The Price of Meat and the Cost of Labor
An 1889 market report reveals how a massive influx of laborers into Seattle was driving up the local meat market and straining supply chains.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
In the retail meat market business has been brisk during the week and prospects of a good fall and winter trade are good. An increased amount of meat is being consumed here now, partly owing to the large number of laborers employed. The market's only source of supply is from ranges east of the mountains. Offerings are plentiful, but the majority of purchases are for immediate needs. Pork, beef, mutton and veal are all plentiful. A large amount of veal is being brought in from east of the mountains. This is a sign of the scarcity of feed in the range country, as in the past stockmen have bred and raised all of their calves.
“An increased amount of meat is being consumed here now, partly owing to the large number of laborers employed.”
This 1889 report captures the growing pains of a booming frontier city, where rapid labor migration immediately tightened supply chains and food markets. Today, Seattle's growth continues to manifest in similar stresses, as the high cost of living tracks closely with the city's role as a regional economic magnet.
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