Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-09-06
A TALK ABOUT ALLIGATORs.
An Old Louisianian Hunter Tells What he
knswn About Them.

An Old Louisianian Hunter Tells What he
Knsws About Them.
A correspondent Of the st. Louis
Globe Democrat has come upon cou-
pie of huntsmen down in Texas. one of
whom he found exceedingly communi-
cative upon the subject of alligators.
They were returning after weeks sport
shooting such "prairie chickens in the
great plain bordering on BraEos river.
One of them was native and long
resident of Louisians, and proceeded to
give, in detail, what ne knew about alli-
gators in general, and his success in
hunting them on this particular occasion.
He had no idea he was talking to a news
paper man, and gave full vent to his
" experience" During the hunt from
which the old NimrcS Sas just return
ing, he and his companions came to
plantation on the famous Oyster Greek
lands, the place being cultivated by Col.
Castleton, in Fort Bend county. On
the farm is a beautiful lake, and in this
lake the notorious alligator has made his
home from the earliest recollections.
While sitting under the shade of some
trees on its banks the hunters dogs
leaped into the lake and swan to the
center. Here their presence frightened
from their snoozes school of alligators
young, old, male and female. The
saurians, with their long, saw-like snouts
above the surface, beat the water with
their serrated tails, and struck bee-line
for shore. The hunters were immedi-
ately on the alert, and, taking Stands
awaited the approach. Finally the MINI
rods store loose" at them with their
shot-guns, aiming for the small pig-like
eyes of the amphibians-that being the
most vulnerable part of the alligator.
They were successful. One after an
other was killed, until five alligators
we're counted among the trophies. Gen
orally when one was hit he dived, but
came up again, and lay floating carcase
on the surface of the lake, his shining
belly glittering like FURNISHED gold in
the August sunlight. One old "bull "
was harder dispatched than his brethren.
He was twelve feet long, his back was
rough with the rust of several decades,
and at the first shot his upper jaw turned
upward on it's hinges, displaying regu-
lar row of formidable teeth. This old
alligator brought down his upper jaw on
the lower with a sudden snap of rage,
beat the water with his tail into white
foam, and beloved with sort of half
roar. He then dived, but rose again,
and, after much foundering, turned
over on his back, dead.
"Well, that's pretty good for Texas, I"
remarked the correspondent.
"Oh, we'll, stranger, that's nothin' to
what have seed in Louisiana. In the
fust place you think an alligator twelve
feet longs mighty big 'un, reckon ?"
cts about as long as l ever saw"
"That's only moderate-sized one.
I've seed 'em in Louisiana all of twenty
feet, and body in proportion. That was
in the bayous near the sea coast"
"That's very large, I should Judge.
However, I know but little about your
alligator"
"I duz. You can't tell me nuthin
bout an alligator. In Louisiana they
hunts 'em like any other animal"
"What for2 I don't see what they
could make out of it except the sport
of the thing"
"I can tell you. Thar's the lie. The
alligator makes the best lie in the world.
I've known bar'ls an bar'ls made out of
'em. Then thar's the hide. It makes
fust rate boots and shoes, only trifie
leaky, pr'aps. If man makes dizziness
of it, alligator huntin' will pay. The
huntin is done in this way: You get in
to boat-a small skiff will do. You
take torch and gun. The bright
light draws the gators, who flock around
tie boat, and you kin jest set in shoot
in of 'em. Thar's one pecooliarity
about 'em I guess you never dreamed
of."
"What's that2"
"They carry in the mouth riglar
bag or little bladder O musk, just the
same as rattlesnake carries bag of
poison behind his fangs."
"Ive heard they eat lightwood knots
when hard up for a NEAL"
GIVE never seen 'em do it, but have
hearn they do when travelin' on land in
the pine woods of Florida"
"What's their diet, anyhow ?"
"They like fish, but are death on
sich animals as fall in their way, sich as
hogs and dogs. of which the gator is
very fond. When assaultin' their prey,
they ginerally do it with their long tails,
which are used to bring the victim to
their mouths. Thar mouths and tails
meet, maxim circle of thar bodies"
"They attack men sometimes ?"
"Seldom ever. The alligator is a real
coward, and always afeared of a man.
I've swan toward 'em many a time in
the bayous, and they always got out Of
the way"