Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-20
FEARS OF A FAMINE.
Fruits and Canned Goods Become
Scarce, and Prices Have
COMMENCED TO HUNT TIE CLOUDS.
Potatoes Likely to Go Beyond the Reach Of
all but the Rich.
BIG pooKETBooKs WILL be REQUIRED

Said an observant cynic yesterday, on
Liberty street, in response to question re-
garding the cost of food next winter: "How
can you expect food to be otherwise than
dear? Not only are crops short, fruit espe-
cially so, and the drought in most Of the1but..
ter-making belt has made butter and
cheese so scarce that winter
prices for these articles are already
established Workmen are also striking all
over the country, and history teaches that
they nearly always strike just at the time
they cannot afford IT. Butter makers can
be partially brought to book if oleomarger-
Inc makers will make their original pack
ages so small that single family can con-
sumo one before 1t becomes stale. They can
then buy the arti Gle on its merits, but, un-
fortunately, there is no power to swell the
vegetable and fruit crop, and would not
be surprised to see potatoes retail at 81 70
per bushel next winter. The scarcity of the
vegetable crop has been proven beyond
doubt"
Investigation seems to show beyond doubt
that the dealer referred to spoke intelli-
gently regarding prices. Some iobbers
yesterday advanced the price of potatoes to
50 30 per barrel, which is equal to 81 % per
bushel, so that at present their retail prices
is 81 30 per bushel.
CANNED GOODS AT BIG PRICES.
There is no way to tell at present what
fruit raw, and canned, will be worth, but
famine prices have been already reached.
Mr.. Edsall, of Arbuckles & Co.. stated that
evaporated.. apples which they could have
bought fresh a year ago at 81 cents per
pound are now year old, having been kept
in cold storage, selling at IA II cents per
pound. He further stated that although
flour has advanced 80 cents barrel they
were yesterday selling it below cost, and
that would not last long. He deplored the
fact that the necesssries of life were so high,
but said there didn't seem to be any
ground to hope for relief. Corn and oats
have advanced about 30 per cent
since the latter part OF March and the only
thing in the way Of farm produce that has
not gone sailing is hay and that isn't worth
mnch for food. Creamery butter has ad-
vanced 80 per cent in six weeks and dealers
say it will be again pegged up on Friday.
Eggs are nearly up to winter prices and
cheese has advanced 10 per cent within a
few weeks. Cabbage promises to be big
crop, but though good thing in its way,
man cannot live by cabbage alone no more
than he can by bread alone.
OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE THE ONLY HOPE.
OF course speculative alarmists are max
ing all they can out Of the situation, and,
this being large country, there is a mar
gin for hope that the condition is not so bad
as painted by some, but that the staff of life
and its almost necessary concomitants will
be high-higher, some say, than at
any previous time since initiation
days-is probably established beyond
controversy. Sugar, though dearer than
it was fortnight since, is still cheap and it
is fattening. Meat, so far has not advanced
in price, but the late drought in the West is
like to make cattle and hogs of light weight,
and consequently there is prospect that
meat will be higher. Fortunately, a great
many people can manage to worry down
boiling meat and liver, which are
cheap; and if people are forced to
keep lent semi-fashion they may be
the healthier for it next summer.