Public Ledger and Daily Transcript, May 30, 1893

PRODUCE FOR THOUSANDS.

Transportation -- Railroad - Stations and sidingsTransportation -- Railroad - CorporateProfessionals -- Commission merchants

HOW BUSINESS IS HANDLED AT THE PENNSYLVANIA'S NEW MARKET STATION.

The Largest Product Ever Handled at a Single Terminal Point Disposed of Yesterday Morning -- Scenes About the Big Depot after Midnight.

It is claimed by the officials of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company that the greatest amount of produce ever collected at a single terminal point was handled at their West Philadelphia Market Station early yesterday morning.

During Sunday night up to 12 o'clock, 125 cars, making up special trains from Cape Charles, Delaware, Norfolk and Salisbury arrived at the new market station in West Philadelphia and were all unloaded before 4 o'clock in the morning. An idea can be gained of the facilities afforded for the rapid transaction of business when it is told that the entire consignments were sold before 6 o'clock yesterday morning.

One Thousand Tons of Produce.

When the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, acting with the Philadelphia Market Company, opened the new produce depot at Thirtieth and Market streets, transferring their Dock Street Station to that point, they acted in the face of much opposition.

There were strong objections urged by many commission merchants, but the company claimed they were acting to the best interests of all concerned, and announced their determination to carry out the proposed plan of building a great terminal point for produce in a position that would allow freedom of train movement and rapidity of handling.

200,000 Quarts of Strawberries.

The record of yesterday morning, they claim, establishes the wisdom of their project. The cars brought over 1000 tons of produce from the Southern markets, of which 17,000 barrels and boxes and crates were below Richmond. The produce included potatoes, peas, cucumbers, cabbages, onions, radishes, beans and strawberries.

There were 200,000 quarts of strawberries in 5000 crates among the consignments and 4000 barrels of potatoes, including on consignment of 1700 barrels.

Scenes About the Station.

The scenes about the station are better witnessed than described. While the city sleeps certain of its population are wide awake and preparing for the appetites of thousands more. All the great volume of business is done under the bright rays of electric lights.

Towards midnight the station begins to take on the appearance of life. The depot men are waiting for the special produce trains to arrive from the South. The maxim here prevails of "a place for everything and everything in its place." Before the midnight hour all is in readiness, for upon the arrival of the trains the scenes of bustle enacted before that time are lost sight of in the great activity which follows. When the trains roll in long lines of cars are tracked beside ample platforms, and their contents handled with trained quickness by the entire force of the depot.

Then the commission merchants and their men arrive, and affairs move faster than ever, and hundreds of dollars change hands as soon as the consignments are placed on the platform. The Stock Exchange at its height of excitement presents no more moving scene than this midnight activity. It is rush, push and bustle for three or four hours.

How the Business is Done.

By that time the cars are unloaded, and their contents on the platform, or other places designed for them. Tons of produce have already been sold, and on the way to stores and distributing points throughout the city. Many of the first sales are made to hotels and large restaurants, in order that they may be in time for early breakfast.

Then the grocer's wagons begin to arrive and the business goes even faster than ever. By 6 o'clock in the morning things are quiet again, the vast business has been done, and half an hour later the fresh products of Southern fields and patches are on the breakfast tables of thousands, from one end of the city to the other.

Last night the trains arrived about 10 o'clock, owing to the holiday. There were about 75 cars.

Public Ledger and Daily Transcript
Philadelphia
May 30, 1893