Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-09-25
Thirty Thousand Women
Picking Hops.
CURIOUS SCENE IN WISCONSIN.

a Wisconsin paper says:
| "Pr0baly in all the history of the hop
picking since yeart and lager were invent.
ed there has been nothing to cdnpare with
the scenes that have been going on in this
region. and in Kilhourn City especially. for
the last six or eight days. fJf tho 1r ttreX
weeks the hop growers have been gather
ing their supplies. and the merchants and
traders Of this place, Baraboo and Resds.
burg have been on tho jump waiting on
their customers. TIL. first Of. last wesk
the pickers began to come in, and this
week there must be at least thirty thon.
sand lively at work picking the hops Of the
region that ships them ut this depot. OF
this thirty thousand at least ten thousand
pass through this village. Wagon loadt
Of from eight to fifteen each have been IL.
most constantly passing through the town
for the last eight days. generally coming
from the north and east. and crossing t6S
river into Sauk coahty. Of the ten thou
sand that pass through this village, about
eight thosand come on the railroad front
the east and stop here. Il.
1.-THE FIRST initial ;dcnt by oars. some three
hundred, came last week Tuesday evening
Wednesday evening nearly one Thousand
came. Thurydsy and Friday evenjpgs
each five or six hundred. Saturday after.
noon it was rumorcd that a very large num-
ber were on the way. and the rumor was cor
rcboratea by the large number of teams
that seemed to be il waiting. About train
time (half-past seycn) probably one thou
sand persons had collected at the depot 10
witness the arrival. 1t was then fbund
that the cars were two hours behind time;
and instead Of one train two were coming.
with twenty eight cars loaded. When. tho
two hours were up the, crowd had increas-
cd; and this, with the acres Of two, and
four horse wagons about the depot, and the
music and fun of the merry drivers. form.
ed no small preliminary show of Itself
But as the two trt ins came thunderinE
along, and as they strec!ed themselves
away beyond aal away back of the depot
and st"pped. the excitement was on tip too.
And when two thousand pi kers beead ID
pour out of every door Of, those twenty
eight cars, the scene beat all other western
shows. Cheering, laughing singing, shout
lug Admirable co3fusi0n-no disorder.
Sections of tens. platoons of twcnties, com
panies Of forties all differed, moving in
every possible direction; corporals guiding
their squads; captains giving orders to
theirs companies; and counterm Arching -
direct and in ech.toa forming camp and
breaking camp; armed and equipped with
umbrellas, p.rasol,. satchels, baskets.
band boxes, bags. bundles. babies Team
sters shouting for their loads-rush for the
wagons stumbling in. all formed scene
to beat any army camp or movement We
can't do justice to the subject.
But great as was the display on Satrr-
day evening. it was more than matched on
Monday evening! We have no means Of
knowing exactly how many came on the
two tra'rts, but from tic best information
we can get, We put the number at twenty .
five fuEdred! Two hours before tho trains
arrived, two hundred and forty teams were
counted which We're waiting to take the
plckers to their des, nations. After the
couft teams continued to come in; and
when the train arrived there must have
been nearly tl,ec hundred. Some IL the
four horse teams take eighteen or twenty.
and the average rs at least ten. But some
teams do not get tlieir loads, tecadse two
long trains cohld not bring them-t va
hear that the trains were full before they
arrived at Oc0mOmOwoc; and that hun
dreds who had gathered at the Stations
this side Of there had to be left to some en
the train :o-day-( we write ON Tuesday,
Bat, undoubtedly. two hundred and fifty
wagons were filled with at least ten each.
"Truly. hops are king. and in this rS.
gion thirty thousand queens are waiting on
.ke old fellow"