The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-11-19
THE rRUrHrUs. puL.Or.
Something Hitherto Unheard
oTfu Natural History.

of fn Natural History.
From the Vicksburg Herald.]
The passenger, who was going
down the big river. for the first
time in his life, secured permits
sion to climb up beside the pilot,
a grim old grayback who never
told lie in his life. "Many ALI
gators in this river?" inquired the
stranger, after looking around.
"Not so many now, since they
got to shootin' 'em for their hides
and taller" was the reply.
"Used TO see lots, eh?"
az don't want to tell you about
'em, stranger" replied the pilot,
signing heavily.
"Whyr
"Cause you'd think was a-lyin'
to you. and l new
er do. Kin cheet at keerds,
drink whisky, or chaw terbacker,
but can't lie"
"Then there used to be lots of
'em?" inquired the passenger.
"Pm most afraid to tell ye, Mis-
ter, but I've countet .leven hun
bred alligators to the mile from
Vicksburg crar down to Orleans
That was years ago, afore q shot
was ever fired at EN-"
"Well, 1 don't doubt it, replied
the stranger.
. esAnd I've counted 3,459 of 'em
on one sand bari" continued the
pilot. at looks big to tell, but
, a Government surveyor was
aboard, and he checked 'em off as
l called out"
81 haven't the least doubt of it,
said the passenger, as he heaved q
sigh.
I'm glad . that, stranger
Some fellers would think 1 was 9
liar when I'm telling the solemn
truth. This used To he a paradise
for alligators, and they were sc
thick that the wheels of the boat
kelled an average of forty-nine tC
} to the mile!,'
"Is that so?"
"True as Gospel, mister. l used
to almost feel sorry for the cusseG
brutes, cause they'd cry out e.er
: most like human being. VIZ
! killed lots of 'em as l said, an(
=. we hurt a pile more. l sailed
: with one captain who allus car
ried a thousand bottles of lini
e ment to throw over to the woun
r ded ones!'
"He did?''
"True as you live, he did.
: . don't 'spect I'll ever see anothe
such kind, Christian man. AM
I the alligators got to know tn
s Nancy Jane, and to know Capt
y Tom, and they'd swim out and ruI
# their tails agin the boat an pur
= like cats an look up and try t.
smile"
"They would?"
"Solemn TRUTH stranger
II "And once when we grounded o
bar, with an opposition boa
q right behind, the alligators; gath
!" cred around, got under her sterr
and bumped her clean over tn
~ bar by grand push! 1t look
20 like big story, but / never toll
lie yet, and 1 never shall.
wouldn't lie for all the money yo
4 could put aboard of this boat"
" There was a painful pause, an
after awhile the pilot continued
"Our mines gin out once, an
n 4 crowd of alligators took TOW
~ line and hauled US forty-five mile
~ up stream to Vicksburgr'
W "They did?"
"And when the news got alOn
the river that Capt. Tom was dea
n every alligator in the river daube
ia his left ear with mud as a badg
< of mournin', and lots of 'em pine
Y. away and diedw
Z" The passenger left the pilC
house with the remark that Il
l. didn't doubt the statement, an
is the old man gsve the wheel q turf
20 and replied:
o. Theirs one thing l won't
10 for love nor money, aud that
ne make liar of myself. ws
brung up by q good mother, an
J. P.n goin' to stick to the truth
this boat doesn't make a cent