The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-10-05
A Talk About AlIigatOrs.

A correspondent of the st. Louis
GLobe-DenOcrdt has come upon couple
of huntsmen down in Texas, one of
whom he found exceedingly commune
cative upon the subject of alligators.
They were returning, after a week S
sport shooting such ''prairie chickens"
in the great plain bordering on Brazos
River. One of them was native and
long resident of Louisiana, and pro-
ceeded to give, in detail, what he knew
about alligators in general, and his
success in hunting them on this partic-
ular occasion. He had no idea he was
talking to a newspaper man, and gave
full vent to his experience" During
the hunt from which the old Nimrod
was just returning, he and his compan-
ions came to a plantation on the famous
Oyster Creek lands, the place being
cultivated by Col Castleton, in Fort
Bend County. On the farm is Il beau
tiful lake, and in this lake the notori-
Gus alligator has made his home from
the earliest recollections. While sitting
under the shade of some trees on its
banks the hunter dogs leaped into the
lake and swan to the center. Here
their presence frightened from their
summer snooze a school of alligators
young, old, male and female. The
saurians, with their long, saw-like shouts
above the surface, beat the water with
their serrated tails, and struck Il bee
line for the shore. The hunters were
Immediately on the alert, and, taking
" stands" awaited the approach. Fl
nally the Nimrods "tore LOOSE at
them with their shot-guns, aiming for
the small pig-like eyes of the amphibi-
ans-that being the most vulnerable
part of the alligator. They were sue
cessful. One after another was killed,
until five alligators were counted among
the trophies.
Generally when one was hit he dived,
but came up again, and lay floating
carcass 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 its
hinges, displaying regular 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 a white
foam, and beloved with sort of half
roar. He then dived, but rose again,
and, after much fioundering, turned
over on his back dead.
"Well, that S pretty good for Texas"
remarked the correspondent.
so well, stranger, that's nothin'
to what | have seed in Louisiana. In
the fust place you think an alligator
twelve feet longs mighty big'un, l
reckon?n
= Its about as long as l ever saw"
"That's only a moderate-sized one.
I've seed EN- in Louisiana all of twenty
feet, and body in proportion. That
was in the bayous near the sea coast"
That's very large, should Judge
However, L know but little about your
alligator"
Il duz. You can't tell me nuthin'
bout an alligator. In Louisiana they
hunts 'em like any other ANIMAL
"What for? l don't see what they
could make out of it except the sport
of the thing"
Il 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. 1t makes fust rate boots and
shoes; only a trihe leaky pr'aps. If a
man makes dizziness of it, alligator
huntin' will pay. The huntin' is done
in this way You get into a boat-a
small skiff will do. You take torch
and gun. The bright light draws the
caters, who flock around the boat, and
you kin jest set in a shootin of 'em.
"Thar's one pecooliarity about 'em
l guess you never dreamed of
whats that?'
"They carry in the mouth riglar
bag or little bladder O. musk, just the
same as rattlesnake carries bag of
poison behing his fangs."
give heard they eat lightwood knots
when hard up'for a meal"
GIVE never seen 'em do it, but have
hearn that they do when travelin' on
land in the pine woods of Florida"
Whats their diet, anyhow"
"They like fish, but are death on SIGH
animals as fall in their way, SIGH 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 vic
tim to their mouths. Thar mouths an
tails meet, maxim a circle of thar
bodies"
"They attack men sometimes?"
"Seldom ever. The gator is
real coward and always afraid of
man. I've swan toward 'em many a
time in the bayous and they always got
out of the way"