Volcano weekly ledger., 1856-08-09
LOVE LUNACY AND LUCK;
OR, TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ON THE WAC
AN ALLIGAToR's TAIL.

| hh"HJ JtSb SeOFHSt huu dluOiaR ObucIS JHdb VI
the " strange fish, recently caught at Chcot
Pass, in this State which appeared to be a
cross between the allgator-gar and shark"
and had in his stomach SO II in small change, I
together with stout bowie knife, a revoly-
ing pistol and other articles of fllibustering
character
That many Of these tales are more pisca
tory fictions, 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 most successful of the
"traders" in the Choctaw Nation In early
life he had left the granite hills of New Eng
land, and wended his way towards the setting
sun His money-making instincts were pretty
strongly developed, and in his race for wealth
he forgot the strong affectional want of his
nature, and so, while growing rich he grew
old, and was known throughout the nation
as the rich old bachelor"
Now it so happened that in things theolog-
ical, the heart of Jarvis, during his wander
/ ings and money gatherings, became hardened,
and in all matters Of religious faith he was
voted heterodox In fact, he was almost as
heretica as the heathen Choctaw, with whom
it was his boast to drive skillful trades,
and for whose spiritual benefit missionaries
were sent out annually by the Heaven aiding
| Christians of the North.
Among the missionaries who visited the
Choctaw wids during the year 1856, there
was one who had a daughter whom he loved
passing well. Jarvis 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 unbe-
lever. Time, which was supposed to have
bunted and almost deadened all the finer
sensibiities of his human organism, had been
only concentrating their essential fires, even
as the spirit in cider barrel is concentrated
and strengthened by the frosts which render
its exterors cold and icy. So the love of
Jarvis, in its wild yehemence, was riddle to
the men and maidens of the Choctaw tribe
and even the traders wondered. Jarvis in
love So strange was the idea as to be con-
sidered ridiculous, and most of his old friends
concluded that his brain was getting turned.
And so, as the diverse fates too often have
it, Jarvis angel proved unkind. The richly
freighted bark of his hope was shipwreeked,
and rooted sorrow" settled on his SOUL
Fair daughter of the missionary She never
for moment thought that her mission was
to wed the rough and heretcal, though rich
old bachelor while younger and more attrac-
tive gallants were sueing for the favor a smile.
She refused him and he became incontinently
crazed, aud moped and wandered still talk
ing but Of her.
At length his friends concluded to bring
him to this wayward city of New Orleans,
where several Of his relatives reside, and
after spending few months here the dement,
ed lover began to be in some measure forget
full of his grief. Occasionally, indeed, he
would be as sane as any man in existence,
but with the changes of an hour his lit OF
love lunacy would return, and he would be
as wild and wandering as ever,
As he was perfectly harmless, even when
the fit was strongest on him, he was trans
ferred to plantation at Terre BGuf, where
he was allowed the privilege of hunting
And in due time hunting alligators among the
bayous and lagoous became the favorlte pas
time of the loye-lorn Jarvis, and it was hoped
that eventually he would wholly forget how
unsuccessful he had been when hunting for
wife. But now new monomainia seemed to
seized him. OF killing allgators he had be-
come tired, but to catch and tame one was
his new idea-the mission of his life. He
thought that if he could only catch and tame
a live alligator the star of his fortune would
again rise in the ascendant, and in the am
phibious creature he would find guide,
philosopher and friend"
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 to cultivate
with it kindly, social intimacy. No more
did he visit the distant baycus; for, to the
wants of his new found friend, he devoted all
his time and attention. Scarcely, indeed,
did he speak to any one else but when he
did il wonld be the same parrot phrases
" The man that's lucky enough 10 cateh and
tame lire alligator can drato q prize IN The
Haraaa iottery" This he would repeat, not
only to the people of the house where he re-
sided but to his alligatorship, thousand
times, and thousand times again.
After several days consultation with his
scaly friend, Jarvis determined one fine morn
ing to 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. After arriving,
he went straightway to mercantile house,
where his money is deposited, drew $40, and
commenced his search around the city for a
ticket that his saurian counselor would be
satisfied with. Long and weary was the
search To hundred shops the alligator
was carried, and the wares Of hundred
ticket yenders were submitted to him before