The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-04
BESSEMER TRUCK GROWERS ORGANIZE
  H. M. Vanderputte of Gull man Is Manager A SPIRITED MEETING The Board q Trade Begins an Active Campaign for Union Depot. The Bessemer Ball Team
 Wins Again
A SPIRITED MEETING

Bessemer. June s--tspecial) 1.-The 8es. semer Truck Growers association, which has been agitated for some time, was solidly and permanently organized this afternoon and Henry NJ. vanderputte of Cullman elected as manager MT. Van derputte will divide his time between the German-American Truckers association at Culman, of which he is secretary, and the local alliance.
 l The meeting was the best attended since the first assembling of those interested in this movement and was held at the Board of Trade room. S. F. Cornelius of Bir- mingham, H. c. Nauman, a commission merchant of Detroit, Mich, and the man who sells the Cullman berries, and O. R. Durham of Birmingham, an expert on seeds and plants, were the out-of-town visitors.
 l W. H. Gardner was voted chairman and r. W. Sterling secretary. With an intro- ducton and brief explanation of the pur- pose of the meeting from the secretary, Henry M. Vanderputte was presented to those present as the man ''who knows
 
 a suggestion of principal crop for the local truckers and assured them that if strawberries should be selected as the crop that will make Bessemer famous he would sell every crate produced He stated that the soil of this district, which he toured on his former visit here about 10 days ago. was very similar to that of Bowling Green, Ky, and especially adapt ed for raising late berries. After a gen eral outline of the Cullman method of berry culture, the proper fertilization of the local soil and designation of the va rieties to be grown here, he told of the necessity of business foresight and an ac- tive manager to sell the produce.
 Mir. Vanderputte's remarks were well received, his dominant energy and en- thusiasm contagious and he secured the loyal support of every farmer there.
 The charter of the Culman association was read as an example for the back bone of an organization and at the new managers suggestion, election of officers was next on the programme. The follow ing men were elected: President, w. H. Gardner vice president, c. B. Cooper secretary and treasurer. F. w. Sterling and manager Il. M vanderputte. The board of directors were nominated by a committee composed of c. l.. Gager, w. D. A. Brown and they are A. c. Owen, R. F. D. No l. A. NJ. Brown, R. F. D. No. ?; W. D. A. Brown, R. F. D. No 8; Frank D. Pruitt. R. F. D. No. {: D. M. Waldrop, R. F. D. No. 5; and Ben Dixon, Bessemer
 H c. Nauman made short talk on the result of good prices from the better packed berries and urged the advantage of proper picking and grading. The, meet ing adjourned after two hours and h half of history making in the agricultural de- velopment of the Bessemer district
 Court Proceedings
 The courthouse lobby was filled today with deputy sheriffs from Birmingham, some of them coming to appear as wit nesses in the liquor condemnation cases, and others to effect a few raids. which they did Among those seen were Chief Deputy Sugg, Jack Brown, Merrman Jordan, Steel, Metcalf, Curl, McDuf, Hartsfield, De Jarnette, Russell and c. H. Heton, who, it is rumored, will be one of the candidates at the next pri- mary for coroner of Jefferson county.
 surprising amount of cold beer and whisky was seized from the r places raided as only last Thursday night Dep uty Metcalf and associates had relieved six places of their stock.
 Judge J. C. B. Gwin condemned 37 lots of liquor this morning to be de- stroyed as soon as possible In these cases no defendants appeared to con test them and they cannot be appealed unless the case is reinstated on mo- tion of a new trial The property of T,,tt AHA- ft@ nx,1 Murphy were returned to them as they were found not guilty. Jackson and Ragsdale demanded trial by jury and the courts ruling sustained the de- mand. The case will be reset
 A bill of exception was filed today by Otto Posey through his attorneys for the appeal of the verdict of guilty of carrying a pistol upon the premises of another, handed down in the city court short time ago, to the supreme court.
 An arrest that was the aftermath of this mornings raid was that of Jim Robertson, who has a soft drink stand near the pipe shops. A youth from the country swore out the warrant because Robertson had attacked him after the departure of the deputies, as one off their number. The boy was in the act of drinking when the deputies entered and the proprietor concluded he was one of their agents and proceeded to seek revenge upon him at his first op portunity.
 Depot Campaign
 The directors of the Board of Trade held a conference last night and de- cided to begin campaign for union depot for this city and bend every ef fort to secure this. A committee con- sisting of J. Albert Eastis, w. w. Hol- lingsworth and F. W. Sterling was ap- pointed to attend to the details of the matter The following communication was addressed to the state railroad com mission this morning as well as let