Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/101

 WITH OREGON HOP PICKERS 87

rived. But I shall never forget that Laura and "Kid" were willing to take me and introduce me to their friends.

It was midnight before the campers were finally settled and some of them had to sleep out in the rain because they could not find their belongings. It should be explained that the great majority took their own simple outfits and so were saved ex- pense, Pillowless straw beds are not conducive to sleep, espe- cially with the rain coming in as it did in my corner. I hoisted an umbrella and finally slept only to dream of icebergs. The cold of those Oregon nights makes me shudder yet. The others were used to the climate and so were more comfortable than I.

Sunday was a busy day with us. We had to finish getting settled in the morning and this gave an excellent opportunity to become acquainted. The process of making friends was very simple in the unconventional atmosphere of camp life and by noon we were talking freely about the money we hoped to make in the yards ^ in the next few days or weeks. We talked less readily about our past. The usual question, "Have you ever picked before ?" was put to me, and after my negative reply some further facts seemed to be expected, so I volunteered the infor- mation that I had been doing various things, which was accept- ed for what it was worth and the matter allowed to drop, for as one woman in our tent said, with a knowing nod, "We's all done things we doesn't care to tell about." Again the democracy of the hop field triumphed and each stranger was taken on her merits, regardless of previous condition of servitude.

In the afternoon began the real business of the season — the registration of pickers and their assignment into yards and com- panies. That was an experience upon which I look back with horror. The boss seated himself in a narrow doorway and or- dered the crowd to get in line. There were in all about a thou- sand people on the grounds, including those who had come in from the surrounding country, so the line soon became a sweat- ing, swearing mob. Men crowded girls almost to suffocation

•It may be explained here that technically the entire acreage is called a "field," while the sub-divisions for purposes of work are known as "yards." The words are often used interchangeably, however.