davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27
MCH AN

poking about among the vines to see that
no ground is being neglected. Some
times disputes arise over the rights OF q
particular swath and a fight ensues,
when all business suddenly comes to a
standstill until the war-cloud passes
away. Pretty girls are also the fre-
quent causes OF cranberry fracas, the
cases being numerous where two "blOods"
insist upon protecting the same maiden
from the Poygan or the Black Wolf
country, who enjoys the reputation OF
being the best dancer on the marsh and
at the same time is well able to take
care of herself. A rough-and-tumble
fight is diversion, and the people like
it, But the picking goes on just the
same. Portable tramways are laid, and
the boxes, as fast as filled, are run on
small cars to the warehouse, where they
are piled up in long tiers to dry, cure,
and ripen thoroughly. When the berry
reaches the market il is generally red,
but when it is picked 1t Is nearly white,
with faint rosy tint inst beginning to
show.
AS each picker hands over his box Of
berries he receives ticket which he can
"cash in" for the current price, usually
from to 6 shillings. They earn from
81. so to SO a day.
The present method Of handling the
crowd is much better than it used to be
when every one kept his pickings in bags
until measuring-up tins at night. Then
the whole crowd would assemble about
the boss on the marsh and wait their
turn. The soft spongy ground under
the pressure of the crowd, increased by
the weight of the bags OF berries, would
sink and leave everybody up to their
shoe-tops in water. Now the harvesters
rarely get wet. The large number OF
marshes prevents the massing of so many
people as formerly. If a man secures
500 or 1000 pickers he considers it a
great crowd, while ten years ago it was
not unusual to see $500 or 1900 at one
time.
1t is a beautiful sight. Stretching
away for miles lie the cranberry fields,
perhaps at some past age the basin of a
placid lake, now covered with verdure,
rejecting rich colors in the sunshine and
teeming with life. From the camp,
nearly q mile away, you catch the shouts
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27

winds, and tread them into the soft
marsh, and they will return good for
evil by spring up and bearing fruit. In
the spring these broad acres of swamp
land are literal mating of cranberry
vegetation, covered with tiny white
blossom. If one out of ten of these
blossoms, or even one in hundred, runs
the gauntlet, good crop is assured. The
harvest begins the first week in Sep
tember and generally lasts from ten
days to two weeks.
At the appointed time motley tide of
humanity Snts in toward tho nranha"-u
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27

rarely seen, but when they come into
camp they hunt the festive berry fast
and furious daytime and beat the tom
tom at night. They are great gamblers,
and 1t is not unusual TO see "buck" get
away with all the tickets at the close Of
the harvest.
The mistaken idea may not be so
prevalent as It was five years ago, but it
is well enough to repeat that cranberries
do not grow on bushes, like bluebcrries,
nor do they lie supineIy on vine that
trails itself along with runners. 1t is
the fruit of growth that reminds one Of
ough-jointed grass or grass stems whose
appendage consists of small elliptical
leaves. You may tear vine into frag-
ments, scatter the pieces to the four
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27

cceding year witnesses grand rally Of
men, women and children from a radius
Of twenty miles TO the cranberry fields.
The pickers are generally enlisted from
the foreign element, although there may
be seen liberal sprinkling OF the native
Americans and occasionally a small band
of the Winnebago Indians.
Fifty years ago the Indians were tho
only ones who appeared on the cranberry
exchange, dumping few blanketfuls OF
the berries on the market, and, after
spending the proceeds in beads and "ben-
zine" went off whooping. Now they are
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27

of eXuberant ones, and occasionally the
glitter of pan as it is whirled high in
the air after trip to the box. But
what sets one to thinking most is the
bobbing heads with the white linen COW
erings. These are the Polish or German
women, working hard to pay the debt on
the church, to add few more acres to
the small but well-cutvated farm, to
clothe and educate the children, or to
augment the "roll" already hid away in
an old stocking or trunk. Many of these
foreign-born picKers are well-to-do, and
h"ri-O 80 faith in hanHs has - a. . -.
money in hiding places at their homes.
They are good class OF citizens to cul-
tivate tie waste places, and they have
taken up great deal of land in this
part OF the State.
AS the day draws TO a close, the tired
ones drop out and the older ones prepare
to go back to the shanties. The days
work is talked over, supper Is eaten, the
crowd begins to scatter, and the evening
fun begins. Various kinds of hawkers
appear. The kodak man sells his views
and the "sutler" disposes of his goods
Liquors, wheels of fortune, and other
harmful attractions are forbidden, but
music fills the vacancy, and at the first
rasping notes of the violin the boys and
girls are ready for the dance. 1t is q
free-for-all, in rude pavilion, at cents
a dance. This dancing will compare
with anything North or South in its local
character. The old folks look on for
awhile and then go to bed, while the
youngsters keep the ball rolling until
nearly midnight. Such joking, swing
ing, flirting, love-making, and merry
making were never experienced under
tallow and kerosene, unless at the old
quiltings and corn-huskings OF early
days. A few days later the crowd breaks
up, to know each other no more until
another harvest
AS the Thanksgiving diners lift o
dainty morsel Of jelly that is destined to
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27

