Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-10-17
WATERMELON REvIyALs +.
An Interesting Religious Event In
the South.
Singular Effects OF tho Fruit Season
on Colored Help White
Folks Left to Their Own
ResourpoA.
Season

the most successful watermelon rcvivals
/: ever known in the south, says a Green
Covo Springs Fla correspondent of the
New York Sun in q recent letter. The
unusual fcrvor of excitement is said to
be tho result Of tho exceptionally fine
melon crop, which in quality and. guam
tity surpasses anything seen here in
recent years. The revival began three
weeks ago, as soon as the quality of
the luscious yield had been proved by
eating, and it is now ut its height. AS
consequence household operations arc
at complete standstill and business of
every kind is seriously intcrfcred with.
The watermelon revival is citro-
religious event of annual recurrence in
the melon-growing regions of the far
south. 1t lays hold of tho colorcd poo
pie only and gets It's strongest grip on
the sisters, but in q temporal way it lf-
fects the white residents hardly less
powerfully. Throughout the melon sea-
son tho colored sisters and majority
OF the brethren entirely give themselves
up to the exquisite pleasure of the
melon and the. not less religious pain of
religious conviction that prcccdcs the
ccstacy of conversion, which. in turn
Leads quickly to cXaltation and q COM
atose condition. This latter condition
is, next to Heaven, the end sought for:
but because of the duration CT these
frances or subjugation to "thc power"
as it is called here, many of the sisters
arc in the present instance failing to
asSimilato all of their share of this sea-
sons melon crop. Thus Mrs. Kirk
patriclS's cook lay ID trance for sew
eral days, and neither cooked nor ate,
ind this was when the melons were at
their very best. Mrs Buddingtons col
ored maid YVES brought homo in dray
at two o'clock in the morning and de-
posted on the kitchen floor, where she
lay rigid and with ''cycs sot," as this
manifestation is termed, until at the
end of three days Mrs. Buddiugton had
her cartcd back to the church in which
she got the power" Mr.. Buffers cook
got religion and rigidity carly in the
revival, and the task of finding q sub
stitutc being manifcstly hopeless the
family at once made arrangements to
take their meals with family in the
anc street who are not dependent ON
olorcd servants. 5....
The industry that is doing nearly all
the flourishing in tho present crisis is
that of the few worldly minded negroes
who own mule and cart. Business is
brisk for these just now from the hour
Vhcn the full moon shows above the
urthcr cYprcss-borlcred shore of the
I. Johns until the yellow disk fuses in
he yellow Sky of Il midsummer morn
ing. All of tho colorcd churches arc
pen twcnty-four hours q day-in tho
anytime for such as attain safety of
melons carly and arc prepared for the
religious Influences long before night
foil; throughout the night for all who
come, Many who como to scott remain
10 be cartcd away, and those who have
religion get it again and likewise have
need of tho mule cart. So this tcaminC
of precious and rigid human freight be-
gins early in the evening, and goes on
until tho bull-bats cease their pursuit Of
nocturnal bugs.
The white residents are SO seriously
affected by the melon revival, in conse-
qucnce of the impossibility of getting
Uny service done by the colorcd sisters,
that some of them do not hesitate tc
spoall impaticntly Of the whole bust.
ness and declare that thoae who get the
most religion also collar the most mel.
Ons from tho white mans patch; and
now and then n sister who has seen
many melon rcvivals, and is thus pre-
pared to take q conservative view of tho
situation, replies: "Wcll, 'spccts that's
10" All Of tho white residents arc
looking forward somewhat impatiently
70 the closing Of the melon season and
tn synchronous competition of the re.
ii%io1s work; not because they mind
tho loss of few melons, but because
they greatly need the services of those
who.at all times, barring this period of
annual occurrence, are faithful and
vrs1ned servants. !, :