Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-10-05
ALEXANDRIA, Va.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER ), 1876.

THE AsslzE OF BREAD,-lt has been re
csut:y mentioned that fcom the incorporation
of The town until s3me thirty years ago the
clerk of the market was accustomed to hx from
time to time the rate at which wheat bread
should be sold. There seems never to have
been an assize of rye bread or OF bread made
from corn meal, bran or aoy other breadstut1s.
In the spring Of 1897 the town bakers petloned
for reduction 10 the slz2 Of the loaf. \ NUN
her of citizans presented Il counter petition,
and Council voted 70 continue the old ASST,
and REQUIRED each baker to stamp the lnlIia'S
of his name on each loaf OF bread maaulactur-
ed bv him. 70 settle the whole matter con-
mittee was appointed to attend thc baking OF
the barrels of -four and ascertain the quantity
of bread produced by each oarrei. AS tue
matter is of interest yet, We CIV! the report OF
the committee in full
I'VE, tic committee to whom was referred
the duty of seeing two barrels OF h)ur bakci
into bread, report that Two barrels OF hour were
procured from Ricketts, l. Nvwton's :, vi similar
quality, aud that the clerk of the market at
tended Acdrew f t.ve III bskiGg one barrel
into bread, and that II produced 20 loaVes OF
sixteen ouncus each, aud tha, ne also attended
Lawrence Swan ia baking one ether barrel, au
that it produeed,25S ioavcs, whici at sd l4t
cts. makes 93 Il ID, (Sl0 IS from which de-
due e. IS go the price of the flour, make,
profit OF 81 ,, I'd, $50 when, with The
barrel at Is cd, (25 ci>.,) uakes 81 Is (S4! 1t
the lowest calculation, on each barrel vi n'uf
baked The clerk II the market further reports
-. t,i. t,.r Il NJ nj
experiment, AID that the result was as follows !:
David Henderson,, $50 Ioaves
D,nn.n Charles us
Thomas Slams 262
Samuel C,onrr. 246
Taking ioto We've the foregoing experiment
the average produce Of a barrel OF Hour Is IS
G., 1911 J lrou. which daiuc, G. - ISL t1r
the -four, leaves Oct profit OF / 4s ISL ano
the barrel 10 the baker.
10 1910 the price Of supcrtuc -four, the only
grade quoted by the Gazette, beiug from 5000
to s7.92 per barrel, the assoc OF a one pound
loaf of bread was fixed at ) els. The custom Of
fixing the price OF bread was Continued until!
some thirty-6ve years ago, whcn, as the takers
had been, for scmc time, charging less than
the price fixed by the clerk Of the market. all
the Legislation 10 relation to the price OF bread
was repealed, the law as to the weight of the
loaves being alone continued in force We give
some quotations of the rates Oh -four and bread
representative Of illustrative periods since that
time. In the earlier dates the market reports
ofthe Gazetle show the rates OF supcrhne tJur
only:
lS43-SUpEtFINE FLOUR.
February, $ 5 so
November ) II
Bread, - cents per pound
Flour-Super6nc, 8 81 62
Extra, + 80 w
Family, w w
Bread, Sd (35 ceuts.)
In 1871 the bakers came to the following
agreement, which has been substantially con-
tinued from that date:
ALEXANDRIA, May 25, 1871.
We, the undersigned bakers Of the city OF
Alexandria, agree upon the following, viz:
Ga and after Monday, the och of May, 1871,
we shall sell bread at II ceuis per pound to
retailers and cents per pound to private Gus
TONER'S no deduction as to quantity furnished
to be made.
We also agree 10 meet twice mouth, name
ly, the first ard third Monday of every mouth,
to exchange our views and make such regula-
tons and rules as are necessary to place our
business on proper standing IN the COM
mupity.
VIM. Metzger, James T. Crump,
P. Vogcyesang, James Ii. Simpson,
James McGuiu, j. WeDtzs,
VIM. Richard, NJ. German.
The quotations OF flour at this date we're:
Supelfue, % $ 6 81
Extra, % %
Family, S % s 81
The rates Of -four quoted by the Gazette on
October 3, 1876, were
Super6ne. t so 4 IS
Extra, 5 50 a 5 IS
Family, 6 25 a + IS
Bread, 5 cents per pound
As the subject is one of general interest we
have been at some pains to make this summary
of the history OF the staff of life in Alex.
andria.
Macy of the leading republicans who were