Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-23
THE WASHINGTON MARKETS.
A Star Reporter Strolls Among the Dealers
and Buyers.


CHRISTMAS ESrHUsiAsx-rHK GREAT TURKEY
TRADE-wKERE THEY CONE FROM AND WHAT
rs DONE WITH THE LEFT ovERs-A TURKEY
CORNER N vIRaNIA-GAME, FISH AND FRUIT.
The presence of Christmas IL distinguishable
no more clearly elsewhere than in the market
houses. Owen Meredith enumerated a great
many things man may live without, but as
serted most emphatically that cooks were not
one OF them-and what are cooks without cook
cry? cookery without cookables? "Here little
and there little" has been overwhelmed in the
magnitude and multiplicity of everything to
be found cookable in the Washington markets
this week. Every market house and every stall
in every market house is aglow with Christmas
enthusiasm. The dealers are hustling and the
crowds busting about in orderly confusion
one scattering out and the other gathering in
the stock in trade of bouncing Christmas dim
ners. The turkey trade is simply immense
left over unsold will be appalling; that is, would
be but for the beneficent effects of the cold
storage system. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. thou
sands-of fine, fat-looking birds will be left on
the hands OF dealers when the sun of Christ
mas day will have set upon thoroughly stuffed
and unboundingly happy people. and some
thing must necessarily be done for the preser-
walton OF the left-overs. That something is to
pack them away in cold atmospheric regions
where they can rest in peaceful and normal
condition until brought out for future useful
ness Many OF the freshly arrived" birds of
next Saturday-aye, even of New Year week
will doubtless be unfortunates of the Christ
mas crop. Then they will appear, perhaps. for
the third time. apparently none the worse for
wear. seemingly as fat and plump AS ever and
hanging up as pleadingly TO psssers by as be-
fore.
AROUND IN THE MARKETS.
Without turkey Christmas is not even good
imitation of Christmas. therefore turkey 10 the
leading commercial commodity just now. 1t is
estimated that 40, 900. many say more will be
devoured on Thursday in this city. One
dealer in Center Market had over 1900 on hand
this morning, and said he had reserve
fund to draw on in case be sells out, which he
expected to do. Just what the reserve fund is
only he and, perhaps, the cold-storage people
know; others can only surmise. The Wholesale
trade this morning was very brisk, choice stock
bringing II cents, but the general run was sell
ing for Is cents to 16 cents per pound. There
were good many wild turkeys at 20 cents re-
tail. Geese and ducks were. of course. not so
much in demand, but people who wanted some
thing of the kind to replace the higher priced
turkey were paying Is cents to Is cents for them
according to plumpness and the necessity of
the dealers working them off as soon as posi-
bic, for the Christmas poultry trade began to
move last week and some lis on hand yet
THE BEST-DRESSED TURKEYS
| are those that come undrawn with the heads
chopped off and the neck skin drawn to a point
and tied tightly over the neck bone. The air
is then practically entirely excluded and they
keep better and longer. The freshest and
therefore the most desirable stock is from Vir-
giilia and Maryland, greater number coming
from Virginia than any other place. The
quantity coming from Pennsylvania and Ohio
Is considerable. but Baltimore. Philadelphia
and New York naturally attract the choicest of
these shipments, while the choicest of the near
by sections come to Washington. The choicest
Of the Ohio and Pennsylvania stock as a rule
is entirely stall fed and the meat is as tender
and delicate the most exacting gourmand
could wish, but they come high and 60 mostly
to the eastern cities, where the price is a small
consideration.
1t Is said that a horse can be taken to water
but cannot be made to drink; with a turkey this
principle is dead issue, for when he is stall
fed he is generally made to eat. Prepared
food is stuffed into his throat and he swallows
it simply because his mouth is held closed and
lie can do nothing else with it. Then he be-
gins to fatten and gets SO lubberly that he sits
and meditates and gets fattor-quietly awaiting
the arrival of the evil hour when he and his
spiritual existence must part company.
TURKEY CORNER IN VIRGINIA.
The methods of gathering the great number
of turkeys necessary for market, preparing and
farmers have more than dozen or two and Of
course as a rule they cannot afford to ship
them in small parcels. Some nearby farmers
do, however, and many good housewife lays
up hundred or so annually from her poultry
yard management. The great bulk of turkeys
are bought up by special dealers. These men
go through q section Of country fifty or more
miles square and buy up the turkeys and drive
them afOot in droves, as cattle are driven to
| certain point, where they are systematically
dressed and prepared for shipment. At Glade
Spring. in southwestern Virginia, is one of
these great turkey pens. The dealers start ont
and gather them as they go and drive them
along the highway, taking q circuitous route
that leads back to the starting point. Turkeys
| are easily driven, but have peculiarities which
it is disastrous not to recognize and abide by.
They believe in going to bed very early and
arrangements have to be made to that
effect. rider goes on a short dis
lance in advance, about an hour before
sunset-turkey bed time-selects spot where
they can roost, and there just before the even
be be- fed and ..roosted." It is bad sign even even
earlier to observe them beginning to turn first
their right and then their left optic skyward;
they have made up their minds that it is time
to stop. and stop they will right there, prepa-
rations or no preparations, and the thing to
do, and do quickly, is to corral them and let
them take to the trees. AT the first appear
ance of daylight they begin to crane their
necks, and soon are off rOost ready to be fed
and started on their way to the turkey pen and
death. Turkeys are prepared at Glade Spring
for shipment much the same as beef is in the
Chicago packing houses, and are shipped by
the car load at time.
THE GAME MARKET.
The game market is an objective point now
There is large supply Of game on hand. the
best of which comes from sections adjacent to
the city. The Potomac furnishes a large con-
tingent of the ducks. Canvas-backs come
mostly from the Chesapeake regions. Some of
the ducks come from as far off places as Corpus
Christi and Galveston. They come through by
express, packed for holding ont long distance
Canvas-backs are bringing $50 per pair, red
heads, "a; mallard, $50; widgron 81, and
small ducks from IS cents to 81. Pheasants
are plentiful at Sl.50 per pair and quail ut 81
per dozen: grouse, $3.50 per pair.
1t is not generally known that New York and
Brooklyn draw on Washington for good deal
Of game, and what is more that shipments are
frequently made from here to foreign ports
Mr.. r. A. Golden, who is well posted on the
subject, said to a STAR reporter today that it is
q common occurrence for Washington to supply
Murray Hill and other heightened hostelries Of
the metropolis with choice game and that this
evening a shipment of wild turkeys will be
made for New York to be reshipped tomorrow
per steamer for France. A number of wealthy
New York families send to this citv for THAR