The San Francisco call., 1908-11-22
Jhe MoeGf NI1kqf1e nR19e
Bv Billie Gvnn


Tar. call it the hop country be-
cause It was the hop season. but there
had been Strawberries. logan and
black berries, peaches and prunes, too
the latter still going through the
process OF drying on their brown pan
nish trays in the pruneyards you
passed. Now # was the hops-next it
would be the grapes. when there
would be less women and more men.
But UP TIL the present it little mat
tered what II was so far as the crowd
was concerned-for from earliest
strawberry time practically the same
people, people so different in their
ntegrants-tented out in the glorious
sunshine Of the country, turning work
into holiday and summer vacation into
earnings. in way peculiar to Califor-
mans alone. csiifornians, too. of a
mighty good class-and striking their
camps with gipsy relish for another
ranch when they had finished with
one.
All through the hop country had
questioned them. sometimes lingering
FOR half day-and I had been amazed.
Some. OF course, had come for the hops
alone, but many had been there
through all the berry season, too.
Girls Drowned with the sun and beau
tiful-many Of them college graduates
as we'll; their elder sisters, TO whom
one would need an introduction in
Santa Rosa or San Francisco; whole
families down to the tot boy in dresses
the smiling gentlewoman mother.
the striplings who went off in the
afternoon with their fishing tackle or
gun and brought a bobtail home for
supper; the hearty, bearded father.
who worked mostly because It is the
habit Of fathers, and the misses of all
AGES to the quite mature, who romped,
sang or were energetic as mood or
temperament dictated. Families of la
borers. Of clerks, of well to do farm
ers. Of those even higher up in the So
cias scale-out FOR health or a good
time; and men Of all ages. from uni
versity to hobo the latter often the
university men Of other days; but
everybody so thoroughly rusticated.
humanized and brought out by old Sol,
the breadth and freedom Of the coun-
try. that social scale, If it might have
existed. melted away like thin ice like
wise rowdyism. for neither is that a
proof against nature.
Work as They Please
IN the hop and berry fields just on
the outskirts Of Santa Rosa the pickers
wend back to their home in town when
the days work IS done. They may quit
any time they choose. however, for
they are paid per quantity. Sometimes
it's in the afternoon. as the notion
takes them, but there is usually a jolly
crowd IN the evening and the oaks
along the wayside rustic with laughter
and love making. Stained faces strag-
ely dresses. maybe, and rough, dusty
shoes-for hop Juice spoils everything;
but what's the difference when there
is still light in the eyes, a toss to a
head, a smile adorable, and youth and
health like a very elixir IN the veins.
OF course all are not young in years,
Cupids arrows have long since sped for
some. but age in its harsher meanings
can never belong to these smiling, out
door people Of California. In their
SUMNER condition they are classic,
unique. and above and beyond all stand
by themselves-perhaps. beyond under
standing
Rosie" they called her, and she was
brown. glowing and delicious as the
conee you drink. walked with her,
little behind the rest Of the group,
along the dusty road into Santa Rosa
and we plowed it like children with
our feet-and laughed. Yet was
curious. too.
But can't understand" I said, why
you people Of the town-such people,
for she had been giving the standing
OF some Of those in the group ahead
go out in the fields TO work. 1t can't
be such fun-is it IN the air or what?'
To such incomprehension Rosie
turned with the slightest pucker Of heI
brows. Why" she said, in the most
natural way as If no explanation could
be clearer TO herself. this is Califor-
mia and we just go out and pick fruit
and hops-that's ALI"
7 didn't pursue the subject. Rosie
for that one name was all about her
I knew decided belonged undoubt-
edly 10 the class Of no alternative"
would thresh the matter out with
somebody else.
That evening I went TO a rather
fashionable dance. The hostess ushered
me over to a charming young lady in
white and introduced me. It was Rosie
that lifted her brown eyes to me and
tiquant, laughing face. She gave me
her hand with a charming mockery.
Because il IS hop stained" she said
and you seem 70 mind"
That is one incident-and yet ] wasn't
satisfied. Up in the next ranch I came
to-where the people camped on the
ground-I asked the gentle, middle aged
woman from Michigan, who had been
ia California ten years, about it.
why" she said, some of US come
for our health-hops are so good for
.he nerves; some of US come to work
and some Of us come for the outing But
the main thing about it, ] guess, is
that IT'S one of the habits Of the coun-