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Show THANKSGIVING DAY FIXINGS TO COST A PRETTY PENNY i Holiday Feast for Mr. Average Man More Expen-j sive Than in Any Year Since the Close i of the Civil War. OBVIOUSLY ODIOUS " Cranber- j Year. Turkeys. Geese. Ducks. Butter, Eggs. Oranges. Bananas, rles. 1908 . . 25-2712c 20c 20c 30c 30c 30-35c 25VsC 12 V2C j 1917'. . 30-33C 27c 27c 40-45C 40-45c 40-60C 35-40C 20c ! 1918.. 40-42C 35-37C 35-37C 60-75c 55-75c ?1.10-$1.80 40-60c 20c THE 1918 Thanksgiving dinner will , cost more than any such annual t repast since the Civil war. There Is not a material element required In the composition of the Thanksgiving Thanks-giving menu that Is not higher than it was last year by a goodly per cent, and Btartllngly higher than it was a decade baek. Turkey alone is about 10 cents per pound higher than it was last year, and Other birds generally found gracing the carver's end of the dining room table are relatively higher. Even the lowly com-mtui com-mtui barnyard fowl is worth from 37 to 40 cents a pound in the dressed condition, con-dition, while cuts of beef or an ordinary or-dinary leg of mutton are up in proportion propor-tion to the figures quoted for fowl. The crop of birds of all sorts is big the country over. That fact is admitted by government crop experts. The local market has never been so well stocked with prime quality turkey, duck, geese and chicken as at present, and the Thanksgiving trade, which started in earnest yesterday, is booming. Celery Is Cheaper. - .17 tah celery is about the only "fisln' " necessary to ' a well-set Thanksgiving dinner table that Is not enjoying a higher price than in 1917. This Is selling from 5 to 30 cents a plant, while last year it was quoted at two for fifteen . at the lowest. Chestnuts for the turkey dressing dress-ing this year are quoted at 60 cents a pound, while last year they were sold at 35 to 45 cents. Even i the lowly sweet potato is1 flourishing flour-ishing under the influence of a price boost over a year back, being sold this year at three pounds for a quarter, while the highest figure last year was 5 cents a pound. Cranberries are the same price as in 1917. A year ago prime rib roast was offered at 25 cents a pound, and so j was a first-grade T-bone -steak. k This year neither can be purchased for less than 32 to 35 cents. Eggs last year were selling at 40 to 45 cents a dozen, while ; this year they fetch from 55 to 75 cents. I Butter was 40 to 45 cents a pound in 1917; it is worth 55 to 75 cents a pound . now. Oranges are so dear that there are , but few on the market. The prepared Thanksgiving dinner at regular restaurants will cost the pur- 1 chaser not Jess than $1, and that price will be "special." , Generally, however, the regular restaurant Turkey dinner will not be bought at less than $1.25 to ?1.50. The high -class caterers have fixed a price of $2 per plate. , Worse in Civil War Days. But In extenuation of the high cost of the Thanksgiving dinner this year, the dear ultimate consumer is asked to let tils memory hark back to the year 1865, and then compare market conditions and prices. Thanksgiving came on December De-cember 7, In 1865. It was -such an occasion occa-sion as Thanksgiving is this year, for the boys were coming marching home from the war and the world was again at peace, at least as far as America was concerned. There was turkey on all tables where it could be afforded, but in mpst -cases something else was substituted, for turkey tur-key cost a lot fof money in those days. A bird for an ' average family reduced the bank account from $15 to $20. Nor was turkey the 'only expensive thing on the board. Coffee cost from SI to $2 per pound, and for sweetening mo- lasses was used chiefly. Tea and sugar were unobtainable, even by persons of moderate means, and sweet potatoes were very scarce. Only In eastern states were there any cranberries, and the price of these prohibited their use as a sauce generallv. Celery is not mentioned in any of the menus of that Thanksgiving Thanksgiv-ing dinner. A roast of beef was worth at least $5, -with pork and mutton running run-ning along the same market rut as beef. Rabbits and such wild fowl as- were obtainable ob-tainable served as the main dish- for the middle and poorer classes. . . |