Evening star., 1905-11-10
THANKSGIVING PRICES
No Reason Why Market
Should Show Increase.
FOOD STAPLES CHEAP
TURKEYS ARE PLENTIFUL NOW,
BUT SUPPLY MAY FALL OFF.
Chickens, Ducks and Game Being Re
ceived in Satisfying Quantities
Plenty of Sea Food.

Dealers in the local markets are making
ready for the Thanksgiving trade. 1t Is but
a short time now ;before the national holi-
day. The men who furnish materials for
the Thanksgiving feast have no reason to
believe there will be any material advance
in the prices of the necessaries between now
and then.
There Is no reason now why the market
should show any increase in prices" re-
marked a local dealer to a Star reporter.
Business is almost at standstill now, and
the demand for articles of food Is about as
small as / have ever seen 1t at this season.
Meat Is cheap, there has been but little ad-
vance In the prices of vegetables and fruits,
and even the delicacies not bringing as
much as they usually do at this season. At
this time it is impossible to give an idea as
to what will be the price of turkeys at
Thanksgiving. Some reports indicate that
the fowl will be scarce, but these reports
come chiefly from the country people, and
they spread such rumors almost every year.
From some sources the word comes that
cholera is killing off the turkeys and from
others comes the information that the wet
weather early in the season did the damage
to the young fowls. So many different re-
ports are heard that it will resolve itself
into a matter of waiting until about Thanks
giving time TO see the condition of the mar
ket."
Turkeys Plentiful Now.
Turkeys are more plentiful than they were
week ago, and dealers are selling them
at from 20 to - cents a pound. Although it
is little early in the season for them they
are in good condition and the demand for
them IS constantly increasing. Young
chickens and fowls are plentiful and con-
sidered cheap at IL and Is cents q pound.
Dealers are paying a trife more for them
this week than they did week ago, but
there has been increase in the retail
price. Long Island ducks that are celery
fed are bringing % cents q pound. and only
small shipments of them are being received.
Game is more plentiful, but the prices are
q bout the same as those quoted week ago.
People from the country are bringing in
rabbits in larger numbers, but very few
quail are being received from them by local
dealers. The season for shooting game in
Prince George county, Md, opened today,
and larger receipts of game are expected.
Wild ducks are getting more plentiful and
dealers are securing stock enough TO make
showing on the benches. Game Is not yet
being received in quantities large enough 10
admit of the dealers putting any away in
cold storage for later in the season or
the first of the season next year.
Fish and Oysters.
The fish market is about the same as it
was a week ago. Many halibut are reach
ing the local market and the cool weather
gives dealers opportunity to display
them upon their branches. Big bass from
the waters of North Carolina are also be-
ing displayed In large numbers, and there
are also a few Potomac bass to be had.
Twenty cents pound is the price asked
for the larger fish, while the smaller ones
are to be- had for IS cents. Salt water fish
are not plentiful, but the supply is more
than equal to the demand and dealers can
hold them longer than they can IN the
summer weather. Oysters are plentiful
and in splendid condition There We're not
many of them on the market yesterday On
account of the recent heavy winds, but
some OF the larger boats arrived this morn
ing and the supply Is fully equal to the de-
mand. At the oyster wharf the stock is
dealers say they are more plentiful and
better than they have been at this season
for number Of years.
Butter Market Steady.
There has been but little change in the
butter market during the past week. and
the retail price OF the product has not been
increased by local dealers. 1t is the opin-
ion of the dealers that no such prices as
those charged last year Will prevail this
winter Last years experience caused
many dealers to put butter in storage the
past summer, and, 1t is stated, some OF the
packers are already selling their storage
stock. Butter is much more plentiful now
than it was this time last year. and with
the immense amount in storage, 1t is
thought, the increase in the hetal price
cannot be very great. There has been no
decrease In the price of eggs since last
week. fresh stock bringing from 80 to 50