The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-11-17
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CsnseraAn9 &ggs II
The egssace 1sEs of The iAveutibu Of segS II
Is difficult to ASCERTAIN. The present statxs
is ieseG gqth given y a aGgserable an
thor al following:
There is no dsobe they are Of very early or
igin. as We find in the good book mention
madt Of ths tast thsts upon ahpHeesiSe when
ucsrtAin parsonage was guilty OF : little pee;
jury the cock crovea shF;cs. Nov, TO hssl
been cocks in those days there must necssa.
rily have been hens, and where cocks and
hcus most as cooersente, there do eggs
abound. We can trace this fruit back until
We are lost ia the doubss and gloom Of ~.
hottest antiquity. They are very brittle Of.
fairs, and form . delightful sbjnnct to ham,
thin sliced, and properly boiled. They are
the products Of the busy hen, Who has nothing
to do all day long but scratch gravel, eat
bugs and worms, and crumbs Of bread and
meal dough presented to them by the carcs
full housewife, and lay eggs IN cosy, out-of-
the way places. These eggs are carefully
collected, aud those not desired for market,
are entrusted to some maaronly hen who,
after the proper ameant q ~setting" produ-
ces brood Of little chickens, whose pretty
little ''cheep. cheeping'' is delightful music
to very Young babies. These little chickens,
If not barberously slaughtered for the use Of
who also lay eggs, thus keeping up the de-
mand. This much We know OF their history,
but as the egg must necessarily precede the
chicken, We can't for the life Of us imagine
where the FIRST egg come from. We will
have to be satisfied with the possession of the
fact that eggs are laid--are eaten-are good
for many useful as well as ornamental pur.
poses. For instance who would want bet
ter breakfast, than cup Of strong, rich cof>
fee, and a slice or two Of good, sweet ham,
thin and well broiled, and couple or three
eggs. cooked to suit the taste, nice, well
baked bread, and fresh. golden butter? 1t
is feast fit for the gods. 1t must be under>
stood that heris eggs are eggsclusively a.
luded to in this dissertation, as We do not
eggsactlv comprehend the use Of birds eggs.
save as objects to tempt the cupidity of small
boys who play truant from home and school.
or the eggs in every day use in this city,
we have three varieties--the imported. the
home made and rotten. The second variety
commands the highest prices, aud it is mat
ter of astonishment to many how soon after
their arrival, and BY what process, the down
the-river and up-country eggs become nary,
but nevertheless true. The prices are very
fair for the producer, but are rather heavier
for the consumer than the eggsigencies of the
time require.
Now, il is matter which will challenge the
curiosity Of those possessing a less prying
disposition than ourself to find out why there
should be any fuctnation in the egg market
that is, in the price Of hen fruit. Take, for
instance, u hen of modest demeanor, steady
habits. and obliging disposition; one whose
matrooy and useful qualities are universally
acknowledged througoat the poultry yard
who rises early and retires to her roost at q
seasonabe hour, after consuming her
usual ratons-why should she lay eggs one
week, say at the rate Of thirty cents per doz.
en-, and refuse to perform the same duty thej
succeeding week, for less than fifty cents?
Who ever heard of a hen strike ? 1t can not
be urged that these fluctuations are the result
of corresponding fluctuations in gold /; for in
the good old days when specie was the only
currency. and eggs were eggs, the same con.
slant change in prices were observable.
We have known hen Of unquestioned re-
spectablity, the mother of many pullets and
roosters, who laid eggs for the colonel of
regiment encsmped near that hen house, at
the moderate price Of % cents a dozen, and
yet refused TO lay them for subordinate Off
GERS aud soldiers for less than half dollar.
1t is an eggstraordinary fact eggsamples Of
which are very frequent that eggsigencies
eggsist which seriously effect the price Of
be demanded when it is eggsceeding hard for
our people to obtain the necessaries Of life,
it is difficult for us to see eggsactly. People |
can not be blamed If they become eggsasper-
ated because off it, for it is enough to eggs
haust their patience, and cause them to make
their eggst from store for market.