The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-11-12
Thanksgiving Bird Likely TO Be
Scarce at Chicago.
WILL Be LEAN AND EXPENSIVE
Advice Ghsn BY Dealers Is 10 Purchase
New and Then Faiisn The FoW,s for
the Holiday Feast

Chicago, H.. Nov. 12.-Buy a Thanks
giving turkey now and put It on Ice 10
the advice OF commission men. II you
can't find cold storage for It embalm It;
do anything to keep It. for 1t IL a pre-
cious bird. BY the time Thanksgiving day
comes there won't be any turkeys, ac-
cording to Chicago dealers.
1t is only he who is forehanded or he
who can buy bird from some ono elses
ice box who will be able to eat In proper
memory TO the Pilgrims.
Some say there 10 turkey scare every
year, and that there never was a season
when turkeys were too plentiful. And
that may be trle. The wise men of the
market are certain that this Is the year
OF the big panic.
Turkeys have already run as high as y
cents, and IL the prophets prove correct
they are bound for 26 cents and not
point below Now, 25 cents a pound for
turkey means that the chosen few. and
they alone. can eat turkey when the
time comes
This week the birds have sold for II
cents dressed and cents alive. But, as
the market boy puts It, they were lasts
years birds and not much eating
A South Water street merchant stood
beside a pile OF cacklng crates the 9TH
er day and thus discanted on the turkey
problem:
"Td advise everybody who can doSit to
buy their turkey before they want to eat
It, II they don't do that they very likely
WON'T have any or course. IL Is hard 10
tell just yet.
wait another week and we can know,
but / am sure there is going to be trou-
ble Good turkeys are hard TO get any
year and this year, with the weather
warm so late. they won't have any flesh
on them.
Just as certain as we have a late fall
the turkeys are skinny. They Will run
and what they eat doesn't fatten them.
We get them mostly from the country
folks. you know and they don't bother
much with them They don't know how
and they think It's too much trouble"
RAINY WEATHER ONE REASON.
The fact that this year has been rainy
and cold has much 10 do with evident
dearth of turkeys. cold rain Will XIII
an entire Matching Of turkeys and IL they
are out In the wet even when they are
half grown they are bound TO suffer from
II.
Like no other tame fowl, the turkey Is
as wild in the barnyard as II Is in Its ori-
ginal state. 1t makes it's nest away from
the sight and disturbance of men and
when its young are Matched the hen hur-
ries them away to some field or swamp
where she can keep them hidden.
Thus unprotected, she scurries about
with them, dragging them through the
wet grass and sometimes killing her
whole Matching while they are still in the
down.
The farmers wife, who Is the turkey
raiser. never knows how many fowls sne
has until the end OF the season is near
and the birds are well grown. There is
never any estimate In the market as TO
the possible supply, and this is the reason
for the panic of the merchants and the
consequent panicky condition of the price.
One day turkeys are quoted at six cents.
the next day they may run as high as
II cents.
About three weeks ago the market was
| treated. to a futter OF that sort. which
| brought the price of turkeys up booming.
| Not two days later South Water street
| was alive with turkeys and the price had.
| Of course. dropped to It's lowest limit. Yet
! for a week afterward the fowls continued
| TO come in
| It was then too early for turkey, and
| every car load that came In meant just
| so many less at Thanksgiving time. Nest
of the turkeys that are sold now are old
| birds eft over from last year and the ear
| liest of this season. The youngest ana
best are always saved for the holiday
trade and the holiday price.
| liz there is a scarcity OF turkeys this
year Illinois and Illinois Weatner VIII
| dicates a plentiful supply OF the pirds,
and Missouri has. a fair showlng, out
not 50 many as last year Mlnnes0.a NM 1.
J 'kota and Iowa fair number. but the
main supply for the Chicago market must
come from Wisconsin,. where. OWING , 10
! the dry weather, turkeys have hatched
and fourished.
| TURKEY PROBLEM GRAVE.
FROM now on until after Christmas the
| turkey problem will be one of grave Inn
| portance TO the dealer. The possibility
OF shortage has ALREADY urged MIN no 70
| has turkeys I'm cold storage In such num-
| bers that IL no turkeys come In from now
on there would still be fowls to show In
All during the summer the stringing OF
turkeys in the great ice rooms of the
packing houses has been going : Omit ON al !,
turkeys OF Ave years back would be
brought to light.
There Is a fancy aInSng S some me- people are
age for n year or more is better than
that which is fresh killed The greater
number OF years in storage the better,
years and that the temperature does not
fall. There Is nothing which requires
greater care than a frozen fowl fowl. =. oh.
tained the thermometer must not vary. a
degree and the meat must not De dis,
turbed II must ,S be xep, drr osTE aIE saa sdd Al.
1
lowed to partially thaw 1t is at once
spoiled A.
average storage fowl a questionable lux
| ury Fresh birds and those sold alive
are considered by the merchants wiser
investment. - a..
country from now until the week before
Thankssivins are shipped alive, and must mus
insthe holiday week the farmer Is re-
ouired TO kill and dress his birds befor.
twentv-nve cents for dressed birds X VII
average twenty-three cents for live birds
What the commission men are now
nravina for Ms cold weather. They say
that alone will save the turkey sc, season son
Whatever u is the next week Will tell
IL the week Is cold the turkey crop VII
stYtf r1ourish.- ~ X II warm public
1eed NOT expect fat turkeys, nor any
great quantity of them.
A CARD.
We the undersigned. do hereby agre,
10 refund the money on a 5o-cent bottle o.
| Creepe's Warranted Syrup OF Tar NJ A