The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-13
Has Made This City Greatest
Apple Market and South's
Only Export Point
REPRESENTS GREAT
OUTLAY OF CAPITAL
Plant Covers Greater Portion
of Three City Blocks and
Is Well Worth
a Visit

Few Richmond people who have
not at sometime or another had bust
ness relations with II, realize that this
clty--among other big enterprises
boasts OF the largest cold storage plant
in the entire South. and one of the
largest in the country, but the fact
stands.
Furthermore. this cold storage plant
is responsible fer the fact that Rich
mond is the greatest apple market
in the country and tho only export
point in the South for that fruit.
Commissioner Kolner himself is re-
sponsihe for this statement. and he
gives the cold storage plant fun credit,
and lays due stress upon It's import
anee in the upbuilding of the city,
commerce. not only for the apple
business. hat in promoting trade in
produce generally. The United States
department of agriculture finds that
the cold storage plant is valuable
asset in maintaining uniform prices
and afarding the consumer fresh pro
duce out If season.
Pioneers In business
The gentlemen interested in the
Merchants cold Storage and Ice
Manufacturing company are the plo-
neera In this business here. and the
immense plant rertered around Fifth
and Cary streets covers tho greater
portion ~ two entire city blocks. The
corporation has recently completed its
third big warehouse and Is erecting
now a handsome detached office
building which Will be convenient to
ali three buildings,
Ia these great warehouses Of con-
crete, brick and steel are stored thou
sands ~ barrels or apples bags #
dried fruit whole heeves thouss nds
OF crates IF eggs tish, game and other
produce Tn these big storage vaults
temperatures are maintained scten-
tificailY, some products requiring low
er temperatures than others. while
some are frozen stiff With great
concrete walls and massive doors Of
steel. these vaults ara absolutely flro~
proof and temperature proof, and
their contents kept pure. sweet and as
fresh as when they were placed there
II is a sight we'll worth visit-these
great vaults with their frozen CON
tents--and visitors are always well
coined 90 the plant. a present I am
informed there are 20 600 barrels Of
Virginia apples stored in one room.
Just before Christmas the same room
Contained 100 900 barrels Of tho
choicest varieties, but the price rose
aud over half Of them were exported
toned To give the reader an idea of
the magnitude OF the enterprise.
Eggs. butter and other food products
are there In like proportion The
storage supply of meats, fish and
game Is being constantly shifted AS
merchants call for them, nor do these
products keep so we'll as some others,
though an official of the company is
responsible for the statement that in
an experiment FISH was frozen alive
and kept in ice for one year. and at
the end of that period was alive,
though the varmint didn't kick along
after his release.
Investigation and experiment has
demonstrated the fact that some pro-
ducts. notably beef and cheese, inn
prove in flavor by remaining in cold
storage. Butter retains its favor per-
fectly indefinitely. and SO do fowls for
period of seven months The com
pany has recently added new feature
which appeals directly to the house
wife-a room in which furs. carpets
tapestry and the like can be stored
through the summer in defiance OF In
seets, which cannot stand this North
Pole temperature.
The Merchants Cold Storage plant
Continued on Second PAgeA