The times., 1899-02-14
ALL KINDS OF FOOD
GROWING SCARCE
Provision Dealers Unable 10
Supply the Demand.
The Famine Causes Prices TO Ad-
vance.
other Traffic shuts Out Meat,
Fish, and Vegetables.

The prediction of food '0uline AS full
filled yesterday.
The local provision dealers reported that
the demands made upon them yesterday for
vegetables completely exhausted tle supply,
and as a consequence the price of every
thing in the eating line has ad ed from
% to 100 per cent. The price potatoes
rose from SIS to so cents per bushel. Cab
bage that formerly sold for $3.50 per hun
dred easily brought SO. Kale and other
green stuff cannot be purchased at any
price, as the supply is completely exhaust
ed. Eggs jumped to A. cents per dozen,
and it was the same with almost every
article of consumption
4 Times reporter visited the market late
yesterday afternoon and found all of the
retail dealers with empty stalls and no
prospect of securing fresh supplies for to-
day. In explaining the situation, one of
these dealers said that Washington de-
pends almost entirely upon the rural dis
tricts of Maryland and Virginia for its
staple supplies. and the farmers are snow
bound and unable to reach their shipping
stations. Even if ii were possible to Sc
cure provisions in the country no freight
trains are running on any of the railroads
entering the city.
One dealer said that he had endeavored
| tables from Baltimore and New York, TO
| be forwarded by express, but found that
the same conditions existed there as here.
Several wholesale commission men stated
that they were entirely unable to supply
the demand for anything in the food line.
They further stated that their supply was
almost exhausted, it was their custom
to secure vegetables in small quantities
so as to insure freshness, when sold to the
customer.
All the dealers said that they had car
loads of provisions on the road from Cali
fornia and Florida but that no freight
would probably reach here for some days.
and that they would undoubtedly be sold
entirely out by tonight.
The effect of the scarcity of food was
very perceptible at the smaller restau-
rants last night. as canned goods were sub
stituted for the fresh articles and the
bills of fare were limited to one or two
vegetables. In the higher class hotels and
restaurants the only perceptible change
was in the prices and these were advanced
to meet the cost of supplies. Not only is
the supply limited as TO vegetables. but
unless the storm soon abates and railroad
! traffic is resumed, a beef famine is also
one of the possibilities.
meat dealer said last night that 1t was
/ out of the question TO get beef from near
| by States and that he has communicated
! Win MS western supply mouse, out tOunu
| that they were unable to supply the local
demand, as no cattle were being shipped
| from the ranches on account of the heavy
| SHOWS throughout the West.
| The managers of Swift & Co. and Armour
& Co. stated last night that unless rail-
road traffic was resumed in the next
| few days they would be unable to supply
the demand for meats of any kind as yes
| terdays sales broke all previous records.
Grocerymen report that If their sales OF
canned goods. including vegetables, meats,
and condensed milk continues the supply
will soon be exhausted, and unless traffic
| is shortly resumed it will be some days
| before they can replenish their stocks.
| All of the dairymen have suspended bus
iness as it is impossible to secure milk
| from the farms. which are located some
distance from the city. On account of the
river being frozen no fish or oysters can
reach the city and the present supply is
almost exhausted. The only article that
appears TO be in abundance is bread, and
the various bakeries are taxed to their ut
most capacity to supply the demand.