Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-06-25

" IoUiuS VI Twelve or nj
teen miles of Willamette valley coun
try tributary to Salem. at least 5000,
people living in tents and engaged i,
picking hops. In reality it will be ,
: city OF busy people; and preparation,
Tor this work is already well under
: way.
Notwithstanding the prevailing low
prices of hops and the losses that were
sustained by some of the growers last
: year. the amount of capital invested
In the industry is so enormous that ev.
cry effort will be used to facilitate the
harvesting of the crop.
There was a scarcity of pickers last
; year throughout the entire season. This
was so extensive that some of the hops
were injured before they were gath.
cred. The growers will use every
means in their power to prevent this
from recurring. Many of the growers
are already engaging help and when
the season begins will have all the pick.
ers engaged and camping in tents on
the grounds. Good prices will prevail
and many things will be done to make
the hop pickers have not only all the
comforts, but most of the so.called lux
uries of life.
/
The scarcity of help last year was
caused partly because the season
opened gloomily, as far as the weather
was concerned, and because the Lewis
and Clark fair gave employment to
hundreds of boys and girls in Portland.
who otherwise could have been depend.
ed upon to gather at the hop fields.
Hundreds of mattresses in the tempo.
rary restaurants and at such resorts as
the Oaks usually are glad to HE them
selves to the valley on the first of Sep.
tember and try the beauties of the sim.
pie life for couple of months, while
regaling themselves in the hop yards
at SO per day.
The Clement Horst yards have al.
ready engaged 400 pickers and are now
receiving five or six letters a day from
people who desire to assist in saving
this years crop.
The famous yards of Krebs Brothers,
also near Independence, are likewise
engaging help. Most of the applica'
tions for work are coming from Polk,
Marion, Linn and Lane counties ana
the counties along the coast. A big
contingent is expected from Portland
and Oregon City will send its quota as
usual
Many pickers, too, will come from
other states and from eastern Oregon,
more for the outing and the novelty |
than for the compensation. Hundreds
of people come for the pleasure and
for their health.
The unsophisticated and the until |
ated will fail to understand where the |
pleasure comes in. They will only have
to remember that there will be as many
people in camp at once as will populate
a city and that the most favorable con-
ditions for pleasure prevail Neither
must the stranger imagine for mo-
ment that the hop pickers are composed
of the riff raif or the flotsam and jet
sam of the big towns. Such is not the
case. The workers are the regular peo'
ple of all classes. The work is pleas
amt. the surrounding attractive and the
wages received are higher than most
of these people could earn at anything
else.
Al the Krebs yard is one of the larg'
est and what is probably the finest
dance hall in the state. The manage
ment at its own expense maintains an
orchestra and the hop pickers give
ball every night. These functions add
somewhat to the gaiety Of nations ana
ielp some. F:
The Clement Horst yards also have
arge dance hall and will keep banI
his season.
Almost all the large yards have been 1
them and cleaning them up
ntil the work this year will be made /
cry easy. ID
Last year some Of the yards made an I
tempt to adopt the system Of paying d
" weight. The Horst yards stuck TO 1
hs box plan and will continue that
bis year. It is said that many other q
ards will return to the plan Of paying g
Y the box. c
The price that will prevail this year .
IN be 80 cents a box. L
The boxes hold nine bushels and an s
yerage girl can pick six boxes day .
nd an extra good hand will pick ten 4
twelve boxes.
While II will be two months before