Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-01
DR.. SPENSER'S MELONS.

It is next to impossible to teach many
of the colored people of the South that
it is as wrong 10 steal watermelon as
a calf. The colored man will admit
that the calf larceny deserves the Sc
verest penalty of the law, and if he were
ON jury he would enforce it, too; but
let case of stolen melons come before
a court, and he'll stand up stoutly for
acquittal, and, if he is the delinquent,
plead his innocence with an injured air
of being unjustly prosecuted.
Old Uncle Jered Black, negro of
some reputation in the Gulf States, ex-
pressed the popular opinion in melon
case before the court where he had been
dragged a reluctant witness.
ono, Jedge; Pm not denyin' Simon
Blase tuck de melons, sence all desc
gemmans seed him do it. But melons,
somehow, don't seem like dey's any
body's property specially. Folks wot
plants 'em knows dey's bound to be tuck
when deyre ripe. Why, when plants,
draps four seed in hill, and SEE,
Tire fur me, and one fur de tief.' You
puts your gold and your SLIDER in chist,
and you keeps de key. You plants your
melons rite by the road, and leads your
neighbor into temptation by maxim his
mouf water fur 'em. No, ledge, eff mel
ons is valybles, treat 'em like valybles
and hide 'em. Don't trow 'em under
folks foots, and den kick up O row wen
they're picked up"
Uncle Jered Black, however, would
never be called upon to defend his col
IS n ~ &c.
time to come. They vince at the very
name of melon.
Twill tell you why.
There never was such season fol
melons as last summer in the country
around o.. They were splendid in
all the little fields and gardens, but,
strange to say, they had been failure
In the lots of the colored population.
The right time to plant them had
come when the moon was on the wane,
and you can neither persuade nor force
a colored planter to put seed into the
ground at that time.
The new moon came in wet. The
melon-seed that the colored people
plantedwere 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.. Sponsors melon-patch.
He had the finest melons in the coun-
try, but he did not give many people a
chance to taste them; for DR.. Spenser
was misery man, who preferred leav-
ing fruit to rot on the ground to giving
it away.
Raids were made on all the melon
patches for miles around, but DR.. Spen-
ser'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 robber into the very
midst of his fruit.
"And what would Fury be doing
when the rascals were climbing my
fence?" he laughed. "You've never
seen my bulldog, Fury, have you ?
Well, he keeps guard over there. No
fear of my melons being touched"
There was no fear until, in the height
OF the season, Fury was taken Ill, and in
Q very few hours gave up his breath.
DIR. Spenser was now at his wits end.
"Those lazy, thieving boys will be
down on my patch tonight" he
said to his wife, "and not melon
will they leave. What on earth am go
ing to do?"
"You had better watch yourself, or
put William to do it,
Gam L not likely to be called off any
hour of the night?' he answered, cross
~. "And to talk about William watch
ing! He's so scary that he'd run his
legs off if COW looked over the paling.
But won't stand being robbed. know
what I'll do"
Whatever it was, it was some mysteri-
Gus transaction which kept the old doc
tor busy in the patch all the afternoon.
As dark came on, he was seen carrying
post with label on it, which he plant
ed about the middle OF the patch, and
his work was done.
Meanwhile. the news of Fury's death
had spread through the colored colony
of o.. As a general rule, these peo-
pie were peaceable and law-abiding,
who did not disturb their neighbors, and
only quarreled little among them
selves. They had had quite religious
revival lately, and held meetings at each
others houses every night.
81 tank de Lord 70 said old Hannah
Dickson, when the news of Fury's death
reached her cabin. 81 prayed agin dat
dog cher sence he tuck nip outer my
Joe. He want no dog, but plumb
debbil, and now he's gone to Judgment. !"
s'What, Aunt Hannah, do you believe
dogs have souls p. asked Frank Hazard,
mischievous white boy, who was Joe's
constant associate and leader in all his
wild pranks.
"I b'ieves wot I b'ieves. Wen ami
mails is got reason, dey's got souls.
"What were you doing, Joe, when
the dog nipped your" was his next
question.
Joe giggled.
81 wos sittin' on the upper bars,
Mars Frank. jest countin' de whoppin'
ripe melons ole doctor had, and neb-
Der tinkin' OBJ dogs, nor noting, wen that
warment slips up, and fust ting I knowed
he grabbed at my leg. Twas awful
holt he tuck, but got away somehow.
He bit piece clean out of my leg. Look
here rolling up his pants and show
ing a severe bite, not yet healed.
"Well, it's the last nip he'll get at
any one, " Frank said "That old hunks
bo1-o 4, s,,,alor Leu -