Arizona republican., 1909-09-05
TUCSON FIRM OPENS
BRANCH OFFICE HERE
RENT PART OF CONSTABLE COLD
STORAGE WAREHOUSE.
J. r. Barker and Company Will Buy
Farmers Produce and Ship to
Arizona Points.

What should prove of inestimable
value To the farmers of the valley who
have found difficulty in selling their
produce is the establishment in Phoe-
nix of a branch office of the j. F.
Barker company. commission mer-
chants of Tucson.
This firm has rented offices and the
entire basement in the Constable cold
storage warehouse 1t Is their purpose
to purchase every product that the
farmer raises and ship them to the
southern part VI the territory, where
little is produced.
j. f. Barker and L. b. Warren were
in Phoenix yesterday to complete the
arrangements for the lease of the floor
space in the Constable building. Mr..
Warren will remain in Phoenix and
have charge of the branch office, while
Mr. Barker will return to Tucson.
]. F. Barker and company have been
in business in Tucson for seven years.
They have made a speciality Of pur-
chasing fruits, vegetables and the like
and shipping them to parts of the ter
ritory where little is raised. Much of
their produce had to be obtained from
the Salt River valley. Mesa in par
ticular was a fruitful source for them.
AS this is the most fertile spot in the
territory and one of the few places
where fruits are raised in any great
quantity, il was decided to establish
permanent office here and ship directly
from Phoenix instead of Tucson.
The new firm has taken two rooms
on the first floor for offices. The
basement they will use for the cold
storage of produce which may have to
be held several days before shipment.
In regard TO the plans of the firm, Mr..
Warren said yesterday:
Il do not know that there has ever
been a firm in Phoenix which made
business of handling the farmers
produce. We are ready to buy any
thing that they have for sale. Cante-
loupes, watermelons, peaches, etc. We
will also handle Gull oranges. This
feature alone should effect saving
to the grower. Gull oranges are
usually not quite good enough to ship
east and too good to throw away.
They can be sold throughout the ter
ritory. We have established relations
with fruit dealers in most of the towns
in southern Arizona, and that is where
our biggest market will be, though we
do ship some to New Mexico.
Some of our stuff will have to be
shipped in from California, but the
most of it we will purchase right here
in the valley. We have a carload OF
apples now on the way from the coast
We shall also ship some oranges from
here-such as late Valencias, which
can be had from the coast before our
season is open here.
In previous years canteloupes and
watermelons have been a drug on the
market because of the high freight
rates to eastern points and the abund-
ance of the crop. BY selling to us, the
farmers will not have to lose the re-
wards of their labor when the eastern
market is Quilted with the fruit. The
Salt River valley is the garden spot
of the territory and there is no reason
why the products of this valley should
not be utilized right here in Arizona
might add that we shall pay spot
cash for the produce as soon as 1t is
unloaded at our warehouse"
The offices in the Constable ware
house are being fitted up and the new
firm will be ready for business early
in the week. They are right welcome
in Phoenix and it is predicted that they
will have all the business they can
handle.