k.sssszs.s.zu.zs=sz@well acquainted with
hat they don't mind
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27

berries are like Indians, they are not
benefited by too much civilizing. The
same marsh cannot be relied upon to
yield every year. Aside from the ~nat-
ural intentions" of the berry IL is
threatened with destruction from vari-
Gus sources-heavy floods, worms, blight,
scalding, drought and early frosts being
among the dangers; so that man who
burdens his mind with the probable fate
Of a crop from the time IL blossoms
through the summer season is not likely
10 be at peace with himself. However,
there Is rarely year when there Is q
general failure Of the crop, and each sue
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27
SMILES.

GOES without saying-A dumb waiter.
"wHY don't you marry one Of them?
Don't they know enough?" "Yes, they
No too much"
ETHEr-Poor Clara! She Is growing
old. Maud-It must seem sad TO you,
seeing you have known her since she waa
an infant In arms.
WHEN the humorist who has always
joked about putting mp stoves comes to
put one up himself once, he realizes that
putting up stoves Is no joke,
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27

join fragment OF turkey, they can
think Of the cranberry's marshy BIRTH
place, and the dream OF jolity through
which the berry passed before it was
hurried to market TO be cooked, sugared,
and squeezed for their benefit.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27
Personals.

Ex-PREsIDENT CLEVELAND has prom
ised to attend another political banquet
at Springfield, Ohio, early in February.
WILLIE ScHAEFFER, n Cincinnati boy.
is years old and tips the beam at 1876
pounds. His brother Robert is IA and
weighs $50 pounds.
CAPT. j. M. HOLMES, OF Mystic,
Conn, Captain and principal owner OF
the ship Charmer, has rounded Cape
Horn In his vessel sixty-one times and
has just started on his sixty-second voy-
age.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27

|. !. !. 4 : . ! !. /. !. !. ]. . |. !. ! !. !.
HOSE who have
NM never taken the trou-
~ hi BILE to study cranber-
NJ IA ry, culture have no
N v NV n intelligent concep-
Or& tion of the possibili-
SZENNM - ties of this agricul-
NfZNKAV Xtural industry, its
ERIXN II present Importance,
"1EA &|T and the methods
NY adopted to gather in
the crop and fit it
for those who prepare a delicious sauce
relish for a Thanksgiving dinner. 1t is
oyer twenty-five years since the golden
discovery was made that there Is money
to be made in cranberrics. During these
years fortunes have been made and
other fortunes expended to place what
appeared worthless marsh in a condition
to bear fruit. The little city of Berlin,
Green Lake County, Wis, writes a cor
respondent of the Chicago Tribune, is the
center Of cranberry-producing area
that turns out thousands of barrels of
fruit annually, which fact ndo gwen Jne
place the name of CRANBERRY City," a
name which it proudly wears In contra
distinction to its sister city, Ripon,
whose prosaic pursuit of late years has
DecH Juc RIOWbn VI CuCuH1DcIS, duu 10
therefore dubbed "Pickleville."
At first the men who made money out
of cranberry culture were those who
had great holdings of wild marsh, sur
rounded with tamaracks and garnished
with q wilderness of sage brush and
huckleberry bushes. The crop blossomed
in wild neglect and the fortunate pos
SCISSORS of these tracts found themselves
taking off from $40, 600 to $50, 900 in clear
profits annually without spending dol
lar except TO the pickers. Then the
hunt began for marsh land that would
grow cranberries. Many were successful
in finding from three TO ten and fifteen
acres tracts, and in numerous instances
pools were formed so that larger areas
might be purchased and parceled out.
The small growers went to work plant
ing vines, and have now the satisfac-
tion of reaping ample returns Fortune
has been more tickle with the big growers.
The science Of the culture was pushed
too far, perhaps. The great canals that
were dug for flooding purposes and the ex-
pensive pumping machinery that was put
in have not had the effect of producing
corresponding increase in the crop. Cran-
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27

