The sun., 1898-09-25
DOUBT VISITS CAPE COD.
rs ITS oLD-TIME. LUCK ABoUr TO
DEsERTLIT NOHS

when There Should he GRyoty and
| Activity, and tho Independent Citizens
| Haven't n Chance to Decline to Work.
Uncle Lemuel Is pessImstic about the future
| OF Cape Cod. He believes thnta a special provi-
| dence has been watching over Cape Affairs, but
he isn't sure that the special providence Is still
in working order and primed for the present
| emergency.
"Ye see. it's this way" he says. leaning conf
dentally across the counter OF his corner store.
I'VE low that Capo Cod Is the hest spot wc
| knows on. but It amt what you'd call strong on
| farmin' land. Now. at frat tho constin' busl-
ness made money fer us. and when the shlppin'
| gave out the nshn wuz good trade, and about
the time tho nshin' went up spout some
feller that wuz fond OF readln', he found out as
how our peat hogs wuz Just the complexion for
| cranberry raisin'. None of tho folks took much
stock in his book larnin' until he began to pull
! In money by the flstiul and then we Jest all
scrambled to buy them marsh lands we'd been
| 80 scornful Of and some Of us laid up tidy lot
| of money But now cranberrles Ia gvn' out,
| and tho Lord only knows what'll turn UP next
| to save the Cape. 1t'l have to be turnin' up
pretty soon. and don't as it's In sight yet"
| Thirty years ago the cranberry marshes were
[ gold mines for tho Cape folks. The berries
| brought from So to S12 barrel In the market
| and there seemed to DO no end to the producing
get hold Of a peat bog gave up seafaring and
| went in for cranberries. The bog land had to
| be covered with sand and irrigated. but there
| isn't any difficulty about getting sand down
| Cape Cod way. and the irrigating was Of the
| simplest sort. All the Grant berry marshes pros
| pered and there were good times for the Cape.
| Uncle Lemuel says that the big bogs he bought
| thirty years ago paid for themselves ten times
| over in the first six years. The berries were
MI tf,,lt hat khAv oft
| a barrelful to the square rod but those times
| are traditional now, and this year partlcu-
| larly the owners OF cranberry bogs are wrapped
| in wrath and gloom.
Many of the bogs will not be picked at ALL
| this season. because they would not repay the
labor; and those that are picked are making a
poor showing. What the vine worms and girdle
worms spared two nights OF severe frost
spoiled; and the pickers have slow work filling
their measures.
Usually. cranberry picking is hilarious
festive occasion. and the country folks look
forward to 1t with pleasure. Men and women.
boys and girls and children turn out In
crowds. many Of them hiring out as much for
the fun and sociability Of the thing as for the
money to be earned. Your true Cape Cod man
rather scorns working for pay. He may hire
out to neiGhbor for friendship sake; but
he bitterly resents the attitude Of the
summer VlblJOTS WHO Seem TO InlnK
any service may be bought. He doesn't
recognize any claim that capital may
have on labor: and the summer visitors must
readjust their theories and customs before
they can get along amicably with the sturdy.
independent natives. A New York woman who.
for the first time. took q cottage on the Cape
this season. wrestled with tho problem OF get
ting settled until she was on the verge Of ner-
vous prostration; Finally. in despair she went
tO n frinnh whO haa haan pOmiD0 IN the Cana
:" isn't there anybody in this country whom
fered everything, but cant get soul. and and my my
maid and are almost worn out"
Her friend Grinned appreciatvely.
It's always that way with newcomers" she
show R9 sSnS S9a
An able-bodied man." said the stranger.
They strolled down to the village: and. as
they passed a neat white cottage. where q
p
What splendid asters you have this year.
Mrs. Jones'" she said genially.
The woman }d9n I99ked Up aR and RoddSd cd ;S
Sns Ike st na na RSFs s ssrsy
hostess sfq0a dygy " and Tn smiled ssa I nrom.,t
sF sSes the e niece Baker hat keeps the
harness shop-she's a famous hand at asters.
SPd AL FSt y that one Of her Won't you sit down
~ The guests sat down on the porch. and the
accident. the taetician began:
We've been having the most awful time up
moved into her place: and her stovepipe's down
and the furnitures all scattered around. They
well. want to know ef that's so !" said Mrs
Jones. not doubtf9lly. but sympathetically.
It's so subject to Group"
one We " RsPH RoE Es that's Ry Can't she get any
I'm afraid not; She don't know any one
around here. and there's no one who works out
Mrs Jones looked thoughtful
fbnge see as that d9 she tSa said skind
The visitor looked surprised, immeasurably
surprised, and delighted.
II low that he would"
We'd be. so grateful. Do you think he'd
come this afternoon Y
Il don't know as he wouldn't"
.,S As the the visitors went away the dlplomatist
II thought Sammy would do it: but 1t would
never do to take It for granted. It's all in the
hs pgteFsy $ Dc the work out of
sraee picker makes from s. to s. a asy. and
county man has Cape-wide reputation. He ia
long. lean. weather beaten fellow. with a
through the year he loafs around in dreamy
way. and no emergency can move him to work.
OF his trance and Is n wonder. ProprietOrs cry
t9r him; a. no n! Sran9erry 9 bog should be without
slips back into coma once more.
The pickers use small hand machines that
are cross between mouSetrap and fiatron.
and gather the berries In third OF the time re-
quired for hand picking When one watches
an expert handling The machine with a light
ming ike fiatron motion 1t looks simple enough.
| but one trial will convice a novice that the
| knack must be acquired. Two swell summer
| girls from Plymouth drove over to cranberry
| bog last week and applied for work. The
good-natured farmer gave them machines
and set them at work. supposlng they
| would give i w, in ten minutes; but the
girls were not athletic for not hing. At first
| they had hard time and couldn't capture u
berry. Their frantic efforts entertained the
other pickers immensely but they went at the
O'clock pocketed. respectively $3.50 and S2.25: