PROCEEDINGS OF TWENTY- SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 193 



R. D. Stephens to William Sproule. 



San Francisco, December 4, 1901. 



Mr. William Sproule, 



F. T. M., S. P. Co., City: 



Dear Sir: In a communication addressed to me bearing date of May 21, 1901, you 

 stated that arrangements had been perfected with the various railway companies that 

 were interested in carrying California green deciduous fruit shipments to Eastern mar- 

 kets by which a very much improved service could and would be given to the fruit 

 growers and shippers of the State. 



I regret to say that all that was promised was not given. At the beginning of the 

 season when a sufficient number of carloads were offered daily to make up special 

 trains there was a very material improvement made in the service given, but later in 

 the season the service was not so good and lower prices were obtained by our growers 

 for their products that were shipped to and sold in Eastern markets. 



As fast time and otherwise good service in the transportation of our green fruit ship- 

 ments are of the utmost importance to the fruit-growers of the State, I will ask why the 

 promises made by the Southern Pacific Company and its connections were not fully 

 carried out, and also what will be done for them in this regard for the season 1902, I 

 assure you that the fruit-growers appreciate the efforts made by the railroad to give 

 them an improved service for the season just passed, and earnestly pray that all the 

 promises made by them for the season 1901 will be fully carried out in 1902. 

 Yours respectfully, 



R. D. STEPHENS, 

 Chairman Fruit-Growers' Committee 

 on Transportation. 



Reply of Mr. Sproule. 



San Francisco, December 4, 1901. 



Mr. R. D. Stephens, 



Chairman Fruit-Growers^ Committee on Transportation, 



Pioneer Hall, San Francisco : 



My dear Sir: 



DECIDUOUS fruit SERVICE. 



Acknowledging your letter of even date, I beg to say that in accordance with my 

 letter to you of May 21st last we ran eighty fruit trains from Sacramento to Ogden 

 within the time specified for trainloads, and the other trains (with the exception of 

 some four or five which were delayed by wash-out) approximated the schedule; but the 

 delayed fruit was mostly that which was not delivered us so that it could go forward in 

 trainloads in accordance with the terms of the letter you refer to. There was a tem- 

 porary derangement of the service while the Epworth League moved to and from Cali- 

 fornia—several thousands in number, as you may remember — but we notified shippers 

 of this in advance. At the same time we did not relax our efforts to give the fruit quick 

 time, and the schedule was over-run but slightly. 



The line west of Ogden handled the fruit this season under conditions of serious dis- 

 advantage—which conditions, however, were shared by all the lines in the United 

 States to a greater or less degree, and whatever the freight, or whatever the route it 

 took, the condition was one that would equally have to be contended against, to wit, 

 our orders for locomotives have been tilled very tardily, the industrial strikes (particu- 

 larly pertaining to the steel trade in the Eastern States) so retarding those lines of con- 

 struction in which steel entered that it was impossible for locomotive shops to turn out 

 engines fast enough to fill requisitions. In anticipation of the season's business the 

 first thing done this year was to put in requisitions for over one hundred locomotives, 

 of which, up to beginning of November, we had received just twenty all told, notwith- 

 standing that all pressure was brought to bear to get them on our rails. This large 



13 — F-GC 



