The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-08-28
LOCKED IN A FLOATING TOMB.
An Invention that Killed mnny AllIEntors
aud Topped on with tho Inventor.

aud Topped on with tho Inventor.
al SEQ by this mornings SGn," said
Mr.. Magufiin, that Mrs. OKlantikon
is married again. Her last husband,
Major o OKlantikop, used to board here.
He spent his winters in Florida hunting
alligators, and q more devoted sports
man never saw; but he never was sat
isfied with the old method Of shooting
with rihs. There was great waste in
the bullets that glanced of tho reptiles
backs, and frequently ono would get
away before he could hit it in q vital
spot. 80 the major went up to Charles.
ton one winter and bought condemned
columbiad that had been used in the
siege OF Fort Sumter, and had it
mounted Mt O bend in the st. Johns
river, aud trained to command tue
water adjacent TO tho point round which
all tho a!ligators must come; aud hav-
ing loaded with q ten-inch shell, he
waited. $3.50, ~ .l tl-'..5 p "''s.a +,
"The very next day there came up
stream IN alligator that seemed tickled
with something that pleased his fancy
very much; when he swung his upper
jaw back to laugh tile major thought it
was floating derrick; but when the uni
NAL came within clear range, O'Klanti.
kop saw that it was amonster alligator,
and he pulled the lanyard. The aim
was beautiful. The shell struck Just in.
sidc the tip OF the lower jaw, and as it
rolled along toward his throat, the
change in the alligator's expression was
remarkable; he shut his mouth with n
clip that was heard ten miles away, and
fairly bumped himself as the bomb
rolled down theinterior. About midway
OF the body the shell exploded. Tho
explosion could not bring back the happy
alligator's last gleeful fancy, but it moro
than restored his openness Of counte-
nance. The major said subsequently,
however, that while this method Of dc,
stroying alligators was undoubtedly Of.
fective, it broke 'em up too fine; aud
so lie left the big gun to rust on the
bank Of the'river, and invented NEW
plan. r......
"His outfit this time was q fishing
rod, feather, and piece OF scantiing
about eight feet in length. Having
fastened the feather to the end OF the
rod, the major would walk to tho edge
OF the river, reach over the bank, and
delicately tickle an alligator's jaws with
the feather, and when he closed his eyes
and opened his mouth to enjoy tho IN.
usual Utilization, The major would quietly
step up with the scanting, and have the
jaw braced back before the alligator
knew what was the matter Then
O'Klantikop would calmly put bullet
down his gulet, md take his prize
ashore. In this way ho captured sixty.
seven alligators in four months.
"Onc day the pilot Of the steamer
that runs up tho ST. Johns saw an OBJ
str1lction which was not down on the
charts, and which had not even been
visible wfcu the boat made her previous
trip. Backing his engine, the pilot was
still more surprised to see the obstruc.
tion making toward him. II looked
something like spar buoy at!rift, and
when it came still nearer itwas made out
to be piece OF stout scantling sticking
up through the upper jaw Of gigantic
alligator. The pilot was amazed; but
when the story reached Jacksonville. the
fate Of Major O'Klantikop, who had
been missing for three Or four weeks,
was no longeramystery; everybody who
was familiar with the majors style OF
hunting knew that the strangely planted
piece OF scantling which the pilot had
seen was Major o'Klantikop's tomb.
stone, and TINT the major was buried
about seven feet back Of it. The gen.
orally accepted theory was that OKlan.
tikop, made reckless by uninterrupted
success, had mi calculated in placing
tho top end OF tho gcantliDg, and the
raftcrs in the roof Of the alligator
mouth had given way, letting tho mighty
jaws together, and locking up the major
in sarcophagus which in nov. lty OIL
design and high qualities Of absortion,
completely laid over anything in that
way ever constructed by tho Greeks"