Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-23

X
The padrone has the hiring of the cram
berry pickers. He IS the middle man be-
tween the owners Of the boys and the
cringing men, women and children who
harvest the sour. red berries. So almost
without exception the padrone draws his
pickers from the deniZens Of the crowded,
fetid tenements in Philadelphia's Little
Italy, and finds 1t no difficult task. AS
a matter Of fact. the padrone can line his
own pocket well through his brokerage
of child labor.
Families like that Of which Theresa s
papa boasts are plentiful in the Italian
quarter of any city, and the horde OF
hungry little mouths Is hard to FILL So
the head Of the family argues that there
is good silver to be earned in the cram
berry boys, and what, after all, does 1t
matter If Theresa and her sister Rosa,
with even three Of the other children. do
lose several weeks from school? Will
they not. in exchange. have an outing?
Will they not be in the healthful sun
shine all day? And will not even such
small hands as those Of Theresa be able
to add glorious dollars to the family
purse? Where else. indeed. could whole
families find employment? Go? Most
cerraInly-eagerly and with haste!
The dollars decide the question.
Now. in every Italian quarter in the late
fall, hundreds Of parents with many chill
ess which convinces Theresas papa be-
yond all doubt that employment In the
cranberry bogs Is above all things desir-
able. and each family is eagerly awaiting
the opportunity to enroll In the ranks OF
the pickers. So the padrone can choose
and does. He also attends to such small
details as the purchase Of railroad tickets
What If most Of his kind do charge their
hands twice as much for the privilege Of
riding on the railroad as they themselves
paid? What matter? Did they not, out of
the kindness Of their hearts, choose them?
Should the hands, then. be ungrateful?
Indeed no!
So papa pays the extortionate rate with
smiling face, and mamma bundles the en-
tire family into the train. while her lord
and master talks excitedly to others
bound for the boys Of the opportunity
thus afforded to add more glorious Ameri-
can dollars to the family trove.
Arrived at the bog. the family is as
signed to penlike quarters These are
usually temporary shacks of ramshackle
construction. which the owners defend by
pleading the shortness of the season.
A single. stuffy room, indescribably
dirty. with small windows. when any
aperture whatever breaks the dull mo-
notony OF warped pine wall. is the al
lotment for an entire family. This spa
cious apartment usually measures about
five by six feet. A bunk which soon be-
comes a harbor for all sorts Of insect life,
IN built along one side wall. II large
family In to occupy the room the padrone
generously adds 10 the equipment
skinny mattress. so that II there are as
many an eight occupants for the cramp-
ed space four may occupy the hard board
bunk. while a like number may sleep on
the ragged. corn -husk-filled ticking.
Sometimes there Is the added luxury
OF rough board table in the room. This
serves it's allotted purpose of dining
bonrd mornings and evenings, but at
night II Is piled high with the dank, reek-
Ing garments OF the laborers.
When a family takes possession it's
members complete the furnishings OF