The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-28
were as thick as mosqu


In June, when green peas must be
rushed to market and every days de-
lay means monetary loss, the larger
farmers need all the help they can
get, so even women with babies are set
picking. Up and down the fields, be-
tween long, straight, green rows of
vines, stand baby carriages, covered
with mosquito netting. While the
mothers work, the babies sleep or kick
in the sunshine.
AS soon as children are old enough
to pull pod, they, too, are called in
to service, and at noon when work
stops and the luncheon of rye bread,
cheese and onions is eaten, the scene
is festive. Groups gather by families
under trees of shelters matched with
green boughs. Sometimes, among Ital-
ian or French laborers there is sing
ing.
The wages received by women farm
hands are better thanAmight be sup
posed. For filing a two-bushel bag of
peas a picker gets 20 cents; for beans
half as much. AT these rates a good
hand earns $3.50 per day One rea-
son for comparatively high earnings
is curious; the old two bushel bag has
shrunk gradually in size until now it
holds only a bushel and a half. The
farmers have tried to substitute the
bushel as the unit of measure, but the
women object and bag measure is
still customary.
To insure industry the farmers,
when possible, pay by quantity. Some
have even tried to pay for wedding by
| the row, but, as rows in different fields
are of different lengths, pay by time
! is more convenient. The usual rates
are IS cents or 81 per day.
| Even when hiring by the week, the
pT hni 1n1y Act
afternoon the farmer appears in the
! fields carrying a leather bag filled with
! silver or one-dollar bills, and the wo-
men form in line to receive their earn
] ings. The farmer says he takes this
| trouble because he cannot tell the
women apart, and if he waited until
Saturday night there might be end
less confusion in his pay rolls.
Old world Habits Cling.
At pea picking and handwriting
! one sometimes sees Polak men work.
ing side by side with women, but not
usually. The male laborer drives the
I cultivator, or is told off for heavy
| work. Indeed, the Polak man is less
apt than his wife to be a farm hand.
He digs cellars or. sewers and works
| on roads and railroads. When he is
! employed on the farm, he is usually
hand hired by the year and given,
/ DEllRlnk
ward his wife and daughters to exc
out the family income.
Flocking in village teneIrents. the
Long Island Poles remain as old-world
| in habits as they might in a New York
| quarter" They speak little English.
! The women wear head 'kerchiefs.
/ black sometimes. as often white or
red Some wear hoods, many work
bare-headed. They wear short, full
| cotton skirts and big aprons. Many
work bare-footed, their tanned soles
| peeplng out IN rows behind their skirts
| as they kneel at wedding.
They are not easy subjects for the
| wandering photographer. Sometimes
\ they run from the devil IN the box; +"
! sometimes they are afraid Of being vle-
! Tins " some scheme mo gotta no
norma to-aaya." they scream AZ sight
/ 81 the camera. Even "a BIZ Of silver
/ dropped Ia each hand needle a minute
/ 20 teach them that money for once 81
7 passing IN d pleasant direction. Then
l what change from suspicion down
! On the grass they fling themselves
laughing. chaftfrinF, pulling their az
! fpnsi Hateh'nF af eagerly AZ children.
~ Z Q'eloek w lile sfterae9n sgben