The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-09
Comparatively aModern
Development in Sci
ence and Business
BIG
STORAGE PLANT
The Pioneers in ashe Business.
The Merchants Cold Storage
and Ice Manufacturing Com
pany's Methods to Make
Richmond Fruit Distrib-
uting Point for South.
By FRANK S.
Industrial Editor.

industrial Editor.
Cold storage is something or a mod.
ern invention. so to speak. ana of al,
the inventions and scientific discover
les That have come for the comfort
convenience and profit of man non.
peIhaps mas shown bigger results. Ger
tain IL is that upon nonc have more
thought, study and money been az
pended In order to bring 1t IL that
state OF perfection necessary 10 COM
pietely fill the bill the invention or
discovery. or Whatever 1t may be CALI
60, was deslgned to fill. Vast sums OF
money nave been spent in buildings
and machinery and equipment that
were found not to ii the bill, and such
experiments became a dead loss. but
capital and energy and scientific re.
search never wearied. and to-day there
are cold storage plants in the coun.
Try that arc the wonder OF the age.
The prejudice existing in the minds
or some against eatables that have
been Kept in cold storage is due large
~ to Ignorance Of the subject, and
largely because the prejudice wa.
formed before the art Of keeping
things In this way was perfected. Tho
scientists and the experts and the ex-
perimenters have made discoveries
which If properly used and the well
established laws of the business are
properly carried out. 1t is only a ques.
W. l I'LL H " lleu dllAOIt THIS N
prejudice will be entirely removed.
The Thing Is to Know How.
government experts and other kinds
Of experts have discovered that all
things do not keep alike in cold stor-
age. For instance, eggs placed fresh
In storage will remain perfectly fresh
for a year and SO will butter, but they
must go in pure a perfectly dressed
fowl Will remain perfect for, say six
months. apples will keep months, that
IS. from the time one crop is gathered
until the next one is eatahle from the
tree. Properly butchcred meats will
remain perfect a certain length 81.
time. differing from fowls or fruits.
Peaches will not keep quite so long
as apples. Vegetables vary. some keep
ing longer than others. Dried fruits
viii keep almost indefinitely, while
there are some articles that should nor
remain in storage over from thirty to
sixty days.
Now 1t is manifest In view OF these
demonstrated facts that a. cold stor-
age plant. In order to meet the requires
ments. must be under the management
of experts; mel who know the business
from a to Z. know what goods to store
and when goods should be taken out
and sold. and when they should not
! be and when they should not be sold
at all. Unless a plant Is conducted by
men who know the peculiar business
dS Wen as Il cashier KNOWS the DanS-S
Ing business or a doctor knows how 10
diagnose disease and symptoms. that
plant will surely come TO a bad end,
and so likewis the plant that is pre-
sided over by experts who do know the
science OF the business will not only
90 we'll. but remove the prejudice still
existing in the minds of some people
against the whole principle Of cold
storage.
The Effect on Trade.
Another hue and cry has been raised,
principally by demagogues. against the
system on the Idle plea that cold stor-
age enables dealers to keep up
prices on all eatables and the ultimate
consumer thus suffers. The contrary Is
the fact, because the dealer. by tho
help OF cold storage, Is enabled to buy
his stock to better advantage, and
therefore to sell to the consumer cheap
or. For instance, when the market Is
Hooded with dressed fowls, say, the
supply being greater than the demand.
Just for q day or Il week, the first. cost
price naturally goes down. The deal
er can then buy and keep the stock In
cold storage for a month OR more and
have the goods to supply his trade al
the proper price at a time when the
demand is in excess Of the immediate
supply, and consequently the cost would
{ otherwise be away up Wonder, 1t has
been thoroughly demonstrated that in
this way cold storage is a protection
10 the consumer and keeps him from
being imposed upon at stated periods.
Competition will always regulate prices
II the dealer has the stock to compets
With. Gold storage in many lines fur
hlshes him with that stock in the time
OF need. as illustrated above.
Furs, Fabrics and Good Clothes
It has been demonstrated all over
the country. nowhcre more pofntedly
than In Richmond, that cold storage IS
q blessing to the wearcrs OF furs. own
ers OF carpets. rugs and or clothing
and all manner OF fabrics. IN the cold
storage plant that has properly briit
apartments for the care OF these goods.
al or them. especially furs and car
pets and winter clothing. are in The
summe time perfectly secure from
moths. duse and obnoxious odors. and
then IT has been scientifically shown
that cold air is advantageous to All
OF these goods. and furs will come out
of the refrigerato; looking better and
holding their own better than II they
had been kept in a private closet or
WaJdrobc or runk. -
Richmond Comes to the Front.
The cold storage business has grown
marvelously in this country within the
past few years, and as Richmond never
lags behind any city in bringing out
anything that adds 10 the comfort
convenience and profit of Its people and
Its business interests. and goes to make
II the best place in tho whole country
TO live and do good business in, IL ma
~turally took hold of the cold storage
idea. Richmond has q cold storage
plant which, While not as large az
many that are In tho country. is PERI
haps the largest in tha South, and 3a
certaiclv In its buildings and %aprointr. ~