There was a lively trade in game birds at the Washington, D.C. markets. An appreciated autumn treat for gourmands and epicures, especially, were the reed birds captured at marshes along the nearby Potomac River.
As these birds arrived in latter August, gunners were in pursuit, as reported in newsy bits or more on pages of the local newspapers. The taking was a task undertaken by sporting enthusiasts, while shootists were actively involved to acquire as many as possible. They could be readily sold for cash money to a vendor at the city market.
Some of the first records of this game trade are known for September 1859, as indicated upon the pages of the Washington Star. The cost was apparently 50 cents per dozen, though the item in the paper did not indicate what the given price would buy.
Multiple market reports were just one of the two prevalent means for the newspapers to report reed birds being in the vicinity, as there were many other reports of shootists afield.
A report for primarily the Center (Centre) Market is an essential feature of this indicative bird history, since there are other first-hand reports involving birds being shot, illegal taking, shooting accidents and other particulars as discovered among the historic chronicles.
What an interesting view it conveys!
The patrons of the market dealt with unwelcome conditions. Presenting a quote from the Washington Star (December 15, 1855), the words upon the newspaper page said: "It was cheerless this morning to see the butchers at Centre Market in great coats, and their purchasers keeping their umbrellas up as they selected their supplies. When shall we have a market worthy of the Metropolis?"
On a regular basis, some of the various newspapers issued from Washington, D.C., indicated market prices for various items, sometimes given in a columnar format, and other times with the text included within a larger paragraph.
Game was a commodity, and the details can now be known because of an attentive editor that determined, so many times, that the paper should indicate what is costs to purchase various items. Usually the wild aspect was designated as game.
Most of the available reports are for the items purchased at a retail price. The market report most often presented the item, and cost per unit, but occasionally there was something extra of interest included:
- 09/27/1862 — reedbirds plentiful and in condition, and selling at 75 cents per dozen
- 10/03/1868 — reed birds, 50 c to $1.50 per dozen
- 09/02/1882 — reed birds, have appeared to-day; the prices are fancy, altogether
- 09/16/1882 — reed birds are plentiful; one dealer has 350 dozen on hand to-day; they are shipped away at $1 per dozen
Reed birds were one of several marketable birds. The terse items within local newspapers have specifics for more than fifty records which convey details and prices as reported more than fifty times. Any mention was typically limited to a indication of the species, and the cost for a purchase at the primary market. This meant the Centre or Center Market where the birds were sold, though there was no indication of the number presented at the market.
"Centre Market. — The market opened this morning with an unusual supply for the beginning of the week. The small attendance of Saturday offered a limited supply, and the increase today was in consequence of that scarcity. The high water has furnished an overstock of ortolan and reed birds; they being driver to the fields are easily killed by sportsmen. They were selling very low this morning." — September 20, 1859. Washington D.C. Evening Star 14(2067): 3.
The price was 50 c a bunch about this date, according to reports.
This was an outside market, and vendors and customers had to deal with the vagaries of the weather conditions.
A report from March 1867, indicates that the limits of the Center Market where: "beginning 15 feet from the corner of the street and Pennsylvania avenue curbatone, on the line of 7th Street, and running southerly to the canal, thence along said canal to 15 on 9th street, intersect the corner or northern side of said market, thence along the line of said market on Louisiana avenue to the place of beginning. There were regulations which applied to this market space, including permits and date when sales were allowed. It was a regulated place which got particular attention.
In 1874, a report from the Health office of the Health Department, indicated the overall extent of items sold during the year prior to the report issued, ending September 30, 1874.
- Woodcocks ... 215 dozen
- Pheasants ... 421 dozen
- Partridges ... 3,000 dozen
- Robins ... 310 dozen
- Cedar Larks ... 150 dozen
- Prairie Chickens ... 615 dozen
- Wild Ducks ... 13,000 dozen
A few years later, further regulation reduced the extent of tainted products. The result was a perceptible improvement, and the newspaper article indicated a "spirit among the dealers to emulate each other in making the best show." Amount meat condemnation was significantly less, with several days where "not a single pound was condemned."
There was also a market dealers protective association actively involved. They indicated problems associated with their trade, and pleading for relief from administrative "burdens."
In 1878, a law was passed to prohibit the taking of reed birds prior to September 1st, which would influence when the birds might arrive in the market.
Bobolink Prices
This is a table which indicates the different prices paid for dead reed birds from 1859 to 1885, in association with the Washington, D.C. market. These birds were indicated as reed birds, usually expressed as a cost per dozen, with the expense significance for gourmands and epicures, especially at the city eateries. Not all records were extracted for this review, but typically were recorded on a bi-weekly basis. Market reports were evaluated by browsing the newspapers, and with an assist from search options for the online versions of the newspapers.
Details are summarized according to julian date and year of presentation. Obviously reed birds were an especial item in the markets, and indicated many times by the local newspapers. A summary provides the insight, but there is more to discern about this one particular topic of historic ornithology where a bunch of the reed birds cost from 60 cents to never more than $2.00 per dozen, and typically less than $1 per dozen. The value shown is the lesser price report, as often a price range was indicated (i.e., 50 @ 60 c per dozen, or, 60 @ 75 c per dozen)
These birds were available for purchase, usually from the last days of August, through mid-November.
| Julian Date | 1859 | 1860 | 1862 | 1863 | 1865 | 1868 | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 | 1880 | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 |
| 235 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 242 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.40 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 243 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.60 | - - | - - |
| 245 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.00 | - - | - - | - - |
| 246 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 247 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.40 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 248 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.60 | - - |
| 249 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.50 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 251 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.60 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 252 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1.00 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.60 |
| 253 | 0.50 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 255 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.50 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 256 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.60 | - - |
| 258 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - |
| 259 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1.00 | - - | - - | - - |
| 260 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 261 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.40 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 262 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | 0.60 |
| 263 | 0.00 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | 0.75 | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 265 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1.00 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 266 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1.50 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 269 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.60 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 270 | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - |
| 272 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - |
| 273 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.60 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 274 | 0.50 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 276 | - - | - - | - - | 1.25 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.60 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 277 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.50 | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 279 | - - | 0.62 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 2.00 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 282 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 284 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.60 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 288 | 0.50 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 290 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.60 | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - |
| 293 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1.00 | - - | - - | - - |
| 294 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.60 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 296 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 304 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1.00 | - - |
| 308 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.60 | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 310 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 312 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
| 318 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 1.00 | - - |
| 326 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | 0.75 | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - | - - |
These are unique details associated with just one species associated with the Washington, D.C. markets, as there were several other species of wild birds taken that went into the city to be sold.