while he was in the commission house. When this was discov- 

 ered, he was invited to step in and see it opened. The ship- 

 ment proved to be a mixed one, part ducks and part hens, of 

 tht- poorest sort known to the market, skinny not only, but dark 

 and peculiar looking, as though the birds had been sick before 

 killing and all crops were loaded with grain. "There was not a 

 bird in the lot that weighed over two pounds" said the man who 

 related the story. The firm had paid express on this lot, and 

 the shipper was told that if he would secure the expressage to 

 them he might try to get another firm to handle the shipment, 

 since the dealers felt sure they could not satisfy him on price. 

 He went out and tried to do so, but finally came back and told 

 them to get what they could. They held these birds six days, 

 hoping for a firm market. They were finally sold at lie, the 

 firm making' just 60c on the deal. 



This shipper had more birds to market. The firm urged 

 him to send the next lot alive, as they would probably sell better 

 But next week, he sent another lot (knowing all the conditions) 

 dressed as before, and equally poor with the first lot. I said to 

 the dealer: "Do you wish me to take you literally as to the 

 weight of those birds?" He replied, "It is literally true; not a 

 bird weighed over two pounds, and they were not young, imma- 

 ture stock, but mature birds and even old hens." 



Now, although I think this was a just and honest man, his 

 experience with this shipment had been made the basis for 

 the sweeping and unjust statement that the Indian Runner duck 

 was an impossible bird for market, because too small and thin — 

 so much so that nobody wanted it. Another commission dealer 

 told me something similar as to experiences with market Runners. 



In another Commission place, I offered a question as to how 

 much knowledge New York market was getting of the Indian 

 Runner Duck, and the egg in particular. The merchant jumped 

 over my limitation and launched out into a vigorous statement 



116 



