Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-10-23
FORMER STATE BANK BUILDING
REMoDELED INTO MODERN
FRUIT HOUSE.
COMPLETELY EQUIPPED
FOR JoBBlNG FRUITS
Especial Attention Paid to Construc-
ton Of Banana Rooms, Where Fruit
May Be Ripened Scientifically
Cold Storage in Rear-Fine Add
ton to Retail Stores.

fruit jobbing and retail fruit stores
in Iowa. the Oppice Fruit Company
| this morning opened its doors to it's
| customers in its new home at IL
West Main street, the former Mar
shalltown state Bank building. 1t was
IA real transformation from the old
and makeshift building at II West
Main. which the company was COM
PEELED to lease when the building 1t
occupied was bought by the bank
and now has become half of the
ground occupied by the magnificent
bank building.
A year or so ago, when the bank
bought the lots at and Z West Main,
Mr.. Oppice Immediately negotiated
| for the purchase OF the old bank
building, and as soon as the bank va
Gated it last summer began the re-
modelling process that has now beeh
| completed to a point where oe-
cupancy of the building is available,
even tho the work is not entirely
completed. In order to continue in
business after vaeating its former
quarters. the oppice company took a
longtime lease on the building 1t is
now abandoning, which has been sub
let to another mercantile concern.
Modern Jobbinu House.
AS, the bulk of the business of the
oppice Fruit Company is wholesale,
the company has paid especial atten-
ton to the construction of it's build
| ing as modernly-equipped 1obblng
house.
| Because the banana is the prin-
cipal staple Of the fruit business, and
| Is to the fruit merchant what sugar
is to the wholesale grocer, no expense
has been spared to build the banana
end of the business up to point
where the trade can be cared Tor IN
the best possible manner.
Two big banana rooms. extending
under the sidewalk to the curb line
have been constructed, equipped with
modern heating devices that will re-
suit, In the maturing OF bananas
scientifically.
Customers Will Benefit.
II people think that all that Is
necessary to ripen bananas Is to hang
up the green punches in cellar. they
are not posted on bananas.
In order to provide his trade with
the finest bananas possible Frank W..
Oppice, head OF the Oppice Fruit
Company, has built his banana rooms
along the most modern lines known.
! Banahas are a living organism. and
and have to be treated as such. Ihey
bleed when wounded, breathe thru
the pores of the skin, and II they do
not have fresh air of the proper
temperature they wither and die, as
does any other living thing. Ihey
5ex.lde a gas that must be disposed OF
if the fruit f1ourishes, and the equip
ment Of the banana rooms in the new
building is built to care for the fruit
as it should be cared for, from the
moment it arrives in the big green
lunches, until it is ripened and Is
ready for the table.
In caring for bananas scientifically,
the customer is going to profit. for
the fruit will be ripened as it should
be to preserve the food elements that
the banana possesses when ripened
naturally.
Two Bio Furnace Humidors.
In each banana room is large
furnace, humidor, heated by gas and
containing water, which gives off
warm vapor that is carried over the
long rows Of bananas suspended from
the ceiling. Fresh air is brought in
to tops Of the furnaces from the out
side, and the foul air, including the
carbon dioxid gas which the banana
gives off, is carried out Of the rooms
from the bottom Of the furnaces. The
temperature must be kept at a GER
tain point, dependent upon the stage
of ripening that has been accom-
plished.
To Produce Firm, Sweet Fruit.
The one main object in ripening
bananas is to produce for the market
fruit that is ripe, and yet firm. IT
not ripened properly the fruit be-
comes "mushy."
The green banana contains a large
percentage Of water and starch. The
first object to be obtained in the
ripening process Is to set the sap In
the green fruit, by means of fresh
air, moisture, and heat. The moisture
and heat that the banana breathes
and absorbs, convert the starch into
sugar and give the properly ripened
fruit it's sweetness. The big furnace
humidors in the banana rooms were
installed by c. A. Moore, of ST. Paul,
who is a banana expert and has per-
fected the heating apparatus espe-
eial1y for banana rooms.
Retail Store Not Forgotten.
While Mr.. Oppice has provided the
last word in the equipment Of his
banana rooms, he has not forgotten
the retail end Of his business. On the
ether hand he has been equally as
careful to make his retail store sec
ond to none in Iowa.
The retail store is finished largely
in mahogany, with Vermont Verdi
granite wainscoting, and with walls
tinted to harmonic with the wood
work. A modern front, with a fine
display window, lends tone to the
general effect Of the interior.
The company's business office is
elevated in the rear of the retail
salesroom, and affords view not
only Of the retail room but Of the
wholesale shipping room in the rear.
The shipping room contains an office
for the salesmanager where all in
coming and outgoing shipments may
be checked. All loading and unload
ing may be done either from the al
ley entrance to the shipping room, or
the rear. III. E. Rei1ner is the archi-
tect and has superintended the work
Of building, and Con Jacobson is the
contractor.
To Build Cold Storage.
The one thing yet to be done to
the building project of the
new fruit house is the erection of a
cold storage plant in the rear of the
lot. There yet remains space for
tY- fesfs. Efilla ra on which the cold