Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-02-16
BATTLING WITH THE SNOW
Farmers Make Heroic Struggles to Get
Their Produce to Wilmington.
DRIFTS 20 FEET DEEP IN ROADS
At Times the Horses Dropped
From Exhaustion.
THE SITUATION ON THE RAILROADS

The storm almost paralyzed the local
farmers markets, and buyers were much
more numerous than sellers. Only two
farmers were noticed along the curb
on King street, between Second and
Sixth, and there we're only two or three
above Sixth, while the condition on
Madison street was worse. Several
more reached the city, and as rule
were sold out before they had time to
dig place to stand along the curb.
The majority, however, did not venture
from their homes. SO hazardous was the
task, and as a result there was q
scarcity of farm produce and that
which was offered for sale brought gilt
edged prices. Eggs were selling all
the way from 30 to so cents per dozen,
butter at the same rate, potatoes at CO
and 70 cents per basket, and other
produce in proportion. Even at these
figures the articles named were hard to
find after 10 O'Clock in the morning.
Wednesdays and Saturdays are the
farmers market days in Wilmington
and as rule there is an unbroken line
of wagons along the curb on King
street from Second to Ninth and on
Madison street from Third TO Seventh,
and many people visited the market
reefs yesterday with the expecta-
tion of finding at least some Of the
farmers, but the number of stands was
very few and the stores profted in con-
sequence.
One party, comprising Ellis Hicks,
Everett Guest and Frank and William
Klair, living near Stanton, with sew
eral sleighs, after hard work, reached
the, city and their stock of butter, eggs
and potatoes was suon disposed of. They
left their homes about $50 o'clock and
were four hours covering the distance,
which is about six miles, They knew
what to expect when they started out,
however, and provided themselves with
means for overcoming tho difficulties.
They had good supply of shovels and
many times had to make a, way for the
horses. Drifts 20 feet high and nearly
SO feet wide were encountered, but ali
worked with q will and by the time
they reached Wilmington they had
made fairly passable roadway for the
entire distance. On account of the
drifts they abandoned the roads in
many places and crossed the fields.
On the way in they saw about half
dozen other farmers, and it is thought
they also reached the city. All were
compelled to shovel their way out of
drifts. As far as is known, all came
through all right.
EAinuuSu MT. TICKS ana MS party
had things pretty much their own way
streets, they charged only 80 cents q
dozen for eggs and 80 cents pound for
butter.
When Mr.. Hicks was seen by a rep
resentative of the Gazette, about IL
O'Clock. he was in n good humor and
evidently enjoyed the exertion required
to dig his way into town. He said that
while the snow has drifted high in
many places in the vicinity Of Stanton
and some of the houses are almost
buried, so far as he knows. there is no
suffering and the people are in shape
to take care of themselves. He and
ms party started home early yesterday
afternoon.
ueorge Vernon of Mt. Cuba was the
only farmer from any distance to reach
Eighth street market. He made his
way to the city by having party of
horsemen 90 ahead of his team and
mako roadway for it.
The few farmers who came to market
brought very little aside from butter,
eggs and potatoes. In fact, there were
very few potatoes, and, while the prices
averaged as given above. they were
hard to get even at those figures. Some
of the farmers brought in pork, sau-
oeLtSpt w. Dub lubTb WAS Nbry llUUl6 OF
the country stock in market.
Meats as rule have advanced in
price, but there is no need for any
alarm, as, Notwithstanding that some
kinds are nearly exhausted, the rail-
roads will be able to bring in some
soon.
MILK 25 CENTS FER QUART.
Milk was exceedingly scarce yesterday.
Many of the dairymen in the country
did not come into the city and the
supply was cut off in several directions.
Most OF the local dealers who receive
their milk from points near the city
were able to supply their customers,
but some charged as high as 25 cents
per quart for milk TO people other than
their regular customers
THE RAILROAD SITUATION.
The railroad companies did good
work on Tuesday in the direction OF
clearing snow from the tracks,
The first train north over the p, W.
q B. railroad was the Washington ex
press, which arrived at 4. As and left in
a few minutes for Bellevue, Thurlow,
Chester and Philadelphia. The officials
OF the railroad used every effort to
notify the belated travellers in the city
that train was going north and upon
the arrival of the train number oil
glad and smiling faces were seen.
The first train for the south was the
stalled Congressional express. which
was stalled in this city since the pre-
ceding night. This train, which left
at o.3o p. M, was composed of two
engines, Pullman car, a day coach
and baggage car. All the passengers
stalled in this city were notified II
time and when the train started every
passenger was accounted for. .
The snow pillow train which left this
city, Tuesday morning over the Mary.
iand division returned shortly after
o'clock. This train was composed Of
four engines. The forward engine,
with Engineer Ward in the cab, was'af
interesting spectacle. The bolts on the
wooden pillow were loosened, the head
ilght had been wrenched from it;
fastenings and the smokestack was
indented where the headlight had beer
forced against it. On the top of thu
cab OF the engine was bank of SNOW
al least IL inches in depth. The fire
man had been showed in his cab ant
mad to be dug out, while the men were
engaged in digging out the drifts. Thu
engineer was wet from head to foo
him. =
=, Engine No. SO, of the Jumbo type
the largest engine on the division
which was back Of the first engine
was a solid rnass ~ To- = IL ,,,.r, STb.