The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-28
HOUSES THAT BERRIES BUILT.
Achievement of Widow at HazetOn
who Was Left EenniIess.

HAZLETON, Pa. Aug. 16.-One of
the handsomest double blocks Of
house in the Diamond addition of
this city belongs to a woman who by
the death of her husband was left pen
niless with three small children. all
girls. The block was built and paid
for entirely by the sale of huckleber-
ries picked on the mountains about
Hazleton by the widow and her three
daughters during the last eight years.
The huckleberry crop returns be-
tween $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
pickers are chiefly wives and children
of the Hungarian miners and Italian
laborers. Early every morning during
the berry season every avenue Leading
to the mountains is thronged with
picturesque parties laden with Gas-
kets, boxes, pals and receptacles of
every kind and hurrying to favorite
berry patches. Between the hours OF
10 and IL in the forenoon the berry
pfckers begin to come in from the
hills, every vessel filled to overlooking
with the wild fruit. The first picking
of the day is ready to be delivered to
the dealers. who, to eXpes!te the. bust
ness, meet the pickers with wagons
ries are purchased and paid for in
cash on the spot. The average price
is five cents a quart, although for the
early blues. the variety that ripens
first, eight and ten cents a quart is
paid.
After delivering their first pick, the
wcmen and children hurry back to the
mountains Neither the fatigue of the
forenoon's work nor the heat of the
midday sun-and a huckleberry barren
is q sweltering, sitting spot almost
without 2 parallel-has a lettering eff
feet on the pickers. They think only of
how many berries it is possible for them
to get into market for the day. FIRE.
quently it happens that miners are
working on short time at 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
the most apt and skilltul huckleberry
pickers. An Italian woman can pick
easily forty quarts a day, which is
equivalent to 81 earned. These women
have on an average three children old
enough to be pickers. who will AID 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 basket
full in each hand. The stranger might
wonder at the large number ofwlittle
whiffet dogs that always accompany
the huckleberry pickers to the patches.
These dogs are an important item in
the equipment of the pickers. Their
duty is to hunt out and kill the rattle
snakes and copperheads that abound
where the berries are. They seem to
delight in hunting the snakes. and to
be we'll aware of the deadly nature Of
the reptiles. This is manifest from
the wariness with which they govern
themselves when confronted by a rat
tier, and the skill with which they flank
and seize the reptile from behind, al
ways 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 places, and these insects fire.
qUently force pickers to leave partNu-
larry choice spots by their hot and
painful attacks. The earnings of the
Hungarian and Italian families at
picking huckleberries in this part of
the coal region will range from 500 TO
$500 during the season, according to the
number and skill of the pic!<ers. 1t Is
estimated that they will pick and sell
between 900 and 1000 quarts at
HaZletOn alone this season