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

The car famine has become worse
and a produce man direct from Chad
bourn yesterday stated that in the
strawberry belt there were at least $50
: cars of berries in the crates at
the stations ready to be shipped put
no cars could be secured to ship them.
He stated that inc produce men had
refused to purchase any more berries
until they could see an opportunity Of
getting cars. The gentlemen who was
speaking Of the matter said a fair cs-
innate Of the value of a car of berries
was $500, which would mean that S75,-
600 worth Of berries nave been ruiled
during the past few days. The farmers
are disheartened, but they are deter
mined to make some one, either the
railroad or Armour Car Line, make
good their loses.
The strawberry shipments at Chad
bOurn during the past week were enor-
o and this week viii be the time
when the largest quantity Of berries
should have been shipped from Chad
bOurn, but instead of being able to
get them to the northern markets the
berries will be lost.
Instead of over one hundred cars
going north yesterday, as should have
been he case only45 cars were SO
away. On Monday 155 cars were ship
ped and then between Is and 80 cars
of berries were left ON the ground for
lack of cars. The cars that have been
aused have been packed to their utmost
= capacity.
A representative of The Messenger
went to see the Coast Line officials
last night to learn, if possible, the exact
condition of affairs and who was to
blame. Mr.. Owen Page, of the trans
portation department., stated that the
trouble was due primarily to the Ar
mOur Car Lines failure to furnish a
sufficient number of cars. He said
they had three engines in Richmond
waiting to bring cars south and hat
they were being brought to the perry
belt just as soon as they could get them.
Mr.. Page stated that if they got all
the cars they were expecting they
would have something like ITO today
and he thought the situation would
be relieved by Thursday.
Mr.. Page was asked if the berry croD
was larger this year than usual and
if they anticipated such a large CT )p.
He replied that the crop was eStimat-
ed as being the largest ever known
and the Armour Car Line was given
notice to furnish more cars than here
tofore but they had failed to give the
number of cars asked for. 1t is under
stood that 1000 We're asked for and
Armour Car Line requested to have
that number on hand at the beginning
of the season but they-only had 800
cars here. Mr.. Page said the Atlantic
Coast Line had done everything in
their power to get out the berries and
several specials had been run out VIXEN
they had only five Or six cars.
Erom what can be learned the Ar
mour Car Line is to blame for the car
famine, and not the a. G. L., although
they are not entirely to blame as the
railroads north have not been return
ing the cars as rapidly as they should,
but If the desired number Of cars had
been put here at the beginning of the
season there would have been little IL
any trouble. The Armour Cal Line
practically has n monopoly of the re-
f%rigerator car service and this, no
doubt, accounts for the thousands of
crates of berries having to remain by
the railroad and ruin on account Of
there being no cars for shipping. The
Armour line has between 10000 and
5000 cars and their only competitor,
the California Fruit Transportation
Company. has only about 1000 cars.
Some one is responsible to The farmers
for their losses and as the. Coast Lin
has a contract with the Armour Car
Line to furnish them with n sufficient
number of cars to handle h crop, 1t
would seem that the farmers would
hold the railroad responsible and the
railroad hold the Armour Car Line re-
sponsible under their contract.