Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-11-06
Curious Hop Picking Scene.


in all history of hop picking since yeast
and lager were invented, there has been
nothing to compare with the scenes that
have been going on in this region, and in
kilbourn City especially, for the last six
or eight days. For two or three weeks
the hop growers have been gathering
their supplies, and the merchants and
traders of this place, Baraboo, and
Reedsburg, have been on the jump wait.
ing on their customers. The first of last
week the pickers began to come in, and
this week there must be at least 10000
lively at work picking the hops of the
region that ships them at this depot. Of
this 10000 at loast 10000 pass through
this village. Wagon loads of from eight
to fifteen each have been almost con-
stantly passing through town for the last
eight days, generally coming from the
north and east, and crossing the river in
to Sauk County. Of the 10000 that
pass through this village, about 5000
come on the railroad from the east and
stop here. The first instalment by cars,
some 400, came last week, on Tuesday
evening. Wednesday evening nearly
1000 came Thursday and Friday'eve-
nings each, 500 or 600. Saturday after
noon it was rumored that very large
number were on the way, and the rumor
was corroborated by the great number
Of teams that seemed to be in wasting.
About train time (halfpast seven) pro-
badly 1000 persons had collected at the
depot 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 % cars
loaded. When the two hours were up
the crowd at the depot had increased
and this, with the acres of two and four
horse wrgons about the depot, and the
music and fun of the merry drivers FORM
ed no small preliminary show of ITSELF
But as the two trains came laundering
along, and as they stretched themselves
away beyond and away back of the de-
pot, and stopped, excitement was on tip
toe. And when 1000 pickcrs began to
pour out of every door of those % cars,
the scene beat all other Western shows.
Cheering, laughing, singing, shouting.
Admirable coufusion-no disorder. Sec
tions of tens, platoons of twenties, COM
panies of forties, all officered, moving in
squads; captains giving orders to their
companies marching and counter.
marching and in echelon--form-
ing camp and breaking camp: armed
and equipped with umbrellas, parasols.
satchels, baskets, bandboxes, bags, bum
dies, babies Teamsters shouting for
their loads-rush for the wagons-tumb-
ling 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 Saturday evening, it was
more than matched on Monday eveningl
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 number at twenty-five hundred
Two hours before the trains arrived 24O
teams were counted, which We're waiting
to take the pickers to their destinations.
After the count, teams continued to come
in; and when the train arrived there
must have been nearly 300. Some Of
the four-horse teams take Is or 20, and
the average is at least ten. But some
teams do not get their loads, because two
long trains could not bring them-we
hear that the trains were full before they
arrived at Oconomowoc and that hum
dreds who had gathered at the stations
this side of there had to be left to como
by the train to-day 1--WE write on Tues
day. But undoubtedly 250 wagons were
filed with at least ten each. Truly, hops
are king, and in this region 10000 queens
are waiting ON the old fellow"