New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1927-08-20
farmers MARKET
T. TEST FOR VOICES
Caruso's Successor May Now Be
Wrblin6 "StraWb'rees"

| "PotatO-o-oes, cabbages, cel-el-el-
1 cry. tom-a-atoes Yes, we even have
bananas" 1t is New Britain's curb
stone market, which meets regular
~ every morning, but not at the
Curbstone any more.
Since the neighbors. fire depart
ment, officials, police department
and others complained that the mar
let was a nuisance on Commercial
street. It has been moved around
from one place to another until now
it seems to have come to a final
roosting but not resting place, where
! there is neither peace. quiet, rest nor
| harmony.
| Everything is perfectly law abid-
| ing and peaceful insofar as overly
enthusiastic competing hucksters
| might be inclined to indulge In
| physical violence in disputes over a
J customer. Patrolman Thomas c.
| Dolan, who starts at a. m. as boss
of the market and winds up in the
afternoon as fingerprint expert In
the detective bureau, sees to it that
every man is on his good behavior.
There are "a stalls set aside for
the marketmen. The market place
is in an open space in the rear of
| the Hotel Bronson and the Mohican
market. Entrance is on East Main
| street. Farmers pay 81 month for
| the privilege of using the stalls.
Local jobbers pay So u month and
out of town jobbers pay IS.
The market consists of farmers,
hucksters. peddlers and lobbers.
They begin to arrive at o'clock In
the morning and by 9 practically
everyone has sold out and gone
home. When they arrive they drive
into their respective stalls and I'M
n1ediately unload their goods, dis
played to the best advantage.
Nothing is sold in retail quanti-
ties. Everything is wholesale. but
the householder has the opportunity
of buying at wholesale prices. The
carly rising housekeeper catches the
early bargain. Many of the pur-
chasers are retail dealers and huck-
sters who resell the produce to
those who do not get to the market
The minimum prices are those
charged by the farmers, while the
other dealers in adjoining stalls
maintain more of a uniform price.
While prices are not SO far below
what the same goods can be pur-
chased for in stores later in the day
as to be sensational the following
list taken at random by a Herald
reporter yesterday morning. IS
good indication of how things are
sold: The prices are not the mini
mum. rather more of an average.
Fancy pears, imported from Cali
fornia. we're displayed at 81 for
box of 10.
A bushel basket Of green peas
was offered for $500.
seedless grapes from California
sold for $3.50 a box
Jersey peaches brought $3.50 a
crate.
A bushel basket Of native peppers
sold for $50.
Native tomatoes In half bushel
baskets brought from 75c to s1.oo
basket.
Half bushel baskets of apples sold
for Is cents to $1.Oo.
Green corn on the cob sold 100 for
1925 to $3.50.
Carrots sold for 40 cents a dozen
punches, with four in bunch.
Cucumbers brought $3.50 to s1.75
for a bushel basket.
Lettuce brought $3.50 for % Flor
ida heads Sand $3.50 for "a native
heads.
Spinach brought s1.25 bushel.
Celery sold for $3.50 to s1.75 a
dozen.
Potatoes brought from Is cents a
bushel for seconds to $1.25 for tirsts.
Cabbage sold for $3.50 for dozen
four to six pound heads.
The market has its appeal, If one
were to Judge by the purchasers yes
terday, to the older genera1oh.
Young married housewives were not
so conspicuous as were those or
generation ahead. Older women
came with hand wagons, toy express
wagons, baby carriages, bags and
baskets. They saw, bought and car
ried away.
Competition was keen, and the
marketmen were not at all averse to
butting into a competitors conversa-
ton and stealing a prospect. Spec
tators strolIing down the street were
solicited for purchases. One man
stopped the reporter and asked
What are you. buyer, a spectator
or a speculator?"
He was told "speculator," said re-
porter having speculated in three
stalks of celery.
But throughout the whole array
of seeming confusion, there actually
is no confusion. Each man Is in his
place. each man pays his fee at the
end Of the month for his allotted
stall; blue print of the stalls with
the name of each man written there
in is kept in small office on the
grounds. Not a truck comes in or
team goes out. but Patrolman Dolan
is there to be sure he knows what
is going on. Trucks are coming
and going, backing in and pulling
out The old fashioned farmers
team of two horses seems to have
gone, and modern trucks take their
place. A few local peddlers still
stick to the horse and wagon, but
"hay burners" are very scarce at
the market.