Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-10-12
DO. THURSDAY, OCTOBER l2, 1899.
ALMOST S250.000
MELONS MARKETED.
Moro Money and Moro Wide
ly Distributed Than Any
Previous Year.

A few days since We interviewed
Mr.. Wetzel as to the results
Of the seasons shipments and elic-
tied the following facts aud fig
ures:
Over 100000 has been paid the
growers by the Western Poultry
& Game Co.; 100000 has been
paid to the trnnsportion compan.
les; and between $50. 900 and SiO,-
con for expenses and commission,
making a total Of nearly q quarter
OF n million dollars, in a period Of
forty.tive days. making it the larg-
est melon transaction in the world,
and making the Arkansas valley
tho largest cantaloupe producing
section in the world, both in mum.
Der Of cars and number OF crates
per acre. The statistics show
many growers have this year mar.
keted over two hundred crates per
acre. II was thought at tho be-
ginning Of the season that the
crop would be very short owing
10 rust that appeared on the early
patches, but the later crop proved
the most prolific Of any in the his.
tory Of the valley. Notwitbstaud-
ing tho enormous figures above
quoted, aud the wide distribution
Of large sums among the growers.
the season has not been q finnn.
cinl success 10 the W. p. Il q. Co..
due entirely to climatic conditions
over which they had no control.
As il will be remembered in the
height Of the season we had some
Of the hottest weather ever expert
enccd in this country, which made
il almost impossible to refrigeratc
the goods sufficiently to hold them
in good condition until they
reached the market. And in the
lntter part OF the season when il
wns conceded by all that tho mel
ons were Mt their prime. and It was
believed by all that We would OBJ
tain our highest prices aud that
the W. p. 4 G. Co. would make n
fortune, they were confronted
with n sudden change in the wen
ther throughout the east, which
proved 10 be the coolest Mt this
time OF year since the weather bu-
rcnu was established, which natu.
rally cut oil the demand for mel.
ons to such alarming proportions
that il il now doubtful whether
the W. p. 4 q. Co. will be able to
realize more than freight charges
out Of the last seventy-iive carl
shipped, for which the growers
received ns advance payment
about $4,000.
MIR. Wetzel informs the Enter
prise that all the advances have
been paid to the entire valley i'm
medintely on delivery, daily, and
that ali second divisions have
been and will be adjusted just n.
fnst rs il is possible to dispose oi
the remaining stock throughout
| the east.
Again it must be remembered
that competition this yenr ha.
cost all parties considerable. and
it is believed by all conservative
shippers, from their experience
this year, that two or more factions
shipping such perishable commod'
| tiles to the same market, can have
but one result, which means a loss
to all. Mr.. Wetzel informs ut
that he will be with us next year
as free and AZ liberal as ever, with
some changes, however, as well q:
improvements in his manner Of
handling the larger cities. and
hopes that the melon growers oi
the valley will remain loyal to
the one who has piloted this in.
dustry to fame and prominence
and give him an opportunity tc
regain his losses of the past two