The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-28
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4 Tale 81 the White
- River Hop Fields.

- Will .
s1rs ) gear ago today since ! crast The
lape blue say
r..sa tho ship they called the Ay-drt-
- - mother stood In tears, with her
hair shout her ears.
- ehsre's none can ssy that we're ay-
f1vsto-cyat-lc."
-..1is1 and boomed ana whistied s.ths
~ fellefS from Seattle"
- - Who sang the air stood by the
- -. and a. hts variety theater tenor
sseG1f and Quavered out the forogotnx
sss.fe dItty, he shifted his weight to the
49, foot ana cooked his torn and cTum-
Sl arew hat still farther over his red
.sssle 70 keep the sun out Of his eyes.
~ fog and chill OF the morning had
$50 place TO the drowsy heat of mid.
-. He laid his ragged coat across one
~ q the box. and his fair skin. all
..ssy rsddening under the ardency Of the
- shOwed at elbow and shoulder blade
s5sre his old calico shirt had given way,
~ - attitude was as jaunty and mis-
v1foe Is cherry az II he were clothed in
s1o1eIoth and fine linen.
- baSeo sat astride the open end OF q
swenr barrel into which the hops fell
T6 ~ Hin1ble fingers without ceasing.
Hoet. keavy-set, iow-browed, with black
$3.50 showing through the skin, as il he
~ heen roughly shaver lover night, q
- ecsoas one eyebrow and temple gave
- vicious, logged look. still further
ennhaeised By a heavy jaw and protrud-
- fobacco-stained lips. Still. one could
~ hat one-haif his ytcionsness was at
$500. o. II the manner OF his kind. and
~ h6iIowed forth a bull-like bass much
-. $3.50 for his IA Yea m
- WAs dressed like his rcdhaired COM
ueoion IN stained and ragged seeond-
SenA Garments that had once been the
rearestr of some sport Ia the ''Tenderioin
6iafYtct" Of the city. His atin black hair
s.ood 10 III q ferocious pompadour In
froot OF the battered Derby hung on the
hek 81 his head. Pointed shoes. broken
clear ecr6ss, aud ripping loose from the
poies, dAngied. one on each side OF his
earrsl, and beat time on the slaves.
the whistler was a slender. c0lorless,
Nttls Minp Of moral putridity not more than
IS y1Ars old. but already beyond all hope
pAynlcAiIy or spiritually. Born In sin.
reared amidst crime. educated In the
slums, there 10 nothing that typihes his
uake-up 50 well as that sickening odor
A. stale beer arising from the sawdust
loDr IL gloon on the tide fats.
perverted natures could be. and as they
vusked. they whistied and sang in very
vAntouness. 'sThe kid was making
brown paper cigarettes" and already held
one over each ear. while he rolled tobacco
for the third In his dirty. bony little palms.
When he had finished he gave a cigar
cite 70 each OF his comrades and lit his
own With 6 slow-burning 'sChiuee' match,
which also served to ignite the other two
The song had ceased and their fingers
new through the fragrant hops which fell
IN feathefy heaps into box and barrel.
Meanwhile. the country boys. idied with
empty hands. fascinated by the sight Of
the three cigarettes loosely held between
three pairs Of lips as the smokers in
hailed ana expelled through their nostriis
the pestilAnt fumes.
Even the half-breed ''poie-pulier." when
he came at'their call. moved In deferen-
tlai manner and showed sickly grin OF
half-pleased protest as. with strange.
slangy Gibss they der!ded his clumsy ef-
forts 10 lower the heavy, -hurdened
hop pole into the crotch sticks" which
"the kid held to receive IT, The yard
boss came and looked on. but even that
potentate dared not criticise the work Of
the three seif-possessed young individuals,
whose command Of slang and strange i'm
precautions set them quite aside and apart
from the slower and less vicious country
youths and Indian pickers.
One pf the men. who hauled the boxes
into the field. had ventured mild re-
bnke when they crowded forward for the
iirst box. but he had quaiied before their
defiant jeers and scurrilous wit.
The proprietor was busy about the kiln
and left the yard TO suhori.nates Hops
were beginning 10 mould where the foliage
was thickest: pickers were In great de-
mand and hard to get. hence their iaso-
lsnrs must nass unrehuked when SO much
was al stake,
The women ana girls took rows as far
sway az the yard-boss would permit. and
tried not TO hear when the language OF
the three became too vile. but one and all
ssopped their own chatter. picked softly
and listened when the strangers sang the
catchy ballads of the music halls
fhsir voices blended so perfectly and the
hundred feet ef open air so smoothed away
I'll harshness Of tone that more than one
sef1-vo!ced maiden found herself singing
4 purified and giorified version OF song
sne would have hiushed 10 hear I'm the
original.
Full box" the tenor sang In a melo-
nous, yodeling crescendo that penetrated
caied the yard-hoss from the shade OF
eaiy hop vines 20 come and inspect the
work
nc hasso carefully emptied his barrel
holding IL over his shoulder while "the
wa placed hanefuis here and there 10
ah up slight depressions. but they care
luhy avoided any shaking OF the box. for
Inc slightest jar would cause the feathery
mass 10 sink down like "A punctured bal
loon.
!. The kid takes the first dollar" said
'ne hasso as the yard-boss passed his hand
,Fef the hops in the box: ''fhe next'n's
,.snass and the next'n's for yer Uncle
How de cid folks would enjoy Il,
-, sass would ST. ali night and listen,
while We sang In tho evening by the
hno-oonlight"
~ ne ihiFd word Of the chorus Retay
.il.ined m and THE Kid" pursea his lips
u seno koTth. clear and soft as futc
~ Wnftlng accompaniment.
= MAS IN the paimy days of hop grow
Hs' sneioFe the coming OF the destructive
WINS, when nssfi were often made rich by
!. si.eie crop. Then times were good. :.
s"o Ter every full box the picker received
= saser dollar on ,hc spct.
ass Indians Who used TO come on horse
- rom TIE reservations heyong the
,.s.ohlaihs, or IN long cedar canoes from
ssiush columbia, ware slowly giving way
= "ai'e nsckers from the hills or uaishhor-
y - s't'es' Nor was u unusual 10 see among
s =. piekers the wives and daughters IF
I aospesoos raachers. Teachers. seamstrsss-
9 ana clerks we're 20 be found In she fields
~ mthg IN the hesithful open air and
,.e fragrance of tho hops. sleeping IN tents
- .atns or booths, eating the cheap and
"Ae'rse'ne food sold In the fields fron,
,saens sent out by the merchant. Of the
So ana growing strong and rosy
as They earned no inconsiderable
"a chnA'ng coin. Potatoes. plentiful
'ha OF the finest quality. were in the srouad
y ,ne'r feet. free 80 the air they hreathea
: e;se water they drank Roasted In the
hhs camp Ere Or ''hotled with their