Mickey Starling
reporter3@greenepublishing.com
As the lazy days of summer begin to fade into memory and thoughts of a delicious slice of watermelon still linger happily in our minds, in the summer of 1902, Madison County farmers were abuzz with watermelon envy after a report from Bradford County came to their attention. R.G. Starling reported to have produced a watermelon vine 54 feet in length, connected to 22 melons that weighed a combined 736 pounds. The circumference of the root was said to be eight inches at ground level.
While the local farmers scurried to the fields with their rulers in hand, there was another watermelon episode brewing over at the home of Zack Hopps. He had cut a fresh watermelon for two guests, and all seemed to be going well until one of the guests, a Mr. Douglass, quickly consumed his portion of the delightful fruit and asked the other guest, Henry Howard, for a portion of his watermelon. Howard said he would consider it after he had finished eating what he wanted.
For some reason, this enraged Mr. Douglass to the point that he raised his shotgun and unloaded it in Howard, who was seriously wounded, but managed to survive the shooting. Mr. Douglass fled the scene and was not captured. Who knew that parting from a slice of watermelon could produce such sweet sorrow?
Some information for this article was taken from Elizabeth Evans Kilbourne's book, “Madison County, Florida Newspaper Clippings,” Volume 1:1901-1903.