A CURIOUS MEAT MARKET.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2009, 19 February 1907, Page 3

A CURIOUS MEAT MARKET.

A recent arrival from Alaska tells of the wonders to bo seen at Fairbanks, a town on tho Chelena River, in the rich Tanana district. Fairhanks lies almost within the confines of the Arctic circle, and, as is usual in the Yukon, the average temperature during the winter months is 10 deg. below zero, with an exceptional drop even to 75 deg, below-. The market is open only during the winter mbnths, and consequently such expenses as ice-boxes and refrigera-tor-cars are unheard, of. Every ammal brought in for sale is frozen solid, and; owing to the low temperature, remains in this condition lor months. The carcases are placed upon their legs in the market, and a customer can see at a glance whether the butcher has any particular kind of meat in stock. One may enter the market and order a roast from one particular hear, which has stood in the identical spot for months past. In another corner a moose stands, and here and there may be an ordinary barn-yard cow, though the latter variety of meat is scarce even in Fairbanks. Every animal in this unique butcher’s shop has the appearance of life ,and anyone going in for the first time is apt to imagine that, he is in a yard in much all the animals are grouped together in tlie most friendly manner possible. The butcher attracts attention to ins market by placing the cai case ot some animal outside his plane ot business, just as the cigar dealers place a wooden Indian outside then doors. Prices are comparatively high, even though the game is plentiful, but then everything is of much greater value in the frozen nortbland Tt-hnre ordinary necessities ot me have to be brought in by dog sledge and pack horses for lnindieds of milcs P Despite all .then- hardships, however, the people of Fairbanks aie a happy and contented community.