THERE is something crooked about
the law of retribution. 1t isn't the
woman just in front with the Dig hat
who gets her feet stepped on when the
man goes in pursuit of cloves.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27
SAUCE FOR THE TURKEY.
SCENES IN THE CRANBERRY
MARSHES OF WISCONSIN

Immense Tracts of Hitherto Worthless
Lands Devoted To the Production of the
Thanksgiving Berry-How and Where
1t tGrows-WinnebagO Indians the First
to Pick the Fruit Amusements and
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1890-11-27

III a~TR differs from some medical
rhas in that. he cannot very
81 go, or fon before he is taken.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-10-10
7 N az u
Stop That

The democratic central Com
mittee have the name Of every ALI
ance man Tor nearly every one) in
the state, and are sending out circu-
lars for business purposes" connec-
ted with the party.
Who gave them those names and
officials? Is the Campaign Com
mittee doing it?
Do you know how valuable such
lists are? Why, j. S. Garrison, Dud-
ley and Quay paid wretch $3.50 to
steal q list like that in 1888?
We have letters from the alliance
men receiving these democratic circu-
lars, calling for all the other farmers
names, and duplicating the alliance.
How is this?
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-10-10
From Pres't Polk.

The following was received from
Natl Pres't Polk, by the Pioneer
Alliance of Pipestone-in reference to
their resolutions, condeming Hall
and Lathrop for the insult to him at
Fergus Falls:
Washington, D. c., Sept 10th, 30.
Mr.. J. A. BlGELow, Pipestone, MINI.
My Dear Sir and Bro II beg to ac-
knowledge receipt of your esteemed
favor, enclosing resolutions adopted
by Pioneer Alliance. Be assured of
my warm appreciation OF the honor
done me by this action of your body,
and OF my profound qualification at
the fraternal spirit manifested there
by. After all, if we be of one mind,
one purpose and one heart, in this
righteous struggle for God and hui
manity, our triumph will be as Ger
tain, as it will be grand and glorious.
l confess l was greatly disappoint-
ed at my failure to meet my good
brethren and co-wOrkers of your
state, and that regret has been en-
uOAOOA ClA1OO hlJ AOUAA IL uOAlC Ny Au>
merous kind and fraternal letters from
your good people. 1t was the only
state in which / failed to meet splen-
did audiences, during my whole tour.
However, 1 do not complain. Mycon-
slant prayer to God is, that the
great masses OF the people, north and
south, one people, one government,
that we have a common destiny,
that we are confronted by a com
mon peril, and that we must make a
common cause against common
enemy, if we would save this repub-
lie from impending ruin. I beg that
you convey to the good brethren of
Pioneer Alliance, the assurance of my
deep sense OF obligation to them and
that their kindly and fraternal ex-
pressions of friendship and regard,
are heartily and cordially reciproated.
Praying that the day may not be dis
tant, when your great state shall
stand in line with the hosts who are
now battling under the banner of the
national farmers, alliance and indus
trial union:
I am, Sir, with high fraternal re-
gard, Yours, faithfully and fraternal-
]y. l.. L. Polk.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-10-10

The following extract from one of
Mr.. Donnellys' off-hand speeches is
going the rounds of the national
anti-monopoly press. To appreciate
the power of these brilliant inspira-
tions a person must be with Mr.. Don
nelly at the time:
"For politics, in the narrow sense
OF the word, we care nothing. We
are neither for nor against the Re-
publican or Democratic party. We
are organized to suppress abuses by
legislative means, and woe unto the
man or party that gets in our way.
We are lighting for personal rights
and perpetuity of the Republic. If
the old parties do not attempt to
thwart or injure us we have no OBJ
lection to their going on selling their
figs in the midst of the hurricane.
We regard them as twogreat nation
al baseball clubs, and their uproars
and enthusiasms are, perhaps, neces-
saryfO q certain class of undeveloped
minds, to whom a procession is q
principle and q fambeau club the
light Of civilization. The Democratic
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-10-10

