Edith Daley Flickingers Article

Wierd Washer Cleans Fruit At Flickingers

By Edith Daley

August 6, 1919 San Jost Evening News

Dominating its 252 acres of fruit trees, the J. H. Flickinger Orchard cannery is a unique and interesting "family affair". The first trees were planted many years ago by Mrs. Flickinger's father, Dr. China Smith. Later, about 1886, the original holdings came under the ownership of J. H. Flickinger who planted many more trees - prune, cherry, apricot, pear, and plum. The present modern plant on the Berryessa road was erected early in the nineties, taking the place of the first structure which was destroyed by fire. M. F. Graham is president and general manager of the company and Nelson Leland superintends the operation of the cannery. More than 20 cottages and a significant tent city houses the employees. The average number employed is between 300 and 400. Year after year many of the same people return to the "Orchard Cannery". This year several women workers who are assisting with the fruit who helped at the canning tables when the plant first opened.

"You can't figure out with any accuracy on the necessary number of employees" said Mr. Graham. "Fruit doesn't ripen according to schedule. Usually the pears do not ripen until the second or third week in August; but today we found them falling in large numbers. That means peaches and pears and plums all at once." The pack runs from 700 to 1200 boxes of fruit a day.

Two interesting things at the Flickinger cannery are the lacquering machine and a "washing machine." The latter is the only one of its kind in existence, the patent being held by Mr. Graham, the inventor.

Cans go into the lacquering machine just outside the door of the fruit room. They are carried by conveyor from there to the warehouse. By the time they reach the warehouse the lacquer is dry. Then they do a "shoot the chutes" to the labeling machine. The process is complete almost before you can say "Jack Robinson".

The washing machine is a monument to the cleanliness of methods at this Orchard Cannery. The fruit is packed in the cans and a conveyor carries them to a machine where each can is filled with water. Down clamps a perforated lid. Then the can is inverted, allowing the water to drain out, after which it is hurried to the siring machine and the capper. The fruit is not touched by the hands of a single worker after it leaves the canning table and this final "machine washing" insures a clean pack. I thinkI like that almost uncannily weird "washer". Mr. Graham says that it never fails to attract the attention of those who like to know that process of fruit canning are "clean".

The watchful hills that guard the great industries of the Santa Clara valley look down on no more satisfactorily conducted plant than the J. H. Flickinger Orchard Cannery nor upon any better satisfied lot of employees.