat it as you woul,
radishos, with salt, and it was calico
kalamazoo colory, instead Of smell
ago. Tho now relish mot will
favor at onco, and Van llnnften re-
ceivod orders for tho rcst of his Gro,
and orders for tho ncxt yonr Onion
wore that year an ovorproduction
whild tho Kalamazoo colcry sold 70
10 conts dozon stalks.
Tho next yoar tho Van Haulto,
family plantod tho ground to color,
and mado q great deal of money
In fact, they paid for thcir land an,
bought moro from their first year
sales. Tho ycGr following tn
whole Holland population on tn
flats began to plant celery. Ever
loading hotol in tho Unitod State
was ordering celery, and land tina
had sold for $50 to $50 an aero i'm
creased tonfold.
Glen ID. Stuart, Il young business
man, formerly from Now York, su,
tho possibilities in cclory, and boga
business rs II celery shipper, an,
soon had an immense trado. III
was clover man, and bought Who'll
garlouS aud advanced money tp-no,