The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-01-14
Midwiutcr Markets.

BEEP GooD-coMPLAINT OF HIGH PRICES
NEED FOR wEsT-ESD MARKET-REPLEC-
TI0Ns, &c., &C.
Notwithstanding the heavy snow, which
necessarily greatly restricts travel upon
country roads, there Is not much scantiness
in the appearance OF the city markets,
though the prices are pretty high. OF tur-
KEYS there are plenty, but OF fine ones very
few. The prevailing price Qor dressed
turkeys) is 20 cents per pound; for supe-
rior quality, 90 and 20 cents per pound.
The butchers stalls are well supplied, and
the meat looks mighty nice. Good roasts
and steaks are worth 10 and 10 cents
pound: choice ones as high as 90 cents.
BEErsTEAKs AND OLD uAREs.
Beefsteaks are never so good as when
they are cut from quarter that has been
EXPOSED a week or two to the cold. Ex-
perts say that while cold weather is bene-
ficial 10 beef, freezing weather Is injurious;
that in such case, when the meat thaws the
sweetest Juices come out with the water.
Old hares. commonly assumed to be "a
poor mans dish," are bought by people OF
all conditions, and in the hands OF compe-
tent cook can be so prepared for the table
as to make very toothsome food. The city
markets are well supplied with them. They
sell now for twenty-five cents apiece.
BIRDS AND FISH.
There arc great many partridges offered
for scle at from sixteen TO twenty cents
apiece. The gunners are evidently Staying
them by the hundred.
The supply OF fish is scant and consists
mainly OF club.
Some fine cabbages are to be had, though
they sell at high prices. Potatoes, beans,
peas, celery, &C., &C., are to be had IN
abundance, but the prices partake OF the
elevated condition OF the markets. Canned
provisions are now much relied uron by
the housewife, who would really not know
how to get along without them.
Country people having provisions to sell
will find themselves repaid in prices for the
difficulties in getting them to market.
THE MARKET-MES.
Though there is general disposition to
complain Of prices OF marketing, when
one recollects how soon the market-men
have to get up these freezing mornings,
and how severely they must suffer from the
cold, standing out on the icy pavement, II
must be said that they earn all they make,
for, after all, |. is not much.
AS for the butchers, in such weather as
we have recently had, their life is a hard
one. Yet they keep fat and iocund. The
milk Of human kindness courses in gen.
erous streams through their veins. Most
OF them give to the poor literally.
TIE MARKETEER.
People who live in the neighborhood OF
flat,ta1 fhl
burban residents, who have to rely upon
the green-grocers. These cannot offer for
inspection the variety TO be found in the
markets, and necessarily their prices are
higher. This fact has sometimes been de-
MED, but the old " "narketeer" knows that
il Is true. Ii is n terrible iniliction upon a
veteran " marketeer" when by change OF
residence he has to rely wholly upon a
green-grocer. But still, so far into the
fields has the city grown that, without the
green-grocers the people would be poor in
comforts indeed.
WEST-END MARKET NEEDED.
Though in the past thirty years the city
has doubled in population. and more than
doubled In area, we have still but the two
markets. The effort Of the people OF the
west Emu tO Stb ulll hNt ht'S tihie Nt'i
time been quietly killed by gentlemen OF
large influence who either own property or
do business about the present markets, and
who fear that West-End market will hurt
them. They let the Clay-Ward people take
as many votes as they please, and then they
squelch the whole scheme, saying we do
not need any more markets; that markets
are going out OF fashion West and North
(which is not true). and all that. The way
the Clay-Ward people have been euchred
out OF their market has been standing joke
in certain circles for ten years. But, Ia,
there is plenty of business for four mar
| kets
A SUGGESTION.
II some publIc-Spiriied citizen would
erect i'm the West End a suitable building
and divide it off into say twenty stalls, he
could find ready tenants for the same. In
Boston there are markets OF this sort
owned by individuals, paying well anc
doing great public service.
Perhaps Mr.. Pace, who has shown SC
much public spirit in building flats and
business-hoUses, and who gave such an i'm
pulse to the erection OF handsome resi-
dences on Franklin street, could be pre-
vailed upon to try the investment.