The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-08-15


Strawberries an make the journey be
tween Norfolk and Boston in just
tlirty-six hours and n half.
PerIshable freight Is the bane OF the
railroad mans existence lie some
times loses more sleep over II than
he does over passengers. II involves
problems not met with in most kinds
OF freight II must be delivered I'm the
quickest time possible, and I'm this
connection the railroad, like the ship
pers and the commission men, must
always reckon on the market day. The
loss OF one market day on perishable
freight like strawberries often means
the loss Of the entire shipment. The
failure OF a railroads freight schedule
to insure delivery Of this kind OF
freight for a certain market day may
mean the loss To that railroad OF this
entire business; to the commission men
and marSetmCn II means so much less
business TO get returns from. On the
other hand, the ability Of the time
table experts and the traffic men TO
knock Off half an hour even on the run
ming time Of n freight train may mean
to the road thousands OF dollars OF new
business and for the commission men
may open up brand new line OF
trade. For years men have worked
over these freight train schedules try
ing to lOp of precious minutes OF time
I'm the yards, IN the stops on route and
In the delivery. Always their aim has
been In the case OF New England 10
get table luxurics, such as early
stra wberrlcs, melsns and peaches, into
Boston by the second market day.
There IS no more pcrishabe produce
than stra wbCrries, and next 90 them
comes fish. The New England rail
roads must bring the first into New
England and larry the second out In
the case Of berries IL Is absolutely es-
sental that they be consumed within
seyenty-two hours from the time they
are picked FOR them To command
price that will make the business
worth while. When one considers that
these early berries are picked in Vir-
ginia and points farther so4sh the
problem confronting the New England
railroads I'm Frtting them on the New
Englander's able within this limit Of
sevehty-two hours Is thus seen 30 be
big one. III a carload Of strawberrics
merchant mi ses n market day at the
South Boston yard II means usually
depreciation Of at least = cents on
every box; on melons IL means prob
ably cent apiece That may not
seem much, but in the aggregate IL is
enough frequently to wipe out the
profit on an entire shipment.
In order to make a market day with
this kind OF freight, the railroad must
get IL into Boston, say, between the
hours OF 2 a. IN. and n. IN. The
market day begins promptly at g a. m.
That Is the hour when tie big bell
rings out I'm the perlshable freight
yard and there begins n scene OF ne
tlyity among the marketmen. when
this bell rings the ears must be ready
TO open SO that their contents can he
inspected and sampled and the fruit
in the car. Ten minutes after this
bell rings the contents OF the train
may he on the way to the market.
This hour Of n. m, then. is the
goal upon which the eve OF the operat.
ing man and the traffic man in the
railroad organization is fixed. II is
the hour they must make, not one
day, but every day. or lose the bust
ness. Down I'm Virginia, through Mary
land and Delaware freight train
loaded with the luscious early berries
OF southern plantations, the first 10
feel the vltnlizng effect OF the spring
sunshine, may he rushing through the
night toward this goal with the speed
OF n PASSENGER train. The engineer
has this goal In mind. the yardmen
along the route have II I'm mind. and
up In the railroad Offices the opcrat-
Ing men have II in mind too. Like the
man with the ball In the football game,
these men are all working TO put the
train with It's produce over the goal
line before the big bell I'm the Boston
yard rings ont rs signal for the
market men that another market day
has begun.
New England has not always enjoy
ed the privilege of having strawberries
In February or even melons I'm May.
IL was not many years ago that the
average housc holder had 10 rely chiefly
m his local fruits and vegetables. lie
waited until July for his Strawberries.
llis melons and peaches he got later
Vegetables ont Of season were rare.
This was whom New England. by the
\hen means ~ transportation. was
many markCt days away from the
south, These were the days of inten-
sive railroads. rs Mr. RrandeiS would
probably call them. short railroads
connecting with one another. hut on
Nrated Separa rately and Involving many
ransfeT points when freight has to
20 over several railroads operated on
the Intensive principle Il is bound 20
suffer delavs Between Boston and
New York thore were the New HaVea.
The old Ston ngton road and the Ros