Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-08-22
BIC FRUIT JAR SALE
FOURTEEN CARLOADS DlSTRIB.
UTEO AT PINE BLUFF
THIS SEASON
Represents Expenditure of $1,000 for
the Jars, and the Canning Of
6.650 Gallons of Fruit
TWO CARS SOLD IN 4s HOURS

The fact that fourteen carloads of
fruit jars were sold in Pine Bluff
this year shows that South Arkansas
does something else besides raise
cotton ad hogs. The trade in fruit
jars this year has been something
above the ordinary, and while this
has not been first-class year for cot
ton, the fruit crop is exceptionally
fine and more has been raised than
has been preserved. Pine Bluff is
the distributing point for all the sur.
rounding counties, and the trade in
this line of goods has been cnormois
wholesale grocery houses by the score
and several times have the orders for
shipments of the fruit jars been re:
vised. Week before last TWO ears
Of fruit jars were brought to
Pine Bluff ard sold within forty-eight
hours, aud still the orders have come
for more. II may be that the record
OF fourteen cars will he passed
before ,the season closes and a rec
ord will be established for Southwest
Arkansas that will rival even the ia
nous fruit belt of the Ozarks
One of the features Of this trade IA
Pine Bluff is that more orders have
been receized from other counties
than from Jefferson county. Pine Bluff
has supplied Cleveland. Drew. Dallas.
Lincoln, Dcsha and Chicot counties,
and much of the trade has also come
from Ouacnita and Little Riy ~ cOun-
ties. Jefferson county has also done
its part in preserving the fruit. but
the other counties have done as we'll,
and some better. Only small por.
ton of this trade has gone to the city
proper
VIII all this trade and tho large
quantity of the product handled the
wholesale erocers have no, made mon
ey and have considered themselves
lucky if they have come out even on
the season. The reason giver for
this is that the jars being made of
glass, much of the profit is lost by
the breakage in shipping. Tie jars
are shipped in cars of ona hundred
gross to the car and then shipped out
from this point to the smaller mer-
chant, and in many cases direct to
the consumer, where large quantities
are used. This gives Two chances for
breakage ad the jobber hes to stand
the loss. The trade in this liz g has
also been brisk this year and
prices have been reduced TO the low
est margin of profit.
The jars sold are nearly all quarts
and half gallons, as very few gallon
jars are bought, and tie trade i'll
plnts is also very small.
Averaging one hundrel gross to
eAiC NGi, the IOuIC00u CARS III u iu!t Jtl :
sold in this city will make $3.50 sal
Ions OF fruit that have been preserved
by the people supplied from Pine
Bluff, Little Rock and TeXarnsna al
SO come in for a share of this trade,
but the shipments of these two points
into South Arkansas will rot reacl
the amount sent out from this point
alone. Pine Bluff heads the list fo'
South Arkansas and will compare ia
Vorably with the shipments to any
point in the state. The jars arc han
died by the Southern Grocery compa
ny, Hammett Grocer company, J. +
HUT ad Sons, Russell Grocery com
pany, Ryland Queensware company
and Fox Brothers company in larg'
Quantities, while a number of the re
tail grocers handle the goods il
smaller quantities for the local trade
The cost to the consumer on th'
Jars average about $3.50 per car. in
Guiding the freight and drayage. Th'
makes the fourteen cars sold in PIN