San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-27

Inc FRUIT commission Company
handled more than 600 carloads of
fruits and vegetables last year. This
was made possible by establishing a
large cold storage plant on the South
ern Pacific tracks at East Commerce
street. 1t covers approximately 40,S00
square feet of floor space and is said
to be one of the most complete cold
storage plants in Texas. II. L. Pruitt
and Edwin Lamm, owners, began bust
ness here in 1900 in a small building
on Military plaza. But their business
grew rapidly, forcing them to seek
larger quarters, until finally they ac-
quired the large cold storage plant and
another smaller building near the city
market house.
There are seven cold storage rooms
fourteen feet wide by 80 feet long. in
the Pruitt Commission Company's plant
on the Southern Pacific tracks. In these
rooms perishable fruits and vegetables
are placed after being unloaded from
refrigerator cars. There is a loading
space at the Pruitt Commission Com
pany's plant to accommodate six cars
at a time. Two of these rooms are
used for the storage of bananas. This
fruit is picked green and arrives at
the cold storage plant in the same state,
Mr.. Pruitt says. Immediately after
their arrival the bananas are placed
in storage rooms to ripen, which proc
ess is hurried along by slightly heating
the storage rooms, each of which holds
more than 1900 punches of bananas.
1t is. a common occurrence, plant en-
ployes say. to find tarantulas hidden
among the bananas, and they. are forced
to make carefulness a habit.
There are also two vegetable rooms.
Here practically every kind of vege-
table known may be found in boxes
which are stacked to the ceilings. Prin-
cipal among them is celery. Last week
one of the rooms was totally filled
with large boxes of this vegetable. and
on entering one would be astOnished
at the pleasant odor. But in the ap-
pie rooms are the places a visitor is
lrely TO be the most impressed with
the pleasant odOrs. which add to the
spectacle of carloads upon carloads
Of boxes of apples.
The cheese room is also interesting.
Here there are hundreds of round flat
boxes containing various kinds OF
cheeses. But of course there is no
Odor in this room.
The refrigeration machine, installed
in the basement of the Pruitt Commits
sion Company's plant. has a capacity
which is double in size to the amount
required by the seven cold storage
rooms. The refrigeration capacity IS
more than seventeen tons daily. Mr.;
Pruitt says. which is equal to eight and
three-quarter tons of ice.
The company is planning to con
struct another room in the basement
of its plant soon, Mr.. Pruitt says,
which will have a capacity for 1000
boxes Of apples. 1t will be TO feet
wide and 16J feet long.
The cold storage capacity OF the
Pruitt Commission Company's plant is
ten cars. Mr.. Pruitt says. and 1t IS
expected to be enlarged in the near
future. 1t is said to be one Of the |
largest and most up-tO-date cold stor-
age plants in Texas. Sixteen trucks |
ara necessary to accommodate the
large trade enjoyed by the Pruitt Com
mission Company. The company EN-
ploys five travelling statesmen, seven |
representatives in other towns and cities
and 2S people in its office and plant.
Much of the fruits and vegetables
sold by the Pruitt Commission Com
pany comes from the Rio Grande val |
lev. Mr.. Pruitt says. Since the Lower
Rio Grande Citrus Exchange was es-
tablished at Harrington some time ago,
Mr.. Pruitt says, products from this
section of the country have increased
in demand. This new company, COM