The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-09-09
HOP PICKING
In the Fertile Fields Og Wash.
ingtOn Furnishes Employ
ment for Thousands.

| mNut iOH \ HNuNdlUNs
Seattle, wash. Sept s.-The hop pick
ing season on Puget Sound Is one OF un-
usual interest IN more ways than one
The hop industry OF Washington Is OF
vast proportions, and yet according 20
eminent authority. IL is ON the wane.
Time was when hops brought 800 psr
pound, and oven when tho prico had
dropped one-holf there was much money
In the raising of shops with prices as
low as Is cents per pound. $50 20 SO per
acre may be realized. and with modern
conveniences and methods OF removing
and avoiding hop-pests. Il will not be
strange II the industry again reaches its
old-time magnitude
The picturesque features OF hop pick
ing time are really of more interest to
the casual reader than the commercial
features except. possibly. TO such as en-
Joy the quai1ing OF the smooth. soft bev-
erage wnlch comes from the hops. when
the season is open the hop-picidng must
BE done eNpedluoualy and vast numbers
OF "pickers" are employed az the rate OF
81 90 per 100 pounds A great many white
people engage In the work both fer pleas
ure and for profit They camp ON the
grounds. cook beneath the trees and mix
with the motley conglomcrate OF society
usually found ga the hop-velds. consisting
of Americans. Celestials. Japanese, the
Inevitable Siwash and possibly other ma
uonalities are occasionally represented.
Tie siwash Undians) are the truly pic-
turcsque features Of the annual hop pick
anF outing They come from far and
neal--rrom Southern Alaska even. all the
way ia their quaint dur-out canoes. each
containing ono or more families and theit
belonging. Tor old and young alike are
pickcrs. from the pround mp, literally
speaking. Both coming 20 and from the
fields the cities Of the Sound are paid
visit by the fantastic crowd and when
homeward bound with their pockets wei
hlled thcy are very free TO buy whatever
may suit their childish fancy. BcdecSed
In every hue Of the rainbow, bare-foo
generally and bareheaded as far ass the
women--or "klootchmen"-are concerned
they swarm the streets. squat down in
doorways, peddle baskets and chew or
smoke salmon, all the while talking the
iarEon, fun OF 'Tsh-sl,"
and gutteral sounds unlike any other
language ever heard While fn town they
camp upon the water front. sleep I'M their
boats OF roam the st~cats untu late hours
looking In at the brightly lighted store
windows and enjoying themselves In
their own peculiar ways The laws are
very strict concerning the selling Of liquor
TO Indians, or there would be music I'm
town when the Siwash Is present.
The Indian pickers are under the come
mand OF a head man, who each ve.lr
visits certain settlements, whore ne has
his regular hands. and brings them over
60 the yards. which contract with him Tor
the pickers
Tho piclSers are Of all ages from boys
and girls Of TO 10 years up to mon and
women OF 80 and even more than 3d. In
talking with the CHIEF man. he said "rJo
trouble to get plenty OF pickers this year
Wages very good. Hop men. all OF them
pay 500 a box for plciOng, ana my 81
washes viii any OF them pick two ana O.
half 10 three boxes, 80 10 300 pounds. OF
hops a day. Some OF my pickers will pick
four boxes day. lO0 pounds OF hops
-Four dollars a day Is good wages bis
wages, for Siwash. Why do / go $50 far
for my men. women and girls ana boysT
Wen, the Swashes around here are no
account to pick hops Live too near big
towns. Tho hop men don't want them
Tor they Work one or two days, then qult
and get drunk These people work until
the hop fields are cleaned and then got
drunk / will bring a lot more from Van
couver tomorrow In an I viii bring 7t0.
maybe more, but 100 sure"
one OF the largest hop growers I'm the
state. in discussing the matter, said
"The majority OF the hop plckcrs are
Siwashes There are but few white pick
ers now, comparatively speaking The
white labor employed on "a hop farm be
ing engaged In more difficult. but less la-
borious work and besides. a Siwash will
pick more hops than a white man Why
we particularly Ike the west coast In
dlans as pickers Is because there are 80
many women and girls among the bands,
and the females bet the male Siwash at
hop picking. and for that matter az any
other kind OF work ! guess. Another reu-
son Is that the Indians ON the west coast
have intermingled with other races. es-
peclally the Chinese, ana the half-breee
Is far better workers than fun bloods
They work steadily, we have no trouble
with them and consequently they are Al
as pickers
o. NJ. MOORE