The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-02
HOOSIER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
A Place Where Thousands of Ind ustrIeus Pee
pie Find Employment.

pie Find Employment.
Pittsburg Dispatch.
THE great hucKleberry marsh on northera
Indiana is a curiosity" said Mr. Howes Of VIII
kinsburg, to a reporter yesterday.
Il understand the crop is small this season."
ne continued, but last year it was very large.
During the season from 900 to G000 persons
men, women and children-take up their
quarters in and about the marsh and remain
until the berries are all picked Some build
Shantles, some erect tents and all provide them
selves with everything necessary for residence
of several weeks They come from all parts of
the country within a radius of twenty or thirty
miles,
DO the pickers find ready market for their
berriesl"
Yes buyers are there from New York, Phil
adephia. Pittsburg, Chicago, Cincinnati and
other cities. Formerly the berries brought very
low prices--three or four cents 9uart-but
now, owing to the great demand for them they
bring five or six cents Some of the pckers
make So or 81 day.
" How do the people amuse themselves when
not engaged in picking berriess
There is no lack OF amusements. Dancing is
one of the principal diversions; and the way the
Hoosier lads and lassies trip the light fantastic
would cause Pittsburg dancing master to grow
green with envy. Half dozen fiddlers, more
or less, strike up some well known air. and the
human mass begins to move through all kinds OF
hgures. and sometimes figures. Everything
is of the go-as-you please order, though fragrant
breaches of propriety seldom occur. Dancing is
kept up nearly all night, the monotonv being
varied by an occasional fight for the possession
of a girl, account of too much whisky
having been imbibed by the bellgerents. Once
in awhile general row breaks out. when fists,
clubs and sometimes more dangerous weapons
are used with telling effect. Murder is not
unusual on these occasions. number of bodies
have been found hidden away in the marsh. but
nothing could be proved to locate the crimes
A year or two ago two policemen went down
from LaPorte, but as soon as they arrived the
pickers held meeting and decided to order them
away threatening violence in case of refusal to
go. The guardians of the law took the hint, and
went back home the same day.
what else do the pickers do to amuse them
sevesl"
"They all gamble Fakirs from all parts Of
the country flock there with their gambling par
aphernalia and remain throughout the season. I
have seen hundreds Of faro, chuck-a-luck poker,
old sledge and other games in progress at the
same time. The stakes are small, OF course, but
as the Sharpers nearly always win, the amount
of their fleeing during the season is considera-
BILE. When the plckers have no money they
stake their berries, and accept success or defeat
with all the stOicism of an Indian. They may
lose everything they have but between begging
and borrowing they generally manage to raise
stake for the next night. The majority of tho
pichers poorer, if possible, at the end of the
season than at the beginning"
Il should think it would be fine field for
counterfeiters to ply their vocation!
''lt is Showers of the queer are almost as
numerous as gamblers. The people are too igno-
rant to distinguish between good money and bad
and hence accept almost anything that is offered
them. In this way thousands of dollars worth
of counterfeit money is worked off every year
A few years ago the counterfeiters became so
bold that they established mint for the manu-
facture of small CON- principally nickes, in u
part Of the marsh that was seldom visited by the
pickerS They had land Office business for a
while, but the secret finally leaked out, govern
ment detective was sent down to work up the
case, the leader of the gang was arrested. and
finally sent to the penitentary at Michigan City.
Since then operators in spurious money have
been more careful than before, but they still
visit the ground in large numbers every year.
Are the berries as good as those of the East
States?'
Better, I think. They are very large, sweet
and iuicY.n