The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1907-11-01
GREAT PRUNE COUNTRY
EIbertOn Is the Seat of Indus
try at This Time.
Has the Largest Fruit Dryer ir
the World, Which Is Running
to Its Full Capacity

Elberton is a thriving town located
12h miles east OF Colfax. 1t contains
between 450 and 500 people, and is sur
rounded by rich farming lands and Or
chards that are yielding big returns at
this time. 1t contains two churches, a
bank, one hotel, four general stores, one
implement house, a drug store and a
large flour MILL fine two-story, FIVE
room school building is seen on a bench
overlooking the town, q reminder that
educational advantages are good at
this point. And in addition it has the
largest prune dryer in the world. The
town lies in the valley of the Palouse,
at a point where the valley and the
North Palouse river make an abrupt
bend swinging to the west. Its location
is picturesque and restful. The homes
look tidy and an air of comfort per-
vades the atmosphere.
Elberton was plated on the 10Th of
August. 1886, by Sylvester M. and Mary
Wait, who named the town in honor Of
their son, Ebert Wait, who died a short
time previous.
The main line of the o. r. & N. pro-
vdes communication with the outside
world. Much wheat finds it's way here
for shipment to the sea, three large ware
houses, represented by as many compa-
pioc hoipo fnll of this vurifiDr
1t is the prune industry and the big
dryer at this point we wish to deal with
now, an industry which, though i'm
mense, is yet in it's swaddling clothes.
EIberton's Big Prune Dryer,
Elberton enjoys the distinction of hav-
ing the largest fruit dryer in the world.
That is the claim made, and it's capacity
and output will probably justify the
claim. 1t is devoted exclusively to dry
Gazette visited this mammoth institu-
tion Friday of last week, and was kindly
taken in hand by G. F. Gage, the mana
ger, and shown everything in connection
with it. MIR. Gage has been connected
with the dryer ever since it's inception
eight years ago, consequently he is
familiar with every phase OF the busi-
ness.
The building which houses the big
plant is an unpretentiOus affair It's
size and Importance is not revealed un-
I'll inc 10 ipuy i, ond no
product which rolls out in an almost
endless stream is spread before the aston
ished gaze. Then it is that the wonder
increases. 1t is owned and operated by
the Allen Evaporating Co, with head
quarters at Eugene, Oregon. W. K.
Allen, who died two years ago, was the
inventor OF the Alien process Of evapor-
alton in use here. His four sons now
own and control the string of 13 evap
orators that are located in Oregon, Ida
ho and Washington, turning out more
dried fruit of different kinds in all proba
bility than any other firm in the world.
Seeing the possibilities of prune culture
at ElbertOn it was decided, in 1889, to
erect drying plant on scale cOmmen-
surate with the demands Of the growers,
but the growers have already outrun
the plant, and the spectacle is presented
of night and day shifts, Sundays includ-
ed, in an attempt to handle the product
that is being hauled to the dryer. Anoth-
er dryer to handle the immense output
Of this section is already talked Of and
will probably come in the near future.
Revuires 1000 Bushels Day.
From 30 to 40 men are constantly
employed, and the daily payroll averages
$75. The building is S0x192 feet, two
stories, divided into four sections, each
section having two furnaces. These
furnaces eat up eight tons OF coal
every "a hours. 1t takes 2400 bushels
Of fruit to fill the four sections, and the
dryers are reflled every 80 hours, 100
bushels day being required to keep it
going. Each section has II tunnels,
and each tunnel holds ~ tons of fruit.
Each tunnel is provided with 100 trays,
the trays holding from 80 to 40 pounds
each, making 1900 trays all told. A
tunnel holds the product of II cars, nine
trays to the car. 1t takes three tons OF
green fruit to make one ton OF dried.
After the drying process the prunes are
run out and dumped into an immense
| Bin on the lower floor los feet long,
capable of holding from % to 80 car
loads. At this writing the bin contains
great pile of dried prunes sufficient to
load Is cars, it being the expectation to
: add to this at least 10 carloads before
| the season closes. 1t might be stated
parenthetically that future operations
in the drying line all depend on the
weather. If persistent rains should set
in it would prevent picking in the or
chards and the dryer, per necessity,
would be compelled to cease operations.
As the scribe gazed on this immense pile
of dried prunes it seemed sufficient to