, 1885-10-13
THE H~OP-PICKERS.
PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP THE MULTI
TuDE ENGAGED IN THE WORK.
sleeping In a Barn In the Country Early
Rising-At Work In the Field
How Hops Are
Cured.

Munnsvile IN. W Cor. Mall and Express.l
The driver Of the Munnsville stage said
recently II s'pose there amt many peo-
pie left in the cities now hop pickin' has
begun. lie seemed quite surprised
when told hat the cities were not entirely
deserted 1t is a fact, however. that both
town and country in this part of the state
aro asked to take hold and help pick hops.
and there are not less than 10, 900 pickers
who go out of the city Of Syracuse alone.
The hop-grower lives on his own place
aud Is usually II small farmer in addition
TO cling a hop producer. In August he
employs Il ~canvassing agent to secure him
a company Of pickers, and pays him so
cents bonus for every picker. The
grower also pays the picker's railroad fare
aud boards him. To do the latter the
farmers wife sacrifices the best room.
with its weeping willow over a tombstone
done in needlework, and the farmers
daughter the cabinet organ Carpets are
taken up and they and the best furniture
slowed away in one room under lock and
key. Every available room in the house
is then filled with beds for the women.
The men are slowed in the barn aud wood
shed
EARLY RISING.
nave been sleeping in a barn where
there is plenty of room between the clap
- Az W AAA2h IA ~ OAA
There were no sheets left, but was made
immensely comfortable with II wolf-robe.
My neighbor was the son of the owner of
the yard, and he was responsible for wax
ing the family in the morning. So before
he blew out our lantern he set an alarm
clock. After we had been asleep for u
few minutes he got up and began blowing
hideous blasts on a horn. | told him
that the clock had gone off prematurcly,
lint ha fnafafaA TINT IL uaQ A ofriaQL and
time for breakfast There wasn't much
security, anyway. in going to sleep with
that treacherous clock around. so a break
fast of ham. eggs and coffee was eaten and
drank.
The women and children were driven
TO the hop field. while the rest of us
walked. 1t was shockingly CARLY
o'clock In the first place we were intro
duced to the %hot-boxes. that consist of one
box divided into four, two on a side. The
whole clumsy affair looks like an apple
woman's stand. only bigger. with an avn
ing over 1t OF canvas or burlaps TO pro-
tect the pickers from tn sun. A man
pulls up a hop pole and vine, cutting oil
the latter about a foot from the ground,
and leans it up against the hop-stand 30
that pickers facing each other can have an
equal chance at the clusters 1t is this
mans business to keep all the pickers
HhBplltu Win DoltS Us last US Antl thll "
them
OUT IN THE FIELD
Each bin is big enough for a man to
curl up in and would hold about ten
bushels of wheat | was told that when
! had filed that with hops ! would be
given a ticket that, a. the end of the sea
son, | could exchange for % cents, The
average man would want a week TO I'LL
one Of the = reservoirs. Many of the
girls said that they could only I'LL one
box a day. A fairly good picker will fill
two. and a smart one three, and n re
markedly smart one four boxes a day.
As soon as a box is flied. its contents arc
emptied into a sack and taken 10 the kiln.
There were thirty pickers in the field. and
they included all ages and both sexes
gray haired men and women. little chill
dren. and lively young girls. fully capable
of replying to the jests of the boys. Long
before noon the children and girls got
very tired, and watched for the blast of
the now benefcent and commendable
horn. A dinner of fried meat and pota-
toes was rapidly harpooned. and chunks
of apple pic were lightly tossed away;
then to work till dark, then supper and a
dance for the young people. and a pipe
and bed for the old ones.
This is a fair picture Of u hop picker's
day. The season lasts about three weeks,
and the profits of the best workers are not
more than $1S. with $40 being about a
fair average for three weeks work, from
day break to shutdown. Why do people
work at such a hard and poor paying job2
In hop-pickers' language, for the fun of
the thing They like the freedom from
all restraint; the outdoor life. the novelty
Of new scenes and people. aud especially
the crowded evening dances, There is no
use denying the fact that many 20 hop
picking for reasons far from correct
There are perfectly respectable people
among the pickers Many farmers
daughters go for the change and excite
ment, and their conduct is entirely cor
rect Among others who 70 are shop
girls, clerks. factory girls. and domestic
servants. who regard the hop picking
season as a sort of picnic. though they
earn but little money at It, syracuse
sends quite a delegation of the semi pau
per class and men whose faces are not
unfamiliar in the police court
CuRING Tra CROP.
The hops are taken from the field to
the kiln, that is built with an open Stat
floor covered with burlaps. The hot air
comes through the spaces between the
Stats from a room below, where a large
furnace is kept going Rolls of sulphur
are burned in a pan on top of the furnace.
and the fumes ascend and bleach the hops.
After being dried for about twelve hours
the hops are pressed and put in bales. the
average weight of which is about 1870
pounds The ruling price this year is 10
cents a pound. though a few growers
have secured an extra cent on the pound.
A few years ago hops brought 81 a pound
and pickers were paid 30 cents a box.
Many growers have become alarmed at
the low prices and are going out of the
business. much To the qualification of
those who propose to remain In IL
Hops are propagated by cuttings. and
the average productive life Of a hop root
is seven years Hops are what the farm.
ers call a strong crop, and exhaust the