The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-23
MEN ARE WANTED
Berrymen in Neosha Valley
Send Cry for Help.
Want Hands to Work in Straw
berry Fields.
ANY WANT WORK.
Applications Numerous at Free
Employment Agency.
Faces Are Already Turning To-
ward Harvest Fields.

Wanted" says a big yellow hand
bill received today from Chanute by the
Topeka free employment agency, g, 900
Berry Pickers."
This is the first cry for help; the, first
omen of Kansas harvests which begin
almost at once and last until blowing
time next spring. Many men will no
doubt go down and help with the Neo-
sho valley berry harvest, and then
work on out into the wheat belt, and be
ready for the wheat harvest which will
begin about June Is. although it is esti-
mated that it will take two months to
clean up the strawberry and bIackber-
ry crop in the Neosho valley.
The Neosho Valley Fruit Growers
association" continues the yellow hand
Dill, has the largest crop of berries If
has ever grown, and win need ooo
plchers to harvest the fruit to com
Inence about May 25 or June / and will
last about three weeks, and Immediate
| ~ Following will come blackberries.
making the picking season last a ho11t
two months. Our berries are yerv
| large, are mulched with wheat straw
making picking nice clean work pick
ers pick from 100 to $50 quarts per day.
We pay 11s cents per quart for nick
ing We Will furnish fuel. water and
pasture for teams for those who come
down and camp on the farms Rooms
VIII VII pc furnished to limited number
For further information see Robbins
Commission COMPANY or write
j. J. WHEATLEY, Secretary
Berry picking does not seem to be
very. attractive to a great majority of
the idle men who come to the offica Of
the free employment agency hunting a
job. --i-'''is .
say. -'''i'
Too hard on a mans back to pick
stra wberies,' says another.
haven't got any money for rail-
road fare, is a common excuse.
Just at the present time there seems
10 be an unusual number of men in
Topeka hunting work Most of them
nave come here from other towns
Some are from the east-Connecticut
massachusetts,, New. York and other
nelghboring states. 2t
Two young fellows from PennsvI-
Vanla called upon the free employment
agency the other day. They said they
nad not had any work for a good
while and needed any kind of emplov-
ment They looked it.
We had pretty good jobs back
nome, said one of the young men.
but we weren't satisfied. We decided
| 10 come out west to change our ll1pIx
/ Well, our luck has changed but we
are ready to change it again now
4 A young man from Iowa applied for
a job. He was told that the only thing
1 oHered at the time was a position as a
farm hand at $50 per month.
is that all they pay farm hands
down nere?'' asked the young man.
oh, sometimes they pay S22. 80, and
know of one place that pays SPA
said John Alexander, assistant employ
ment agent.
Why I gave up a job as farm hand
IN Iowa at $25 per month to come down
/ here, confessed the young man. They
said that people could get bigger wages
out vest
The Iowa man seemed to think that
he was pretty near to the extreme
limits of out west" when he reached
Kansas.
T. S. Williams, the employment
agent, stated today that not less than
rs men had applied for work TO his
offlce before noon. A good many of
them were sent out to Vinewood park
where the City Railway company is
using good many men. But this de-
mand was supplied by 10 o'clock Quite
a number of other men were sent to
the car barns of the city railway, where
there is considerable demand for men.
Last year the free employment
agency commenced shipping men to
the wheat harvest during the first few
days of June, but the harvest is a
few days later this year. and the de-
mand for men is not so insistent.
T. B. Gerow, state agent of the free
employment agency, says that he will
not make any appeal to the east for
men to help in the harvest Il do not
think we need much outside help this
year" says Mr. Gerow. Enough will
come in from neigh boring states to
supply the demand. Then besides that.
| a good many of the men who come out
4 here from the east are unable to do
the hard work required of a farm nand
in harvest time. They can't stand the
strain"
The railroads, however, will make
low rates, as usual, to the wheat belt,
for the purpose of getting a supply of
laborers to the places where they are
needed.