St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-29
WATERMELON REVEALS.
An Interesting Citro-ReIigious
Event of Annual Recurrence in
the Far South.

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. July rs.
This town is in the midst of one of
the most successful watermelon revivals
ever known in the South. The unusual
feTVOr of the excitement is said to be
the result of the exceptionally fine
melon crop, which in quality and guam
tity SurpaSSes anything seen here in
recent years. The revival began some
three weeks ago, as sOOn as the quality
of the luscious yield had been proved
by eating, and it is now at its height.
AS a consequence household operations
are at complete standStill, and buSi-
ness of every kind is seriously inter
fered with.
The watermelon revival is a citro-
religious event of annual recurrence IN
the melon-gIOwing regions of the far
South. 1t lays hold of the colored peo-
pie only, and gets its strongest grip on
the sisters, but in temporal way it af-
fects the white residents hardly less
powerfully. Throughout the melon
season the cOlOred sisters. and a major
ity of the brethren, entirely give them
selves up to the exquisite pleasure of
the melon and the not less religious pain
of religious conviction that precedes
the ecstasy of conversion. which. in
turn, leads quickly to eXaltatiOn and
comatOSe condition. This latter cOndi-
ton is, next to heaven, the end sought
for; but because of the duration of these
frances. or SubjugatiOn to ''the power"
as it is called here, many of the sisters
are in the present instance falling to
aSslmilate all of their share of this sea-
sons melon crop. Thus Mrs. Kirkpat-
rick'S cook lay in trance for several
days, and neither cooked nor ate, and
this was when the melons were at their
very best. Mrs. BuddlngtOn'S colored
maid was brought home in a dray at 2
o'clock in the morning and deposited on
the kitchen floor with ''eyes sot, ''as this
manifestation is termed, until at the
end of three days Mrs. Buddington had
her carted back to the church in which
she "gOt the power" Mrs. Buffers
cook got religion and rigidity early in
the revival. and, the task of finding
substitute being manifestly hopeless.
the family at once make arrangements
to take their meals with a family in the
same street who are not dependent on
colOred servants.
The industry that is doing nearly all
the t1OuriShing in the present crisis is
that of the few worldly minded negroes
who own a mule and cart. Business is
brisk for these Just now from the hour
further cypress bOrdered shore of the
st. Johns until the yellow disk fuses in
the golden sky of midsummer morn
ing. All the cOlOred churches are open
twenty-fOur hours a day-in the day
time for such as attain safety of melons
early and are prepared for the religious
influences long before nightfall-
throughout the night for all who come.
Many who come TO ScOff remain to be
caTted away, and those who have re-
ligiOn get it again, and likewise have
need of the mule cart. So this team
ing of precious and rigid human freight
begins early IN the evening and goes on
until the bull bats cease their pursuit Of
nocturnal bugs.
The white residents are so seriously
affected by the melon revival in conse-
quence of the impOSSibility of getting
any service done by the cOlOTed sisters
that some Of them do not hesitate to
speak impatiently of the whole business
and TO declare that those who get the
most religion also collar the most melons
from the white mans patch; and now
and then a sister who has seen many
melon revivals and is thus prepared to
take a conservative view of the Situa-
ton replies: well, 'SpectS that's So"
All of the white residents are looking
forward somewhat impatently to the
closing of the melon season and the
synchrOnOus completion of the religious
work; not because they mind the loss
of a few melons, but because thew
greatly need the services of those who
at all times, barring this period of an
nual occurrence, are faithful and
valued servants,