Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-05-01
Stories of Florida Alligators.

Florida correspondent, I went alligator
hunting with Judge Emmons of Jack
sonville. We found twelve foot alli-
gator sleeping on top of the water about
twenty feet from the shore, near small
grove of palmettos. The Judge put a
rife ball directly through the alligator's
skull. The ball made terrible hole.
The gator was as dead as mackerel.
We slipped rope around his shoulders
and towed him ashore. While the mon
ster lay in the water and we were de-
batting as to how we would get his head
off, 1 jabbed stick through the bullet
hole down into his brain. A colored
man who was passing by said: Boss,
you done be careful with dat all gaitah.
He no done gone dead yet. You better
stick your knife in he fore paw to see ct
he dead. He done do you some mis-
chief, Boss, suah, if he no dead" 1
took my knife out of its sheath end ran
it into the alligator's fore law. The
monster lashed the water with his tail,
almost knocking the Judge into the
lake, and nearly putting out my eyes.
When I recovered my eyesight, saw
the Judge, but not the alligator. The
animal had sailed of, stick and all, and
left no track behind him.
The largest alligator in the State OF
Florida can be found near Pepper Ham
mock on Banana creek, at the head of
Merritt's island. This animal is known
all along the Indian river. Capt. Dunn
mitt told me that this alligator is GER
tainly over twenty feet long. Dummitt
SAYS that he has seen him in his present
quarters, off and on, over twenty-five
years. The captain thinks him at least
100 years old, and probably more. Over
O dozen hunters have spent days IN try
ing to kill him, but though some have
got shots at him none have been sue
cessful. His hide turns the bullets as a
duck sheds rain. His hole is under q
high bank and covered with growth
of moss and rushes. I camped four
days at Pepper Hammock, and this al
ligator's roar kept me awake at night.
1t sounded like distant thunoer. One
morning DR.. Fox, my companion, ran
wounded deer into the shallow bay
fronting the aligator's hole. A large
yellow dog called Buster was on the
trail of the deer, and ran into the water
after him. When the alligator heard
the baying of the dog he gave chase.
The Doctor reached the bank and took
in the situation. AS he had wounded
the deer, and was chasing it, and ex-
pecting it every moment to drop, his
rifle was not loaded. He began to shout
loudly at the dog, and then ran into the
water after the alligator. The monster
heard the Doctor coming, dropped the
chase, and fled into his hole. The Doc
tor was much excited. He thought the
world of the dog, and said that he had
almost rather have lost leg than have
lost Buster.
If there is one thing in the world that
an alligator loves more than any other
one thing it is a dog. The bark OF a
dog will frequently bring dozen alli-
gators to the surface of the water.
Hunters occasionally take their dogs on
horseback while crossing the shallow
water or very swampy places. When
an alligator hears the baying OF hound
he always puts for ford, if there IS
one in the vicinity, hoping to catch the
dog when he comes that way. Young
colored children are also said to be rare
dainties for alligators.
The greatest alligator hole in Florida
is on the ocean side of the Indian river,
about twenty miles above Fort Capron.
It is situated in a fresh water swamp,
back of dense growth of mangroves.
This hole is about sixty feet wide at the
mouth, but it extends great distance
under the ground, and appears to be a
paradise for alligators. 1t is about q
mile from little Palmetto hut, where a
Georgian, named Estes, has lived alone
over fifteen years. Estes protects these
alligators and will allow no one to shoot
them.
Some years ago the father of Capt.
Watson Of this place visited a marsh at
the lower end of Lake Monroe to hunt
stray hogs. The captain is little man,
with sharp, gray eyes, and quick OF
foot. While roaming about over the
marsh and hallooing for the hogs he
was suddenly seized by an enormous
alligator and hurled in the mud. The
alligator caught him by the leg and
stripped the flesh to the bone. The old
man was terribly wrenched, and for q
long time his recovery was doubtful.
1t was six months before he lefthis bed.
This is the only we'll authenticated case
that came to my notice in which an al
ligator attacked q. man Some people
think that while Watson was walking
over the marsh he took the alligator for
log and jumped on him. 1t is certain
that the animal seized Watson by the
leg and nearly broke the old mans back
by blow from his tail.
Alligators frequently fill their stomachs
with ducks. They find the spots in the
marshes where the ducks huddle to-
gether at night and make descent upon
them. Frequently, while flocks of great
fatraft ducks are swimming in the edeep-
est part of the river or lake, an alligator
will glide under the ducks and select
those that suit him best. They are
drawn under the water so quietly that
the flock is not startled for some time,
and the alligator manages to secure q
square meal before he is suspected.
On summer nights the alligator
crawls to chosen spot in the marshes.
The air is filed with millions of mos
quitoes. The monster opens his enor.
nous mouth and keeps his jaws apart
until the inside of his mouth is black
with the insects. Then he brings his
Jaws together with n snap, runs his
tongue about the inside of his mouth
and swallows his winged visitors. He