BERRY PICKING
We reached the fruit country a week or two before picking commenced,
but although we were in advance of time, and without a cent, the
generosity of the farmers supplied all our wants. The authorities did
not in the least interfere with us, though we lit large camp fires on
the outskirts of the towns, took possession of hay ricks and empty
out-houses, and loafed for hours in their principal streets. They knew
well that the assistance of every man would be needed to strip the
vines of their berries, which promised a supply exceeding that of
former years. Friday morning, it being generally known that picking
was to commence on the following Tuesday, Australian Red remarked that
it was now time to interview the farmer, for whom he had previously
worked. With this object in view, we left the pretty inland port of
St. Joseph, and strolling leisurely, we reached that farm in two
hours, it being only five miles from the town. The farmer and his
wife, who employed several servants of both sexes, but were without
children of their own, at once recognised Australian Red, and gave
him a kindly welcome, which spoke well for Red's gentlemanly behaviour
in the past. The old man told him, in his bad English, that there
would always be plenty of work for Red, and for others whom he might
bring with him.
I was about twenty-three years of age at this time, appeared much
younger and not in any way looking like a dangerous youth, was soon on
the best of terms with the old people. So much so, that at the end of
the summer, when the pickers were leaving, the result being as
satisfactory to themselves as to the farmer, the kind old couple
inveigled me into a private place and proposed to adopt me as their
own son, and that they would teach me how to run the farm, which they
said would become mine at their death. The only way to answer these
kind people was to say that I already had a good home, and parents
living in England, and that I intended to return there with the
profits of this summer's work.
The earliest fruit was the strawberries, whose vines grew from six
inches to a foot above the ground. We knelt in the hot blazing sun
which beat so powerfully on our bended necks that the flesh became in
a day or two the dark colour of walnut stain. The soil, being dry and
sandy burned through the clothing until our knees were covered with a
rash. The effect of this extreme heat often affected people's
reasons, and sometimes killed them outright. Berry picking in the
South has other dangers of a worse kind. I shall never forget seeing a
man leap screaming to his feet, at the same time wringing his right
hand in agony. He had parted the thick vines, in quest of the berries
that were concealed under the leaves, and in doing so, had disturbed a
deadly snake, which had bitten his offending hand. The snake was very
small, but far more deadly than many others of twenty times its length
and weight. Several deaths occurred this way in my berry picking
experience in the South. There was not much fear of this happening in
the State of Michigan, but we often wished we could crawl under the
low green leaves of the vine to escape for a time the rays of the sun.
The farm extended to the shores of the lake, and when our day's work
was at an end, we hastened there, and plunged into the cold and
unsalted water which never grew warm, and could be swallowed with
impunity. After which we would return, cook supper in the open air,
and wrapping ourselves in blankets lie all night under the thick
foliage of a tree. The berries were sent every night to Chicago for
the morrow's market; but, there being no market on Sunday our day of
rest was Saturday, and we picked on Sunday for Monday's market. Early
every Saturday morning Australian Red would go to town in the farmer's
buggy, and return to us later in the day with papers, tobacco,
matches, and such provisions as we needed; for eggs, butter, milk,
potatoes and fruit could be had of the farmer, the latter delicacy
being free for the trouble of picking.
Red seemed to me to be a man above the average intelligence, and, as
far as my knowledge went, seldom made an error in grammar or the
pronunciation of words. But that he should think words required a
different pronunciation in reading from what they did in speaking, was
a great shock to me, and made some of his most illiterate hearers look
from one to another with stupefaction. Now, I was always greatly
interested in fights and glove contests, and Red, claiming to have
personal acquaintance with the best of Australia, and himself claiming
to be an amateur middle weight, whose prowess many a professional had
envied, often entertained me with little anecdotes of them, which had
escaped the notice of sporting papers. So, on the first Saturday of
our picking, Red returned from town with a paper which gave a full and
graphic account, round by round, of a contest for the light weight
championship of the world, the principals hailing respectively from
Australia and America. Red's sympathies, of course, were with the
former, who, to his elation, had defeated his opponent. Being a very
modest man, Australian Red had always quietly perused his paper,
making few comments, so as to avoid all argument; but on this
occasion, he opened his paper and began to read with a boldness that
astonished me. But what surprised me most was the way in which he
made use of an expletive syllable, which sounded so quaint as to make
laughter irresistible. For instance, this passage occurred in
describing the fifth round: "After he was knocked down, he picked
himself up painfully, and the blood flowed from his nostrils in
copious streams." I could not help laughing out at his strange
delivery, and Red, thinking my sympathies were with the bruiser from
the Antipodes, chuckled with a real, but more quiet delight. We had
enough food for conversation that day, in commenting on this contest.
I like to see a good scientific bout by men who know the use of their
hands, but would rather walk twenty miles than see animals in strife.
Although of a quiet disposition, my fondness for animals is likely at
any time to lead me into danger. After reading cases of vivisection I
have often had dreams of boldly entering such places, routing the
doctors with a bar of iron, cutting the cords and freeing the animals,
despite of any hurt I might receive from bites and scratches. Perhaps
I should cut a ridiculous figure, walking through the crowded streets
with a poor meek creature under each arm, but that would not bother me
much in the performance of a humane action.
