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FEATURE OF GEDAR RAPIDS FIRST MARKET DAY FIFTY SELLERS AND ONE THOU SAND BUYERS ON, HAND PRICES WERE STEADY TO STRONG — PROMOTERS SAY FIRST DAY [6 A FINE SUCCESS, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. The public market became a reality this morning, Sellers in attendance— fifty. Buyers in attendance—one thou sand. Menaced by threatening skies and worse country roady, the first public market day dawned upon Cedar Rap ids this morning. To say that it was a pronounced success would’ ton telling an untruth, but from the opportunities offered to buy direct from the producer and a large variety to choose from. It was a pronounced success. The beginning of the market without any preparation on the part of the producers ,and their lack of knowledge about the method of marketing was pretty much like a country boy start ing to work in a big city store. He was lost. Our country cousins were not lost, they knew in their own way how to sell the goods and they usually know the market price. But the whole proceeding lacked the knowing how to proceed, consequently the first day was somewhat disappointing as to methods pursued, but the principle of the mar ket was shown and proved to be a practical thing. A few of the wide awake gardeners, who stew ite ropes came early and in most cases sold out all their stock within an hour or two. The buyers from all works, of ife came on foot. In carriages, automobiles, and street cars. The society lady rubbed elbows with the workingman’s wife as they both priced the baskets of plums, the cab bages, sweet corn, potatoes and from that down the whole gamut of farm wegetables, and poultry and dairy products. One farmer had some [fine hand cheese, of which he sold about £ 0 pounds, this went like hot cakes, it looked appetizing and attractive. An other had 75 baskets of plums and. 50 baskets of grapes. In two hours the whole supply was gone. Loads of mel ons of the various carieties and crabs were on hand. At 10:30 all had been practically cleaned out. At that hour several farmers arrived with more pluma, their wagons were quickly sur rounded by a bunet of eager buyers, and by 1L o'clock they, too, were sold out. = Comments by the buyers, were fre quently heard, about everything is so fresh and appetizing In appearance, Kicks, certainly there were some. Sild one man, who is a great public market advocate and who was looking around. Why, whenever you do anything that affects many people, there will be some who are dissatisfied, but the principle of this method of buying and selling is rent and it will work out to the boneft of both buyer and seller.” Claim Prices Were Too High. In Some instances the prices charged Were above those charged by grocers, but the market boosters claim that In most cases the reverse was true. _Two or three women called up The Gazette and said they would have bought cheaper at the stores and had the stuff delivered. The market pro moters declare the faults will right themselves, and say they are well sat isfier with the first morning, every thing considered, Buyers Interviewed. F. T Goulding, market gardener, arrived at 3:15 a. m. with onle wag on bed of garden truck. He said at 10:30: “Look at my wagon, all clean ed out and if I had another such a load would have sold it also. Told all my custamers would be back on Monday at the same place with any other load. You can say for me, the first market day was a grand success. Why, only a few were aware that this was to be the opening day. And then, besides, look at the roads and the weather. When this method of mar keting is better understood, you will find that it will be a great thing for us gardeners. 25 Well as the buyers. And why should it not be?! Trus success in all places where such mar kets exist.” James Langham, a fruit raiser, who brought in two wagon loads, consisting of 40 bushels of apples, 40 baskets of eTapes, and 6 dozen ears of orn, says: “I am well pleased with the that day of the market. I dolé out of my truck and will make regular trips after this. One things the sellerg shold does, come in early, and have their goods put up in a clean and at tractive manner. Bring in only the hes Keep at the same stand, 90 your customers will know where to find you and the Cedar Rapids public market will be a success from the start. On thing should be given further atten tion, the city should have a market master on the ground, who will in struct the farmers where to back their teams and not have them strung out all over the street, as was the case this morning.” _— “Do you know, said, another man, “that it would pay some of these gar deners to make a trip to Dubuque and get the hundreds of teams on that market, and get some ideas how it is run. It would pay them big, as_ this market is an old one and one of the most successful in the west.” Mr. John ©. Fucha,who introduced the matter of establishing a public market, at a meeting of the West Side Improvement League some three months ago, made a trip over the mar ket and said: “A good start” While the entire market is in a chaotic state, on account of the newness of the ven ture, the principle is right, and it will work out to the satisfaction of the general public. You could not expect that a new venture of this or any other kind for which soittle preparations had been made, would be satisfactory to all. There will be those who will cry out that the first day was a flat failure, on account of the chaotic con dition of things, but people are quick to learn and this market proposition will be one of the best ever introduced to the people of Cedar Rapids.
Newspaper Details
The Evening Gazette
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US
Sat, Aug 12, 1911
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Faith D.
