The Red Cloud chief., 1879-01-23

I. the Hon. Hobe sscketi: the
berries grow ON q marsh which \. so
wet and Welding ~ to p%reclud. III"
driving ~ teams aci oss except on n
corduroy Rad half q mile long leading
to the buildings In the centre; the drive
u anything hut pleasant, ne the wagon
goes josiling over the logs. and the
csuseway 10 - narrow that teams can. !
not pass, making !, necessary for the
driver "a Keep = sharp lookout over It's
entire length. 10 see that he has the
right ~ way. SpringiDg across one ~
the bitches OF either side one can pick
the norid berries from the delicate
bushes which grow mo, more than a
foot 10 height, the principal building Is
the w%archous. where the berries ars
stored aud aftcrwnrd barrellrd for
market. II " = substantial frame
structure. recently built. " ~ by 4i
feet aud font stories high From the
upper windows can DO had u compre.
hensiso view ~ the maf,h and la busy
force ~ pickcrs, the eye rests upon 100
acres ~ marsh. not more than Il quar-.
tor 81 which " under cultivation. owe
whose area IN the busy time are scat
tered no lcss than three thousand pick.
crH.
A movable wooden rsilroad track
runs from the warehouse Ia the crptor
II operations. and n ear IL loaded With
the boxes 81 berries. each person pick
Ing into "a pan which N then cmptied into
his box ~ u bushel capacity. The pick.
crs receive n ticket Tor every bushcl
loaded ON the car. and uu reporting "a
the superintendent nj tho close 81 the
day. receive credit Tor the whole The
price paid Il 10 cents n buHhcl, and the
average days work IL not more than
z or = bushels, aud u few experts have
| been known la pick seven bushels In n
single day. The picking being often
hurried ON ccoun 81 threatened APP
proach ~ frost. n second picking II
sometimes necessary, for which about
u dollar u bushcl IL paid. Tho car on
being loaded with the filed boxes IL
drawn by n team NJ horses To IA. ware.
house. whcr. tho berries are hoisied on
nm elevator 10 tho upper stories. aud
disposed ~ In such manner as Ia secure
tho best ventilation. Tho floors are
covered with tier upon tier of boxes 81
berries. there being sometimes ~. 900
/ DNtIIttt~ hustVE NfN t'pI Nv WV WV
On the ground floor large flaming mills
are In molten. into which the berries
are running from hoppcrs In the upper
stories. and all leaves aud other impn-
rifles aro blown out, after which they
are put In barrels and hauled Ia berlin.
and from there shipped to the Milwau.
koc and Chicago markets. A cooper.
ing establishment on the property
ufacturcs tho many thousand barrels
which arr annually required.
The question naturally arises. How
do these several thousand pickcrs sub.
sist during the season. for n boarding
establishment III sufficient capacity
would be possiblep Tho answer " that
tho proprietor has erected barracks al
franc buildings for which there IL nc
rental, the pickcrs boarding themselves
each house being furnished with u ki,ch.
on Stove. and the rooms fitted Np with
hunks. The greatest lilarity prevails
during picking time. the nights being
given up to innocent rcvelry and mirtl
ON tho part ~ the young men an,
maidcns. while In the nc,ghborinp
woods the Winnobngocs dance roun,
their camp fires and make night hide
Gus with the drunken orgies with which
cranberry time In invariably associ
atcd.
Sackott's marsh IL fitted by natur,
for Its present usc. and its advantage
of location could not have been improv
ed upon by the experienced %cranbcrr,
culturist. II " necessary Ia Hood III,
entire surface during the winter. nm,
this II rendered easy Ivy the fact tina
the marsh IL n basin lying In u woodc,
table land. with an outlet n, tho lowe
cnd. across which has been construc,o,
n dam 225 yards long and four and ore
hall feet high, with double Hood gate
for regulating the height VI the owe
low. As soon ~ tho crop Is gathorc,
the gates are dropped and the marsl
gradually becomes submerged by tn
autumn rains, tho melting SHOWS AN,
tho drainage from the higher groun,
until II becomes a lake. This Otter
freezes q n considerable thickness. fur
nishing n skating rink that puts 4
blush tho contracted affairs II tina
name found In cities, In this mannc
tho soil receives Its only cultivation
and the tender plants are protected
! from the rigors of n Wisconsin winter
II Is not uncommon Tor tho marsh 4
! bo flooded eight or nine months In III,
, year. the water not bong drawn oi
I until June.
: " all Embarrassing, cranberry cultur
Is the most uncertain; not more thai
ono season Ia live or six escaping IN,
y carly frost, against wh,ch there Is N
: protection. aud of whose approach
i there Is no warning. while the vine
y are always subject to the attacks Of IN
cranberry worm, which sometimes dc
stroys the entire crop, The yicl
of 1871 WAS tho largest eve known
and vas successfully harvested, hut
has been followed by total failures q
y only partial crops, Hundreds of thou
y sands II dollars have boon invested
the business, which Is attended wit
the greatest risk, but offers the possibi
ity OF a largo fortuna.