The record-union., 1893-08-15
DISAPPOINTED HOP-PICKERS.
Hundreds Sought Work, But Only a
Few Succeeded.
What the Disappointed Ones Have to
Say-Aore Work to Be Had
Next Week.

Crowds of men, women, girls and boys
returned yesterday from the hop-tields
along the American River, east OF Bright
on, whittier they had gone, in response to
call for white pickers, but found no work,
every place being filled.
II tell you l was disgusted when / got
out there" said one man yesterday, "and
found scores of Cinnamon and Japanese
at work where we we've told that only
white people would be employed.
'Why, the road from here TO Brighton
was lined yesterday and to-day with both
men and-women, some going out and
others returning. They were resting
under every tree along the route, and 1
tell you it was sad to see white boys and
girls turned away when they applied for
work to pick hops, and all because much
of it was being done by Mongolians and
Japs."
Others had the same story to tell. One
man said that Menke had one small field
IN which some whites were engaged in
picking hops, but in the others the
Aslatics were doing the work.
Antoine Menke, tie hopgrower whose
call for white workers brought so many
disappointed, was in the city yesterday.
lie claimed that he had given places to
as many as he had advertised tOr, but ad-
mitted that he had previously employed
number of Chinese and Japs, and had
to carry out his contract with them, or
until the supplies are consumed. All
that he puts on alter this viii be white
persons. lie claims to have now some
two hundred at work-all that he called
tor-and that he has given meals 10 the
hungry VINO applied for work but were
too late.
After the above was written, another
man, an intelligent American, called at
the RECORD UNION office to make state
ment concerning the situation.
He said he was one OF the men who had
trudged out to the Menke ranch expect
ing To lind work i'll the hop-helds as soon
as ne got there.
Il was not so badly misled by Mr.
lrvlne's statements as were some Others"
said be, "for | have worked for years in
hop-fields. and / know Just how much
OF picnic il is for good. fast picker to
make living at il. Mir. Irvine said in
his published interview that it was pie
mic for men, women or children to gather
two hundred pounds of hops day.
Nov this statement is absurd. 1 know
what | am talking about, and Mr.. Irvine
did not, however sincere he NAV have
hoppicker one season out of two hundred
and nifty men, and | was never able
working from daylight till dark-to get
two hundred pounds together.
"A man has to get up at 3 or 4 o'clock
in the morning to cook his breakfast in
order to be able to get into the field by
daylight. About 1880 O'Clock he has to
travel from a quarter to a half mile to
weigh-in, and this delays him an hour or
two. Then he has 10 go and cook his
dinner, and in this way he loses a great
deal of time. The idea of women and
girls picking from 175 to 200 pounds Of
hops day is simply absurd.
well, as l said, these ianciful stories
dld not mlslead me, for knew what hop
picking was, but was anxious TO work,
tor can make fair living at the bust
ness where other hard working men can-
not make their grub, do their best. Of
course got LETT, with hundreds of others
who went out there to work, but like all
other Americans | took nv medicine
quietly and trudged back to town.
Il tell you it was pitiful sight to see
those poor people turned away by the
hundreds after the alluring picture that
had been drawn of life in the hop-fields
and of there being work for all that
wanted it, while Chinese and Japs were
getting the cream OF the work."
Warming up TO his subject, this honest
son of toll continued:
"Mr Menke may thank his stars that
the two or three hundred disappointed
seekers for work whom he turned away
to-day were mostly American born citi-
Zens, and therefore law-abiding men. for
had he had a crowd of foreigners to deal
with they would have made trouble for
his Asiatlc hop -piclers Even as it was
one hot-headed or unreasonable man
might have caused trouble, for tell Won
that tWo-thirdS OF those who went out in
response to the call hadn't even had q
bite to eat in the way OF breakfa fast.
why, scores of men had been living
out under the trees near the edge of the
city for days waiting for the promised
op-picking to begin, each prepared with
cans and other utensils they had gathered
with which to do their cooking"
Being asked if none Of the other hop
growers in that vicinity were EMPLOYING
pickers, he said:
mot yet but they will be next week.
j. 4. Camp has l60 acres, and he will mt
on probably two hundred men, and they
will all be white men, too-he does not
give his work TO Chinese and Japs. There
are some other growers out that way, and
some near town, and there ought to be
work next week for several hundred
white men,"
"How about the Indans-do they cut
much of a figure in the hop-tields?" he
was asked.
las to the Indians" he replied, YOU'LL
never find white men, especially Ameri-
cans, kicking about them. They get along
with the Indians tirst-rate, for lhev are
native-born and are, consequently,
Americans, and entitled to recognition.
They are more like white men every way.
and there'll never be any Kick about them.
Even the Cinnamon viii stand up for
wages, but the Japs will work for any
thing"
"How many Chinese and Japs has MIR.
Menke at work in his fields?" asked the
reporter.
II should say about seventy-five, judg-
ing from what | saw"
And how many white persons?"
"Well, | couldn't tell exactly how
many were put on, but l will say this
those he did find places for were mostly
families, which was right"