Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-09-04
Hundreds Left for the Fields
Sunday.
A JOURNAL REtORTER visits THE CAMP.
How They Live and the Manner o.
Thsir Work.

lined the slough road Sunday bound
for the field Of labor. AS early as 6
o'clc ok in the morning piles Of bouse-
hold goods, tents, etc, with occasion
ally full quota Of urchins and family,
could be seen on wagons and all geing
out to pick hops. There was no cessa-
ton during the day, and as late Sum
day night as dark the move was
kept up. or course the JOURNAL vas
very anxious to know all the paEtieu-
lars and a special reporter was forward
ed to the scene Of action.
THE FIELDS.
The largest and finest field Of hops
are those owned by q Mr.. Holmes,
about four miles south Of this city, and
TO that spot most Of the outfits were
going. The hops in this large field are
not owned by Mr. Holmes, as the
ground Is leased to two different
parties, Mr.. Needham and q China
man by the name OF George Sun. The
Chinaman's crop far exceeds In guam
tity and quality that Of the white
mans, and as the pickers were driving
by they all cast wishful eye to those
large hops Of SUNS, but as the celestial
could not employ all Of them, some
were compelled to see Mr.. Needham
and "strike" their camp with him.
HOW THE PICKERs LIVE.
The picBers are all comfortably quar-
tereu In tents, with cook stoves and
tables on the ground to cook their pro-
visions. Some have simple arrange
ments, probably small ducking tent
to sleep in, with a stove and table on
the outside, while others are fixed up
on the inside of their tents even to ele-
gance. One of the elegant tents we
noticed was that of Mrs. Holcomb, who
| is resident Of South Salem when not
In the hop fields. Her tent comprises
three Observation-Disclosures dining
room and sleeping apartment. We
were not permitted to sit at table with
Mrs. Holcomb, but we noticed from the
exterior that she was well supplied
with eatables, while her bedroom had
a dresser and other commodities that
she was In the habit of using at home,
not even excepting the. curliDg-iron.
OF course, all Of the pickers have not
this elegance, neither do they all care
for it, as many are there for an outing
and want tent life with all its rough
LESS. There are other comfortable tents,
among which we noticed that OF the
company quarters of Cross, Bailey, East
ham and Otis. These people have two
tents for sleeping purposes and cook
tent. All the women occupy one tent,
while the boys are thrown into pile
In the other. They are happy lot,
and It being supper time, they
persisted In The JOURNAL man
eating with them-it is un-
necessary TO state that the in
vitation was accepted. Plenty ofgrub
was placed on the table and ample
Justice was paid to the repast by all
present.
There were plenty Of girls, lots OF
boys, great numbers Of children, and q
few very aged women, all ready to pick
hops. Salem is we'll represented among
the pickers, and the number Of young
ladies there was perfectly amazing TO
your representative. We were not
aware that 80 many good-looking girls
from Salem were to be found in the
fields. Some went out there Sunday
TO PICK hops, while great many were
there for pleasure and Sightseeing. We
noticed first bevy Of girls from South
Salem, among whom we recognized
Miss Lille Hunter, Miss Ida Bailey,
Miss Kate Rafter, Miss. Lola Scoville,
Miss Della Otis. Miss Nettie William
son, and Others we could enumerate ny
the dozen. After the publication OF
this article we do not expect TO see the
face of young man Ia Salem for the
next three weeks. as they will all go 10
the hop fields until the girls return.
THE WORK.
The work Of the hop pickers consist
10 pulling all the hops off the vines and
placlng them Ia barrels. II takes three
common sugar-baFEels 10 make what
the plckers call box, for which they
are paid the sum Of 40 cents. The price
Der box this year IL 10 cents less than
last year, but ~ everybody realizes that
bard times are upon ~, n0Re aeeWed
10 be grumbling at the price 10 be paid.
A great many expected 10 begin
Monday H0fning, but were Informed
by the ChinamAn that operations In
hls yard would not eommsnee Rnui
Tuesday, while hs wa also authority
for the piaiemsnt that Mr. Hseeham
would not start Ia until wednesday
nloFnlDG'
As Il Was efoglDg dusk, and your ~