The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-10-20
WAGES ARE G0OG;,
DEMAND Is GREAT
Average Cotton Picker Makes
Money and Has Good
Time

In oklahoma the season has cons
when the housewife gazes upon aei'
lireless cooker and also up)n her
| fireless cookstoye and wrlngs hsf
hands and weeps Cotton picking
is under way and every bles neei }
domestic servant from "Sis,' who
totes the baby 10 MANDY" who pie.
sides over the culinary department
and rustles the suds on was iday. has
disappeared and gone 20 ihe cotton
fields, lured by higher wages and the
pleasures Of frolic that will continue
until snow flies about Christmas time.
Then they will return laden with
spoils. Flat broke in Dinrhns welth.
er, they will appear sone frosty
morning and meekly ask II "Mlssus
doan' want to hyah q good homes
woman to work aroun' do house"
Beginning about September acd
continuing until Christmas, The G0-
nestle servant problem in Ok s'hamA
! Is acute and gnawing. Mrs -. Ridge
sends her invitations for an afternoon
function Mrs B, Ridge takes pride
a her fcnOwn rs Il hostess Her
cookery is the talk OF tbs town.
Mandy says Mrs. 3. Ridge TO sor
faithful domestic next Tuesday |
shall have guests, and ! expect YOU
to do yonr best Come early In the
morning, and don't forget your new
white. linen cap and the new apron
| gave YOU
Law sakos. Missus," exclaims
Mandy rollins her eyes. "lll be done
gone by dat time Ny ole man IN
me and de chilmns gwine TO de cot.
ton patch next Saturday. lse ies ben
haiin' 10 tell YOU bout IT,
Mrs. h. Ridges collapses in tears.
And thus II s in every town within
rench Of the cotton fields The exc
ldus of the servant population may he
observed along every highway and In
every public square. Farmers have
come with their big wagons and their
promises OF good wages and abund
ance OF provisions and wrought ha
voc. Their wagons are filled with en-.
tire families, all thrilled with antlcI
patton OF their annual atumna high
jinks. Oh the farms chickens are NJ
their maximum frylng size. lac wa.
termelon patches are groaning for
attention Apples hang red on the
trees In the orchards, and down In
the creek bottoms, where wild grapes
and haws are ripening there are
countless possum tracks.
With every outfit Of cotton pick
ers Is banjo. and every cotton pick
CT can sing and dance Al the end OF
the long day when the cotton pickers
have come In from the tield and sup.
per has been eaten. the music starts
and long after the moon has begun
dropping toward the west the sound
Of reyelry continues The negro is
eregafious, loving TO mingle with his
kind. The cotton patch. aside from
the wages. has an irresistible attrac
lion for him.
The wages, however, are not 10 be
sneezed at. The cotton planters pay
- cents a hundred pounds for pick.
Ing the seed cotton With long
sack trailing behind, the picker FOL.
lows row after row, deity plucklng
the white bolls and siuffing them
Into his sack II Us work IN Wnlcn
every member OF family big enough
10 toddle may be employed An able
bodied man can pick -four hundred
pounds day, and a woman easily
picks two hundred pounds, often
more a 1i-yearold boy or girl can
pick one-hunderd to one hundred aud
fifty pounds. The wages OF single
family in day amount sometimes 10
81 and $40. Tnere is little oppor-
iuniiy 10 spend this money, save IN
playing craps, and the women usually.
put their foot down on this by making
themselves custodian Of the family
money bag Az the end Of the cotton
season. il Is not uncommon for ne.
gr0 family 10 return 20 town with
$500 or $500 in cash
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