The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-11
Hens Have Gone on a Strike,
And Today Country Eggs
Were Quoted at Price of 40
Cents a Dozen.
A HALF-DOLLAR MARK
IS NOW ANTICIPATED
To the Buyer It Now Seems
Impossible That at One
Time Eggs Sold for Sum of
IL Cents a Dozen.

Richmond is now in the throes of
an egg famine. For the past two days
it has been impossible to purchase
fresh country eggs at any grocery in
the city for the very single reason
that there are none to sell. The price
took a Jump from So to 40 cents a
dozen today and with a few more days
of this famine the hen fruit will be
selling close to the half dollar mark,
it is said.
Not for years have eggs retailed at
this enormously high price. There
was time long ago. and the memory
of it is still sweet to the purchasers,
when eggs sold at the modest sum of
II cents per dozen. 1t seems hard
to realize it now, but it's a fact.
They Refuse to Work.
The hens all over the country have
gone on strike and cannot be coaxed
into laying, even though the most at
tractive and comfortable quarters are
provided for them. The continued
siege of terrifically cold weather is
responsible for the high price of eggs.
The price always advances in winter
but never before in this city has the
40 cent mark been reached and never
before has the country supply given
out. Every grocery in the city was
visited yesterday by a buyer in the
hopes of finding country eggs, but
there was nothing doing and the cold
storage supply was all that could be
obtained. Even packed eggs retail at
in years are being shipped into the
country districts, even the farmers be-
ing compelled to buy this variety to
supply their wants.
Country eggs are snapped up re-
CARELESS of the price. One farmer
came to the city yesterday with two
dozen fresh eggs. He sold them for
so cents a dozen to some ever-watch.
full housewife before he could get to
the grocery with his produce. Even
the storage egg supply is giving out
it is said, and people who under or
binary circumstances would not look
at storage egg are now glad to get
this variety.
Only Buy Few Of Them.
So high is the price of eggs that
there are frequent calls for two, three
or six eggs at the different groceries
in the city. 1t is not at all uncommon
now. and, in fact, nothing is thought
of ordering three eggs lust enough
for a cake" And for these three eggs
II cents is asked.
The large produce jobbers are pay
ing fancy prices for fresh eggs and
say it is not question of the price
Their price is ours" said local
wholesaler. IF any one has fresh
eggs to sell he will just about get his
| own price from us-that is if they are
| fresh"
Butlr Also Higher.
| Country butter is also higher thar
J it has been in years. When asked
why butter is SO high dealers invarib
| ly give only one reason, ''prices are
higher at the creameries." The cream
cries control the price almost absolut
ely. When the butter makers there
advance the price it is usually follow
ed by a similar advance in this city
and thus it promises to continue
Country butter is retailing at present
for So cents pound and going up. AL
food stuff is high. In fact every thing
mas gone up but wages.