The herald., 1896-10-25
Local, Eastern and Foreign
Commercial Dealings
WALL STREET SPECULATION
Hard Times Shoddy Goods Not 10
Favor
est-How to Candle Eggs-The Modus
Operandi Carefully Explained

wanting. Never in the history of the
mercantile business have values been more
carefully examined. Shoddy goods are re-
ceiving almost no attention in the prep
aratiOn of new stocks for the coming fall
season.
At the beginning of the financial strin-
gency, four years ago, quality as we'll as
price was cut. People, in endeavoring to
economize, demanded cheap stuff. Mer-
chants, in order to cater to their trade,
were obliged to stock with inferior goods.
Manufacturers, in turn, set to work upon
shoddy articles.
AS the consumer instituted the demand
for such articles SO has he revolted against
them. A season or two of such purchases
has proved conclusively that trash is not
cheap at any price. 1t is better for the
consumer to buy good article for twice
tne money and have half as much. 1t Is
petter Tor the merchant to sell less goods
and have them honest.
Shoddy goods are a source of dissatis.
faction and disgust from first to last. The
manufacturer does not represent them as
they are when selling them. The jobber
touches lightly on their good points. The
honest retailer hates himself when offer
ing them to his customers.
Ine consumer, who, in the end, is the
greater sufferer, retaliates by changing his
patronage to another merchant who Is no
more honest than the merchant who sold
the goods. and who, under the same circum-
stances, would have done the same thing
Inc merchant, In turn blames the jobber
seeking a scapegoat upon which to place
the burden of shoddy. Thus reputation
is passed back and forth along the line.
an encouraging sign. 1t indicates a healthy
state of affairs; honest goods at honest
prices; plain, more substantial and more
articles that lose their freshness before
leaving the counters of the retailer, and
which; when out of fashion, are absolutely
worthless and hence dead loss.
The time of honest values at honest
prices can come, none too soon to be well
coined by the dry goods trade. All hail
for. goods that disgrace him, when the
jobber can honestly recommend what he
sells, when the manufacturers stamp is
porter.
Eggs are purchased by large dealers in
two Ways-so much per dozen. ease
ao1ee sueff a eS
run run in the cases, full case containing
thirty dozen eggs: Subject to Gambling"
Gambling Inspector and are, therefore,
n "candiln,g" eggs the inspector has a
cases before him, about the height Of a
on either side cases ss into which to deposit
case for ."rots'' and spots and another
for "cracks.''
On the case from which he ingpects is
on the wall, He picks up six eggs in his
left hand, takes two in his right hand and
holds them close to the candle. juggling
them swiftly before the light, and In a
moment he has them sorted.
The way he determines the age of an
egg, is BY the ring he sees through, the
space at the top. When the egg is a month
old the albumen becomes slightly thin and
watery and the all. space larger. In sixty
the ring has come down further. A month
or two longer and the ring. is almost in
the center of the egg, and It Is pretty sure
"candling." In shipping eggs those even
very slightly cracked are, put aside for
they would be sure to be detected by the
to thS loss of the shipper. when the al
aoats up and @ 4 the egg lies long = i Viii vii
kind comes before the candle It shows
dark spot against the shell and 1t is set out
as a spot This spot is often the result
ground or in a wet nest. Sometimes the
egg shells look strangely notified or freck-
led when held against the candle, This Is
an old-fashioned custom still in vogue on
farms. 1t Injuries the sale of eggs when
ever detected, as buyers do not like to buy
storage. An Inspector can pick out an
egg BY the ring" generally being near the
center of the egg.
In the early summer inspection "can-
dlers" often open case of eggs to find
newly-hatched tchickens peeping. within
it. The case may have stood on the side
walk or on country station platforms in
the sun for days, and the heat has per-
formed the duties of a mother. This would
not happen If farmers would separate the
fowls into sexes and keep them apart all
summer, and they would make more money
out of their eggs by the better qualities
Of them. Some inspectors use electricity
in inspecting eggs, but the old-fashioned
way Of inspecting them by. gas or candle
is said to be the most satisfactory.-Mich
igan Tradesman.