Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-07-23
WESTERN BERRY PICKERs.
Wanderers who Gather small Fruit
Crops Of Missouri and Arka

Crops Of Missouri and Arkansas.
Like the rowing banks of harvestcrs
that follow the ripening Of the barley
across the counties of England and Ire
land is the nondescript and mobile army
OF workers who look after the fruit
gathering In Missouri and Arkansas A
life OF careless vagabondagc Is led by
these people, who make few dollars
picking berries here and spend II getting
to the next Job yonder.
The berry picking is over and the
ancient order of fly by nights has moved
back to the lock horns Of Alberta peach
and the early apple. The tramps believe
Iif 1t were not for them. says the Kansas
City Star that strawberries and other
quick perishing fruits could not profit
ably be placed on the northern markets
in such large quantities as at present. 1t
Is true that this industry requires a quick
mobilization Of labor attracted BY moder-
ate wages.
The strawberry is the first fruit on the
market, the most perishable and the one
requiring a considerable amount of or
ganization to get the product on the
northern markets while the prices are
good.
The tramp who can sleep in the jun
giles" and has the knack of getting over
the road at small expense is really part
of the strawberry industry.
Starting at Fort Smith, he works his
way up over the Frisco and Kansas City
Southern railroads. picking strawberries
as the patches gradually come to matur-
ity further and further north. Then he
turns around to st. Louis and works
his way back over the same routes, pick
Ing apples and peaches, until he again
arrives at Fort Smith. II by this time
he is still inclined to work he goes out
in the cotton fields. but not often. Cotton
picking is largely done by the people in
the immediate locality where the crop
is raised and by hill Billies," who come
down from the mountains.
Last spring was hard season for both
pickers and growers Of berries. Rain
nearly ruined the crop, and hard times
brought many more pickers into the dis
trict than possibly could be employed.
The railroads let pickers ride the
freights without molestation, it being
pretty we'll understood that the berry
pickers this season had no money. There
were many cases Of hard luck. A woman
and her twelve-year- daughter went
from Fort Smith to Springdale, Ark. The
rains destroyed the berries, the woman's
money gave out, and after sleeping three
nights on the depot benches ticket
home was given to her by number Of
travelling men who had observed her
plight
Rudy Ark a little town In the Ozarks.
where the roads are very rough and
rocky, but where the people are hospit-
able and kind, is a typical strawberry
town. Here during the season we'll iced
freezer stands dripping on a siding
every evening, and the wagons come
banging and humping down the hills.
over boulders which It would take tons
Of dynamite to remove, laden with the
fragrant fruit.
A mountain stream runs close by the
town, and here are the "jungles, the
pickers' boarding houses. Any place
where tramps camp is called Jungle.
Campfires are burning among the trees.
Juicy steaks are being barbecued and
| "mlligans' are steaming In old boilers
and lard tins. On the bushes are various
articles of wearing apparel that lately
have been laundered in the stream.
Besides sleeping and living in the Jun
giles" the pckers are allowed to "fop"
| In the village church and at the depot.
Tents are provided in some places, but
this is not the general rule.
The berry patches of Arkansas are on
the high hills. A winding rpId makes
its way up seemingly Impossible inclines
to a mountain home simply and sub
stantially built of logs, with fireplace
of brownstone masonry at one end and
Il box for bluebrds and pigeon cote at
the other. Then there is the ever present
| spring. Springs, many of them discharg-
ing small rivers. everywhere abound.
| But the berry patch is the place of in
terest. 1t is on ground SO rocky that one
wonders how anything can grow in such
| a place, but the growers say that the
rocks are no deriment, rather "A help.
They keep the soil loose and moist. The
berries are laid out in regular rows which
must be kept separate and well cultiva'-
ed At one corner OF the patch Is the
berry she'd a roughly constructed shelter
looking a good deal like circus lemon
ade stand
Here the pickers bring full boxes, which
are the ordinary quart berry boxes. six or
seven of them resting on what Is called
holder" this being simply light
frame with handles to carry the boxes.
At the shed the boxes are exchanged for
printed tickets of different denominations,
which show how many quarts have been
picked These tickets are redeemable at
the village store in cash.
The picking proceeds by each person
taking one row. picking II clean 10 the
edge of the patch. when another is
assigned to him by the person overseeing
the work. 1t is permissible to eat few
berries now and then as one goes along
but one who INDUCES TOO freely or tries
to ''swipe" choice berries from his neigh
boris row, or worse STILL picks berries
at night, is designated a hog For such
there is scant consideration.
Counting the time lost on wet days
time spent climbing over mountains from
one patch to another and deductlng ex-
penses of getting over the railroad from
one berry district to another good
picker has made about 20 cents day. W
course, there are cases where pickcrs
have cashed in s. or even s. for day
work. but such occurrences are sporadic.
But although the picker has not grown
wealthy he has spent the summer IN tie
orcha rds and fields. When winter comes
he shocks up with enough money to
last still spring. when again the call OF
the orchards bids him forth TO adventure
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