Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-01
The TRADE IS HEAVY
Big Marketing of Every thing in the
Provision Line.
THE CROP WAS SMALL In THE STATE
In Spite of that Fact, However, There
Has Been Well Supplied Market
and the Threatened Famine Has
Thus Far Failed to Materialize.
| From Saturdays Daily.

[From Saturdays Daily.]
"A visit TIC the wholesale and retail
provision stores socn convinces one
that the heavy drain upon these
branches of business as means Of
supplying the table is still undated.
1t has been many years since the de-
mand upon the Iowa provision mer-
chant has been as heavy as it has
been during the past winter, and moth
ing except bountiful new crop of ev
erything in the food line will change
the conditions. The almost entire
failure of the state to produce vege
tables last year made it necessary for
the people of Iowa to look elsewhere
to Colorado. Michigan and Mime
sofa, principally--for those necessary
articles for sustaining life.
Even many farmers of this section
of the country find it necessary to
purchase about all of the provisions
for their tables. Their cellars, which
are usually great storehouses for var
ious kinds of canned fruits, vege-
tables, ETC., are this year sadly de-
ficient in those possessions, and the
city man. who goes into the country
visiting, with memories OF those
wholesome, country dinners like his
mother used to make" must content
himself with meals whose principal
dishes came directly from the proVi-
sion merchant in town.
The wholesale potato, though rang
ing in price from 81 to $1.25 per bush
ell, has become so necessary an article
of food that its demand during the past
winter has not been decreased by rea-
son of high price. Cabbage and on
ions have been very dear, each selling
as high as five cents per pound. All
other vegetables have been compare
lively scarce. Bread stuffs have re-
manned at practically the same prices
as they were last year. Apples have
been costly, but those shipped into OF
tumwa have been of rarely good quail
| ity.
when one recalls the prediction,
made last fall said local provision
dealer today, that the people of the
state were likely to starve during the
winter, now discovers how well drouth-
stricken Iowa Jared, he concludes that,
truly, this is a country of resources.
| II one section does not produce mans
| wants, another does; and its facilities
| for transportation and the seif-adjuSt-
ment of prices caused by sharp compe-
tition among both wholesalers and re-
tailers gives the consumer fully as
much benefit as he could well expect
\ Though some people, who do not stop
TO study the prime cause of prevalent
high prices of commodities, complain
considerably about them, it is a matter
of fact that nothing but natural ani
climatic conditions can produce con
tinued high figures upon commonly
used provisions
Ottumwa purveyors have been quite
alive to the conditions, and have ex
perienced no difficulty in keeping theil
places of business well stocked witt
as good qualities of eatables, in al
lines, as could be bought anywhere
and are well prepared to meet the
, heavy demands upon them which will
necessarily be made for three month.
or more yet, before another crol
, comes in.