The sun., 1891-08-10
LIFE AMONs HOP PICKERa.
Some Hard Work Relieved by Dancing and
"Hin CIinber."

so~e Hard work Relieved by Dsne,ne and
nm Climber"
Once every year during the latter part Of
August and the first OF September the small
country villages in central New York awake
from their drowsy auietness and take on an
appearance Of bustline activity. The cause Of
this Is the hop-growing industry. which cen-
tres In Otsego. Oneida and Madison counties.
The farmers mako great preparations 10
care for the small army which must bo housed
and fed during the hop picking sea- on. Young
men add old men. gray haired matrons and
bright-eyed girls. swell the crowds engaged
from the ghborinR cities to strip the hops
from the vines. Tho young look on 1t As q
prolonged picnic. whilo It gives the old tho
means OF adding a few dollars to the soanty
sum which is to carry them through the win
ter. Every inducement is offered to secure
pickers. and the agents advertisement Ia as
extravagant as Ia tho flaming lithoei aph In
front OF n Bowery museum. The following Is
q sample:
w Madison conniy music dane ing 1Eaing rink.
sa. Soara and ars 0's soh w.s. !S
preferred
Whom the pickers roach tho station nearest
the farm to which they arc bound they are met
by lnrge wagons and are treated 10 a cross
tho village the email boys gather at tho
roadside and shout Hop pickers," At
the end Of the rihe tho owner Of
the fnrm assigns to them quarters for the
season. The picker who looks for n room to
himself is disappointed. Matters are usually
arranged in Bowery iodging-nouse style, and
ouch room he's as many occupants rs i can
sson enas the All the 3 all
are ltneu NJ On u bench near the side of the
house. Eyrr,,hing goes. however. when o o
com,nodat !ons are better than those to which
they hay. been accnsiom' d.
The gray dawn OF tho no{t morning finds
me ptrkers IN tho hpp ward really for work.
-Four rersVns are stationed at each box which
Is 1,ysea ob into ns !cn, sections nldns seven
themselves lucky ii they have u Dox to til, m.
selves. but frequently ome thin faced woman
mischieSons boys or sirs. For attn time ali GOES @
NELL hi. when tho aun nea.s The meridian
yas Would Eappon r9 To ssi Sssf s
ba K is turned. the vounssiers ''sS Green
later may be found ~ the orrhand. swinging
their 'est from the im,s % OF AZ tree & and eating
hsara in Se ya ay shS
al rush to help EMPTY hs box ioliows @ " f II lie
owner be pretty .irl she must DO thrown In
lucky, fell W finds u, kiss. his Joy knows no
bounds. To tho yninits'ed tho mere finding Of
n VINO Nnlcn nuu ETOWu IN tie form hI q no. 50
might seem a trivial matter. but when he
learns that this moose entities the finder
to II kiss from the pre- tiest girl In the yard the
posss s'lon becomes 1uss''on OF greater mo-
When the, day WORK Is done the young cou-
nothing remains, for them but to take walk
or to swing in n hammock. But there's bet
sr mH ,han ompg Three or fo by
tie mnny yards aud lacked 10 ID" trees which
skirt the country roads announcing rhe llrst
kiln on tn. following evening. The time ap-
pointed III mnls everything IN read rsadiness II the
IemuHads and cruliars or s1 ihe rereshment M hue "f
his guests. but usually each brings his own
luncheon In his pocket
10 max ke the nils WHICH must nus be climbed ss to
from the snrroasHins towns for,i!y % themselves sa
with TASKS Of hill climber The numbers
are swell by young men aud women i,om
Seated on platform at one end OF the room
are The first and sec1nd on violins and the owner
every body is too good natpred 70 mind IT. The
Inns In which the dance IL held uro curious
Ssrs hs Rans
from clean. and Ms tho dancers move through
The vioinists scrape and the floor m apaeer :
] daneers arc OF The airis aA have never o bsen en
trained after iha Delsartian method. and the
there" one. Introductions are never asked
IN fact they are not ines needed: Only square
to waltz. shouts Of derision would soon stop
HIM.
During An intermlssion the young men GO.
themselves behind the barn to imbibe hill
climl, ,er." while their partners sit on the rough
benches within and chew gum or munch stale
candy.
The morning light ends the dance. The
farmers sons follow ztgzag rath down the
hillside. and the girl with flushed faces and
sleep before the hop picking OF tho day.