Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-07-05

regulars are undoubted experts, or all
should be so. There are in Chicago over
800 Gamblers Of both descriptions, but
the greatest number are regulars.
The Gambler sits on high stool in
front of either an electric or gas light,
which is two-thirds inclosed in dark
metal, for the best effect. The light Is
thrown out as from a policeman's
lantern. On one side of the Gambler,
within easy reach, is case full Of eggs,
and on the other side Of him are empty
cases. He deftly picks up two eggs at
time, and, presto! change! between
the thumb and foretinger of each hand
is now an egg held near the light-it is
not still the twentieth part of second,
but constantly turning round and
round, sideways and end over end, for
few seconds. Every bit Of the oval
surface has been seen and the exact
state of the contents of the shell is as
certained. 1t Is softly laid in a case
marked high grade, or in one marked
second, third or fourth grade, according
to it's quality.
A perfect, fresh egg answers for it
self in yellow glow, the shell is full,
the yolk in the middle place and the
white nearly transparent. Each of the
lower grades is marked by one Of sew
eral variously induced defects. One
egg that otherwise looks all right Is
shrunken at the sman.end. There is an
air chamber where, before the egg was
too old, was clear meat" Let this go
into the second grade. In another is a
slight streak of red, as of blood, and
though it is sound and sweet it has had
too much warmth, and in a short time
will begin to decay. Let this go into
the third grade. In still another the
yolk is seen to be breaking up and min
Cling with the white substance, but no
black spot has yet appeared in tit is
not bad, but soon will be bad, If it be
not quickly used-and SO let it go into
the third grade. An incompetent or
careless inspector may mistake as to
the quality of one or another of these
eggs, but an expert never will. The
"black spot egg detects itself, so to
speak, but the white rot" egg some
times goes undetectad in inattentive
hands. This is an egg the white of
which is all rotten. 1t Is not shrunken,
and to the inexperienced looks perfect
ly sound, but the Gambler gets no light
through it's density. 1t is very bad.
When all of the meat of an egg is rot
ten it is all black.
Cracked eggs and eggs that are very
small are discarded entirely for the
present, but when the inspection is
over for the day these are put in a re-
ceptacle marked bakers" and are
sold at low price.
The country from which eggs come
to the Chicago market includes large
part of the South and the entire old
Northwest Indeed the new Northwest
makes some contributions, for eggs
from Oregon and Washington have
been received here. In the winter the
current receipts of new eggs are from
Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkan-
sas and Oklahoma. In the summer
these States ship their surplus eggs to
New Orleans. The Chicago supplies, in
the spring and summer, come from Ne
braska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Indi-
ana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Min
nesota and the two Dakotas.
In minute parts of this great extent
OF country the collection of eggs is
made, in large measure, by local mer-
chants. Goods are exchanged for them.
What the local merchants do not get
hncksters who make business OF
gathering in farm produce pay money
for