| It
was home from the tobacco fields yesterday for more than 60 Lakeland
Girls who left for two months away from their homes to go to Camp
Manitook, Conn. and other camps for the harvesting time in New England. As the southbound Champion pulled into the Lakeland station yesterday the girls eagerly poured off the train in spurts and there were wild, happy shouts of greeting as they embraced their mothers and family members after two long months away. The girls arrived home in groups, some Sunday and some yesterday and some today. More than 80 Lakeland High School and college girls left here on July 8 for the Connecticut Camp where they participated in the annual tobacco work project sponsored by the Connecticut Shade Tobacco Growers Association. ------------------- In the year of 1963- Note; This arthur was also a participant in this summer ritual bound for the tobacco camp in Connecticut, only difference was, we took a bus out of Lakeland bound for a summer of work filled days. It was the most wonderful thing I have even done in my youth. Yes! it was work, but we were paid well . The trip on the bus was free to all the girls involved, one rule- Trip was free as long as one did not get sent home for breaking the rules of the camp, you get sent home, you paid for your trip back. The camp was very nice, located on a river in which a dock, boats and paddle boats were supplied for use once the work day had ended. Dorms were not bad, older dorm was 2 story building next to the river, newer dorm was off to the right,one story building. Every Friday night the buses would arrive to take those who wish to shop, to a shopping location, each Friday it was a different location, there were movies, swimming, and the Tobacco Company even provided buses on Sunday for church, different church each week so each girl would get to worship in the church of their faith. Trips for sightseeing were also provided at a reduced rate for each person. At work, the tobacco was sewn on huge machines, much like a sewing machine, 3 girls to a table, 2 sewing and one supplying the tobacco for the other 2 girls., the men in each shed would collect the sewn tobacco and it would then be hung in the rafters of the shed, once the rafters were full, the machines were removed and smokers were brought in, the tobacco would now be cured and the girls on to the next shed. Dances were given, boys from camps who worked in the tobacco fields, were brought to Camp Manitook for an evening of dance, as I found, some of these boys came from Plant City and others from parts of Florida. On one trip to this camp, of which I went 4 summers in a row, I got to take a trip to the N.Y.Worlds Fair, wonderful, took a plane home one time, funny thing was, the buses beat us home. Peggy |