The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-08
PINEAPPLE JUICE.
Its Value for Throat Affections
Something About the Fruit.


New York Press.
The best lubricant for the organs Of the
throat is pineapple juice. 1t is said that
people living in countries where the cone
shap ped fruit is grown never suffer from
bronchial affections. The noted horseman,
Michael F. Dwyer. once dreamed Of quit
ting the turf and turning his talents TO the
growing Of pines along the Indian river,
about Rock Ledge. where he owned a
hotel with 400 rooms. Perhaps he is sorry
that he did not follow this impulse
1t might have saved his fortune and in
creased 1t. His idea was TO express the
juice and sell il to singers.
Strolling along the bulkheads and piers
of the lower East Side on Wednesday 1
met my old tropical fruit friend. ]. Roberts.
of No. l5s Front street. experimenting the
disposal Of a cargo Of pineapples. Three
ships of the Ward line were in port one.
the Seneca, having just arrived from Ha-
vana with 1900 barrels of the delicious
fruit in her hold. The Mexico and Mon
terey had unloaded the day before, and the
MORO Castle the week preceding. these
four vessels bringing in all no less than
10000 packages OF pines from the capital of
Cuba. All the ships were handsomely dec
GRATED in honor of Cuba libre! Barrels
and crates of fruit were piled as high as
the housetops on pier and bulkhead. even
invading the street almost to the hlndrance
or traffic. 1t was revelation. Those of us
who eat an apple occasionally do not real
lie what there is in the business of hand
ling the product of the tropics.
Dealers do not say 'pineapples," but
pines. The art of abbreviation is per-
fected in America, and no commercial alb
hr~ox dot fnN, 4c
trade. The MORO Castle, then. brought
from Havana 5000 barrels of pines in her
cargo. the Seneca 1900. the Mexico 5000
and the Monterey 1900. The contents of a
barrel run from "a 10 100 an average of.
say, 100, and the pines weigh from Siz TO II
pounds Thus we have within less than one
week receipts of pineapples amounting TO
100000 If they average seven pounds each
the total weight is 900 pounds The
freight is about 20 cents a barrel, which
means a revenue of $4,000 for the steam
ship owners for a weeks haul of pines.
The wholesale price of this fruit is just
now about to 5 cents each. The pines
reach here in a very green state so they
may bear shipment to points in the interior.
trade as far West as Omaha. Not many
years ago when the voyage from Havana
required five days the fruit in the warm
hold of ship ripened rapidly, arriving in
New York nearly ready for the table. But
to-day the voyage is only a three-day one
therefore the greener the pines. Mr.. Rob
| street, where he ripens pines for the New
| York market by artificial process. 1t is
| heated TO ITO degrees, and ordinarily three
| and half TO four days are required tc
| thoroughly ripen the fruit The retail
| price around town just now is from 10 TO 1;
| cents.
The. pineapple season lasts about three
months-May, June and July. Dealers ana
commission men expect that this season
| the receipts will be not less than 200 00
packages, or something like 2O.OOO.OOO pines
1 q 70 IN ~ Noe 9TH
| points in the Bahamas i'm large quantities
| as the season advances. The barrels USED
are made in the United States. Why should
not some enterprising American establish
| barrel factory in Cuba? Here is an open
| ing.
Mr.. Roberts thinks that the crop this yeal
| is below the average in quality and price
and that the growers will not profit TO an.
| considerable extent on the seasons output
! Sightseers should visit the rooms of tn,
Fruit Auction Company at No. Jay stree
any morning at 1890 on the day Of
| Havana steamers arrival. Here the car
! goes are put up and sold by auction TO tn
! highest bidder, and a rare spectacle il is
| The dealers are pretty solid lot TO lool
/ at. full of snap, push and go.
Manufacturers of preserves use man!
| pines in the course of a season, and cand,
makers are heavy consumers, the require
ment for glaces alone amounting to 1000
barrels. pungent and delicious perfum
is made from the pine, and the ripeninl
fruit on a center table will sweeten a whol
a
the tropics, producing a jag that remains
| at least seven days. There are two partic
| ular brands of the fruit-the strawberr,
| and the sugar-loaf. In Cuba the plantation
| owners say they eat only the sugar-loaf
feeding the strawberries to the hogs and
| the Americansi
The war with Spain did several things
Among others this: 1t made the success o
| a powerful trust, known the Unite,
| Fruit Company. The promoters of thi
| octopus Eve have almost dropped tina
| term in reference to trusts) saw it's sur
and early failure until the war came to il
| relief. Open competition was too heavy Z
| render Capitalization possible. Suddenl,
the Cuban fruit business was knocked int
| a cooked hat The ports were closed. Ba
| nanas and oranges, cocoanuts, etc, were il
| great demand, with prices soaring Tn
| brains of the United Fruit Company ha,
| foreseen this, and with desperate energ,
purchased every available banana planta
ton in Jamaica, South and Central Amer
| lea and Porto Rico. Its ships rushed fruit
to the markets and cargoes were sold a
| fabulous prices. The success of the trus
| was assured. 1t handles 25 000. 900 punches o
bananas and 10000, 900 cocoanuts a year, be
sides oranges and other fruits. Capital
$40, OO0, Oo0-a dollar for each cocoanut.