The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-05
VERY RARE BIRD.
Thanksgiving Turkeys Will Be
90 Cents This Year.
Turkey Trust Tells the Same
Old Story.
ALL SUPPLIES HIGH.
Cranberries and Canned Goods
Lead the List.
ALL SUPPLIES HIGH.
While Gen. Prosperity Rides at
the Head of the Line.

Turkeys for the Thanksgiving dinner
will cost 20 cents a pound and it is
possible that they viii touch an even
higher figure. This is the top notch price
for years past. Last year when they
were being. retailed at Is cents a. pounN
it was thought that turkeys were being
quoted up from the top of a skyscraper,
but a story or two has been added since
then. The year before that they were
retailed at Is cents a pound.
The packing and commission houses
are already sending out letters to the
trade informing them of the light crop
of turkeys. ''~-T he weather has been I'M
favorable to raising successful broods
and in addition to this fewer farmers
are devoting their attention to turkeys;
they are too troublesome. This is the
story they tell.
Chickens (sDring) are not quoted
much below the price for turkeys and
they are retailing at 10 cents a pound.
Hens are bringing 1212 cents.
Turkeys for the Kansas Thanksgiv-
ing dinner come from the southwestern
part of the state where the large pack
ing companies have branch houses for
poultry alone. The best grade of tur-
keys come from Oklahoma. The season
is tardy down there and the turkey
can become harder and of larger size
in time for Thanksgiving than his
brother up in Kansas, where the
weather is not SO favorable and he does
not advance so rapidly.
ITS a funny thing about turkeys"
said prominent retailer Saturday, but
it is simply Impossible to sell a turkey
during the warm weather. It's not like
selling chickens. You can sell them all
the year round. There is a constant,
steady demand for them. But the only
time that the turkey is popular with
the masses is around Thanksgiving
time. 1t is the sentiment of the occa-
sion which prompts them and it is senti-
ment which rules the stern realities Of
business in that degree. It's the same
way with cranberries. In the beginning
of the season they are sold cheaper than
at any other time The closer it gets to-
wards Thanksgiving the higher the price
gets. That is the only fruit that I know
Of where it is cheapest in the beginning
Of the season"
Cranberries from late advices will be
just double the price asked last year.
Though the increase has not been felt
week.
The wholesaler is paying more for gro
ceries than he has for several years.
Slight advances have been made in
great number of the staple and fancy
groceries, in most of these the advan-
ces have not been sufficient to call for
a raise on the retail purchaser but an
additional raise which is not an I'M
certainty will cause the retailer to dig
down into his jeans.
Canned tomatoes are higher now
than they have been for % years. past.
At Baltimore, which is the center of
the tomato market for the United
States they are being quoted wholesale
a $l20 a dozen cans. This is a rise of
from 65 to 20 cents. A short crop is
given as an explanation for the boost
in prices Tomatoes are still being
quoted in Topeka at three cans for
/ % cents but it is simply matter of
few days until they will feel the effect
of the rise in the east.
The cheap grades of coffee have also
gone up. Where they formerly sold at
Is cents a pound they are now tagged
I'VE can't give any very good reason
for the rise" said one prominent gro
Ger. The coffee market is subjected
to so much speculation. That, more
than any other on the produce eX-
change is made an object of specUla-
ton on the part of the wholesale deal
ers and importers. The high grades of
conees are remaining firm at the price
which ruled last year.
Cereals of all kinds have stimened up.
The two great controllers of the break
fast food dishes, the American Cereal
! company and the Great Western Cereal
! company have reached an agreement
again and are not cutting the price This
is only one of many similar occurrences
which have taken place in the past They
| fight and then make up It is the make
IN time now and the ordinary plug citi-
zen has TO open up his pocket boB6 a
California canned fruits are expected
TO be higher The quotations are not
given out but it is generally understood
that a material advance Will take place
owing to the shOrtness of the fruit crop
4 throughout the middle west and the east.
| Dried California fruits viii advance about
Is per cent over the present ruilng prices prices
SUGAR is costing the grocer more today
| than it did last year at this time 1t is
/ now quoted. for cane. at 1870 q hundred
: pounds last year II brozlght Sass On the