The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-24
THE CHRisrMAs WAHKbTs.
The Law of supply and Demand-"hat
nay be seen and Bought.

| IL Won want an example OF the near
ness Of Christmas, all you have TO 90
is to make a visit to the Old or New
Market during the business hours of
these respective places.
You are struck with the crowd, the
busy stir. the general activity and bus
tie OF the vender and buyer. Cries and
| calls. orders, and cOunter-Orders, raise
| conglomeratiOn OF noises around you
that are at first, II you are a stranger.
apt TO be somewhat bewildering You
will notice long lines OF wagons all back
| up against the street curbing The ma
! jOrity OF these are owned by the thrifty
marketmen and are used 20 carry their
| orders all over the city. IL you are I'M
versed in the art Of marketing. you will
be at loss as to how TO proceed to FIJI
your basket with the good things which
you intend for your Christmas dinner.
Two long lines of stalls, with a broad
passageway between. and you have the
architecture Of both markets in the
rough.
The greatest abundance Of things edl-
bic meet your gaze upon all sides
Among the vegetable stalls, you can
find every description of vegetable of
the season that you could wish to buy,
indigenous TO the soil from Virginia to
Florida.
Piles Of sweet and Irish potatoes are
in lavish profusion on all sides. These
are staple products, and out-sel all the
other garden vegetables.
Cabbages, canned goods OF every de-
scription, apples. bananas, celery, dates,
raisins. nuts. and long list Of other
things offered for sale by the glib
tongued truckster
Passing on. you come to the meat sec
tom You will notice many seedy men,
rsev1r~
at the tender sirloins lying before their
eyes. just beyond reach.
Supply and Demand.
This affords a most striking illustration |
of supply and demand. when the price |
of supply is not fixed by the demand.
Whole beeves, sheep, pigs, turkeys |
galore. are offered for sale on all sides.
Big tubs Of pure hog sausage tempt you. |
in connection with the vision of hot buck
wheat cakes, coffee. and fresh country /
butter such as your mother used to make
on the farm.
You can obtain more information from
a marketman in one moment as to how
tender a round Of beef is which ne wants
TO sell you, than you could get personally
from a lifetime experience as a butcher.
The bright-red cranberry sprays OF
festal holly. with trees of cedar, add to
the holiday appearance Of the market.
the eagle is the national bird,
the turkey is certainly more deserving
of that exalted position, if we may judge
from his popularity.
No Christmas dinner viii be complete
without a turkey. With this fact in view
every one who can Oxford 1t will certainly
buy one.
Large numbers are being sold: they
range in price from $3.50 to 81. according
TO weight and size. Chickens and ducks
are also seen in great abundance.
Some buyer Will indulge i'm a roast
pig. These gay little squeelers are sad ex-
amples of the pigs that went to market
AS they hang head down. displayed
to the public gaze, one can easily bring
up the picture Of the mother-sow with
her happy brood around her, lying in some
mud-puddle, sleeping the day away
in idle content, or else scrambing
struggling, and falling over each
other IN their efforts TO get into the |
trough where they are fed.
IT, is a well-known characteristic OF
the hog that he never enjoys his dinner
unless he walks over it with his dainty
feet
The little lambs that bleated in the
early spring, and gamboled over the YER
1ant pastures or nestled close to the
side OF their loving mamas. are Offered !
Tor sale, shern of their white coats rob |
bed OF their innocent little lives. The
big quarters Of beeves. wherein are the
juicy, succulent steaks, that maketh
the hungry tramp sad at heart, are offered
Tor sale also
The crowd surges and thronss around
he different stalls. {
All are good-natured and happy at the
.hought OF the coming days of merri-
nent. Z
They Jostle each other, nobody gets
mad every one has an abundance ~
'atience-and all have Christmas I'm their
bones.
III is a merry scene, oae not soon to be
orsotten by the quiet. easy-going observ-
n of humanity.