The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-03-19
English Hop Pickers.

The race of hoppers is not unknown
to the most superficial of newspaper
readers. Their sins and misfortunes
are fertile theme, and the paternal leg.
stature has taken them i'm hand. Con.
sidered from picturesque tourists
point of view, the hopper is an uncOn-
ventional-looking person. who camps
about on the river bank in manner
not unsuggestive of the aboriginal saw
age. Camps" is exactly the right
word for rows of tents placed i'm the line
of military precision are to be seen in
the fields. Here the hopper-just come
from Whitechapel-cooks his dinner at
a gypsy-fire, and his squaw meuds rags
close by. In other places the gypsy.
fires and rag-mending 60 on under a
convenient hedge. Elsewhere two old
women, of witch-like features, may be
found, with half dozen children about
them, squatting under the protection of
steam roller. Three crooked sticks
propped up against one another over
about as much fire as would fill a mod.
crate sized saucer stand in front, and at
this kitchen they are cooking something
mysterious in 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 vague something which suggests
that the rags are at least partly volun.
tary. 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 a
large variety of pots and pans. Now
and then one sees men, and even wO-
men, among them who belong. appar-
emily, to the class of work people in
pretty regular employment. At times,
to be sure, one catches sight of Il close.
cropped bullet head, suggestive of very
recent "six months;' but it is the excep.
ton. On the whole, the hoppers give
one the impression that they are mich
more orderly body than seems consistent
with the nomadic nature of their trade.
For many of them, indeed, the work is
regular enough. There are some fami-
lies 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 ut the sea-side-a
holiday of work under healthy condi-
tons. In rainy weather they must have
a bad time, particularly those who are
lodged in tents. A large proportion are
put into long outhOuses. 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 actually indecent, and
are decidedly superior to the average
London slum. Doctor johnson, who
believed in the healthincss of Londoners.
would have been gratilicd to learn that
the Kent farmers prefer the town hop
pers to the country, or, us they are
called. home hoppers, because the form
er stand bad weather better than the
others, who have been accustomed to
IN open-air life all their days. In point
~ Ih.'"" -t"., %i.~ l. rr-- - -
tain level of responsibility. He or she
belongs To the race of Autolycus. They
cannot resist any trille they find lying
about, but seldom NEEDLE 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. -Magazinc Of Art.