Connecticut western news., 1886-01-13
AMONG THE HOP PACKERS.
Picturesque Rural Scenes in
 England's Hop Districts.

P1ctureSQuo Hur6l scenes III
 England's Hop Districts.
 Nomadic Existence of the Hoppers and
 their Ragged Families
 The race of horpers is not unknown to the most superficial of newspaper readers. Their sins and misfortunes are fertile theme, and the paternal legislature has taken them in hand. Considered from picturesque tour ist's point of view. the hopper is an unconventional-looking person, who camps about on the river bank in a manner not unsuggestive of the abo- riginal savage. "Camps" is exactly the right word, for rows of tents placed in a line of military precision are to be seen in the fields. Here the hopper-just come from Whitechapel- cooks his dinner at a gypsy-6re, and his squaw mends rags close by. In other places the gypsy-fres and rag mending goes on under a convenient hedge. Elsewhere two old women, of witch-like features, may be found, with half dozen children around them, squatting under the protection of a steam roller. Three crooked sticks propped up against one anoth- CT over about as much Are as would fill a moderate sized saucer stand in front, and at this kitchen they are cooking something mysterious in a passing strange fashion. Hoppers are of all ages, of both sexes, and, as far as can be seen, of various ranks. The great majority are ragged enough, though even about them there is a vague something which suggests that the rags are at least partly voluntary. Many are obviously too well fed to belong to the utterly poor who go half naked; and if their attire is of the toughest, it may be partly because they are too wise to camp out in more decent raiment. They have bundles, obviously full of something, with them, and large variety of pots and pans. Now and then one sees men, and even women, among them who belong, apparently. to the class of work-people in pretty regular employ ment. At times, to be sure, one catches sight of close cropped bullet head, suggestive of very recent "six- months;;' but it is the exception. On the whole, the hoppers give one the im- pression that they are much more or derly body than seems consistent with the nomadic nature of their trade For many of them, indeed. the worki is reg ular enough. There are some families which come yearly to the same farms, and write carefully beforehand to ask when the hopping is to begin. On the whole. the hopping season seems to represent their month at the seaside aholiday of work under healthy condi- tions. In the rainy weather they must have bad time, particularly those who are lodged in tents. A large proportion are put into long out houses, built for the purpose, and used for no other. These sheds are wind and water tight, and abundant clean straw is supplied for beds. Though not luxurious. these houses are not actual ly indecent, and are decidedly superior to an average London slum. Doctor Johnson, who believed in the healthi- ness of Londoners, would have been gratified to learn that the Kent far mers prefer the town hoppers to the 1 country, or, as they are called, home hoppers; because the former stand bad weather better than the oth- CTS, who have been accustomed to an open-air life all their days. In point of character, the hopper reaches to a certain level of responsibility. He or she belongs to the race of Autolycus. They cannot resist any trihe they find lying about, but they seldom meddle with serious thieving. Violence is not unknown among them; but in the remoter parts of Kent. which may be said to include the Midway valley, it is reported to be the exception.-Maga- zine.