The Republican journal., 1899-09-21
Hop-Picking in Puget Sound.

Washington is of vast proportions, and
the wane. Time was when hops brought
81. 90 per pound, and even when the price
had dropped one half there was much
money in the raising of hops. With prices
as low as fifteen cents per pound, $50 to
SO per acre may be realized, and with
modern conveniences and methods of re-
moving and avoiding hop pests, it will not
be strange if the industry again reaches its
time magnitude.
The picturesque features of hop picking
time are really of more interest to the
casual reader than the commercial fea-
lures, except possibly, to such as enjoy
the quaffing of the smooth, soft beverage
which comes from the hop. When the
season is open the hop picking must be
done expeditiously, and vast numbers of
"pickers'' are employed at the rate of
81. 90 per 100 pounds. A great many
white people engage in the work, both
for pleasure and for profit. They camp
on the grounds, cook beneath the trees,
and mix with the motley conglomerate of
society usually found in the hop fields,
consisting of Americans, Celestials, Jap
anese, the inevitable Siwash, and possibly
other nationalities are occasionally rep
resented.
The Siwash Qndiaus) are the truly
picturesque features of the annual hop
picking outing. They come from far and
near-from Southern Alaska even, all the
way in their quaint dug-out canoes, each
belongings, for old and young alike are
"pickers," from the ground up, literally
speaking. Both going and coming to and
from the fields the cities of the Sound are
when homeward bound, with their pockets
well filed they are very free to buy
whatever may suit their childish fancy.
Bedecked in every hue of the rainbow,
barefooted generally and bareheaded as
far as the women or "klootchmeu' -
are concerned, they swarm the Streets
squat down in doorways, peddle baskets
and chew smoked salmon-all the while
talking their indistinguisEable jargon, full
of ''ish- SIX" and gutteral sounds, unlike
any other language ever heard. While in
town they camp upon the water front,
sleep in their boats or roam the streets
until late hours, looking in at the brightly
lighted store windows and enjoying them
selves 10 their own peculiar ways. The
laws are very strict concerning The selling
Of liquors to Indians, or there would be
music in town when the Siwash is
present.
The Indian pickers are under the com
mand of the head man, who each year
visits certain settlements, where he has
his regular hands, and brings them over
to the yards which contract with him for
the pickers.
The pickers are of all ages from boys
and girls of 5 and 10 years up to men and
women Of 50, and even more than so. In
talking with the chief man he said ''No
trouble to get plenty pickers this year.
Wages very good. Hop men all of them,
pay 81 a box for picking, and my Siwashes
will any of them pick two and half to
three boxes, 80 TO 800 pounds of hops a
day Some of my pickers will pick four
boxes day, 400 pounds If hops. Four
dollars day is good wages, big wages,
for Siwash. Why do | go sc far for my
men, women, girls and boys? Well,
the Siwashes around here are no account
to pick hops. Live too near many big
towns. The hop men don't want them,
for they work one or two days. then quit
and get drunk. These people work until
the hop fields are cleaned and then get
drunk ! Will bring lot more from Van
couver tomorrow. In all will bring 100,
mebbe more, but 700 sure.
One of the largest hop growers in the
State, in discussing the matter, said
"The majority of the hop pickers are
Siwashes There are but few white pick
ers now, comparatively speaking, the
white labor on hop farm being engaged
in more difficult but less laborous work
and besides siwash will pick more hops
than white Why we particularly like
the west coast Indians as pickers is be-
cause there are SO many women and girls
among the bands, and the females beat
the male Siwash at hop picking, and, for
that matter, at any other kind of work,
guess. Another reason is that the Indians
on the west coast have intermingled with
other races, especially the Chinese, and
the half breeds are far better workers
than full bloods. They/work steadily, we
have no trouble with them and conse-
quently they are rated A as pickers.
o. NJ. MOORE.
FREE OF CHARGE.
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