The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-20
HOUSES THAT BERRIES BUILT.
Achievement of a Widow at Hazelton Who
Was Left Penniless Eight Years Ago.

hazieton, Pa, July 16-One of the
haho soonest double blocks of houses in
'iio diamond Addition of this city belong
W d woman who by the death of her hus.
Oaho was left penniless with three small
chlloren, all girls. The block was built
ana paid for entirely by the sale of huck.
ieperries picked on the mountains about
hazIe1on by the widow and her three
daughters during the last eight years.
The huckleberry crop returns between
| S35, 900 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 piokers are chiefly
the 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 baskets, boxes. pals and receptaoles
of every kind and hurrying to favorite
berry patches. Between the hours of 10
and II in the forenoon the berry pickers
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 expedite the business, meet the pick rs
with wagons at convenient points, where
the berries are purchased and paid for in
cash on the spot. The average price is S.
cents quart. although for the early
blues, the variety that ripens first, and
10 cents quart is paid.
After delivering their first pick the
women and children hurry back to the
mountains. Neither the fatigue of the
forenoon's work nor the heat of the mid.
day sun-and huckleberry barren is a
sweltering, sitting spot almost without a
parallel-has deterring effect on the
pickers. They think only of how many
berries it is possible for them to get into
market for the day. Freq emily it hap
pens 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 skilful huckleberry
pickers. An Italian woman can pick
easily forty quarts day, which is equiva-
lent to So carmel. These women have on
an average three children old enough to
be piokers, who will add as much more
to the days income. Every italian pick
er comes from the picking bearing box
- oSAAtSo OiA llOl A0hA anu CdrFNtIlQ a
large pail or basket full in each hand.
The stranger might wonder at the large
number of little whiffet dogs that always
accompany the hrickleberry 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
rattlesnakes and copperheads that abound
where the berries are. They seem to de.
light in hunting the snakes, and to be
well aware of the deadly nature of the
reptiles. This is manifest from the wari-
ness with which they govern themselves
when confronted by RATHER, aud stbe
skill with which they flank ana 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 places. and
these insects frequently force pickers to
leave particularly 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 Sl0O to 5000
during the season, accordi to the num-
Der ana skill of the pickers. 1t is esti.
mated that they will pick and sell he
tween 600 600 and 700, 900 quarts at Halle.
ton alone this season.