The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-05-09

ROadS Over Which the Berries Pass
are Badly Blocked.
r. The following Associated Press tele-
gram shows how disastrous the Car
famine has proved to the vicinity
around C~hadbourn, the principal straw
berry shipping point:
There has never been anything in
the history of this state that compares
with the railroad blockade here. More
than $500, 900 worth of strawberries
have rotted at the depot here since
Monday morning. The railroad com
pany is hauling carload after carload
of spoiled berries to the river and
dumping them as SO much garbaga.
The loss to the truck growers of Lh:s
section will be at least $500, 900. These
figures are said to be absolutely re-
liable. The Fruit Growers Express
Company, it is alleged, has failed to
supply the refrigerator cars. The far
mers are picking their berries as rap
idly Is they can and turning them
over to the station agent here. The
express company is held responsible
and claims for 5000, 900 damages nave
beer filed MOEo than one n ed
northern commission men are here
willing to pay from 81 to So a crate
for the berries, if they could ship
them. Ten thousand hands are at
work picking the berries.
The situation in the strawberry belt
continues to improve and from the
present outlook there will be enough
cars on Monday to handle all the ber-
ries and unless there is some delay
to prevent the cars from coming south
there will be no trouble after Monday.
The Coast Line is expecting $50 cars
for Monday and think that sufficient
Ito handle the crop on that day.
There are now no berries On the plat
forms on the w. & w. waiting for ship
!. ment, all berries having been cleared
up yesterday, and it is expected that
sall the berries on the platform at Chad
u1Surn will be moved today by Il
O'clock. The shipments yesterday were
larger than for nearly a week past, q
cars having gone north from on the
w & w, sand Al cars from Chad
bourn. The number of cars received
yesterday was larger han was expect
- ed, much to the qualification of the
truckers.
Editor Whitehead. of the Carolina
Fruit and Truckers Journal, has just
returned from several important ship
ping points in the trucking territory,
and is in close touch with other places.
To Il Messenger reporter last night he
said:
"T1le present week has been a most
trying n to the strawberry growers In
this state and South Carolina as we'll.
AS early as Monday there were evil
dences of an impending car famine
and on Tuesday the shortage/became a
sad reality. The farmers in the mean
time did not cease picking, out piled
up their berries on the platforms at
the various stations along the Atlantic
Coast Line in the hope that relief
would come in a few hours, but it has
taken quite as many days II the
trouble is not yet over but there is Il
big Improvement. At length the
Truckers Association came upon the
scene of action and issued Instructions
to all members to tender their berries
to- the railroad company, taking receipt
therefor. This done and the grower
was relieved and at the same time in
IDENTIFIED against further loss. This
policy has been adopted at many
points. By Monday it is to be hoped
that everything will be running along
on schedule time.
'"The growers have the railway
-company's receipt for their berries
and the failure of the company
to properly tranpOrt the same renders
them liable for all damages. 1t would
be hard to find two more solvent instj-
buttons in the country than the At
Iantic Coast Line and Armour Car
LINES, and so long as they are worth
a dollar the growers can recover all
losses. No one should therefore feel
in the slightest alarmed. The expert
aence has been a most trying and eXas-
perating one to the growers, but much
of the excitement during the week has
been allayed by the turn things have
taken and the prompt action of the as
ISOLATION. Wilmington profits or loses
nv the success or failure of the straw
berry crop and it will be a source Of
more or less pleasure and relief to
know that the situation is no worse
FRIDAYS SHIPMENT.
One hundred cars of berries passed
through Rocky Mount yesterday morn
ing and their destination was as fol-
lows:
New York, % cars.
Newark, s cars.
Philadelphia, u cars.
Pittsburg, 8 cars.