The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-05-17

Tho Carolina Fruit and Truck Grow
ers Journal will say today editorially:
We are today in the midst of the
greatest strawberry season on record.
Nothing in the past has ever approach
ed it. Its proportions are absolutely
astonishing. The daily movement by
refrigerator and express is so great as
to require train load after train load
ranging in length and size from nine
car loads by express to forty car loads
by refrigerator, the refrigerator trains
having to be moved in five and six sec
lions. AS a matter of fact the volume
Of business is So great as to be little
less thar appalling. Prices are averag-
ing well and money is more plentiful
throughout the entire strawberry dis
trict than was ever before known. EN-
ployment at good wages is furnished
hundreds and thousands of people and
prosperity smiles from every housetop
whether it be high or low, great or
mall.
Yesterday was a record breaker for
shipments, 112 car loads being sbinnad
from Chadbourn alone and 101 from the
w and w. railroad, making in all 21s
solid cars from the two lines. A brief
recapltulation of the daily movement
since the date Of the first car load 60
ang forward cannot be otherwise than
interesting and instructive to our peo-
pie at home and abroad.
On April 18th and 18th one car each
went orWar from Chadbourn and w.
and w. sections. On the goth and Dist
Two cars each. On the 22nd six cars
from Chadbourn and one from w. and
w. section. On the 23rd five cars from
from both sections. On the oath. six
teen from C~hadbourn. On the 25th, four
from w. and w. section. On the 18th,
Lorty-one from hadbour and twelve
from W. and w. On the 9th, thirty
three from Chadbourn and twelve from
w. and w. On the 2Sth, fifty-seven
frem Chadbourn n fifteen from w.
end W. On the 18th, twenty-nine from
Ohadbourn and sixteen from w. and w.
On the Goth, forty-two from Chadbourn
and thirty-five from w. and w. On
May 1st, fifty-two from Chadbourn sec
ton. On May End, thirty-seven from
the w. n w. On the 3rd, eighty-four
from Chadbourn n forty-two from w.
and w. On the 4th, sixty from Chad
bourn and thirty-two from w. and w.
On the 9Th, thirty-four from Chadbourn
n thirty-one from W. and w. On the
9th. sixty from Chadbourn and thirty
three from w. and w. On the 18th
forty-six from Chadbourn and eighty
one from W. and w. On the Sth, sew
enty-three from C~hadbourn. On the
9th. up to and including No. so, forty
four cars, the 10th coming up with IL.
cars from Chadbourn and 100 from w.
and w. Add to these the cars from
Lake City and A. and Y. some two to
five = day and there you area grand
total to date of more than 1866 car
loads to date from points On the w.
and w, W., C. and A. and A and Y.
divisions of the Atlantic Coast Line,
to say nothing of more than 100 car
loads from the Carolina Central divis-
ion OF the Seaboard Air Line, a system
that is rapidly developing into a great
strawberry line.
These 1,52S carloads reduced to crates.
on a basis OF 225 crates TO the car load
amoun to a grand total of $40, 500
crates. or at the rate OF 80 quarts to
the crate, foots up a grand total of
1o.961 600 quarts There berries have
averaged the growers TO date at least
$3.50 per crate, net. At these rates tx
is easy to see that the growers have
received in return already $S79. 500.
which amount will be augmented by an
additional half million dollars from
q oAOAAC- IL NAAAS AlAaot bC
added the lettuce crop, which distribut-
ed in this territory not less than a
quarter Of a million dollars the current
season, following which will come the
vegetables. peaches, potatoes, dew
berries, huckleberries, melons and other
things lasting we'll into next October.
The grand total of ready cash all these
crops will distribute throughout this
territory between now and next fall
will be anywhere between three and
five million dollars, surprising in value
and Importance to Wilmington all other
crops and industries tributary to this
city.
Chadbour, N. c., today enjoys the
honor n distinction OF being the larg-
est strawberry shipping and producing
point in all the world and on Monday
last broke all previous records by ship
ping 112 solid cars OF strawberries to
the outside world in one day. Prices
have ruled fairly satisfactory, and es-
pecially on the better grades, and the
voluminous movement this season has
all expectations. Such q
scene Of shipping activity. reports on,
correspondent, as was enacted there or
yesterday almost baf1eds description
Our Chadbourn friends are postmaster:
in the art Of strawberry growing a.
demonstrated by their work this year
while Chadbourn, fifty miles out, i
master of the strawberry situation
Wilmington, OF the other hand, stand
out first and foremost as h larges
lettuce producing and shipping poin
on the Western Hemisphere, $500
packages Of lettuce having been shipped