Peninsula Enterprise, February 5, 1887
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Infrastructure -- Commercial - Real estate
Miss Elizabeth Chadbourne, elocutionist, of Boston, Mass., has purchased 50 acres of land of Mr. Parker W. Parks, located near Parksley Station, for the sum of $2000.
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Tourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Fairs
Capt. O. A. Browne, authorizes the following: "At the request of many persons interested in the Accomac and Northampton Agricultural Association; an organization to locate and operate a Fair on the line of the Rail, I hereby appoint Feb. 9th at 10 a. m., as the time for everyone feeling an interest in this work, to meet at Accomac C. H., to take such action as may be deemed best to carry out the object in view."
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Transportation -- Railroad - Rates and faresSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : PackingTransportation -- Water - Boat buildingSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : LitigationSea -- Shellfish - Clamming : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Clamming : PricesLaborers -- FisheriesLaborers -- WagesTourists and sportsmen -- Other recreation - Veterans
Chincoteague.
It is to be hoped that the Inter-State Commerce Bill will operate for the good of our people. They do not recognize the justice of being charged 50 cents on a barrel of oysters to Philadelphia, when a barrel from Norfolk only costs 30 cent. Twenty-five thousand barrels are shipped from here annually and the difference in freight to us therefore is just $5,000.
The oyster shucking business of D. J. Whealton & Co., is proving a success. -- The orders on the firm have doubled of late, and five times as many hands are now employed as were formerly.
The steam yacht, built by Pitts & Dilworth, of Berlin, Md., for a New York sporting club, made a trial trip to our waters on Saturday. She is very handsome and was much admired by our boatsmen.
The case of Lewis and Tracey, as to the ownership of a certain portion of Tom's Cove, was heard before Justices Baker and Birch, last week. The justices were divided in opinion, and the case was sent on to our county court.
Many of our people on account of the dullness of the oyster market of late, have been engaged in catching clams, the catch aggregating daily about 100,000 which sell here at $1.25 per thousand and in the city at $3. The "catcher" makes when sold here from $2 to $4 per day.
Very many of our citizens who were soldiers during the latter war, and are now old and unable to earn a support are watching with interest the pension bill now in the hands of a committee of Congress.
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Sea -- Shellfish - Oystering : SeasideSea -- Shellfish - Oystering : Prices
Greenbackville.
Oysters are being sent from this section to market over the D., M. & Va. R.R., in large quantities, but the returns for them are not very encouraging.
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Transportation -- Water - Strandings
Hoffman's Wharf.
Schooner Allice Dudley, reported ashore last week was gotten off last Friday.
A Double Track for the Deleware Division.
Transportation -- Railroad - Construction
"The travel over the
The prevailing sentiment is that the work will be continued from time to time, until the track reaches from this city to Cape Charles City, a distance of 200 miles. The work will be comparatively easy, as the present road is so dotted with side tracks several miles long in a stretch, that they will only have to be connected to make the second track.
From the Bear station, which is about nine miles from the city to Harrington, it is estimated that the side tracks almost cover half the distance at present. This change, although there have been but few accidents on this road, will enable the road with its rapidly increasing business to handle matters with greater safety and dispatch.
Truckers and Fruit Growers Association.
Farmers -- Farmers' organizationsFarmers -- InnovationForests -- Forest products - BarrelsTransportation -- Railroad - FreightTransportation -- Railroad - Rates and faresTransportation -- Water - Steamboats
Pursuant to announcement, the Truckers and Fruit Growers Association of Accomac met in the Town Hall in Onancock, Jan. 29th at 2 o'clock p.m. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, the Hall was filled with prominent truckers and fruit growers and much interest and enthusiasm was manifested on the part of the large gathering of farmers present.
The meeting was called to order by the president, Capt. E. L. East.
The committee appointed at a former meeting to draft a constitution and by-laws for the Association, reported same and they were adopted by the meeting.
Dr. O. B. Finney offered the following resolution which was adopted viz: Resolved, that this Association recommends the formation of local associations in the various sections of the county to act in concert with this Association.
The following officers were elected for the year 1887, viz: Capt. Ed. L. East, president; Geo. W. McMath, secretary, and Dr. O. B. Finney, treasurer.
Jas. C. Weaver addressed the Association on the aims and purposes of the organization, urging the importance of united action on the part of our farmers in order to foster and develop the trucking and fruit growing enterprise on the Eastern Shore of Va. He said inasmuch as we can no longer compete in cereal with the farmers of the West, we should turn our attention entirely to growing trucks and fruits. With so many advantages, as to soil, climate and close proximity to the great markets of the North, he predicted that this county would soon become one vast truck and fruit garden.
John W. H. Parker called the attention of the Association to the enormous cost of barrels used in shipping sweet potatoes and other trucks and inquired if something could not be done to obviate the enormous cost of barrels and packages to the shipper. After a long discussion in regard to the matter, the whole subject was referred to a committee to take the matter under advisement and report their action to this Association. The following members were appointed on said committee, Geo. W. McMath, Jas. N. Turlington, A. G. Kelly, Wm. B. Pitts and George Killmon.
