138 iqATIONAL STANDARD SQUAB BOOK 



to them before, and you can also tell 

 them, that the squab trade is in its in- 

 fancy, and will certainly increase from 

 time to time, and we are in a position 

 to handle daily any part of 1,000 dozen 

 squabs, as we have a big outlet to place 

 them promptly at top prices, with check 

 to balance same day goods are received 

 and sold. For the present, and until fur- 

 ther notice, we quote you market as fol- 

 lows: Squabs weighing ten pounds to the 

 dozen, $5.50 per dozen; nine pounds, $5.25 

 per dozen; eight pounds, $5. per dozen; 

 seven pounds, $4 per dozen; six and one- 

 half pounds, $2.75 per dozen; dark, $2.10 

 per dozen. Would like to have all the 

 squabs you can get. In case you have 

 any good customers that ara starting in, 

 t wish you would send me a complete list 

 of that trade, so that I can write to them 

 occasionally, and post them on the con- 

 dition of the market. 



To our answer we received the follow- 

 ing letter from the above firm: 



Plymouth Rock Squab Co., Boston, Mass.: 

 Gentlemen: Tour letter of the 1st duly 

 received, and I am glad to hear from 

 you so promptly. I have received quite a 

 number of letters from small shippers 

 who, judging by the way they write, must 

 be beginners, and know but very little of 

 the business. I have tried to make things 

 as plain as possible to them, and encour- 

 aged them all to start in and increase the 

 size of the'ir purchases from you to such 

 an extent that it will pay them to ship. 

 Of course we are obliged to take these 

 small shipments, and encourage them 

 along as much as possible, but very often 

 after we have got a man started, he would 

 have made a pretty fair shipper, but 

 som eone gets hold of him in the mean- 

 time and makes him believe that they 

 can do better than we can, which is one 

 reason that I object to helping thase small 

 shippers along. As above stated, as soon 

 as they get started they begin switching 

 aroundi and the man who starts them 

 has very little for his trouble and pains 

 of putting him in the way of making 

 money. 



I wish if you have any shippers* ad- 

 dresses in the West or in Wisconsin 

 (which seems to be quite a squab coun- 

 try) and also in either Illinois or Minne- 

 sota, that you would send them to me. 

 They seem to be doing pretty well in that 

 section, and are satisfied with the fair 

 prices they get from our market, on ac- 

 count of the poor prices they get in Chi- 

 cago, or elsewhere nearer honie. 



At the present time, squabS are very 

 scarce and very high. We are even re- 

 turning more money than th? last quota- 

 tions I sent you, in order to get enough 

 birds to supply our trade. So if you ' can 

 put rne in the way of increasing our squab 

 supply, I would greatly appreciate it, and 

 try in some way to reciprocate for same. 

 Thank you for the information you have 

 given me thus far in regard to shippers. 



Under date of January 30, 1904, we have 

 the following letter from a commission 

 firm in St. Louis, showing that the de- 

 mand in that section is becoming ex- 

 traordinary : 



Plymouth Rock Squab Co., Boston, Mass.: 

 Gentlemen : We are in the market for 

 squabs and if you have any customers in 

 this vicinity who are seeking a market 

 for their squabs, we would be glad to be 

 placed in correspondence with them. We 

 will pay the highest market price for 

 them, and feel confident that the service 

 we will render your patrons will prove 

 advantageous to you, to them and our- 

 selves. Please let us hear from you. 



We do not give the addresses of these 

 firms, and other good squab buyers, until 

 we have sold breeding stock to the cus- 

 tomer. Commission men in all the cities 

 are getting letters from curiosity seekers 

 who are merely "looking up" squabs, and 

 to such letters the commission men pay 

 scant attention, for lack of time, and as 

 there is no money in it for them. Any- 

 one who doubts the genuineness of the 

 letters we print should come or send a 

 friend to .our Boston office to see the 

 originals. 