After a good month's work at the strawberries, we had three weeks at
picking raspberries, followed by four weeks blackberry picking. There
was good money to be made at the strawberries, but much less at the
raspberries. The blackberry picking was as lucrative as the
strawberry, and, being cultivated on the low bushes that seldom
required us to stoop, was not such a tedious occupation as the latter,
whose vines were often half buried in the soil. After paying all
expenses, I had, at the end of the season, cleared over a hundred
dollars.
It was now the last of the picking, and the farmer paid us off. He was
a German, and nearly all the farmers in that part of the country were
the same, or of that descent, and they used the German language at
every opportunity, and never used English except when it was necessary
to do so. "You vos come again, next summer," said he to Australian Red
and myself as we were leaving--"for I know you two plenty." This
remark made me blush, for it seemed as much as to say that his
knowledge of us was more than he desired--but we understood his
meaning. He offered to drive us to St. Joseph, but we preferred to
walk, as we had all day and half the night to wait before the boat
started from that place to Chicago.
"Now," I said to Australian Red, as we jogged along, "I am going to
hoard the bulk of my dollars, and shall just keep two or three handy
for food and incidental expenses, for I am now about to beat my way
from Chicago to New York. From the latter place I shall pay my passage
to Liverpool, clothe myself better, and then take train for South
Wales, and still have a pound or two left when I arrive home." "Come
and have a drink," said Red, "and I will then inform you how any man
without former experience on sea or ship, neither being a sailor,
fireman or cook, can not only work his passage to England, but be paid
for doing so."
We had had no intoxicating liquor for several months, and, though we
had passed one or two of these places on our way to St. Joseph, on
which he had gazed in a rather too friendly manner, his courage, up to
this moment, had not been equal to an invitation. "Well," I said,
pleased with the prospect of not only saving my passage money, but
also of earning my train fare in England--"it will certainly be cold,
taking this deck voyage across the lake in the early hours of morning,
and a glass of whiskey will keep some warmth in us." Alas! the usual
thing happened--we got full; and what with the dead effects of the
drink, and a rough passage across, we arrived in Chicago feeling cold,
stiff, and in many other ways uncomfortable.
I have often heard salt water mariners sneer at these fresh water
sailors, but, after crossing the Atlantic some eighteen times, and
making several passages across the lakes, my opinion is that these
vast inland lakes are more dangerous to navigate, and far less safe
than the open seas.
Of course, we had to have more whisky, after the voyage, and, having
had to sleep, its effect was almost instantaneous. Not altogether
losing my senses, I suggested to Red that we should go to some hotel,
have breakfast, and then go to bed for an hour or two, say till dinner
time, which would refresh us. It was now eight o'clock in the morning,
and Red had unfortunately got into conversation with a gentleman who
knew something of Australia. "Yes," he said, gravely, after listening
to my proposal--"you are young, and you certainly look drunk and
sleepy, and had better follow your own advice. The hotel is next door
but one to this, and you will find me here when you return." Not
liking to take him by the shoulder, and to gently try to force him
away from this stranger in whose conversation he evidently seemed to
take a great delight, not to mention doing such an action before the
landlord's face, I left him, made arrangements at the hotel for two,
and then went to bed. Having had a good sleep, and a substantial meal,
and feeling thoroughly refreshed, I now returned to Red, whom I found
in the centre of half a dozen loafers, besides the gentleman to whom I
have already referred. On my appearance, he staggered to his feet and
came to meet me, and then, taking me on one side, began in this way:
"You have just come in the nick of time, for the glasses, as you see,
are empty. Pay for all drinks called for, and I will make it all right
with you in the morning." "What is the matter?" I asked. "What have
you done with over eighty dollars?" Winking artfully, and with a smile
meant to be cunning, he said--"I have hidden my money, as I usually do
in these cases. Most likely it is in the lining of my coat; but,
wherever it is, you may depend on it as being quite safe." If he had
had the assistance of a score of the most inveterate drunkards, I know
he could not in this short time have squandered between eighty and
ninety dollars. Red had earned ninety-five dollars and a half, and, up
to the time of my leaving him, had spent but very little. I came to
the conclusion that he had been robbed, and that this befell him in
all his sprees. After calling for a round of drinks, I left the house,
knowing that Red would soon follow, which he did, and at once. I
persuaded him to bed, and the next morning saw the same peculiarities
as before--his going into corners, up side streets, to feel the lining
of his clothes. He was not satisfied at seeing no tear in the lining
of his cap, but must hold it in his hand and feel every inch of it.
"Somewhere on my person," he reiterated, "I have secreted three twenty
dollar bills. I have a distinct recollection of doing so, but for the
life of me I cannot remember what part." "You have been robbed," I
answered, with a little disgust. Not willing to leave him in his
present circumstances, and only too sorry that I had not done so when
he was almost as well off as myself, I shared my dollars with him,
saying in an offended manner--"The sooner we squander this stuff the
better it will please us." We spent it in one week in Chicago, and
were again without a cent. "Again," I said with some exaggeration,
"winter is here, and we are in the same position as at the end of last
summer. What now?" "We are without money," said Red, "but there is
still nothing to prevent us from our first intention of visiting
England. We will beat our way to Baltimore without delay. I am known
in that port by the cattle foremen and owners, and we are almost sure
of a ship as soon as we arrive." After all, I thought, eager for a new
experience, one trip will not come amiss.