Arizona republican., 1899-03-23
THEY WERE AMAZED
Visit of Prominent Wells,
 Fargo Officials.
Had No Idea That This Was Such Wonderfully Rich VaIIeY-ExpeCf to Be Able to Make Lower Rates on Fruit Shipments.

Two visitors whose presence means much to Phoenix and the Salt River valley were in town yesterday. They are MT D. T. Mervine, superintendent of Wells, Fargo express, with head quarters at Kansas City, and MT James H. Langtry superintendent of the same company, with headquarters at San Francisco. MT. Langtry has been here before and knows something of the possibilities of this section. This was MT. Mervine's first visit and while he had heard a good deal about Phoe- nix and the surrounding country, he was not rl-epared to see such evidences of thrift and prosperity and so much development Both gentlemen talked freely of their visit to a Republican re- porter last night before departing for California Said MT. Mervine:
 "Mr Langtry and myself met at El Paso several days ago to discuss bus1- ness matters affecting the Wells, Fargo company, with special reference to the business here in the southwest, as it is tributary to both of our dlvls- ions. Mir Langtry induced me to come with him to Phoenix and see something of what you had here. Ar irving here I met my old friend, George H. Sargent of the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix railroad, who Immediately in sisted that I must take a drive with him sc as to gain anything like com prehensive knowledge of what you had here
 "Well. sir, that drive was a revela- tiOn to me. Do you know had no idea that you had any such town here as you have or that the surrounding country was anything like it is. l had pictured P1foenix as about like the av- craze frontier town of New Mexico and other sections of the southwest, but instead, here you have a live, pro- gressive, modern little city with beau- tiful homes surrounde-l by flowers and trees-homes that would do credit to any city in .he west. And your agri- cultural possibilities simply amazed me I supposed you had in cultivation few thousand acres near the town, but here you have a great valley send ing out trainloads of products daily. It is wonderful.
 "The visit of Mir. L2ngtry and my self will mean much to your people. We are studying plans to develop our carrying trade ak the time and we think we see where we can reap some benefit and at the same time give the people of the Salt River valley some benefit. We shall take up the matter of reduced rates for yoI fruit ship ments and think we can arrange it, So you can place your fruit in Kansas City and other eastern points at lower rate than has ever been offered before. Particularly will this be so in the case of carload shipments. The Wells, Fargo company has just had con structed lot of refrigerator cars of the latest improved pattern for the shipment of fruits. These cars are fit ted with patent bumpers and passenger car springs, so that crate of fruit will ride along as smoothly as a passenger in a f1rst-class coach.
 T am informed that your cantelopes here are equal to the famous Rocky Ford Colorado, cantelCpes. If that is so, and I believe it is, your farmers can grow rich raising them. I talked with some of your growers today and they assured me they could begin ship ping carload lots between the 1st and 5th of July. That is marvel-us. The Rocky Ford cantelCpe5 are not ready for shipment till'the middle of August. All along the gulf coast efforts have been made to produce cantelopes equal to those Of R-cky Ford but it cannot be done All the south raises fine watermelOns, but there is but one dis trict in this whole country that pro- duces fine cantelopes, outside of your valley, and that is Rocky Ford. Wetzel Of St. Louis. known as the caDtelope king, bought up all the Rocky Ford output last season. He landed his first car in New York August 20, sell ing them for $7 a crate. They cost him f. O. b. at Rocky Ford 75 cents a crate, so you can realize something of the profit he reaped
 You also produce a superior apricot here and much earlier than any other section We hope to see you send ap ricots out in carload lots this spring Some attempt was made in this dlrec- tiOn last season but it was not the sue cess hoped for However with the new cars I am sure you can land the fruit in Kansas City and Chicago in prime condition, and being so early can command top notch prices But the cantelope proposition is my hobby. Just think what it means to land can te.OpeS equal to the Rocky Ford pro duct in New York before the middle of July. Why, there is no question of such early shipments commanding at the lowest $5 a crate.
 MT. Langtry talked in much the same vein as Mir Mervine about fruit shipments from this valley. Said he:
 Tt is, of couIse, to our interest to see all your industries developed. It means increased revenue for us and 1 can assure you that the matter of lower rates fer your fruit is to be given the fullest consideration. While we are not prepared 'tc, and do not make any promises in advance 1 can say that 1 think it most probable that a ieduced fruit. rate will be given to Phoenix shippers. Here you are with ripe strawberries. It will be only q few days until shipments will begin in