The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-08


Growers Along the Wilmington and |
Weldon acknowledgements Hur-
ried to Market at the Rate of Forty :
five Miles an Hour.
AT no time since the great straw
berry industry was developed in the
fine trucking region along the Will
mington and Weldon railroad, have the
facilities for the transportation of the
vegetables and berries to the northern
markets been so satisfactory to the
growers as that which has been inau-
gurated during the present season.
The services of the Southern Express
Company mas been admirable. and
there is nothing but praise for the eff
fort of the express people TO meet all
the requirements of the situation and
afford the most ample accommodations
to shippers for the movement OF their
truck and berries. After an expert
ence OF several seasons the movement
has become thoroughly S~yStemat1zed
under the capable, active and Jealous
management of Mr.. j. j. CrosSwell,
the pOpuldI duu IeSOultS1ul iOoNO
agent of the Express Company. Since
the berry season opened the company
has daily run a special train or from
six to ten express ventilator cars Tor
the transportation of berries and truck
of all kinds to points north and east.
The cars are handsome ones, being SO
feet in length and Mounted on Pullman
trucks, so that there is ample room in
the cars and an easy movement on
rail at the rapid rate at which these
express trains are run. The Ventila-
ton of the cars is excellent %ensuring
the best of conditions for the berries
in transit.
The Express special" which The
Messenger has dubbed the Red and
Green Train,' because it carries straw
berries and fresh vegetable of all
kinds, leaves Wilmington every morn
ing at $40 o'clock, except on Saturdays
and along with 1T goes Route Agent
Crosswell to superintend the loading
of the cars. The other morning a
Messenger representative enjoyed the
novelty of a ride on the express spe-
cial through the entire strawberry
growing region. The train was in
charge of Captain T. J.Pae, one of the
Atlantic Coast Lines clever young
conductors, and he runs a train with
the closest attention n skill of an
old hand at the bellows. Captain Tom
Lawther, the veteran engineer was at
the throttle, and he made his big en-
CINE pull the train at the rate of 40
miles an Jour from one station to the
other as it flew through the berry re-
gion.
The handling Of the berries and
truck, however, is the most important
and one of the most interesting fea-
ture of the trip. The train carries a
crew of fifteen to twenty Stalwart col
ored hands,, and with coats off, they
IA
the supervision of Mr.. CroSswell, they
carefully but very rapidly load the
crates of berries and truck into the
cars. This is dom amid lots of hustle
and noise and at considerable expense
to Mr.. CroSSwelrS lungs as he voci-
ferates the directions to the hands for
loading the separate cars for the diff
ferent markets. AS the rains thun-
der up to the stations in and around
the strawberry sheds are gathered
hundreds of the berry growers and
shippers, and the representatives of
hundreds of produce commission
houses in New York, Philadelphia,
Boston n numerous other northern
markets. They are looking after their
shipments, n their hustle and neces-
sarily loud talk add to stirring scene
when the cars are being loaded with
their luscious, precious feight. While
the last crates are being showed into
the train the throttle is pulled wide
open, the hands Chamber on the train
and it flies to another station. Work,
Everybody works on that train. Even
etWee stations there is hardly time
to blow, for Route Agent Crosswell,
full of tfreless energy has his hands
busy, shifting and Strengthening up
the packages and making sure that
each shipment is in the right car to
take it to it's destination. The cars
are loaded with from 300 to 700 crates
each, and one car in particular pre-
sented a beautiful picture as one
peered in at crates Of Strawberries,
barrels of new Irish potatoes, peas, let
tuce, asparagus, beats, onions, cab
bage. and other produce.
After the asst. station in the truck
district has been reached, the train
pulls out for all points north, making
as rapid transit as a passenger train.
All trains clear the track and only the
stops made in North Carolina or else
where are for water and change Of en-
gines. In less h "a hours after ,esy-
ing Wilmington, the Express Special"
lands its freight at Jersey City, oppo-
site New York. An agent is sent clear
through on every train by the Express
Company, to look after the shipments
and report all delays and other Incl
of b trip. The young men
who go through on the different spe-
Gals are Messrs. j. w. Saunders, A. c. |
Davis, and G. D. Meacham.
The perfect system and great
c~arefulness with which all shipments !
are made by the Express Special is
very satisfactory to the shippers, and
especially are they pleased with the !
courteous and obhging treatment at
the hands of Mr.. Crosswell and his
assistants. Every accommodation is
offered for the rapid transportation of |
produce to market, and so complete |
is the Express Company's service that |
Mr.. Marshall Barry, of Baltimore, the |
representative Of one Of The largest |
produce commission houses in Amer |
lea, remarked at Warsaw on Thursday |
that this Is the only time he has ever |
seen truck handled right.
To Send Boer Prisoners to Ceylon i