The secretary referred to the great loss of berry crates shipped by rail last season, caused in part by the negligence of employees in putting off empties at wrong stations, and suggested that this association endeavor to make arrangements with the N.Y., P. & N. Railroad to bill all empties free, by releasing the company from liabilities if lost. The subject was referred to the committee on barrels and packages.
E. L. East, Geo. W. Mason, Jas. C. Weaver, Geo. C. Watson and Thomas C. Pitts were appointed a committee to see the E.S. Steamboat Company and the N.Y., P. & N. R.R. Co., with a view of securing better freight rates on trucks and fruits the coming season.
On motion, the Association adjourned to meet at the Grange Hall at the Fair Grounds on Saturday, Feb. 26th next, at 2 o'clock p.m.
GEO. W. MCMATH, SEC.
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Farmers -- Farmers' organizationsFields -- Crops - Sweet potatoes : Prices
EDITOR ENTERPRISE. -- I am glad to see that the farmers are at last awakening to the importance of uniting and co-operating to protect themselves from monopolies, corporations and middle-men who are all at work to enslave and impoverish the farming class throughout our country. And I think that the farmers of Accomac have made a step forward in organizing a Truckers and Fruit Growers Association in our county. For while this association aims to advance and build up the great trucking and fruit growing business on the Peninsula, yet one of the fundamental objects of the organization is to protect themselves from imposition of common carriers and middle-men. While almost every corporation, trade and calling have organized for its own protection and self preservation, why is it that the farmer as a class have been comparatively indifferent and idle in this respect? And while all other enterprises are growing and booming with prosperity, why is it our farmers are losing ground every year and being more and more impoverished? The experience of the farmers of Accomac the past two years is suggestive. Although blessed with bountiful seasons and abundant crops, the staple product of our county has been marketed at a dead loss to the producer, so that we often hear the remark, "that the more sweet potatoes a farmer raises the deeper he gets in debt." And when we attempt to investigate the condition under which our farmers now market their trucks we are not surprised at the result. Take for instance the grower of sweet potatoes, and this the staple crop of our county. We will commence with the digging of the crop and follow it through all its commercial route among the middle-men until it finally reaches the consumer.
In the first place, the farmer when he digs his potatoes and takes them to the station or shipping point first pays a drummer 3 per cent. on the gross amount of sales "just to tell him who to consign his potatoes to." If he ships to the New York market which is the principal market for our sweet potatoes, he pays 40 cents per barrel freight and 25 cents for the use of the barrel, and finally a percentage to the consignee for selling. Now if we calculate on a basis of $1.50 per barrel in New York, which was the average price obtained last season, we will reach the following result viz: freight 40 cents, barrel and cover 25 cents and commission at 8 per cent 12 cents, total expense 77 cents -- leaving a balance for the shipper of 73 cents per barrel or about one half the cost of production. But let us follow the potatoes a little further, among the middle-men. In the first place the commission merchant accounts to the shipper at what is termed "the wholesale price for that day," which is $1.50 per barrel, he then sells them to the market man or retail dealer at an advance of 25 cents per barrel, costing the market man $1.75 and lastly, the market man sells them to the consumer at 25 cents per peck (and never lower,) and as the barrel contains 3 bushels and he sells the empty barrel at 20 cents, he realized $3.20 or a clear profit of $1.45 per barrel. So that while the consumer pays at the rate of $3 per barrel for the potatoes, the producer for all his labor and expense, only realizes 73 cents. Now I ask is it any wonder that the farmers of the Eastern Shore are oppressed with debt and are growing poorer every year in growing sweet potatoes, when they calmly submit to such rapacity at the hands of the middle-men? Farmers of Accomac, assert your strength; and by combined and united efforts on your part demonstrate to the world the fact that you not only have the pluck and energy to grow a crop, but that you have the ability and common sense to market it after you have grown it.
SWEET POTATO GROWER.
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Farmers -- Farmers' organizations
Our farmers recognizing the truth of the maxim, that in union there is strength, have effected an organization known as the Truckers and Fruit Growers Association. Its object ostensibly is for the encouragement and development, as its name indicates of two great industries, but we apprehend that it is intended to make the organization much more far-reaching in its results. As the planting is to precede the reaping and sale, naturally the kind of trucks, variety of fruits, methods of cultivation, fertilizers to be used and many other things, will first engage their attention, but the ruinous rates at which their produce was disposed of last season, will suggest eventually the necessity of remedying the evils which exist somewhere in the handling and sale of their produce. It may be in the preparation of our produce for market, and to a great extent is, the commission merchant may be at fault, or it may be improperly handled, or be burdened with two great charges on its way to market. Wherever the evils may exist, organized efforts can alone correct them. No one man is powerful enough to correct the folly and stupidity of some farmers who work to the detriment of all others, or to boycott the commission man who does not work with clean hands, or bring a corporation to terms, but united who should be more powerful to dictate reasonable terms? To that end then organization is imperative, not in one community of our county, but throughout its length and breadth, and it is to be hoped that the Truckers and Fruit Growers Association will bring under its control every farmer in the county. Properly organized we would not only be prepared to send our products to market on the most advantageous terms, but an exchange might be established even in our own midst, and purchasers attracted to us. Results not unlooked for now could be expected if our farmers would work together for the good of each. -- Make the organization therefore as complete as possible, and in all your deliberations may [illegible] prevail.