1t fairly makes ones blood chill to
read Richards Crown" and see
there how, in the dark days Of war
the very ones who should have done
the most toward putting down the
dlfficuity conspired and plotted for
it's continuance, that they might
grow the latter off the struggles Of
distress through which our nation
was passing. Ingratitude is bad
enough, but when people conspire to
reap profits from the life blood If the
nation that mothers and protects
them, it becomes q crime too vile for
name name Read the work and You win
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-10-10

Senator and Representative-Bur-
field and Porter. Each made telling
speeches proving the great necessity
for the head producers of all wealth
and comfort for man and beast. and
the supporters of state and nation,
to begin to take proper hold Of the
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-10-10

uc OlU 6ClOO1 ulCA uoCu W OIL y uO do
to how many devils could dance on
the point of needle. 1t is amusing
to see 65, 900, 900 of the most intelli-
gent people on the earth all dancing
on the attenuated point Of that pro-
posed s per cent reduction! The
difference between tweedle-dum and
tweedle-dee disappears into moth
ingness in the presence OF such a pic
ture."
Mr.. Donnelly's Nomination for
Senator.
John Diamond, the old alliance
worker of Mankato, writes as fol-
lows:
In the nomination of Ignatius
Donnelly for Senator the Alliance Of
Dakota County have taken a wise
step. His presence in the Senate will
be as good rain to suffering crops.
The corporations will make desperate
efforts to down him, because they
think that the great mass of the
members of the House and Senate,
next winter, will be new men, farm
ers, without any legislative expert
ence, and that without some such
man as Donnelly to lead them they
will be like flock of sheep, and east
~ led astray. I wish the Alliance of
Blue Earth County had a vote on
Mr.. Donnelly's election. Lord! how
they would vote for Ignatius Donnel-
ly! But all they can do is to send up
a prayer to every farmer and work
ingman and friend of good govern
ment in Dakota county, to stand by
Donnelly. Don't rob the rest of the
state OF his services; and don't send
some tool OF monopoly to the Sen
ate. II Donnelly goes to the Senate
the manufacture OF the Irvine, needed
by the farmers of Minnesota, by the
convict labor OF the state, will be as
sure as the sun rises and sets and
that means Irvine at cts. a pound.
instead of II to Is. Therefore, dear
people, rouse yourselves, you are not
the only ones interested in Donnelly's
election; the whole State is interest
ed. Remember how he fought your
battle in 1887, when he could have
put a hundred thousand dollars in
his pocket to sell you out; and every
dirty newspaper in the state has
been lying about him ever since; and
you yourselves went back on him in
1882, and sent a man to take his
place that never was heard Of during
during the whole session, except to
vote yes and no and draw his pay.
Wellington said that Napoleon's
presence on the field of battle was
equal to a reinforcement of 10000
men. I tell you Dakota County vot-
ers, that Ignatius Donnelly's presence
in the next Legislature will be equal
to forty additional alliance legisla-
tive votes"
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-10-10
A1|Ia
FROM WISCONSIN.

PRAIRIE FARM, Wis. Oct. Sd, 1890.
EDITOR GREAT West:
We have on the 10th ult., organ
lied a County Alliance known as the
Barron County Alliance. We have
decided to put our county ticket in
to the field this fall. We have decid-
ed to stand as a unit. We have in
PRODUCED binding pledge into some
of our sub alliances and think that
there is more foundation to the work
of such members then to those taken
in without any questions, as then
they will join to stay by their order.
and we find strict bylaws to be a ne
cessity to our order in order to pre-
vent the confusion and powwows SO
often arising otherwise. The labor
eJ's party is offering us their helping
hand on our ticket this fall. We feel
towards them as brothers, and will
appreciate their helping hand, and
hope that they also will find relief
through our organization in days to
come. y. kURsCHNER.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-10-10
KEYSTONE. Wright Co., Mimi,
Sept. Both, 1890.

EDITOR GREAT West:
Twas to Silver Lake last Sunday,
attending an Alliance meeting, pre-
sided over by President Burke.
They selected candidates for State
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-10-10
THE SINGLE TAX.


