The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-12

ing southwark far beyond White river
into the second and third tiers of coun-
ties in Arkansas. This extensive re-
gion, lying beyond the reach of railway
transportation, uses Springfield as a
shipping point, and the egg hauler is
more familiar with the rough highways
leading up the southern slopes of the
ozarks than any other teamster. He
makes his regular trips the year round,
hauling from 1000 to 1900 dozen eggs at
a load. From the extreme southern lin
it of the Springfield egg territory it
takes about 10 days to make the round
trip in the winter time, the distance be-
ing divided into four or five sections,
each one having it's we'll established
camping place.
The egg hauler has a way of trans
porting his fragile freight that would
astonish many city people. He does not
handle his eggs with great care. putting
each one into snug little paper box as
they are shipped on the cars. He first
covers the bottom of his wagon bed
with layer of hay or straw, and then
begins to load the eggs for the long
haul over the toughest roads in Mis-
souri, The eggs are laid in straight
rows the long way of the wagon bed
until the whole bottom is covered In
order that the load may be safely haul
ed 1T is necessary that the eggs touch
one another. When the first layer of
eggs has been placed another covering
of hay Is put in the wagon, and then
more of the tender freight After three
or four layers of eggs have been put in
the wagon the freighters become appar-
emily reckless in Their work and pro-
coed with more speed. They walk about
on the eggs as though they were pota-
toes. The protection of the hay and the
evenness of the pressure save the eggs
from the heavy shoes of the teamsters
Not an egg brushes under the weight IF
the biggest Ozark freighter. After the
wagon has been filled in this way and a
layer of straw put on top of the load. a
weight having a pressure of about 500
pounds is used to hold the eggs in posi-
ton. Then the freighter is ready for his
trip to the egg market at Springfield
! The teamster drives up and down the
steep and rocky hills between the Bos-
ton mountains and Springfield with no
more care than he would if hauling a
| load of lumber. A few eggs around the
edge of the wagon will sometimes be
| broken on the trip, but the loss is sur
prisngly small. In a load of 200 dozen
eggs not more than a dozen will be
| found cracked when the freighter
reaches Springfield.
Some idea of the extent Of the
Springfield egg trade may be had from
| the fact that one firm here ships some
| times $4,000 dozen a week. Most of
| these eggs come from the country south
Of Springfield, and are hauled in wag-
| ons. Every household throughout the
| White river region contributes to the
| Springfield egg market. Hundreds of
| families have for months in the year no
| other means of buying sugar and coffee
| and few other necessaries of life
| which they get of the local merchant.
! During the spring and early summer.
| when the small farmer of the Ozarks
| has nothing else to sell, his wife and
| daughters watch the hens nests and
| make semi-weekly visits to the neigh
| pofhond stores, bringing home with
them the family supplies thus procured.
The egg market is a very tickle one.
ana the country merchant of north Ar
| Kansas must give himself a cOnsidera
Die margin in buying to avoid as much
as possible the risk of losing money.
sometimes freighter will leave Jasper
| county with a load of eggs when the
| price is 20 cents a dozen, and before he
reaches Springfield the market price
| mas dropped nearly one-half. Again, the
SLOW progress of the egg wagon may be
the means of making the local dealer a