The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-02-01
PESHASTIN FRUIT GROWERS
WILL ENLARGE WAREHOUSE
Peshastin Association Decides To
Again Double It's Warehouse
Capacity

The Peshastin Fruitgrower's AS
sociation, organized some five or six
years ago on a cooperative basis,
decided to erect a frost proof ware
house to handle the fruit of its
members. Ground adjoining G. N.
siding was purchased and a substan-
tial frost proof warehouse erected
with basement and upper floor on
a level with car floors for conven-
ience in loading. An elevator and
apple grading machines were in
stalled. Experience demonstrated
this to be an improvement over
ranch handling of their fruit. 1t
also indicated two years ago that
more room was needed to handle
their fruit economically, so the asso-
citation last year doubled the capac-
ity of their warehouse by erecting
an addition with basement and two
upper stories, and the installation of
the most modern grading and pack
ing machinery. The large and ex-
cellent crop of apples raised last
year and the lack of sufficient
room to handle it properly moved
the stockholders to still further in
crease their warehouse capacity for
the handling of the 1918 crop. At
the meeting of the stockholders Jan.
9th last the first move was made
by appointing a committee to deter
mine the size and estimate the cost
and method of financing the propo-
sition. Last Saturday morning, on
a call of the President, the associ-
alton met in the public hall at Pc
shastin, almost the entire stock be-
ing represented, either in person or
by proxy.
After listening to the report of
the directors on the estimated cost
and description of the proposed new
packing plant, the manager, Mr.. j.
J. A. Warman outlined the financial
plan for payment. After a free
discussion of the plan and the pro-
posed plant, the stockholders repre-
senting nearly one thousand acres
of the finest orchards in the valley
voted unanimously to go ahead with
the proposed plant. There was not
a single vote in opposition or a dis
senting voice. This is very re-
markable for a cooperative organ
ization after six years of operation.
The new building is to be 96x20O
feet with full basement and frost
proof, the ground floor equipped
with seven of the latest improved
apple graders, connected with pres
ent warehouse with underground
conveyors. The third floor will be
a modern boarding and rooming
house 32x200 feet equipped with sep
arate lobbies for men and women,
dining room and sleeping rooms to
accommodate one hundred persons.
The building will be erected on
ground owned by the association.
This new expense, while heavy,
is made necessary by the constantly
increasing tonnage of the stockhold-
ers, and to keep their pack up to
its usual high standard, that it may
command, as it has always done in
the past, premium above the reg
ular market price. This premium
would more than pay for double the
cost of the present plant. The
stockholders find that by owning
and equipping their own central
plant, they can easily save from 3
to 7 cents per box over the cost OF
preparing their fruit individually for
market. Almost the entire output
of the organization for the past six
wears has been sold on yearly con-
tract thru the Northwestern Fruit
Exchange of Seattle, with satisfac-
ton to the stockholders.
The association is organized with
n capital stock of $4,000 held by
the growers, who have built and
equipped and own outright their
present plant, worth today approx
mately $4,000.