RS letter Dr. Fan clear and suggests many
thoughts DR. Fan somewhat the OF self Defense few
words, while editoriany offer single suggestion:
Single theory undoubtedly the
sby great think that parallel
should be some provision to tax the "exchanger
President Of 1st Nationalist Club, St.
have time objection to the single taxaf
Nationalist Committee allow me to do SO in writing
Yous said this in substance:
Here let us suppose owning on
which he places house worth 100000 Right beside have lot
but unable build house worth than 600
Georges plan would make towards
of the government that just?"
asked you whether nghbor did injustice
building by
shou the the taxes the rich simply
the land they happened to OF the value You
thought not.
represented objection fairly? At
the single brought
tce poor think used to talk myself.
Your like pleading
the rich box Opera
should make the house depend
wealth of each particular customer
1.-THE the like To make
% M nSu @an S the s I The seat the
both the the
The rich the porter house the bones w would
not pay for the price OF ormer
Could you reasonably expect purchase price
city lots exactly equal their advantages simply be-
purchaser millionaire the other mechanic?
Certainly but i the millionaire bur $Go 900 pile of brick
and stone on his lot he should pay taxes accordlngy
you supposed rich neghbor should each seek the lease
bud-he his 100000 and you
be rather absurd for the builder the latter
tempt ground valuable lotfor surely
expect price you
expected to improve it less handsomely!
each the lots question They value
both willing % pay the lot values.
George theoy-smpy person
holds of portion of the
Inheritance ALL shall pay purse
public ground for the land he holds
collected returning the
the whole community benefits 1t believed
collected annually collected will defay
and take the all
indirect which there such
and the tax the his land an
5 B os ] on this
pays and which increases land value
Though it really tax Henry
George he that indicating
method which land be made property without
adoption the abolition
simply collection the public the according
ustre
already paid purchase price for his
obliged pay ground same year yar?
should have the amount taken from
probable that his
valuable than the
speuatng, taking advantage
contributing general
equally land equally whether improved
be driven this equal taxation would
land speculation which works financial all the
who will neither suitably improve valuable situations allow
to do
Would compel poorer owing the
equal meet value OF rich
nge applied farming would
greatly Minneapolis
offered
that generally
application the single Though made
daily and has
in Minneapolis the offer has been taken.
land taxed"
the the proportion the
the the
Much
then probably free Of taxation having rental value plenty
equally would
when unimproved land had the ground
the OF the "snge tax would be ahe fines
upon product industry exto
tons caused by the ar please where the injustice George
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-10-10

ship Of state. / hope the candidates
may be elected. It seems to me they
would do their best for the public
good. AxEL JoRGENsoN.
Mr.. Jorgenson writes us q long and
good letter. But it's length, forbids
us making use of it this week. It is
up in the nature of our courts.
THE RIGHT KIND OF AN ANSWER!
The Secretary Of an alliance from
Traverse County knows whats
what" Read the following:
''Since wrote you have reed the
above letter Zone of Lathrop's late
question-letters.] / have no respect
for the Old Rascal His questions
will be answered by the GREAT WEST
after that 30 days are up!"
That is business. The scheme is
altogether too apparent.
New Alliances.
EDITOR GREAT West:
Below please find I'd. report:
Report of Secretary to State Lee
turer for the week ending October
4th, 1890:
CHARTERS ISSUED To, NEW ALLIANCES.
Sept. 20 Bell School House AL
lance, No. i ,2O2. Henry Farnham,
Sec'y. Address, Spring Valley, Fill
more County.
Oct. 4.-Isanti Alliance, No. 1903.
0. A. Linberg, Secretary. Address,
Blomford, Isanti County.
A. L. SfROMBERG,
Secretary S. F. A.
NoTE.-Last week the alliance No.
1874 was put 11O4 by printers err
rOr.
The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-10-10
SHELBuRNE, Lyon Co., MINI.
Oct. It'll, 1890.

OuE.ADONNEs Lynn w., MluA.
Oct. 7th, 1890.
EDITOR GREAT WEST:
We organized an alliance at
Florence, Sept. Goth, as reported in
your paper by state Secretary Strom-
berg.
The Republicans in this district
have endorsed our alliance candi-
dates for representatives. Alliance
county convention to nominate
county officers will be held Marshall
Saturday, Oct. 18th.
Now. Brother farmers! Laboring
men! Vote for our brother-toilers,
our alliance candidates at the next
election. By SO doing you have
every thing to gain and nothing to
lose. ERICK PETERSON.
VIM. S. Dedon is our nominee for
the Senate from this District and we
are going to elect him too. Respect
fully yours, r. 81. MCGEE.
Wyoming, Chisago Co.