The Red Cloud chief., 1879-03-20
The ALLIGATOR At HONE


1ACKsONytGAI ia Rsos -
Among the throng % people travelling
southwark to escape our northern win
ter NAV be found many spogtsmen, arm
ed with rife and revolver and With
pleu,y u 6sed ammunition, chertshin.
one hope above others OF shooting an
alligator. Large are ths numbers who
go fprsh 10 shoot. bot lew are b Alb
es,ors siAin. The rivers. bayous and
1a,v a ~ iako a ~ &SaAl saaA8 90
,hicfly populated With a~iiiga;ors. OF
lsgxrtos, ~ they ars known by The
Spannh-spcahiag Pssssna a ~ saAas-
itanss. On sunny dsys shry may b
seen strssched upon the slop.ng banks
of streams or noaiing idly on the CLASSY
wafer, nothing visible bus,h cp Ut tse
head. From The decks al the htLe fss-
bo,owsd steamers which carry many
sourises through the weird beauty OF The
upp~r g. Johns and Orkiswaha Rivers
every winter. the alligator receives vol
ley after volley Of riie and revolver
balls. Therv are but two places IA aa
alligator where . shot viii prove fatal
in the eve and directly under he fosu.
arm. fhe irs', being very small and
protected By . heavy easement snr'
mounted by . projecting cap. can De
struck only By the hes, marksmen. tx
ceps when taking . sun-bath. tho tender
spot under the shoulder Is never ex.
posed. The chance OF shooting an aili-
gator, especially by . novice, 10 taere-
fore not alarmingiy great
Although very clumsy. their quick
ness in some csses = Nmarkahfc. -
when in the water q speed 81 from FIVE
10 eight miles an hoor In made. snd on
land they are able 70 throw themselves
over half q circle, using the forsisss for
a fulcmm, striking an enemy with fhesr
tail with tremendous lofce. In get1ing
food the alligator displays . rcmArkAr
bic degree OF cunning. Fish Is sccspta-
BILE, and To catch them numosr OF Aiii'
gators form in line, driving the hsh be-
fore them into . cove or inlet Then
earh alligator makes q rush, catches .
fish in his open mouth, rises 90 The sur.
face. losses the fish into the air, at tho
same time expelling the water by . cur
rent Of air drasn through the nose. and
10 ready 10 bolt the fish when IL falls.
Owing To the formation of h teeth, the
alligator can moi masocate bic lood, bel
bolts IL in small chunks. The guliet Il
not large. Prey OF sire is concealed IN
III it begins 10 putrefry. when II Is
sought and dsvourcd. The largest AM
mails ara attacked. il they get into The
| water, dragged down and drowned.
LAST spring a large or went into the
waters of Lake Jackson, not Tar from
Tallahassee, to drink. An sligAtos
fastened to the foreleg Of thu animal
crushing the bone. The OF struggles
to the shore, dragging his Antagonist
with him. At this dine the shore va
black with alliga,ors, attracted by thu
, smell Of blood, and some crsvled upon
the bank. The OK fought valiantly'
tossing one Of the monsters high In thu
air, from which fall he lsy on the grouud
stunned q considerable time. But the
wounded OK again Got in the water, and
q mammoth alligator closed on his nose
aud dragged him under.
Not long ago q Florida paper told {
| story Of the charming Of an alligator by
q raitlesnake. The latter upon diseov.
ering the former aurncs ed attention By
| souding an alarm. The alligator turn
ed his head several times a. II hs want
! ed TO get away, but as often faced the
snake again. "Toward the end Of hal
an hour" said the paper, with f1ed
eyes the alligator moved slowly towsrd
his terrible enemy, until within striking
! distance, when the snake ourled himself
more compactly and struck the alligs-
lsor. For n moment the alligator shook
tremendously, and then ~ II by magic
made q semi-circle backward. and
brought his tal down upon Tho would
be assassin with fatal result" On ssv-
eral occasions captused alligAsors and
~rattlesnskes have been put in an en-
closure 70 figh. for the benefit Of spec
tators, and in q majority OF cases the
snake has boen victorious, having sue.
ceeded IN striking his fangs into the al
ligator's open mouth.
Alligstors are Oviparous, the females
LAYING rs many IS two hundred eggs,
somewhat larger than goose eggs, in .
nest scoOped out of the soil bear the
water. A thin mating OF leaves and
twigs separates the layer Of eggs, which
are left u hatch in the suns heat.
When the young alligator breaks in
shell Il is from eight 70 ten inches in
length, and at oBce takes 10 the water
and the established WAYS OF getting
food. They may often be Q playing
together like young kittens. AT this
stage great numbers are captured by
negro boys, who sell them in the towns
TO northern visitors 70 carry home ~
curiosities. 8iA1
Up TO . year or two ago the war on
alligators came near TO exterminating
them. The skin and teeth are the only
poess q value. For several years from
twenty 20 twenty-five thousand Of the
tormsr were annually taken, the HINT
ers receiving so cent? TO 81 apiece for
them. The creates. hunter Of Florida
got one thousand skins in . five months
campaign. The skin from the sides and
belly vas strippedof and shipped north,
and made fine leather Tor boots and
shoes. These were once quite fashion
able, but are seldom e now, and in
consequence the alligator lives in great
er security. The demand for jewelry
md ornaments made from the tseth
seems 10 have been pretty thoroughly
applied, and few are hunted for this
IMPOSE.
Occasionally an alligator from ten 70
nGkon feet u esgth 10 wanted for Q
-um, and there b 10 dffBea4y -
lo11iag the CONTRACT: 70 colored man.
Whnn caught his fest Are tied over his
49,, and the powerful jaws fastensd
Nh many wraps % rops. He h 49,
n1pped 10 his destination in a strong
box. Stuffed alligssors are far oftener
Whibited, the mountinG being . oom-
posssively easy and inexpensive process
aou Of the most valuable coostitu-
erts 81 the wheat are LETT in The bran,
and the fine noaT b not ufAatsnfly lax-
ative to meet the ~requirements Of most
svsfems m n In sdvisabie IN taka fru-