Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-09-12
Thirty Thousand Women Picking
HoDs---CmriouS Scene III Wisconsin.

A Wisconsin paper says
"Probably in all the history Of hop picking
since Yeast and lager were invented there has
been nothing to compare with the scenes that
have been going on la this region, and In Xii
bouru City especially, tor the last six or eight
days. For two or three weeks the hop-grow-
ers have been gathering their supplies, and
the merchants and traders of this place, Bara-
boo and ReedsJurg, have been on the jump
waiting on their customers. The first of last
week the pickers began to come in, and this
week there must be at least thirty thousand
lively at work picking the hops OF the region
that ships them at this depot. Of this thirty
thousand at least ten thousand pass through
this village. Wagon loads of from eight to fiji
teen each have been almost constantly passing
through town for the last eight days, generally
coming from the north aud east, and crossing
the river into Sauk county. Of the ten thous-
and that pass Though this village, about eight
thousand come on the railroad from the east
and stop here.
The first instalment by cars, some three
hundred, came last week, Tuesday evening.
Wednesday evening nearly one thousand came.
Thursday and Friday evenings each FIVE or six
hundred. Saturday afternoon it was rumored
that very large number were on the way, and
the rumor was corroborated by the great num-
Der of teams that seemed to be in waiting.
About train time halt past seven) probably
one thousand persons had collected at the de,
pot TO witness the arrival 1t was then found
that the cars were two hours behind time, and
that instead of one train two were coming,
with twenty eight cars loaded. When the two
hours were up the crowd at the depot had in
creased and this, with the acres oil two and
four horse wagons about the depot, and the
music and fun of the merry drivers formed no
small preliminary show of itself. But as the
two trains came numbering along, and as they
stretched themselves away beyond and away
back of the depot and stopped, excitement was
on tlp-tOe.
And when two thousand pickers began to
pour out of every door of those twenty eight
cars, the scene beat all other Western shows.
Cheering, laughing, singing, shouting! Ad.
mirable contuslon-no disorder. Sections OF
tens, patoons Of tWenties, companies OF torlles,
all oficered, moving IN every possible direc'
ton; corporals guiding their squads: captains
giving orders to their companies; marching and
countermarchng-dirc and in echelon-iorm-
ing camp and breaking camp; armed and
equipped with umbrellas, parasols, satcheis,
baskets, Dand-boxes, bags, bundles, babies -
Teamsters shouting tor their loads-rush tor
the wagous-t in; all formed a scene
to beat any army camp or movement! Wecan't
do justice to the subject.
but great as was the display on Saturday
evening, it was more than matched on Monday
evening! We have no means OF knowing exactly
how many came on the two trains but from the
best Information we can get, we put the num-
Der at twenty-i hIndred Two hours before
the trains arrived, two hundred and forty teams
we're counted, which were waiting to take the
pckers to their destinations. After. the count,
teams continued to come In; and when the train
arrived there must have been nearly three hun
dred. Some of the four horse teams take
eighteen or twenty, and the average is at least
ten But some teams do not get their loads,
because two long trans could not bring them
1--we hear that the trains were full before they
arrived at Oeonomowoc; and that hundreds
who had gathered at the stations this side OF
there, had to be left, to come by the train to-
day-(we write on tuesday, But, undoubted-
ly, two hundred and fifty wagons were filled
with at least ten each.
Truly, hops are king, and in this region
thirty thousand queens are waiting Oh the old
fellow"