The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1914-09-18

lately to the effect that Mr.. Mccoy
of Allegheny Springs had raised
some fine Rocky Ford melons, it oe-
Cured to me that your readers
might like TO hear something of real
Rocky Ford melons. Rocky Ford
noted for its melons is just fifty-fve
miles from Pueblo where | now livC
Seeing a notice the other day that
September 3, would be the annual
Melon Day at Rocky Ford when all
visitors would be treated to all the
melons they wanted and that free, |
determined to go. | went by auto
mobile and went the entire route
along the historic old Santa Fe
Trail. Believe me, it was a beauti-
full ride. Over US was the turquoise
sky of Colorado, the most beautiful
sky | ever saw, said to be just like
the sky Of Italy. To our right were
the Rocky Mountains, magnifed piles
many Of their peaks white with snow
which they have retained all sum-
mer. To our left was the Arkansas
River which is the life of this coun-
try. The irrigation projects of this
Arkansas Valley are the largest I
am told, in the world. Everywhere
about US were fields of corn, alfalfa
and melons, the finest that it has
ever been my lot to see. These fine
lands that produce such enormous
crops would be a desert but for ir-
| rigation. AS we rolled along in our
comfortable "Ford", | could not help
seeing visions, visions of past that
has forever vanished. Here where
we were going along so comfortably
and SO swiftly great professions of
/ "prairie schooners" have moved their
slow pace and professions of gold
seekers and prospectors have passed.
and here a band of immigrants was
attacked by horde of wild savages,
and yonder, the stage coach was set
upon by "road agents, and robbed
Truly it was a journey conducive to
thought and to dreams of the past
Arriving at Rocky Ford which is
a town of some four thousand popu-
lation, we found the place filled to
overflowing with visitors from every
direction. We were directed to the
Fair Grounds and there we saw q
huge pile of melons, watermelons
and cantaloupes q square long and
higher than the tallest mans head.
And such melons They were all
large and beautifully formed. | think
| have never but once seen such fine
sweet and juicy melons, and that
was some raised by Mr.. John Dear
mond near Maryville. Many of the
older citizens of Maryville and Blount
County will remember Mr.. Dear
mond's melons.
At twelve o'clock the wirework
that enclosed the great heap was
taken down and twenty thousand
people gathered round the heap.
Governor Ammons of Colorado chose
the first melon and cut it, and then
the rest of US made rush to pos
sess ourselves of one. The writer
picked good sized one and though
he has a splendid capacity for melon,
he was unable to make way with
more than half of it, and he is will
ing to bear witness that the Rocky
Ford watermelon as well as the can't
aloupe is unexceEed anywhere.
Twenty thousand people feasted to
their hearts content, and still there
were melons left. After it was all
over there were acres and acres of
ground covered with melons only
half eaten. The people would just
eat the heart out of a melon and
never bother with the seed. 1t seem
ed to me a terrible waste of good
melon. | have no doubt Mr.. Editor
that Mr. McCoy's melons were very
good, but to know what real Rocky
Ford melons taste like, he will have
to come to Rocky Ford. itself and
the Valley Of Arkansas.
After spending the day in Rocky
Ford we started back at twilight
for Pueblo. The moon was shining
as only it can shine in. this wonder
ful land of Colorado, and as we pur-
sued our way the landscape and the
events Of the day seemed like a
dream, an illusion of the night out
of which one felt he would surely
awake soon end find it only an illu-
sion. But it was 40 illusion. Vast
plains, vast mountains, vast pro-
| iects of man, and oonquests over the
| forces of nature, al bathed in the
silvery rays Of the Queen of Night,
and forcing upon one thoughts of
the Vast Creator over ALL whose
hand fashioned these everlasting
hills and smoothed out these vast
rolling plains and put in man that
spark of His own life that enables
him to be conqueror over the mighty
forces of the world. This letter is
already too long and | will close
though there is much else | would
like to say. My best greetings to all
my friends in dear old Blount Co.
George H. Lowry.