The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-07-28
Huckleberry Picking.

"A recent issue of the Philadelphia
Press says: The Moosic Highlands,
which form q spur of the Alleghanies,
and cover 8 vast tract Of country be-
tween Pittston and Haviey, are just
now black with huckleberries, and at
tract numerous huckleberry brigades,"
made up Of women and children who
wander barefooted along the mountain
side during the day, and return to Scran-
ton, Carbondale or Pittston, as the case
may be, in the evening, carrying pals
and buckets overfowing with the fruit.
The berry .pickers, who 60 by hundreds
to the mountains, manage to secure q
ride on the gravity road of the Penn
sylvania Coal company clinging to the
sides of the laden coal cars that are
strung together by the. dozen, and in this
way women and children are whirlsd
away across the dizzy chasms and
through the deep cuts that distinguish
this rugged landscape, until they ire
ouently find themselves as much as
twenty miles from home, trusting to
chance for a return ride. A buckle.
berry train is one of the picturesque
sights of the gravity road. The women
and girls, with sunburned faces, cling
to the side rails of the coal cars with
one hand and hold their heaped pals OF
berries upon their heads with the other.
Frequently their calling is fraught with
peril, but they become insured to its
hardships and learn to love its gypsy
like character. They leave for the
mountains at the mornings first light,
and 20 in crowds of from twenty to
thirty. The greatest terror Of begin
ners in the business are the rattlesna kes,
which abound among the berry bushes.
After time, however, they learn to
fight and vanquish the reptile, and it is
no uncommon thing to hear a veteran
berry-picker boast of the number of rat.
tlesnakes which she killed during the
season. The violent storms that visit
the mountains at this season Of the year
are considered q source of great danger
by the pickers. About four years ago
several women were killed by lightning
while takiIg temporary refuge IN n 2 2
mountain shed. Their pals were tllled
with berries, and they were ready to re-
turn, when fierce rain-storm came up.
Several women who were fastening to-
ward the structure saw the bolt by which
their companions lost their lives, and
fed in terror to the town. Wagons
were sent out for the bodies, and the
occurrence created q great sensation in
Scranton. Some time ago, Superintend-
ent John B. Smith, of the Pennsyl ylvania
Coal company, issued an order prohibit
ing the berrywomen from riding over
the gravity road, and there was great
tribulation in consequence. The order
has been relaxed. however, and the
huckleberry train " is still an institu-
ton of the romantic route. The quality
of berries this season is unusually large
and fine. 1t was feared some time ago
that the forest fires had swept the berry
bushes, but the region where they most
flourish was scarcely touched by the
! flames. and the recent rains have con-
cributed largely to the development Of
the crop. which promises to yield abund'
antly. Some enterprising women,
whose husbands have been killed by &C.
cidents in and about the mines, sup.
port large and feeble families by the
sale of their berries during the buckle
| h eTry season.