The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-16
.TURKEY5ANDFRUI
. AND LEAF TOBACCO
Rather an Odd Mixturel
/ But Old Virginia Mikes
Up Money Products.
VIRGINIA MAKES
| COCOON ALL LINES
Turkeys Bring Big Money-so
Do Apples and Peaches and
Pears and All Kinds of
Fruits-Varied Products
of the Dear Old
Dominion.
by FRANK 8. wOODSON,
Industrial Editor.

by FRANK $. WOODSON,
Industrial Editor.
When I get to writing about the
varied money producing Industries and
moneymaking products of old vir-
ginia i hardly know where to stop. be-
cause the subject is simply inexhaus-
tible, but I have to stop somewhere.
because if do not somebody will ba
accusing me Of exaggeration. Then,
If do stop am sure to hear from
somebody. reminding me that have
left off something.
Well. can't tell all about virginia's
greatness In one or two. or even a.
dozen articles The subject is Just too
big for that. 1t will take a year or
maybe decade of writing to get tho
whole story before the readers OF the
Industrial Section OF The Times Dis
patch. 1t is SO immense.
An Echo From CrniE County.
Just by way of illustrations: Last
Sunday had story about the great
ness Of the little county OF Craig. or
course, can't travel all over the
state In a week or even a year. and
often have to rely upon information
obtained from correspondents and
iileHus from tHc various sections tOIs
the State. I am getting letters every
day from these correspondents and
friends. AS rule they provo to be
pretty accurate in their figures. Some
times they may overstretch the mark;
sometimes their estimates may fall a.
little short. 1 have to watch the fig
ures as best / can and draw fair
average, editing accordingly.
AS to that Craig county story, which
; n nd y,,,t{ In n
main 1t was accurate, the turkey
money was put down at s35,000. Now
comes letter from o. w. Fans, the
secretary of the New Castle and Craig
County Board of Trade, In which he
has some mightys nice things to say
! about the write-up and about the
writer. all of which are duly appre-
ciated, but Mr.. Fans tells mo that
the turkey business mark was far
underestimated, and as proof OF that
he gives some actual statistics, which
statistics are Intensely interesting as
showing what a big thing the turkey
industry of Craig is. ! am going to
give his figures and his comments
Just as he sent them to me, and IL
anybody doubts or questions the same
1t is up to Secretary Fans to make
good,
DiG Money in Turkeys. S
Here are his facts and figures as
he has already published them in the
New Castle Record. one of the best
of the Virginia weekly papers. Says
he:
THE Christmas shipment OF turkeys
from Craig county heat all previous
records. both In quantity and quality
shipped and the prices paid. Pricea
ranged from Is cents for common or
culled stock to % 1-2 cents for fancy
grades of dry picked turkeys.
Some idea of the magnitude OF
the business can be gained when we
state that for the Christmas trade
alone. George SiXeas. manager for
Swift s: Companys branch house at
this place. states that something over
was shipped by his house. OF this
amount car each of dressed turkeys
went through to Boston. New York
and Philadelphia. besides large ex-
press shipments to other points and
a car OF live turkeys to Scranton. Pa.
Nv. O.. Caldwell, representing the
George Htnrich Company. OF New
York. shipped out. 2Ia25 pounds. pay-g
ing s6,250. or averaging a slight frac-
chase.
.The firm Of Walker s Caldwell
shipped 11,177 pounds. making total
close to 100000 pounds. or an expendi-
ture right at the home of the pros
! Queer OF $4,000. Add to this the
shipments Of the individuals leaving
the county from New Castle, Paint
Bank. and via Eggleston of at least
| $4,000 pounds and you have a total OF
! $4,000 for tho Christmas shipments
alono. N
"The combined Thanksgiving and
subsequent shipments are estimated
conservatvely at about one-third the
Christmas shipment, or about $4,000
in value. making grand total of $47,-
| 600. or, il divided, a#lttle more than
$40 for every man. woma9 and child
| In Craig. We do not believe the world
| can beat it,
Home OF the Turkey.
1.-THE bluegrass valleys OF Craig IN
the home of the turkey. and he
| reaches the very highest state OF
perfection, We were impressed res
Gently with the fact OF superiority OF
tho Craig turkey, when In convcrsa-
! ton With buyer from New York
tho remark was made that turkeya8
should not be SO high here as they
| were selling at only IA cents in North
Carolina. Yes he answered, but
would rather pay 20 cents for a CRAIG
turkey than 10 cents Tor the North
Carolina product
I'VE notice In the daily press reports
OF shipments OF 1900 turkeys from
Highland county and of 1900 from
stanton, These shipments alongside
of the C,ralg shipments would be as q
peu to the largest cannon hail.
Now mind YOU, Craig is not tho only
county that ships turkeys to tha
Northern markets.. There are Floyd
and Patrick, and Henry and Highland
and Giles and Albemurlc ana Augusta
and Amherst and others, notwithstaxad- I
ing Secretary Eans's throw-on ON
them. 1t Is more than probable hst
old Virginia has drawn on the banks
OF the Northern section for AZ rnucfs \
us gs1T5,0oO for turkey money the p
year,
How Great Things Grow.
In the days when men OK my ~
were boys Virginia did nor ship tuf H.
keys at all. but only raised X en- Ky