New-York tribune., 1898-12-25
IN THE WAIL. sTREET pIsTRICT.
BUYING THE CHRISTNAS GOBBLER.
SIGHTS AND SCENES IN WASHINGTON MAR
KET BEFORE THE CROWD WENT HOME.

SIGHTS AND SCENES IN WASHINGTON MAR
KET BEFORE THE CROWD WENT HOME.
In Washington Market last evening you could
hear the "harlSers' barking for blocks away. and
Il almost seemed though the people I'm the ole
vattd trains would catch disolnted sentences about
"corn-fed spring turkeys and fine Christmas goh-
blers" And "a for price-well after 10 o'clock.
VIXEN the basket ca rriers and the barga n-huntng
women arrived from Hohoken and most anyvher"
else the prices were cf no importance at all II
will not be the fault of IN" Washington Market
phila nthropsts ~ any one in IN" metropolis hunsers
for turkey on Christmas Day '&
How Is the turkev trade this geason7' asked
Tribune reporter Of dealer who is declared 10 have
few rivals in the market authority on tur-
KEYS.
Tho supply this year has heon enormous. was
tho answer THE warm md rather musgy weather
for tho las, few days has been bad for us IL has
hurried the supply forward and cheapened IT, All
these turkeys You SEQ about the market and around
the city come from the West Indiana. Iowa. tll'-
nols and Wisconsin. They run In weight from six
twenty pourds hut OF course. these birds. which
from 70 70 10 cents pound. are not the
choicest turkeys. In fact. even tho best OF the
Western birds re pu, right into cold storage.
How about the aggregate amount Of Christmas
turkey used in New-york'" queried the reporter:
would # be hundred thousand pounds
The authority on turkeys looked astonished. "A
hundred thousand pounds he repeated
We'll that IS good deal of turkey. the reporter
added apologcticall,-.
More likely ole hundred thousand tons, young
man"
"Of turkey"
"Or turkey"
"or course that Is high. bur rot loss than ten
million pounds OF turkey will be used in New York
for the holiday season and 10 that add quarter as
mucn chicken and another quarter OF duc..
rba f.or 7 v-eig ghe1
five pounds" continued the authority. 1.-THE big
gest in the market this year weighed thirty-eght
pounds. They seldom exceed that. This whole tur-
key business has really grown W TO It's present
enormous proportions in the last twenty years.
Why back in 7s and IS paid % n % cents
pound wholesale for turkeys The supply
limited and the demand also. but about this time
Christmas Evc the supply would run low and
the price go ~. We'd give up charging by the
pound. and it WAS turkeys at s. and IS apiece. and
people scrambling for the last ono. In those days
turkeys were luxuries. Now they are cheap enough
Tor everybody"
outside the market. whore vesey-st.'s uneven
pavement struggles down 10 the riverfron' the
"barkefs" were unloading unlimited turkeys on the
public. out there nobody thought about rce-fed
ton of turkey. At stand aborer bar
gaining, for d,szed bird
The man hesitated. Lord! An Its livery clint rvc
got to me ne, name" he said ,ou s,-
win legs protrudinr and laid on the customers
''Take yer bird and here's nickel to ge, home
with" said the dealer he gathered in the money
How much s chickens?' asked a small thin
"Twenty-elght cents. rna'am.
give yer twenty-five"
A flourish OF the meat-axe. tho head and legs
could hedge the decapitated and esless chicken was
in her hand
shell come assin. said the market mar: to he
them wimmn mp too quick.
How about geese" asked old woman with
red shawl and market-hasket.
Ten pound. ma'am.
He threw goose ON the scales. The customer
hcstated. "Ycu want the head. | suppose he
queried. and in a second goose with dangling
head was bundled into brown paper ana showed
into the basket
"ses here" said y red headed little man. "rve
down here Christmas Eve to give YOU piece
Of my mind about that turkey You sold mo for
you. went carve that turkey. and she wouldn't
carve. Finally eo' off the two legs, and my wife
cir. with ,hem two drumstcks; we'd each done
days work. and We went and laid down. After
hash hash OF IT, and she broke the chopper and cnt her
hand she's in hospital You're fraud. and
I'm here 10 tell, about H." ...... ,.,...-
pushed the lttla man along. stIll explaining A,d
then the market-man had his inning. He took tho
"Nice man he said. Hes been a customer of
ours going on fourteen years He's only got ore
iioilng, pa yon notice how red his faGe was
fourteen wears he's had a jag You heard what
ha said7 Well. that's all jag Too bad. amt it'
Then with rapid change OF voice. he
"s'ep right up. gents and get Yer Christmas iur-
the market. Only twelve cents pound. Here you
are. finest Christmas turkeys. just waitin' To he
eat"
And a, ii5 o'clock the procession ~ brown
papered parcels with turkey-legs protruding
stiil moving north and south and east and over the
river the dark regions Of New-Jersoy on the