The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1902-09-25

Every cannery was running al
full blast. the shipping sheds
were loading and shipping, carloads by
the hundred every day. the drying
grounds looked like acres of varicolored
patchwork with their trays of dark
and light fruit, and the orcharlists
were securing the highways and hedges
for "hands" to keep up with the de.
mand.
The packing house at Rancho Pico
swarmed with q motley crew gathered
from the four corners of the earth, In
the effort to handle the crop without q
waste. for few days Of sudden and
intense heat had ripened everything In
double-Quick time. A crew Of Japs,
working In the prune orchard, were
hauling loads Of dusky purple fruit to
the west room to be dipped. spread.
dried and graded by lot Of brawny
Swedes. In the cutting room. wiry
little Dago was sweating and swear
ing over band Of low-browed Digger
Indians. a. he weighed out the fruit
TO them, and sent the filled trays to the
bleachers. At the main entrance stood
. train Of fruit wagons. waiting for
their respective loads Of peaches for
cannery and shipment, while from the
vineyard came 'goose-necks" with
their freight Of grapes to be pressed
into raisins. Everything was going
Owimmingly.
Above the rich brogue Of the team
oters, the sputterings Of the Japs. the
cultural 'grupts Of the Indians. and
muttered cussings in every current
tongue, arose the commanding voice Of
young Smithers. the manager. With q
mn" to the Cinnamon in the loading
shed, 'get move on" to Q gang OF
young boys at the packing tables, a
threatening gesture toward the Dig
gers, he kept everybody on a rush
while his watchful eye covered every
detail, from the bookkeeper in the Of
nee to the mule in the "goose-neck."
Were going to get through all
right Tamaki," he said to the Jap
boss. who combined the properties of
Intelligence Office. general foreman and
sub-lessee. in his own shifty person.
Men YER scarce. though" he an
swered, 40 he turned to steady a load
Of trays, that were being switched on
20 the track.
Yes. but we're full-handed for once"
with . glance over his congress Of ma
tions.
Then Tamaki. seeing the iron hot,
came nearer. "Ver' sorry" he said, n
confidential tones, '.but Just came
down to tell you boys think have to
have little more money. So much hard
work, and hot weather."
"But they're getting q dollar and
half day." said smithers. n ruinous
rate for such lot Of" He remem-
eered just in time that this was not an
occasion for crossing swords.
"Yes. ! know" the little brown man
imperturbably; "but boys
eay they quit, no get dollar sixty-Ave."
Smithers looked 1t the little grinuing
0hylock. and thought how easy It
would be to throttle him on the SPOT.
but he also thought Of the sixty Japs
picking fruit and the necessity of get
ting It harvested at once. 10 he kept
his hands in his pockets, saying 40
coolly ~ he could: every sorry, too, but
boys get no more money from me-"
II 'fraid boys quit. /" taunted Tamaki;
~0ns crop. too. Too bad lose EN-
Then Smithers, knowing the scarcity
q white men a. laborers. and remeln-
boring how lucky he had thought him.
self to get this band Of Japs when 9TH
q growers were losing tons Of fruit
because labor was 20 scarce, choked
Gown his wrath. and said:
"rll tell You what I'll do, Tamaki;
m give one sixty-nvs the rest Of this
week. II you'll see that they work hard
and earn It." hoping to get out Of the
woods BY then.
And Tamaki. seeing the boys" had
never thought Of objecting to their rig
alar one dollar day. pocketed the pros
pect Of bis extra sixty-dvs cents Der
capita with chuckle
Two days later Z rush order came In
Rom the East for . heavy shipment OF
fresh fruit. Every department that
could be cut down without too great !
Dacri6ce was curtailcd. and every avail
able hand on the place was turned to
picking peaches. In the midst Of 1t all. |
Tamaki appeared in the, office with a |
aowncast countenance.
"ver' sorry. Mr. Smithers," he began;
Aver' rush. I know. but boys think have
10 quit"
whats the matter noww Smithers
called from behind his desk.
Boys think too hard work. They
think like to 60 to hop fields. get more