Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-11-08
THE HUNTERS MARKET.
Chicago the Biggest Game Mart In
the World.

4
the World.
There are probably not many people
who know that Chicago is to-day the
greatest market for game and poultry
in the world. New York has been left
far in the rear, and even the old and
much more populous centers of the old
world, London and Paris, are far sur
passed by Us. says the Herald of that
city.
To begin with the biggest. the Chi
cage market shows venison, antelope,
jack rabbits, German and English hare,
opossums, bears. and squirrel in unlim-
, tied quantities in the course o. "a sea-
son. OF game birds we have partridge.
prairie chickens, pinnated grouse. wild
ducks OF IA score OF varieties, wild pig
cons, wild turkeys, snipes, woodcock,
reed birds, ana quail. OF late years
the sp rrow has likewise been found
to furnish juicy mor'sel-a fact which
will go a great ways toward sileucing
the detractors Of this pugnacious little
bird.
Nenison is brought to the market
curing the fail and winter To the tune
II
are days when 1000 pounds of it
arrive in Chicago. About twO-thirds
OF this juicy me is consumed here
mostly in restaurants and hotels
while the other third is sent on farth-
er. The price paid for it here is be-
tween l24 and - cents. 1t is shot
mostly in the pineries OF northern
Michigan. Wisconsin and Minnesota,
and because it can stand week or IL
fortnights transport without deteriOr-
ating in quality ard marke la bleness, it
is about the safest game to handle.
Antelope and mountain sheep from the
Rockies find ready takers here, but the
supply of this game is scarce and
forms but an incidental feature. Wild
rabbits of all kinds shot and shared on
the prairies in this and other states
west as far Us Dakota are u much
sought after article of diet. Their
tender meat il transformed into stews
and roasts, and is liked by nearly
every class of our cosmopolitan pOpu-
latiOn. After the first tall OF snow and
during the whole of December,
January and February the supply of
rabbits in this market reaches Il daily
average of $4,000 to $4,000. Bear
is not nearly SO plentiful, and game
dealers say it is merely a question of
time when Brother Bruin will disap
pear entirely from view, for he is rap
idly becoming scarcer and scarcer, and
advancing civilization will drive him
to inaccessible Businesses. On the
other hand, though its consumption is
confined almost altogether to one class
...t
opossum makes his appearance here
more and more numerously every
year, n proof of the fact, if one were
needed. that the Chicago darby can af-
ford any luxury his heart or palate
bankers after. No less than five hun
dred opossums arrive here often on "a
single day, being gobbled up within
an hour after exposure on the streets.
Squirrels, with meat of nearly the
same flavor and delicacy as that of the
quail, likewise sell well in Chicago,
and about Christmas time thousands
of these whilom nimble and lusty little
fellows are exposed for sale.
OF game birds, the prairie chicken
is by all odds the best. so far as num-
bers sold is concerned. Although
during the cold season as many 80 $780,
900 to 100000 are disposed of, the
supply does not equal the demand, the
bird becoming scarcer of late in Dako-
ia, Missouri and western Iowa. Since
they come with every year from u
greater and greater distance, prices,
too. are rising every season.
Ducks OF all kinds, tame and wild
always find ready takers. Game ducks
are shot in largest quantities in the
lake districts north of here, as well as
on the bayous of Louisiana, Florida
and Mississippi and the lagoons and
swampy shores of Texas Often they
fall so much in price--due TO the in
creased supply that they become
cheaper food than tough beefsteak
from Texas steer, and even the poor
er paid mechanic or laborer can afford
to purchase them. There are days
when they bring but 10 cents dozen
on South Water street while they
never rise beyond $3.50 or $3.50 doz-
en-. The finer favored and rarer
varieties OF the game duck, such as
the teal, red-head, canvas back,
fetch prices usually ranging be-
tween 81 and Sl2 per dozen. The
highest price paid for ducks this year
was $22 the dozen.
Partridges, another table delicacy,
are consumed in this city, between
September and January. at the rate of
200 dozen daily, while about two hun
dred and fifty dozen are daily sent east
from here, to New York. Philadel-
phia, Boston and other towns. Quail,
delicately favored bird. though much
smaller than the partridge. is shot or
shared by the thousands every fall at
the time Of the southwark migration
The California quail, which sports a
funny-looking little bunch OF feathers
on top of its head, is, perhaps, the
most valued of all. 1t is sent in from