Huntsville gazette., 1883-08-11
The Huckleberry Harvest.

II correspondent writes: Since the
South Eas to some degree become Yam
keeized, the people are beginning to pay
more attention to small things. The
backwoodsman, who in days past sup
piled covering for his head with means
received from the State by the sale of
his fox and wolf scalps. and the coy and
blushing country maiden, in all her ru-
raj simplicity, who bought her ribbons,
laces and hats with the proceeds from
the sales Of hen-frnit, butter, or the
progeny OF the chicken, goose and duck,
have all, since the running of railroads,
found market for the spontaneity Of
nature, and now, each season, they
trudge their way through the woods in
search OF nuts, berries or gensing to be
used as barter with the country mer-
chant for those aforementioned bodily
ornamentatlon so necessary to the Sun
day toilet. In that portion of West
Iennessee-west of the Tennessee River
and east of Big Sandy River-traversed
by the Louisville Il Nashville Railroad,
where the timber is heavy, nuts and
berries of all kinds grow in rich profu-
sion, and are each year becoming
more important industry. At this time
the huckleberry search is at its height
and the whole population is busily en-
gagged in gathering the fruit for market.
On the 4th of July your correspondent
had an opportunity of Witnessing the
huckleberry industry at one of the most
prosperous way stations on the railroad
At an early hour long file Of men,
women, boys and girls could be seen
vending their way over the hills and
through the hollows, each carving one
or more tin buckets, wooden tubs, pig
gins, baskets or bags filled with the
luscious fruit vending their way to the
supply store Of the railroa1 agent. In
side of the store stood the handsome,
polite and accomplished clerk, dressed
in his best Fourth of July bib and tuck
er, armed with gallon cup and pair
of Jones-of-Binghsmton scales. ready to
weigh or measure up the fruit as rapid
ly as it came in. 1t was soon evident
there would be no Fourth OF July there
that day. The entire family of the mer-
chant, including the visitor, were soon
pressed into service to assist in boxing
the berries for market. Yet the hurry
and hustle of boxing the fruit, and the
quaint remarks and odd style of dress
of the country folk was so entertaining
that all voted 1t as one of the most
pleasant Independence days ever spent
by the visiting party During Jne inter-
mission for cordial, your correspondent
dropped his hammer, took up his pen
Gil, and proceeded to interview one Of
the oldest settlers on the huckelberry
question.
''Do you find the crop to be prolific
this year?" asked your correspondent
"Wot dye say?" was the reply.
''Are there many berries in the woods
now?"
oval, not so many as ther mought
be if it wern't fur the snaiks and ther
hogs"
s'Are the snakes and hogs bad this
year?"
Eyes; ther snaiks is Bladder then ther
horgs, otherwise theirs more on um.
Pork skace.
ssWell, how do the berries grow-on
the ground or on bushes?'
''They grows mostly on the ground.
You see the horgs can git at EN- easy
like and ther is er good place for ther
rattlers (meaning rattlesnakes) to keep
'emselves outen sight. We amt afeerd
of ther rattlers if ther horgs would only
shinny to their own sides. We kills the,
rattlers. but ther horgs is too quick for
us, and you know as how it is agin ther
lawr to kill ther nogs. "
''How many gallons can you gather
in day?"
oval, it depinds upon the crap. If
ther is er big crap we kin git abouten
from five to ten gallons er day. We gifts
from 25 to 80 cents er gallon, and kin
make from 81 ter So er day when the
crap is er good un. - Chicago Times.