The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-24
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HOUSES THAT BERRIES BUILT.
Achievement of IL widow at HazIe-
ton Who Was LEFT PenniIess.
From the New York Sun.


From the New York Sun.
Hazleton, Pa, July lG.-One OF the hand
soonest double blocks of houses in the
Diamond addition of this city belongs to
a woman who, by the death of her hus-
band was left penniless with three small
children, all girls. The block was built
and'paid for entirely by the sale of buckle
berries picked on the mountains about
Hazeton by the widow and her three
daughters during the last eight years
The huckleberry crop returns between
$4,000 and $4,000 to the families of coal
miners at and in the vicinity of Hazleton
every season. The season lasts about Two
months. The berry piclSers are chiefly the
wives and children of The Hungarian MN
ers and Italian laborers Early every
morning during the berry season every
avenue leading to the mountains Is throng-
ed with picturesque parties laden with
baskets, boxes, pals and receptacles OF
every Kind and hurrying 10 favOrlte berry
patches. Between the hours of 10 and II
in the forenoon the berry pIcleers begin to
come in from the hills every vessel filed
10 overlooking with the Wild fruit. The
first picking Of the day is ready to be de-
lvered 10 the dealers, who 20 expedite
at convenient points, where the berries
are purchased and paid for I'm cash on the
spot. The average price Is cents a quart,
although for the early blues the variety
that rDens first, and 10 cents a quart is
paid.
After delivering their first pick the wo-
men and children hurry back to the noun
tans. Neither the fatigue of the fore
moons work nor the heat Of the midday
sun-and a huckleberry barren is a swell
tering, sitting spot almost without a par
aliel-has a deterring effect on the pckers
They think only Of how many berries
il is possible for them to get into market
for the day. Frequently il happens that
miners are working on short time az this
season, and the moment they are released
from their toll underground they hasten
TO the huckleberry grounds to help.
The Italian women and children are tho
most apt and skillful huckleberry pickers.
An Italian woman can pick easily forty
quarts q day, which Is equivalent 90 50
earned. These women have on an average
three children old enough to be pickers,
who will add as much more to the days
income. Every italian picker comes from
the picking bearing a box of berries on
her head and carrying a large pail or 5as-
ket full IN each hand. The stranger might
wonder az the large number of ttie Whit
fet dogs that always accompany the huck-
leberry pickers 10 the patches These dogs
Of the pckers. Their duty Is TO hunt out
and kill the rattlesnakes and copperheadg
that abound whore the berries are. They
seem TO delight in hunting the snakes. and
10 be well aware Of the deadly nature OF
the reptiles This manifested from the
wariness with which they govern them
selves when confronted by raider. and
the skill with which they flank and seize
the reptile from behind. always by the
neck The dogs however cannot guard
the pickers against the hornets and yellow
jackets that seem to favor the berry
grounds for their nesting place, and these
insects frequently force pickers to leave
particularly choice spots by their hot and
painful attacks. The earnings OF the Hun
gar,an ana Italian families at picking
buck leberries in this part Of the coal re-
glon viii range from 500 TO $500 during the
season, according co ihe number and SKIN
OF the pickers. II Is estimated that they
win pick and sell between 100000 and 700,-
900 quarts al Hazleton alone this season.