The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-07-04
BEEF FAMINE.
The Railroad Boycott Ont West Has
Shut OFF the Supply.

Present Supply VIII Not Last Over Thurs
day-Native Beef in Great Demand
Extraordinary Rise in Prices-whole
State Affected. Ess{&
The railroad boycott out West has
practically shut off the supply of beef
fr ON Maine, and the price here has gone
up in way that will practically shut
Off the majority of the people from the
eating of the usual amount of beef
There have been DO cars shipped from
Chicago since last Thursday. One or
two cars arrived yesterday for John L.
Best, Cummings Brothers and the Port
land Beef Co. The former expected a car
yesterday morning, but it did not come
direct from Chicago. Aside from this
there is no beef except the supply in this
city, aud that, according to the best au-
thority will not last over Thursday.
This great scarcity caused our whole
sale dealers to send out men yesterday
and the day before into the country
after whatever beef is available. OF
course native beef will rapidly become
very valuable. One Portland firm has
man as far up as Norway in Oxford
county securing the country for beef.
Since last week the price of side of
beef has gone up
FROM SEVEN TOTEM CENTS
The loin has gone up from 16 or Is
to 20 cents pound; the hind quarters
from to 10 cents, and the rounds and
fro, 40
retail prices have gone up corresponding
ly.
Cummings Brothers received a tele-
gram from Chicago yesterday, saying,
There is
VERY LITTLE PROSPECT
of shipping beef for week.
OF course if the supply gives out there
it is IA good time of year for it to do so
We have plenty of fish surely, and we
can get along without pork, which has
also advanced within few days two
cents a pound.
The grain and -four supply is not
affected AS yet, because most of it
comes by the great lakes, and there are
immense supplies in eastern elevators.
Certainly there will be much less eating
of beef in the next week.
OF course what is true of Portland is
true of the rest of the State. A car load
of beef that left Chicago for Augusta
last Friday was side tracked by the
train hands. In Augusta there is
supply on hand for about three or four
days. Beef has gone up 50 on hundred
weight all over the State. 1t is at least
good thing for our farmers and cat
tie dealers.
Mr.. John L. Best says that in all the
years he has been in the business he has
never seen the like before. All fresh
provisions have advanced So a hundred
weight. He has car load of beef COM
ing from point Is miles east of Chicago
1t was shipped last Saturday, will ar
rive here next Friday and is the last car
of beef to come east until after the end
of the strike.
The native beef here, he says, is but
drop in the bucket The beef famine
will be felt severely the end of the
week.
Beef company, said yesterday that he
had just received telegram that in
formed him that only one road is bring
ing cattle into Chicago, and that is the
Chicago Burlington & Quincy railroad,
and only 200 head OF cattle arrived in
that market yesterday, where the general
average is about 10000 head of stock
day. He predicted that tn ose who are
not Supplied by TIL ursday will have to
go without.
There were about four carloads of beef
on hand the first of the week in this
city, only two more will arrive. General
ly from thirteen to fifteen cars week
are required.
The Shipment of Californian fruit is
stopped and will be manifested here in
few days pro badly. The -four market
also may take a jump any time.
The beef famine in Boston is almost
inevitable. The price has advanced
there from 81 to SO. 50 per hundred
weight.
The fact is there is little or no beef in
Chicago now. If the strike were de-
clared off Immediately it would take
over week to get the vast supply of
beef started eastward again. 1t all the
cattle in New England were herded in
bunch there would not be enough to
supply Boston for more than a week or
two.
In Providence there is only a four
days supply OF beef and mutton.
Freight Trains in Collision