Daily camera., 1900-06-01
EGGS IN ST. Louis,
Growth of the Trade Has Been AL
most Phenomenal.
More Than 28,OOO,oOO Dosens Rs-
osived in the City in the Course
Of . Year-rGcts About
! the Business.

The recent Intellectual attempt Of the
egg dealers of ST. Louis to establish an
independent egg exchange has served
to call attention to the magnitude OF
the egg trade OF the city, says the Re
public.
The receipts Of eggs at St. Louis, &C.
cording to figures furnished by the
various railroads and express com
panies, run as high as s9s, ,9s4 cases, 80
dozens to the case, per annum, which
would make total of 26, 6,969,52O dozen
year received by river and rail. 1t
is estimated that 10 per cent. are re-
ceived by wagon from nearby points,
making a grand total of 1866, ,472
dozen, or 355 ,997 1854 eggs received each
year, an average of 29,666,472 each
month, or 975,33 each day, including
Sundays.
Estimating the average price of eggs
for the year at fraction more than
Is cents a dozen, which is very low
estimate, this would make the value
of the egg receipts of ST. Louis more
than $5,OO0,OOO annually, or nearly $13,-
700 day.
The shipments of eggs from St. Louis
are about 549, ,S32 cases, 16. 494. .960 dozen,
or 197,939,52O eggs annually, making
the consumption in ST. Louis 15s,O5s,-
IA eggs annually, or 433,O36 day. AS
the population of ST. Louis is about
65O,OGO, this would give nearly one egg
day for every man, woman and Child
in ST. Louis.
At this season of the year the re-
ceipts average nearly 10000 cases, or
100000 eggs a day. Later the re-
ceipts run even heavier, but at times
in the winter months they are very
light.
Although there are occasional re-
ceipts of fresh eggs in the winter, the
first heavy receipts begin to arrive
early in January, and are principally
from Texas. Later they come in turn
from Oklahoma and Indian territory,
Mississippi and Alabama, Arkansas and
Tennessee. Usually by the 1st of May
they begin to arrive in large quantities
from Missouri Illinois and Kansas and
some of the more southern states.
They are usually shipped to st. Louis
commission merchants by the country
storekeepers to be sold on commission,
and are bought by shippers and egg
men in round lots as they arrive, but
are carefully "candled," and only good
eggs are paid for.
The GAMBLER works in a dark room,
and passes each egg between his eye
and a light, so that he can determine
it's condition. He carefully sorts the
different kinds of eggs, as tirsts, sec
onds or spots, according to the differ
ent state of freshness.
An. expert "candler" is able to tell
by the size of the air cell in the end
OF the egg almost to day the time
that has elapsed since the egg was laid
On account of the evaporation, the air
cell becomes larger as the egg grows
older.
An egg candler's lot is not pleasant
one, as the honest farmer" is not al
ways as guileless and innocent as per-
sons are led to believe by the comic pa
pers. Some of the eggs he brings to
market are so ancient that when held
to the light they explode with noise
like a fire-cracker and an odor which
does not resemble new mown hay.
AS rule, the freshest eggs or firsts,
are sold to the leading hotels and sa-
looms and grocers, or shippedl to New
York, while the remainder is disposed
of to bakers and the cheap grocery
trade.
st. Louis has unique manufacturing
institution, where eggs, by crystal
lization process, are prepared Tor use
On ocean vessels or humber camps or
other places where it is impossible or
inconvenient to procure fresh eggs.
By patented process, every particle
If moisture is extracted from the eggs
leaving the remainder in the form OF
CRYSTALS which much resemble gum
arabic in appearance. In this state
eggs will keep for an indefinite length
If time in any climate, and are not in
Iured by extremes Of either heat or
.old. They are put up in packages
With the whites and yolks separate, or
together, as desired. When desired for
Use the crystals are soaked in water
for a short time, when they may be
tried poached, or used for baking the
same as fresh eggs.
AS 80 per cent. Of the white and 53A
Der cent. of the yolk of an egg is water.
there is great saving in bulk, as we'll
IS convenience in handling, by the
process Of specialization.
Another Ice-Defying Ship.