Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-08-28
MESILLA'S FRUIT,
Kansas City Merchants are Enthusiastic
Abont II.

About 1t,
A few days ago, while a representa-
| tive of this paper was standing at he
| depot, waiting for the north-bound
train to pull out, he was drawn into
conversation with a party of Kansas
| City gentlemen, who had been to Mex
leo City on business.
The subject of the conversation was
| the fine appearance of the fruit offered
for sale by the Mexican hucksters. Mr..
j. G.. Johnson, who is a well known
| business man of Kansas City, said:
ct would no doubt be surprising to
many of your citizens were they to go
to Kansas City and see the prominence
the fruit from this valley has attained
in the markets there. 1t has first choice
and brings a higher price than any 9TH
er fruit shipped into our city. The fla
vor, size and attractive color of the
Mesilla valley peach has won for it a
place in Kansas City's markets that no
other peach can occupy, if your people
only use a little good judgment and en-
ergy. They can find ready sale for all
they can raise, and if the fruit is prop
erly handled and the prices demanded
for it is not prohibitory, there will be an
opportunity for a fruit boom here such
as your people have never before SEEM"
YES" said o. E. Williamson, another
Kansas Cityan, 'every word that Mr.
Johnson has said is true. l have had
the Mesilla valley peaches on my table
ever since they We're first shipped into
Kansas City, and my only regret is that
they cannot be produced every day in
the year. I used to have an idea that
the only thing raised in New Mexico
were beans and the devil, but one trip
through the territory has convinced me
that l made a great mistake. 1 find
progress and prosperity all along the
line. New Mexico has a great future
before it, and all that is necessary for
it to climb to the topmost rung of the
ladder is a continuation of the policy
adopted during the past two or three.
years."
The two other gentlemen in the party
expressed themselves in similar terms
of praise of New Mexico and her fruit,
and the only thing that prevented a
more detailed discussion of the subject
was the fact that the three big trucks
of pears, peaches, cantaloupes and wa
northern points had been %unloaded, and
the "all aboard warning forced a ter
mination to the pleasant conversation.
But the above, however, is not uncom
mon. Every day a person can hear tour
lists express themselves in terms Of sur
prise, admiration or familiarity on the
appearance and quality Of the Mesilla
valley fruits.
The residents of this valley have onc
more had the markets of the north and
east thrown open to them. They have
had the experience of finding them
on account of a shortsighted and
parsimonious policy, which they appar-
emily regret, and in which they are not
likely to again indulge.
The fruit of this valley when properly |
handled always finds a ready market
and higher prices than that of any other
but this fact does not warrant
the demand of extortionate prices. The
prices paid for the fruits are higher
than those paid elsewhere, they are rea-
and it would appear that they
are satisfactory, and under these cir I
cumstances the orchardists feel that
this Is true, and are not going to again
make the mistake of holding off for
prices.-Dona Ana County Re-
publican.