The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-03-07
Why Orcas Fruit
Was Condemned

It is. think, an accepted fact that
when two or more opposing PROPOSE
tions appear under the sans title. il
the title be admitted all of the props
ositions may be wrong. while only
one OF them can be right. To the
following remarks. therefore. which
you have invited. I have selected the
same title that headed two-column
article in your last weeks issue re
spectinR the condemnation and rejec-
tlon of Orcas island fruit.
Much as l dislike controversies of
any kind, yet when q palpable and
serious injury has affected almost the
financial ruin of honest. hardwork.
ing people. and gross misrepresenta
tion is afterwards added to make the
future recovery of the injured ones
much more difficult, 1 feel it duty
to inform the public, upon whom, to
large extent. the fruit growers of
this island depend for living. as to
the actual facts now under discussion.
1t is just as easy for man profess
ing scientific knowledge. or profess
ing man of scientific knowledge, an
entomologist. for instance, or POM
ulogist. to declare, out of the abund-
ance of his theoretical wisdom. that
certain destructive larvae existed and
do now exist IN given locality. as it
is for another theorist, an astrologer.
to conjure up before his hallunciated
vision comet of unlimited proper
tlons, the caudal appendix of which
will. on a specific date, slap old
nothing behind to tell the story but
tnfinitesimal bits to be gathered up as
keepsakes by the inhabitants OF the
numerous other planets. The general
public can easily under stand too. that
an chronological citizen of San Fran
cisco is apt to be mentally affected
with Japanorosis, an acute. sub -cutan-
eous disease, partially due to cerebral
vacuity, partially to monomania.
Unfortunately for the fruit growers
of Orcas island the ebb-tide of hnan-
cial affairs occurred at an inoppor
tune time. so that the Messrs. Hunt &
Hatch Company "a suggestive title:
Hunt for apples; Hatch plot to re-
pudiate contract) saw they would
be unable to secure sufficiently re-
munerative market. It is easy to
condemn q man who has even the
power to defend himself. It is easier
to condemn an innocent apple after
it has been carried beyond the con
fines of it's native state. and no legal
action can be taken to assert it's rights.
It is safe to say that had Hunt &
Hatch been substantially represented
in Seattle they would have been made
to fulfill their obligation through an
ordinary process of the law: for the
fruit growers completed their part of
the contract, while the Hunt & Hatch
Company did not.
Disinterested witnesses are not
lacking to testify that Mr.. Jewett,
member of the above firm, was present
on the dock here and personally in
spected one lot of apples. known to
be the worst appearing Of any offered,
and that he remarked to the COM
pany's agent. Mr.. Randall. that he
could pass upon all shipments not any
worse than those. The fruit growers
might have suspected from the nature
OF the contract, which granted them
only ten per centum of the purchase
price on delivery here. that there was
. niger in the wood-pile. but they
did not suspect. They. only learned.
after costly experience. to either act
upon the @. O. D. principle within
easy legal confines. or to patronize
their home markets through RESPONSE
BILE commission men.
The soil and climatic conditions
here render this island peculiarly
adapted to fruit culture. We have
several Of the largest orchards Of West
ern Washington. and the owners are
exercising every effort and precaution
to keep their trees and fruit clean. A
Seattle syndicate has an orchard at
East Sound that for its sire and free
dom from insect pests is the pride Of
the Pacific coast.
Yours truly.
JOHN e II. SHEA.
East Sound. Wash.,
March 2. 1908.
Rev, r. s. Pearson. presiding elder
~ the Port Townsend conference dis