The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1881-06-30
DIR. EssER's MELONS.

1t is next to impossible to teach many OF
the colored people Of the South that it is
as wrong to steal watermelon as a calf.
The colored man will admit that the calf
larceny deserves the severest penalty of
bhe law, and If he were on jury he would
enforce it, 100; but let a case of stolen
melons come before court, and he II stand
up stoutly for acquitfal aud, ii he is the
delinquent, plead his innocence with an
injured air of being uninstly prosecuted.
Old Uncle Jared Bllek, a negro Of some
reputation III the Gulf States, expressed
the popular opinion III i melon case before
the court where he had been dragged re-
luctant witness. .-
''No, Jedge; I'm not denyin' Simon
Blase tuck Gle melons, sence I'll desc gem
mans seed him do it. But melons, some
how, don't seem like dey's anybody's
property specially. Folks wot plants 'em
knows dey's bound to be tuck when dey're
ripe. When plants. 1raps four seed in
fur de tief.' You puts gour gold an your
silber in de ehist, and you keeps deskeys
You plants yoiir melons rite by de road,
and leads your nelghbor into temptation
by making his mouf water fur 'em. No,
Jedge, ef melons is valyhles, treat 'em like
yalybles and hide 'em. Don't throw 'em
under folks foots, and den kick upa row
wen they're picked up
Uncle Jered Black, however, would
never beacalled upon to defend his colored
brothers Of o., at least for some time
to come. They vince at the very name of
melon.
will tell you Why
There never was such Il season for mel
ons rs last summer in the country around
o.. They were splendid In all the lit
tie fields and gardens, but, strange to say,
they had been failure III the lots of the
oolored population.
The right time 70 plant them bad come
when the moon was on the Wanc, and you
can neither persuade nor force a colored
planter to put seed into the ground at that
time.
The new moon came ia wet. The melon
seed that the colored people planted were
rotted and the crop spoiled. One could
hardly count the hungry mouths which
longed for the luscious fruit, and the eyes
which gloated over the.fence at DR.. Spen-
ser's melon-patch. He had the finest mel
ons in the country, but he did not give
many people a chance to taste them, fer
Dr.. Spenser was a nliserly man, who pre-
ferred leaving fruit to foe on the ground to
giving it away.
Raids were made on I'LL the melon
patches for miles around, but DR.. tspenscr's s
was untouched. He chuckled when any
one asked if he was not afraid to have his
melons right on the public road, when just
to cross low fence would bring q ro5ber
into the very midst Of his fruit.
s. 'And what would Fury be doing when
the rascals were climbing my fence?" he
laughed. ''You've never seen my bull
dog, Fury, have YOU? Well, he keeps
GUARD over there. No fear of my melons
being touched, ~
There was 40 fear Until, III tho height
Of the season, Fury was taken i'll, and in
a very few hours gave up his breath. DIR.
Spencer was now at his wits end. s'Ihose
lazy, thieying boys will be desvn OH my
patch Tonight he said TO his wife,
'sand not a single melon will they leave.
What on earth am going to do2'
'sYou had better watch yourself, or put
William to do it, 7
cam / not likely to be called off any
hour of the night?'' he answered, Grossly
,s:And to talk about William watching
He's so scarry that he'd run his legs of, il
a COW looked over the paling, But won't
stand being robbed. / know what Ia
do.o
Whatever it Was,it was some mysterious
transaction which kept the old doctor
busy iii the patch all the afternoon. Al
dark came OH, he was seen carrying a.pos
with label on it, which he planted abou
the middle Of the patch, and his work wat
done.
Meanwhile, the news Of Fury's deatl
had spread through the colored colony o
o.. AS a general rule, these people
were peaceable and laW-abiding, who dit
not disturb their neighbors, and only
Eq1arreled d little among among themselves
they had quite a religious revival lately
and held meetings At. each others house
every night, ..
II tank lie. #I.ord..',,, said old Hannal
Dickson, when the news Of Fury's deatl
reached Tler=eabin- Il prayed agin da
eber sence he tuck a nip outer my Joe
He Want no dog, but plumb debbil, AM
now he's gone to judgment
zz "What, Aunt Hannah, doyou. be1iey
dogs have souls2n asked Frank Hayartl,
mischieyous White boy, who was Joe's con
slant associate and leader in all his viii
| pranks. .sss Sd
III b'lieVes Wot ! .h'lieVes. Wen AMI
| mails. is got reason. deg,,s got souls:
What were you doing, Joe, when tn
pog nipped ynu?'' was his1leSt question
/ Joe giggled.
ii was sittin' on the upper bars, Mari
Frank, just eountin de Whoppin' riE
melons ole doctor had, and neber thinkiI
i oh doors nor noting wen that Warlnil