Evening journal., 1909-12-15
TURKEY PRICES
WON'T COME DOWN
Christmas Market to be as
High or Higher Than
Thanksgiving

TURKEYS will bo as scarce and as high
IN retail and wholesale price FOR the
Christmas trade hereabouts as they we're
at Thanksgiving time, n conditions DO
not change within tho next few days. out
In Indiana and in other western turkey
growing states there are many eastern
men as agents OF large poultry dealers
lust now looking after the interest OF their
employers. They are finding turkeys
scarce. and when they do make a location
Of stock they are confronted with the fact
that IN order 70 close with the owners for
eastern shipments In time for tho Christ (
mas trade they are obliged to pay from
two to four cents pound more than was
the case prior 10 Thanksgiving
In somo instances they are going about
Offering one, two. three or four cents
pound more than tho prices they paid
earlier IN the year, but even az that they
cannot get what they want as to qunn-
tity and quality. Some Of the growers
were cleaned out for The Thanksgivns
marxets. or at least sold all they arc
willing to part with this year. and others
viii not Kill and market their stock be-
cause it is not fat and heavy enough
and would neither satisfy them IN the re-
turns they would get nor the oXpecta-
tions of the eastern buyers. Still clsewhere
there Is simply a shortage Of turkeys 70
such an extent that Tho demand cannot
be met even I'm a reasonable degree.
In wilmington the Thanksgiving turkey
market was higher at wholesale and re-
tan than the oldest men I'm the produce
business can remember Stock at all worth
buying was not less than 2s cents a pound
at retail. There were turkeys for less
money but they were not regarded as
choice stock For the best IN tho market
the price ran UP 10 and was maintained at
twenty-six 20 twenty-cight cents pound.
and there were instances In which choice
turkeys were sold az thirty cents pound
Neither wholesale nor retail dealers in
this city are willing TO discuss the Christ
mas turkey market outlook yet. They de-
clare that they can only tell now that re-
ports from the big turkoy-growing states
indicate that the birds viii be fewer than
was ever known at a similar season, and
that the prices OF really good stock viii
20 10 a point hitherto unheard OF IN tho
trade No matter what the conditions arc.
IL Is said. the demand viii probably be
greater this year than ever before Every
one VINO can hi All HA'AA q '''r~s "''t
have ono ON Christmas II it,can be had,
II Is asserted.
Many persons proclaim that they will
positively not pay thirty cents pound
or more for their turkey. and that sooner
than do so they win have something olse
for their Christmas dinner; yet when tho
actual time comes for buying they Will
stow their grumble away out Of sight and
step up and pay the regular market price
for a good bird rather than disappoint tho
expectant family, especially tho younger
generation. That was tho way # turned
out on tho Thanksgiving market. Many
persons waited until the last minute In
the hope that the price would break, and
that the dealers would be glad to get rid
OF their stock at any price. but they were
completely fooled. for the turkey price
} went up instead Of down as tho time wore
on, and in many instances there were no
turkeys left at any price when those who
waited had made up their minds to pay
tho price "just this once.