The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-01
CLYDE CARNIVAL.
Watermelon Day Celebrated In
Magnificent Style.

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nival has come and gone, and with it
more than 5000 melons, Weighing from
25 to so pounds, We're eaten freely by
the multitude of people present. To
George Gregg, one of Clyde's prosper
Gus business citizens, is due the first
suggestion of holding a watermelon
carnival in Clyde. Mr.. Greggs meat
market windows and front of his build
ing was literally full of melons weigh
ing not less than 60 and 20 pounds each,
while the front of his building was
strewn over with garden vegetables,
cereals and farm products.
Two bands, those of BelIeville and
Clyde, en1iVened the days programme
with happy strains of music.
Arches spanned the streets with the
words Welcome on them and taste
fully decorated with flags, sunfiowers
and farm products.
The melon crop of this vicinity is
the largest ever known. During the
month of August upwards of 200 car
loads have been shipped on the three
railroads running out of Clyde. Among
some Of the largest raisers of melons
are D. Lake, with IS acres; Turner
Bros, Barnhart Smith and P. L.
Brooke have each about 20 acres, while
there are dozens of smaller growers
with from five to fifteen acres each.
The crop was so large this year that
there will be dozens of car loads left to
waste in the fields.
The credit for the largest melon on
exhibition was given to Arch Patterson.
he having one displayed in his business
window weighing 72A pounds. The next
largest was the one displayed in the
store window of Jake SOhlinger, weigh
ing 70 pounds.
One of the most unique decorations of
melons was in the windows of the bust
ness house of Chris Krahe. These were
representations of two darkeya boys,
one wearing a bandage over his eye
eye and the following inscription: Use
been eating those Rocky Ford melons,"
The other was stout and robust, eating
a chunk of melon, with this inscrip-
ton, 4 CESS you has better eat Clyde
melons, like I dOes-dey won't hurt
you"
In the business windows of Turner
Bros. were a wagon load or two of
mammoth melons weighing from 65 to
20 pounds each, and a castor bean of
this years growth, standing IS feet high
and about 10 inches in circumference.
One of the most admirable decOra-
tionS was that of the millinery Win
doWs of Miss May Hostutler Mingling
among her costly trimmed hats and
rich silks and Velvets were several huge
watermeIons,it would take good sized
cart to haul off
The general store windows of A. w.
Gerhardt, A. G. Derse, the Regulator,
J. K. HermOn, J. D. Beachtel, the drug
store of c. Angevine, the implement
house of J. A. Patterson, the hardware
store of W. S. Crump the pOstOffice, the
other places of business were artisti-
cally decorated with ponderOus melons
and cereals from the farm and garden.
The days programme consisted in
the main of eating free watermelOnS.
SandWiched between the melons were
concerts given by the Clyde and Belle
vile bands, decorated bicycle parade,
music and singing by a cOlOred quar-
tette, bicycle racing, boxing contest and
cake walk. Everything was free as the
placid waters of the Republican river
I'll, lan hi
jam of people present was a complete
though happy surprise to Clyde and her
enterpriSing people.
Captain Joseph C. Waters of Tope-
ka, was the orator of the watermelon
carnival. He proved to be the right
one, and he was in his best good nature
on this occasion. Mr.. Waters was elO-
Quently introduced by his old friend,
w T. Ransdell, of Clyde, one of the
faithful workers for the success of the
first watermelon carnival ever held in
Kansas He talked of the prosperity of
the country and her people and the
greatness of the flag and that we must
follow it wherever it goes His address
was timely and enthusiastically re
ceiVed He stated that inasmuch as
Clyde was the first town in the state to
hold a watermelon carnival. and he
himself had eaten so much watermelon
since his arrival that he could taste
and smell them, he composed the fol-
lowing stanZaS on the watermelon.
which he flung at the vast crowd, as
follows:
A watermelon can't be raised on a tree,
No more than iron can float in the sea;
But ten million coons are raised on
them
And will be until the New Jerusalem.
The rose has it's thorn, the apple it's
worm,
Our bodies are full of microbe germ,
But no one can say a darkey has dined
Till his jaws shut down on the water
melon rindt
Corn juice is a most seasonable food.
When on the stomach it dare intrude;
But watermelon's core on ones inside,
Is the best way of all to suicide.
| We're for all wars our land has seen,
| We've got to thrash the Philippine,
But before AguinaldO by US can be
Rugged,
watermelon like, he must be plugged.
The spring has its bud, the summer its
bloom,
We start with the cradle and end in
the tomb.
There's a time for life and season for
death,
But watermelon time just takes away
the breath.
The white and the yolk make the egg
shell full,
The office goes to the man with a pull;
But what is glory. what is fame,
The watermelon gets there just the
same.
The cows on the clover. the herds on
the hill.
4 The lambs in the barn, and the SOW at
the swill,