Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-06-05
From the New Orleans Picayune.
Love, Lnnacy and Lnck

From the New Orleans Picayune sI e1
Love, Lnnacy and Lnck;
Or 1@enty Thousand Doiiars on tAe IPdg of am
AHigator's TAIL eeE sa3
We have In our time heard good mary tough
fish stories, and among others that Of the "strango
FISH, recently caught at Chicot Pass in this State,
which appeared to be cross between the alliga-
tor-gar and shark, : and had in his stomach $3 IL
in small change, together with stout bowie knife
revolving pistol and other articles Of 6hbustering
character.
2 That many Of these tales are mere piscatory fc-
tions, We have always held since our arrival at
mans estate, and now, that truth is considerably
stranger than fiction, we shall proceed, with due
soberness to show
A few years ago Jarvis Wright was one of the
shrewdest and best " traders OF the Choctaw Na-
ton. In early ifa he had left the granite hills of
Now England, and wended his way towards the
setting sun. His money-making instincts were
pretty strongly developed, and in his race fer
wealth he forgot the strong afectiona wants Of his
nature and so, while growing rich he grew old, and
was known throughout the nation as the rich old
bachelor" Sgta7
Now it 80 happened that in things theological,
the heart of Jarvis, during his wanderings and mo-
ney gatherings, became hardened, and in all mat
ters OF religious faith he voted heterodox. In
fact, he was almost heretical as the heathcn
Choctaws, with whom it was his boast to drive
skilful trades" and for whose spiritual benefit
missionaries were sent ont annually by the Heaven
aiding Christians of the North. 6ff
Among the missionaries who visited the Choc-
taw wilds during the year 1885,, there was one who
had daughter whom he loved passing we'll Jar
Wis saw her, and he, too, soon loved her with no
common love. 1t was, indeed, strange to witness
the effect of the tender passion on that hardened
unbeliever. Time, which was supposed to have
blunted and almost deadcned all the finer sensi-
q = 4 u u
centrating their essential fires, even the spirit
In a cider barrel Is concentrated and strengthened
by the frosts which render its exteriors cold and
icy. So the love of Jarvis, in its wild vehemence,
was riddle to the men and maidens of the Choc-
taw tribe, and even the traders wondered. Jarvis
in love So strange was the idea as to be consid-
cred ridiculous, and most of his old friends con-
cluded that his brain was getting turned. And 90,
the diverse fates too often have it, Jarviss an
gel proved unkind. The richly freighted bark Of
his hopes was shipwrecked and ga rooted sorrow
settled on his soul. Fair daughter of the mis-
sionaryl She never for moment thought that
her mission was to wed the rough and heretical
though rich old bachelor, while younger and more
attractive gallants were suing for the favor of .
smile She refused him and he became inconti-
nently craEed, and moped and wandered, still TALK
ing bnt of her. @ ars o sos q
At length his friends concluded to bring him to
this hayward city Of New Orleans, where several
of his relatives reside, and after spending few
months here, the demented lover began to be in
some measure forgetfnl of his grief Occasionally,
indeed, he would be as sane "a any man in exit
tence but with the changes OF an hour, his it Of
lovelunacy would return, and he would be a. wild
and wandering as ever e aa@
As he was perfectly harmless even when the fit
was strongest on him, he was transferred to a
plantation at Terre Beuf, where he was allowed
the privilege of hunting. And in due time hunt
ing alligators among the bayous and lagoons be-
came the fayorite pastme of the ove-lorn Jarvis,
ano it was hoped that eventually he would wholly
forget how unsuccessful he had been when hunting
FOR wife. But now a new monomania seemed to
seize him. Of killing alligators he bad become
tired but to catch and tame ono was bis new idea,
the mission Of his life. He thought that II he could
only catch and tame live alligator, the star OF his
fortune would again rise in the ascendar ana IN
the amphibious creature he would hnd . : gmde,
philosopher and friend" go s.- !, ,-, NJ
With all the "method" Of his madness he set
about the realization of his wild idea and one day,
about six weeks or so ago, he captured juvenile
monster Of the class he sought and commenced at >
once 10 cultivate with it kindly social intimacy.
No more did he visit the distant bayous; for, to
the wants Of his ew-found friend, he devoted all
bis time and attention. Scarcely, indeed, did he
speak to any one else but, when he did, 1t would
be the same parrot phrase
"The man that's lucky enough to catch and
tame live alligator can draw . prize in the Bs-
vana lotteryw ~
This he would repeat, not only to the people Oh
the house where he resided, but to his alligator
ship, thousand times, and thousand times ssain-
After several days consultation with ms scaiy
friend, Jarvis determined one fine morning 70 visit
the city. buy lottery ticket and prove his luck
So he engaged passage for himself and alligator
on the Mexican Gulf Railroad cars and came. AZ
Ter arriving, he went straightway to a mercantile
house, where his money is deposited, drew $40,
and commenced bis search around the city for