The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-14
THE PEANUT TRADE.
Some Facts of Interest Relative to a Profit
able Industry.


able Industry.
Philadelphia Times
A quiet looking young man, with marvel
ously melancholy cast of countenance, non-l
chalantly turned the ironlcranksof a peanut
rooster at the corner of Eighth and Sansor'
streets, yesterday afternoon. The crunching
sound Of the shells within the iron cylinder,
seemed to favor deep abstraction. Slowly his
head sank upon his breast. The cylinder re-
yolved. An elderly man, with jaunty, well
do air and red rosebud in the lapel of his
closely buttoned frock coat, sauntered past Hel
helped himself to peanut
A ragged bootblack with rapacious air, ,
shuffled along the walk. He was less mindful
of the proprieties. He swept half a dozen of the
warm nuts from the corner of the tray.
The methodical turn of the cylinder showed no
sign of variation.
Give me quart of peanuts"
With the air of an automaton, the peanut
der filled paper bag, saying, as he twisted itsi
neck: Five cents"
did you see those people who helped thern-s
selvesP
"A course I did, he answered with good-l
natured snarl. ''Why don't you put q stop toll
itP At this question the peanut-roaster aroseSi
He was no longer melancholy. He was thunder
struck.
stop it," he repeated in establishment. Then
he laughed, as he regarded the customer With an
air of perplexed admiration.
''What guy!" he remarked to himself in am
undertone.
tribute to his sagacity
You ought to be around some of these days
and watch 'em, said the peanut-render, pouring
out the smoking contents Of the cylinder: !
This amt very good time Just float around
this ere corner bout ) o'clock in the after
noon, when old COMMENT Bonds, as we calls
i'm, comes along. Got n million if he's got a
a cent? And he never bought five cents worth of
me in his life. He always takes few TO eat
before he strikes Walnut-street car. Oh,
there's lots OF iem that helps themselves; TREY
don't think anything of it."
How is businessl"
'Busnessl There amt no business since themd
Eyetahans with their tin-roasters and circuSd
scraggly little Fourth o July Tennessee peanuts,S
an then give em away an get rich Wot II
SELL" said the now indignant dealer, is goods
fat, healthy Virginia nuts"
After momentary pause caused by the dis
penSing of sundry paper bags of peanuts to a.
party OF boys and girls, the peanut dealer con-
tinued: "Them's our best customers, the boySi
and girls, and countIymen a spree. The
dudes like EN-, too, because the mats don't hJErS
their teeth. The gamblers who hang
around the corners here always keep a few IN
their pockets to chew on. ! seen gambler losel
$40 on quart Of peanuts the other night bettin1
on the number Of nuts there was in the measure
Most deceiving thing you ever saw. Just youi
try it some time Goingl Come around again.
st may surprise you to know that there is AM
average of 900 bushels of peanuts consumed mH
this city each week." said q Delawareavenue
importer of fruits and nuts yesterday; some
thing in the neighborhood Of 1880 600 peanuts,s
almost half pint for every man, woman and
child in Philadelphia. The demand for peanuts
is just as steady as that of potatoes any other
staple article Of food Why. during the war,
when all the Southern ports were blockaded ;md
trade was cut off with the North, vessel load af
ter vessel load of peanuts was brought from tho
coast of Africa, and from British Guinea and
Spain"