The Washington herald., 1913-11-23
To Cost Three Time: as Much
as 1t Did Twenty Years
Ago and About One Hun
dred Per Cent More Than
in 1903.

Your THANKSGIVING dinner will cost you
three times as much aseit did twenty
wears ago and almost 100 per cent more
than IN 1908. Meat OF all kinds nave
doubled In value since Grover Cieveiano
entered the White House in the beginning
of his last administration. but the ma
tional bird has established the altitude
record.
Twenty years ago turkey sold in Wash
ington at from to I 1-2 cents a pound.
Ten years later 1t had doubled. and two
weeks ago washingtoniansi were eating
these birds at Is cents pound
Turkey Is higher now than when the
frst consiRnments reached the city this
autumn, and merchants say II VIII IN
crease slightly until the close OF the
holidays II is quite likely that the
dawn OF Thanksgiving will md TINS
popular meat retailing at 30 cents
pound in the exclusive residence sections.
This Increase affects every city In
IrncIe SANS domain. The scarcity OF
the bird is not responsible for the almost
prohIbitiye prices. America Is now pass
ing through the turkey age. which has
caused an overwhelming demand for this
choice meat.
Twenty years ago a turkey leg was the
badge Of opulence. but the inmates OF
poor houses are eating drumsticks now
The head OF a nOuethOl1 WIN A1bS hNhAN
ffteen-pound bird no longer expects
20 be pronounced blessed by the members
OF his family.
PeopIe who formerly ate rabbits, wild
ducks or steak. and were satisfied, must
have turkey these days. And that Is one
of John d. Rockefellers reasons why the
man who once earned 800 a month and
saved money cannot break even on 500
in these extravagant days
But twenty years ago Washingtonians
had a variety of meats TO select holi-
day dinner from that are not offered for
sale this year. In 1895 venison sold TOT
I cents a pound on Thanksgiving morn
ing; quail could be had at Sl.50 dozen
and pigeons were retailed at cents each.
wild ducks and prairie chickens sold for
less than one-hah the price now asked
for SQUADS Baby pigeons are now worth
from 30 to 80 cents each.
Potatoes and Apples.
Potatoes sold at from IS to 20 cents a
bushel and eating apples retailed at = a
barrel A barrel of cranberries brought
only $3.50 then and cents would buy a
quart, which are now selling in Washing
ton this season at from 10 to 20 cents.
Even ten years ago turkey sold In
| Washington on Thanksgiving Day al
Il l-2 cents a pound and wild turkey
which was plentiful then, was from
to cents a pound cheaper. Many va
rieties of. wild duck sold for $50 per
dozen. and prairie chicken, the best OF
all wild game. only brought 50 dozen
Quail sold for s. a dozen and cranber.
| ries at s. a barrel Potatoes ranged
from 50 to 60 cents a bIShel.
Eating apples retail now at from $ to
81 a barrel Rabbits are worth 20 cents
apiece. which is 100 per cent more than
! in 1903 while they could be had for
cents each twenty years ago
Vegetables are being sold at twice the
price asked ten years ago. and some
bring more than three times as much as
they sold for on the Washington market
in lSg8.
The comparison of prices for twenty
years shows a turkey dinner this yeal
costs almost 30 per cent more than il
did in 1875.
Hotel men in Washington agree will
commission people that 1t costs mor'
than three times as much TO complete
| a Thanksgiving dinner as il did twenty
years ago. They also contend that one
| dinner today is worth more than two