Occasionally
in late summer a smaller, motor driven freighter would land at the
old wharf at San Quentin. It would be loaded with watermelons, which
it had picked up on a trip up the river into the interior valley, and
would take its cargo to the San Francisco market. When it would tie
up at San Quentin for an overnight stay, the word would soon get
around that THE WATERMELON BOAT WAS IN. Every family in town would
make a trip to the wharf and nice large melons could be purchased for
10¢, 15¢ or 20¢. How we loved those melons, and were
glad to lug home a couple of melons that Dad would purchase.
Author:
William J. Duffy, Jr.
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