Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1883-10-13
IN A BERRY SWAMP.
Makirx Z n Living Among Snakes and Liz
ards Picking Hucklebe rries.

Nakirx Z Living AmonG snakes and Liz
ards Picking Hucklcbe rries.
On the "wild lands" of the Delaware
Penlnsula--that Is, on the lands Of farm
er= where the swamps are locatea-if the
o*ners do not interfere, hundreds Of
men. women and children, barefooted
ar bareheaded, invade the swamrs and
mai1aee-to exc out an existence during
the summer by picking and selling Der.
ri.s. The berries are picked first into
tin pals. strawberry baskets or any
small article that can he conveniently
handled and dumped into all ordinary
water. bucket, which when full, will hold
eight q1arts Of berries. These are COW
cred with piece of moistened canvas
IN order to preserve their healthy ap-
pcarance, and set away until anothe,
bucket Is filled About sundown, along
the main roads and by-paths ramifvine
from the swamps, men with buckets on
their arms, women, sometimes CARRYING
babies who keep epupvociferous squalling.
trudge YEARLY along with bucket. and
little balefooted boys and girls follow
behind With tin pals, all on their way to
me nearest store IN Town.
There the berries are exchanged fo1
dry goods, groceries, tobacco and snuff,
or, in some cases, cash is paid for the
berries, rom forty five to fifty cents pei
bucket being paid. -Four buckets. OF
thirty-two quarts per day, is regarded
as good days work, but sunrise must
find the pickcrs in the swamp to accom-
plsh this task. Tho store keeper, if he
thinks there IS no profit in their shipment
to the markets Of the larger cities. has
them peddled about the town, and the
thrifty housewife uses them for iellv.
sauce, or dries them in the sun and puts
them away for future use.
Just back Of this little village reioic-
ing In the euphonious title of Blades
yille-a sort of detached surburb of its
more enterprising rival across the river,
Seaford-is one of these swamps a full
half mile long and perhaps trihe wider.
On recent hot July day the writer,
after iourneying through binding hot
sand almost knce-deep, arrived at the
entrance to the swamp. The tall
shrubs, rising fifteen feet high, grew SO
close that their numberless branches
oyorlapped each other, forming an ap-
/ parently impenetrable thicket. A wag-
| on-way led through the swamp, SO
there was no possibility of becoming
| los. if strict adherence to the ,aduloni-
| ton of the popular song of "Keep in de
Middle of de Road" was maintained.
| The prattle of children could be heard,
| pcals of laughter arose from the hidden
| depths of the malarial bed. and the
strains of fayorite camp meeting HYMN
lroke upon the ears; but there were no
visible signs ofhuman beings Proceed
ng some distance along the road the
first thing encountered was snak e
coiled up on a rotten log, contentedly
hasking in the sunlight; little brown
lizards crossed the road at intervals,
and the gnats and mosquitoes hovered
| oy>v; lad. As / advanced further the
at, ''ecame oppressive; almost sitting.
snd / was on the point of retracing nv
| steps when voice near at hand startled
| me.
Hot day, boss, berry hot day" and a
a bucket of berries hanging on his
brawny arm, parted the shrubs and
came out into the main road.
Yes, it is exceedingly warm. here at
least" / answered, wiping the great
beads Of perspiration from my forehead.
How do You manage to exist In this
place all day 2"
Mus do it, boss" replied the
larkey, with emphasis, mus do it ol
starye; kase you see nobodyss gwine te
keep up lazy niggass."
Are there many people picking
here?"
| Lots O white people away in d.
mi1dle-young, delicat gals an little
chilluns. =
watched him for some time, as be
proceeded along the edge, picking the
berries and putting them into his ti1
pail, as lie had already covered hi:
bucket and set it away. Present.,
there emerged from another mysteriou
opening woman, pale and careworn
looking, bare-footed and carrying
basket on her head, filled with berries
She was followed by two children, a bo,
and girl, perhaps eight or nine year
old. with bare feet. dirty brown faces
and medley of attire that could hardl
be called clothes
Look out. thar. nanny, youl
tread on that thar darned snake, cam
the warning from the little boy, an
looking down. hideeus creature wa
Just disappearing in the shiny water.
There are now thousands OF quarts
wnor,l- hcrrle .spicked IN this indi>c IN
mate way. Shonld tine experiment {
practical cultivation rxove successf'
larCer and better fruit will he the resri
,nd She swamps yield a profitable re-
euue Ia their owners