The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-02
THE OLD AND NEW HOP PICKERS.

A few ysars ago I saw . lot Of repulsive-look-
ing Indians, males and femaiss-stOid. taciturn
indians, unclean savages-aiighs from train In
the Puyallup valley. Tho srsinmsn hustled
them Oh and threw their belongings after them.
Their Belonging wero some closely w3ven
basketa. lev pots and . scanty supply OF bed
material that everybody seemed afraid % touch.
All smeIled bad-shs Indians and their belong
ings ] was not . stranger in the country, and
knew that this crowd had come from some place
that knew not Of and cared not for: some place
In the North outside Of my own country, and
that they were hop pickerA
! went over that railroad again after few
days had passed. The train was crowded with
Chinese. whole lot Of coolies; sallow. slim,
duii-eyed coolies were on that train. They jah-
bered In haTah tongue I could not inter.
pref their words. and could not figure
out their gestures. Their minds had
been trained In channels that were en-.
tirsly strange 70 me- I had nothing In
common with them Neither their joys nor
sorrows could impress me. The train halted
and these beings were hustled Of. they and
their belongings Their belongings were great
hampers made Of bamboo splints, bed material
incased In mats woven from reeds, food in
strange looking packages, dried fishes, jointed
shoulder poless few jars and few big pota I
knew that somewhere inside the mats were
chopeticks and opium pipes, and gambling de-
VIZ ouU uAeIo8ty pulC Pto!StU W oeotueo
God. AL smelled bad. the coolies and their be-
longinga knew that this crowd. also. had
come from some place that knew not Of aud
cared not for: some place across the ocean. out
side OF my own country, and that they we're hop
piekers.
These savagss and these heather were very
important factors In the hop industry at that
time, but change has occurred since then-s
change for the better. think.
/ got on train from Seattle last autumn and
could not get seat, though there we're many
cars strung together. saw that the seats were
allsd, Land that the Hobbies and sisles were died.
with men. women and children. They were
people whose dress indicated wide range OF
circumstances There were old men and old
women. and smartly dressed boys and girls. aud
humbly drsssed boys and girls, and little chill.
drens aud mothers and fathers. all In . great
mass, 0llinG the seats and the Hobbies and the
stslea They were all bright and gay, and
talked and laughed: their eyes twinkied and
they novel spryly around They shook hands
and salutsd each other cheerily. and waved
their hats and handkerchiefs out OF the windows
ct friends who were left behind, aud said good.
bysl &ood-bysi good.byei and threw kisses at
sisters and brothers and sweethearta They
were my countymen. knew that they lived
in my city. could understand their language
and their gestures. could appreciate their
smiles and their tears. Ny heart caught up
the Joy OF their hearts. my face a..
sumed the radiance of their faces. my eyes
sparklod - their eyes spar kled for not this
train loaded with my eountrymeu, with . Joy.
Gus. innocent, happy thrOng of my country
menf was young again. The years rolled
back and ! was . child. or . little boy, or .
youth, - In turn gazed ct child, or . little
boy or youth. for their eyes were liquid with
contagious mirth. could SEQ clear into their
souls aud assimilats myself with them for the
moment Their glorious musical chatter was
- sweet to me - the songs OF the orioles and
thrushes that lived In the groves around my
fathers house long ago. and that he protected
from the savage hawks that would tear their
young and the heatheu crows that would rob
their nests. A. the train progressed the win.
dows were al opened and every one was
filed with radiant faces They shouted
with CHEEKY voices at children By the way.
were eagerly returned BY the boys on the fences,
By girls In the doorways. and BY men on the
moving machines The train itself must have
smiled. for the sundowsrs seemed to turn to-
ward 1t and shake their frngss Of yellow leaves.
The children commented on the green grass,
snatched ct the thistle downs that hoated into
tho cars and smacked their lips ct the trees
laden with apples and plums, that stood In the
fields They clapped their hands at the birds
that new from the bushes, and at the roosters.
and the sheep, aud the calves. and the colts.
And when the first hop yard appeared there
went up perfect vollsy Of shoutA Then saw
that these were hop pickers: the new hop pick
ers. These bright, CHEEKY people were going to
take the places of the stolid, tacituru savages,
and the sallow. jsbbering heather. A. the train
moved on one merry party after another, with
many good-hyes, got out, and at last 1t was
empty like . cornucopia that had been dragged,
upturned. by the hand of plenty. The train.
tons and helped the people on, hand
ling the old ones gently and CIV
ing them plenty OF time Then their
belongings were lifted out and the train moved
on. Their belongings were Christian belong.
ings and their utensils were Christian utensils.
saw no article that did not understand the
use OF. and heard NO sound that was not famil.
lar to my cara These people came from . coun-
try that knew OF and that ! cared fora coun.
try that loved and they loved. Then thought
of the Thousands OF dollars that would 60 into
the hands OF these merry, innocent men. women
aud children. How those dollars would buy
new dresses for the girls. new coats for the boys
new toys for the little children and many COM
Portable thing for the old people AL would b
tho produce OF their own hands. The skinny
palms OF the aged, the rosy fingers OF the
maiden. the strong hand of the youth and the
chubby fist of the little fodder would all hold
few COMA They would all bs able to purchase
some little thing with money that they had
earned "by their own selves" No wonder they
shouted and danced when they started for the
hop fieldsi No wonder they waved their hands
and Grained their necks when they saw the first
rows OF vines! We're they not going out
for picnicf We're they not bound for the green
country where they could AL their lungs with
the blessed south wind and revel In the shade,
and paddle In the brooks. and drink In, with
eyes ana nostrls, the beauty and the odor OF the
banks OF flowers, and bury their arms in the
baskets OF fragrant hops. and stroll In the lanes
and watch the twinkling sunlight through the
trees, and wonder at the summer clouds. and
chase the butter Dies and listen to the birds aud
laugh at the squ,rIelsl Were they not going
out TO harvest an important crop and thus to be.
come dignifed factors in the general prosperity,
while benehting their purses auc their health
BY an annual holiday week. ALI these new
hop pickersl Good luck TO them! 1t seems to
mo that their nimbls fingers, working In the
, sunshine and the fragrant breeze, must imprison
n portion OF each in the cells OF the hops,
! DO that IT will come out in the beer and make
men love each other instead OF committing
murder Good luck 20 you again! May your
CHEEKY voices be heard through the country for
many an autumn. until the hop picking season
il Washington shall become-like the vintage
| in France. the gathering OF dates in Arabia aud
| the "feast of apple blooms" In New Englsnd-a
| season of lgnt-hearteduess and good will
| amongst all our people; q season free from sor
| did cares; season of fraternity and charity.
| And good luck to the hop yards! And good
| luck TO the hop raisers! May they flourish and
prosper! And all hAil 70 the new regime!
EUGENE SEApLE.
THERE II A STATE FLOWER.