New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-26
JOY IN MULBERRY BEND.
THE WATERMELON SEASON is AT ITS HEIGHT
AND TIE DEVOTED ITALIANS ARE HAPPY

THE WATERMELON SEASON is AT ITS HEIGHT
AND THE DEVOTED ITALIANS ARE HAPPY.
I, Is high watermelon tide In Mulberry Bend. 1t
may be the height OF the watermelon season for the
rest Of the city we'll but nowhere else is there
such striking and picturesque evidence OF 1t as IN
Mulberry Bend where the sons OF Italy bask IN
the August sun. On every corner in that grimy
and youngster-crowded thoroughfare are fruit
stands. and now that watermeons have come In the
number Of rushcar;s all along the street has grown
amazingly Italian. emphaticaily not "darkeys':
in fact they hate the negroes enthusiastically but
they have all the ripe and cultivated taste for water
melon that any old slave in Georgia ever had
The time 10 see Mulberry Bend eating watermelon
Is from late afternoon to cary evening. All the
fruit that has not been able 10 pass muster at the
be .er markets IN other parts Of the city gradually
ro,ates the Bend as TO the centre OF Whirlpool
and II Is displayed In tempting halves and quarters
and slices forth on the fruitstands In all us
Juicy loneliness and darkiy frescoed with eager hes
The larger part of the supply. despite so-cailed
fruit, inspectors. Is either overripe or green. but
that makes little difference. because the provident
'dagoes" eat everything down 10 the skin on the
rlnd anyway.
About o'clock in the afternoon the men begin TO
return from their work. and then the feast begins
The laborers stand crowded many deep in front OF
the melon-stals. and make way with the supply at
an astonishing rate Mes, doctors say In their Snor-
ance that IL is not well for extremely tired man.
worn with work. 70 eat heavily Of overripe or IN
ripe fruit The Italian laborers. weary and sweaty
with their days work. scott at the doctors. You
can see rows OF them standing in weary attitudes
devourng watermelon with the animation OF buzz
saws asCose behind them hover their wives Each
wife has least one babe In arms with wncn
she shares the broken morses Of green watermelon
which her .ord deigns TO toss TO her now ana thsn
In this way the of the infant Is cary de.
velopel and In case IL should survive the ordeal y
will grow up TO be a meon-eater such as the Benz
II Is a curious picture which the street present.:
M this hour-the tired men. the patient women ana
the s1uabblng children. with the watermelon as
sort OF background everywhere The sidewaiks are
simply impossible. and the street Is filled with
refuse OF every kind. The air is alive with the
tongues Of the chatterlng men and gossiping women
and the wall. OF the high tenement-houses resound
with the shri, cries OF the indescribably hlthy chill
dren From the windows OF the houses lean out
the aged crones who have grown too feeble 20
nnineie In the crowds OF the street. but who waggle
their old heads to another and watch their sons
,nd 9randsons They know full well that there 10
a Tide In the affairs OF men and watermelons that
must be taken a. the food. for the melon season 10
as fleeing as a dream. and II were madness 70
neglect a moment Of its delights.