Evening journal., 1902-02-20
PRICE OF COUNTRY EGGS
CONTINUES HIGH
Housewives Believe the Hens Are
on a Strike
lte.chOked Streams and SnOW-impeded
Roads Cause Prices Of All PrOyi.
sion to Advance

The white wings, sunny side up"
of the popular restaurant, otherwise,
fried eggs, will soon be a dish that only
the very wealthy can indulge in, since
eggs were retailing at go cents the
dozen, and are likely, the dealers say,
10 reach an even so cents before Satur-
day. The ham and formerly
the nourishment Of the humblest, may
shortly take rank with canyasbaCk
and diamondhack.
The hen which has so faithfully and
earnestly helped to furnish Whining
tons breakfast table for so long has
suddenly decided TO take rest, and
how long that rest is to be is a thing
that Is worrying a vast number Of per-
sons-hrst the farmer, then the COM
mission merchant and then the restau-
rateur and the housekeeper Eggs have
not been so scarce and high for many
years. and the worst OF It is the end
OF the rise is not yet It is like the
captive balloon that breaks loose and
goes of on a journey by itself-you see
IL going up, but nobody knows where
It. will stop or when IL is coming down.
What the hens are saying to each
other nobody knows. Whether it IS a
preconcerted thing and the hens have
Joined a union and decided to limit the
output In order to make better terms
/ for themselves. OF whether Il Is a iu-
bilee year In chickendom and the hens
are laying of" to celebrate Is some
thing not TO be determined by mere
men. Mere human beings, who are
evidently not in the confidence Of the
hens but who must give some reason
for the state Of affairs declare that
the cold weather is responsible. They
say that the sensitive nature of the
hen rs chilled by the frozen glances OF
! Mother Nature and that she Is too
much discouraged TO fulfill her destiny
and perform her mission on earth.
They also say that the few eggs that
the more conscientious hens manage to
give to a hungry world have a great
tributaries OF the Delaware and Chesa
peake as far south as Virginia, as we'll
b difficulty In reaching the market The
as Maryland, are frozen and the run
, ming of steamers Is almost suspended.
In sections which ship eggs to town
by rail the frozen condition OF the
roads prevents the farmers from get
ting their produce to the stations
Highest Price Since Blizzard
I However that may be- and whether
Il is the fault of old Boreas or the
7, laziness or deprayity of the hen, there
is practically an egg famine in the
market.
L Yesterday eggs were quoted at from
n As 10 80 cents a dozen, wholesale, and
D. the housekeeper became almost fearful
o when forced to pay So or 60 cents a
y dozen The wholesale price has adj
vanced cents since last saturday
d and the advance in the last ten days
r. Is from 10 TO 20 cents a dozen The
j. price is higher now than at any time
\ since the big blizzard of fourteen years
ago, when eggs sold at 20 cents a
dozen.
Other Provisions Are Dear
other provisions have also felt the
effect of the wintry weather. Calves on
= the hoof sold yesterday at wholesale
: at So TO So cents a pound, while the
q usual price Is 6 to 81 cents. Dressed
n turkeys sold al N TO rs cents a pound
d the average price for them being IA to
d 10 cents. Chickens brought l3 to "A
e cents. against ~ cents. which is usual
It al this season. Cabbage advanced 81
n per ton. OF from SIS to S25, on account
q of the severe cold and storm in New
q York State. whence most of the supply
comes Sweet potatoes at SO to $3.75
~ per barrel are from so cents TO 81
y higher than they were a week ago.
y Dressed hogs and pork sold at from
a az TO cents a pound, against 6 to 6l5
: cents. which is common at this time
- Apples are also high; the best table
10 varieties such as Baldwins, Kings ano
Ben Davis sold yesterday at S. pei
barrel a rise of from $3.50 to 81. ac-
cording TO the prices which usually
h prevail i'm the winter
20 Oysters are likewise high, raw box
r. stock bringing S4.75 to s. per barrel
r. against $3.50 to 81, the usual figures
&c Oysters which sold by the bushel and
L usually bring from so cents to Sl.10
J.: are now bringing from Sl.40 to S1.60.
Regarding the report from Chicago oil
, war IN the dressed beef market il
was stated yesterday that II had moi
vet affected prices I'm Wilmington.