The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-03
COL. CORYELL's WATERMELON.
1t Had a Remarkable Interior that
Made Good Bass Bait.
From the Mem York Sun.

Made Good Bass Bait.
From the Neto York Sun.
HAMMONDsPORT, Aug. ga remarka-
BILE story comes from Pulteney, and it is
vouched for by Pilot Harry Morse Of the
Lake Keuka steamer Urbana. 1t was told
him by Alderman Baker of Pulteney, who
had it directly from the lips Of Col. James
Coryell, also of Pulteney.
81 had been fishing over along Bluff
Point for two or three hours the other day
and couldn't get bite" SAID tue colonel,
and So | thought Ia go ashore, get in a
nice shady place, and cut a watermelon
had brought with me, and get some salts
faction out of that. / raised the water
melon in my own patch, and knew it had
right to be good one. had three hooks
on my leader, baited with young frogs, and
l left the bait on, placing the line on the
ground, 30 the frogs could go in the water
or stay out, just as they pleased. | ripped
the watermelon open, and hadn't any sooner
done SO than | dropped it aud jumped ten
feet and, guess, yelled some.
Some people might have hsd nerve
enough not to jump and yell, but it's my
opinion that any one who had been cutting
watermelon as | was, and saw three green
snakes, over foot long, come squr1ning
out Of the inside of the melon, would have
been likely to jump and boiler Just
as l did. The snakes came out of that
melon in hurry as soon as it was cut, and
tumbed to the ground. They paused there
a minute, and then ali three of 'em made a
break for those young frogs l was baited
with, and the first thing knew had three
green snakes hanging to my hooks, with the
frog bait inside OF 'em.
They kicked and wiggled around and
tried to get away, but there they were.
went and picked up the watermelon, and
found that it was nothing but a she'll the
snakes had cleaned out tue inside until it
was as smooth and dry as a tobacco box
There wasn't hole anywhere where they
could have got in that melon, but they came
out Of it, certain, and began to get little
scared. But there those snakes hung to my
leader, and didn't know what the dickens
TO do. | didn'6 want to lose my leader. and
didn't calculate to take those snakes Off
the hooks, 50 made up my mind to drown
'em.
81 jumped in my board, rowed out in the
lake, and chucked the snakes in the water.
letting out the line to get 'em as far away
from me as possible. hadn't rowed more
than three rods when | felt tremendous
strike, and before | knew it | was having a
nice little bout with a big fish OF some kind.
IL was more than that Those little green
snakes had just happened to strike the fancy
OF three whOpping bass, and | landed 'eIn
after a hard fight. The smallest one
weighed four pounds.
well, just rowed for home as fast as
could, and went to my melon crop and
broke open, I guess, a wagon load of
melons, looking for some more of that boss
bass bait, but l couldn't find another one,
and l never was SO disappointed in my life
| asked Deacon Hess of Pulteney if he could
explain how those snakes got in that melon
He said he could, but he hadn't heard of
any OF the snakes being IN the country for
forty years.
"The female of this snake lays her eggs in
watermelon blossoms, aud they stay there
until the melon takes up the blossom, when
the eggs are enveloped by the melon and
hatch. The young snakes live on the pulp
Of the melon, and wait the first opportunity
Of getting out. The three | released had
been delayed 50 long that they were pretty
near starved when they did ger out, and
promptly went for those tempting young
frogs Of mine. Deacon Hess forgets the
name Of those snakes, but I'd like to have
some seed of 'em. They're the hes. bass bait
l ever saw"