Smyrna times., 1881-09-28
In the Hop Fields.
THE ANIMATED SCENES NOW IN oTsEGo
COUNTY, N. Y.

The air of old Otsego county, saws a
Cooperstown, N. Y, letter, is completely
saturated with the odor of hops, and filed
with the shout and laughter of hundreds
of merry pickers, and for week your
representative has wandered over the hills
from yard to yard with an awe-stricken
countenance, and feels like chasing an
Otsego county hop-picking among the
sights of our land. There is no enioy-
ment i'll the towns and cities at this season.
for all classes, from the wife and daughter
of the merchant to the peanut vendor on
the streets, join the hop brigade, and, in
deed, we found them looking forward to !
the time when hOp-picking would begin as !
schoOlbOy would watch for a half-holi- |
day, or over-wOrked office boy to weeks
vacation. Yet it is hard work. One who
has not tried it can hardly imagine the
fatigue that follows day of twelve hours
of such work, standing by the side of the
box in the same place through the whole
day, beneath the boiling August sun, and
prickly vines as if for dear life. A lay
man feels even after watching such
days work like retiring just as soon as the
days work is completed. But not so the
average picker. Although fun is the
order of the day, it has just begun when
the supper is cleared away. Then the
room is cleared the 1iddles brought out,
the pickers couple off and pitch in"
Last night l wandered up the road to a
mammoth hop house where all the pickers
for mile or more around had congregated
for 'hOp." For three hours we sat on
board seat and watched them. We he
lieve they had a good time, at least every
one seemed to enjoy themselves hugely.
There was, indeed, Il sound of revelry by
night. The band, composed of three fid-
dies, turned out quadrilles of surprising
velocity. The women were rather in
working than in ballroom costume. The
men did not wear swallow-tail coats, but
they did wear colored shirts, and many Of
them were in their shirt sleeves A dozen
) sets were on the floor, engaged in as
arduOus labor as l ever witnessed. The
balancing and other fancy work was per-
; formed with conscientious fidelity, but it
} was when the time for whirling came that
: the dancers really entered into their bust
r ness with enthusiasm. As school bows
f describe a certain kind of wrestling, it was
2 a catch-hold. Every one seized his part
t ner as he could, and then whirling was
e performed with a wild energy that the
;, gyratQry derYishes of The eas, might vel
f envy, The natural conclusion would be
f that after such a nights work, lasting til
Y long past midnight, there would be a per
ceptiblc effect in the next days work, br
0 when, two hours before concluded I,
r arise this morning, Ipeeped out betweel
+ the shutters of my hed-roola window
saw the whole company who We're tn,
i most active on the floor last night plung
d ing into their work with u lively and com
II mendable vim.
e To novice the idea of forty cents pc
II box of ten bushels seems u most unpro
G portiOnate equivalent for packing hops
1f yet the average hop picker Will make eve
e. at that figure quite respectable wages
n We donned pair of hop gloves the othe
d afternoon and clawed away at the hop
n industriously for two hours without tn
J. least perceptible result, and we "giye
N up now any aae eau make day wages Il
y the business, yet three boxes II day is
n fair average, while some of the 'stavers,
ID as they are jealously dubbed, brag of fiv
of or six boxes day, and one even told III
lie ola red letter. day in her hop pio4ln
of career when "seyen boxes and a half
G. crowned her days labOrs. 1t is health
e. work though, and many who come to tn
re hop yard hardly able to stand on the
le feet soon are vieing with the crowd I
o. 'beat the yard" This is considered
u great feat, and wAen Il Is figured out {
to the close who has picked the most boxt
he or she Is cheered vigorously.