The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-30
THAN KSGIVING TURKEY.
STREET sI0HTs AND SOUNDS ON THE
EVE or THE FEsTIVAL.
A stroll Around Washinaton Market Poultry
In Demand-Typcs OF Purchasers Pictur-
eeque kight scene in the Metropolis.

| A stroll Around Washipaton MAJ ket- PouIi nv
In Demand-Typcs of Purchasers Pictur-
| esquc kiaht scene in the Metropolis.
| No more animated or picturesque scene
| was presented In any Now York street last night
| than that In the vicinity of Washington Market.
| where the masses throDRed to mako their pur-
chsses for Thanksgiving. vesey street was
| especially lively. Prom Church to West street
| both sidewalks were crowded bv confused
| multitude OF all dealers In an inlnity Of mis-
| celaneous goods, and by an elbowine, basket
burdened, good natured macs OF purchasers-
| male and female, old aud young, aud seemingly
| made up from every and nation on the
| llobe. The stalls ana stands along this busy
| street were queerly jumblcd together Dom
| nets and beef woollen goods and hams,
glassware and potatoes, pocketboOks and
cranberries, shoes, and poultry line tho
way on either side, with scarcely peroeptitlo
division OF ownership and interest between the
sell r. or their stands. Over all bllzed the lurd
light Of many torches and lamUs, and little more
than n pace apart stood long line OF men.
women, boys. and girls biwling tho peculiar at
fractions OF their respective stocks IN trade.
" 'Eres yer nice poultry, chick ms, and turkeys
for ihanksciyny only hfteen cents a pound"
Fresh or nberrces, crdnherfcrs" "Shiilna-
poun' snilin.poun, shillnapoun'," Under,
Par'r matcllz. pnrl'r matchiz." "Anytning
our line, DossY BAY turkey. and be good to
yourself" FINEST IN the market, here they
are So shouted the thousand and one vendors,
all screaming NJ once, eacn seeming determined
to outshiick his or her neiph bor
Now and then there WIS a momentary lull in
the deafening chorus, when al the NOISY crowd
seemed to stop for moments rest Then some
one would break flrtd with another yell, ana IN
moment moro all would be In fun cry. 70 and
fr" amid this confusion sauntered the buyers
and sight secrs, pricing here, purchasing there,
ex1n ming ami chaiing yOndcr. In tho market
propcr poultry sold "a high as twenty-five cente
per pound, and for some extraordinarily fine
turkeys TWENTY-FIVE ccuis per pound. At the
street stands hUwcver.it went ~ low IA 10 to 2S
cents perpuuud. OfcOurse there was an iuhnite
vMie'y uf fowls. gam, and meats offered, and
generally az low prices Invas- elk duc ks,
for instance, selling for $lJ0 70 g. per .ir- but
me great tus ne OF the evening was In turkeys.
People who bought chickens or ducks generally
decided promptly. and mad their purchases
quickly showed into bogs baskets out Of sight.
hut those who were after turkeys were slower
OF choice anu more ostentit'o.s IN their pro-
ceedngs.
N turallv every man imaginee that he knows
nj alou choosing a tn KEY, nut m point of fact
the gifted inielliccnces ore rare winch posi-
turkey seven mouths old or "gobb err Of
seventy. That ignorance, however, prevents no
one from looking wise, pOking the fowls breast-
Done, inspecting cri ically Ia held. and trying
The toxture OF lie sktn. Then, when the choice
has reci made, the bird must be tied up In n
bag, "i h us feet protruding to show what 1t ~.
some curiOu. transactions In turkey buSin1
were obscrvaOie. We'll. dressed, elderly men
could ue seen purchasing extremely tine BIRDS
winch they mad &. refnlly bagled aud laid aside
To be sent to addresses which they would con-
huc In mysterious whispers to the poultry
Nendtrs. ] men they would buy Inferior birds
which they would carry away IN their own h nds.
boarding huuse | ndIadies Il cked about de-
mtnutuR big birds. no n, tier how tough.
IhilauthrOuic looking persons buying six or
eisht tui Keys each, evidently Tor the purpose OF
sVnning them to poor families, were par
ticul Ily cor, full to get the ch,apest; N they
hap. onod to be thin and old, 81
much the worse Tor the cate r., there was efi4I
enough u attest the good Intentions Of the
dOn,rs. Young men occasion lily appeared,
Duylng. no Coubt, their first THANKSGIVING tur-
key, and seemed rather alarmed at the new
.igni ' Of their position, takin. care To have
thelr birds Done up IN close u.cka-es. but tue
or, a. BODY OF ne BUYERS belonged To the poorer
81 49,. who seldom / turkey except az lhauk ks
ewing, and To tngm the occasion was maniiestly
irausut WITH triumph aud pecglidr pleasure.
Not until nearly ten o'clock did the tide II bas
h-t p.aters long N,sey and Wet streets show
signs of ending and the ilarins torches AT the
vcndcrs' stalls begin to disappear.