The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-25
NOW ABOUT THE OTHER SIDE
MATTER OF RAILWAY FREIGHT
CHARGES ON MELONS.
1t Is Claimed that the Roads Do Not
Divide Up Fairly with the Pro-
ducers of Texas.
(From the Gonzales Inonirer)

| The extract Glow was published Friday
| in the San Antonio Express as q result
of an interview of reporter with the
railroad officials. 1t reads and sounds
we'll from railroad standpoint, but the
truck and melon growers of Southwest
Texas will hardly be able to see the point.
Following is the statement:
| During the watermelon season the San
Antonio and Arkansas Pass shipped from
stations on It's line 1113 carloads of
melons. Shipments were made to twenty
States and Territories. stretching from
| Utah on the west to New York on the
east and from Dakota to Texas. Missouri
took 345 cars, Illinois 162. Colorado 81,
Minnesota "a, Kansas 81. Texas took 27S
carloads.
THE melon business has been con-
Quoted on an unprecedented scale this
year and the grower has found himself
the object of the solicitous attention Of
buyers and has received cash for his
melons at home without being forced to
the precarious and unsatisfactory plan of
consigning them to commission merchants
at distance to be disposed of. Melon
buyers and railroad freight solicitors made
of business during the height of the melon
season by fiocking there in great numbers,
seeking to buy up and ship melons.
Thousands upon thousands of melons
were piled up at railway stations and buy
ers hustled, pleaded and eXhorted in or
der to secure them on the best terms. The
melon grower found himself a popular and
important factor in the development and
commerce of the fertile section of Texas
trayersed by the Sap, and the lesson of
the season is an impressive and valuable
one. The melon industry in Southwest
Texas is comparatively new, but has al
ready grown to such proportions that 1t
adds hundreds of thousands of dollars an
nually to the wealth and commerce of the
State, and has indused railroads and ship
ping agencies to make special provisions
for it. The melon crop along the San
Antonio and Arkansas Pass this season was
worth $500 to 100000 to the producers.
and the industry is truly an infant one as
yet Texas melons are the first on the
market being several weeks ahead of the
Georgia crop, and are equal In flavor.
weight and quality to any grown any
where in the country"
The business looks very fine to the rail-
roads and also to all who do not see be-
hind the scenes, but the melon grower is
behind the scenes. He has had to pay
the freight and he Is not chuckling or rub
bling his sides in gee as consequence
as the railroads are doing. This years
business has been fine for the railroads.
express companies and commission men,
but there are no truck growers enthusiasts
tic over the business. Some of them are
disguised and unless there is change
there will not be another such a season.
Let us be honest and look at the truck
and melon growers side. In the state
ment furnished by the Arkansas Pass Of
fcials Gonzales is placed as furnishing
eight cars. Returns have not been re-
ceived as yet from all the shipments, but
here is a statement of three cars.
One car shipped to Chicago lacked sew
eral dollars of paying the freight and the
raisers of the melons will have to dig up.
One car shipped to Cripple Creek, Colo,
brought on the market s2S9.91 cents, 4
splendid price. OF this amount the rail-
roads extracted as freight $236.25. Com
mission fee $3.50. Total expense $260.25, |
leaving a shortage of $2034 the shippers
had to pay. Just think of 1t. s236.26
freight one one car. 1t Is no wonder the
suit, but think OF the melon raiser after
toling and raising Them and pulling their |
teams to the railroad, they have 10 pay |
$2O.S4 for the honor.
Another car shipped to the same point
brought 1906 on the market On this car
the freight was s227.24; commission $4,000;
total expense s257s4. Leaving the grow
ers s4S16.
On these two cars the melon growers
paid the railroads $4635o freight and the
melon raisers received s19.72 for over 1000
melons This is truly great showing for
and the growing truck busi-
ness! The railroad managers can go out
and get another long sour in anticipation
Of another season! If the railroad officials
,an't see where such conditions will lead
10 they are blind TO their own interests.
They are not ignorant as to the result.
The official who gave the information TO
The Express knew that the shippers we're
little or nothing for their stun.
Nothing raised In Texas can stand such
freight charges and exist. Last year two
cars OF melons shipped to Northern mar
Sets from this place. after paying over