Evening journal., 1893-08-17
PEACH FRUIT IS king.
Scenes in the Orchards Along
the Eastern Shore.
THIS Is KENTs PBAoH WEEK

Striking characteristics OF the Great
Fruit Crop-From Five 20 Twenty five
Carloads shipped Each Day.
A dispatch from Chestertown. Kent
county, Nd, to the Baltimore Sun this
morning says:-This has been Kent
countY's peach week-peach orchards,
peach buyers, peach. growers, peach
sellers, peach wagons peach cars, peach
plucks by the thousand, peaches great
and small, good. bad and Indifferent,
peach fuz around your neck, peach juice
down your arms and the tempting
morsel In your mouth. Peaches. peaches
everywhere. Every man, grower, buyer
and shipper. has been transformed into a
speculator in peaches.
The plazas around the railroad stations
are daily packed and jammed with
double-decked wagons, dilapidated Dear
borns and vehicles of every age, class
and description. Peach fruit is king :
little else is talked about, little else Is
thought about.
Extra telegraph operators have been
sent 10 the busy stations to receive quo
tations Of the state Of the market or to
send messages relative to shipments.
Every orchard is a bustling camp Of
workers representing half the states Of
the Union and possibly half dozen OF
more nationalities Nearly every rail
road station and steamboat wharf con-
tiguous to the peach sections has been
turned into rustic camp Of peach
plucks and tramps.
Worth Trip Across the Continent.
1t is worth trip half across the con
tinent to study the marvellous variety
and striking characteristics Of this new
life which is just now SO important a
factor In harvesting this great Eastern
shore fruit crop This transient popu-
lation Is drawn from nearly every nation
ality under the sun, and, with the regu.
larity Of the recurring seasons and with
the suddenuess Of the vlsitations OF
iocusts, they flock to the peninsula peach
growing region.
This peach pluck is curious produc
tion-curious In appearance, dress. meth
DDS Of life and in thousand other ways,
Among them are some erect, we'll formed
and handsome men, while on the othel
hand there are the manned, the halt anC
other wrecks of mannood. There arr
. some with no nose, one eye, no teeth, ont
3 arm, distorted limbs and many ailments
that appeal to the sympathies. Not les
interesting are the costumes.
The Prince Albert coat Of many year
ago may lend TO one a ministerial appear
ance in spite of dirt and decay. A gor
geously colored coat may 60 along will
trousers that simply hang together
Shoeless feet leave their tracks II
p Eastern Shore dust which once may havl
worn patent feathers in the halls o
luxury and ease Forms are hutterlnl
in rags which once stood at the bar ans
: pleaded for mercy and justice for others
Men are at this moment sitting on th
roadsides reading old newspapers give
them by stranger friends who hav
! written editorial matter for leading
! journals.
y No Overdrawn Reality.
5 This is no overdrawn picture. but ster
q reality, which may any day be realize
g among the peach orchards OF Kent. On
D poor fellow could speak the Latin, Frenc
and German language correctly, with
s magnificent flow of pure and culturel
English Another mighty educated ma
r stated that he had been a special CORES
pondent for a London journal during th
{ Franco-Prussian war. Another, the so
n of wealthy parents In New York stat
l. said he was a graduate of two college
y and man Of splendid address, but gla
II to pluck peaches at 70 cents a day an
q beg for food from door TO door In th
" absence OF work.
Broken down artisans of near
d every imaginable trade a g to be foun
n among this motley crowd. When ui
t. occupied they sleep on the grass, b'
y meath the trees, on warm nights, an
n when the weather is cool, in sheds, stra
is stacks. hay mows, or anywhere thi
m shelter may be found.
In william Eliason's Big Orchard.
10 William Ellason, who has one Of q
I'd finest orchards on the Eastern Shor
Y. and is known to the tramp fraterni
" probably in every state In the Unio
has to-day over sixty tramps employ
as peach-plucks. Large. comfortah
barracks are given them, an abundan
or Of wholesome grub is served on loi
tables under a rustic tent, and ca
man is allowed a coarse bed and q
of blankets The average peach plue
a however, doubles himself up in str'
ay stack, hay NOW or on a board in
in vacant shed, and even these privilee
10, are gtanted with reluctance because
ire danger from Ere.
No The tramp, as rule, has three str
,se ing characteristics. He is an inveterl
a smoker, an ardent lover of intoxicaI
and has never had any thing to eat
led three days While many of them ma
sar excellent farm laborers, others are
led solent and worthless
at The peach season is now In its glo
". and these people are being given e
ais ployment.
~, .sYelIows" Threaten the Existence
the Peach.
mt From FIVE to twenty-five carloads
, a fruit are being sent each day from
peach growing sections Of Maryland
me- Delaware. The constant and ra
mp inroads Of that fatal blight known
oer the "yellows" promises In the col
ery OF a few years TO sweep from ex
out ence this great industry, which ]
Ak has invested in It not less than six
Az. lions Of dollars, covers over 60 900 a.
of finest land In the state and nun
many millions Of trees. Prudent ia