Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-11-04
ADVENTURES IL FLORIDA,

first went to Florida in the winter of
1873. Like all persons in search of health,
! sailed up the st. Johns river. After be-
holding palmetto in all its glory, was
eager to see an alligator in all its pristine
purity. For two hundred and thirty miles
kept bright lookout along the banks of
the st. Johns 1t was early i'll January,
and the weather was chilly. / landed in
Enterprise, on Lake Monroe, without seeing
a saurian, They were in winter quarters,
hidden in the mud at the bottom of the
river If the negroes are to be believed,
each reptile has swallowed a lightwood knot
by way of ballast, and would not reappear
until the weather became warm. | saw the
first alligator week after my arrival in
Enterprise | sat in the stern of blue
boat trolling for southern bass. July Jen-
kins, venerable Ethiopian, was pulling
Il the oars. 1t was a day of sunshine. We
were nearing the mouth of Woodruff creek,
= when July stopped rowing and eagerly
N murmured "Dah's gatah"
IA l looked up small bayou and saw
N long, black object stretched among the
reeds and lily pads, perfectly motionless.
He looked as if he wore coat of mail.
Hes dead, July" I said.
oh, no, sah,' was the reply. Hem
only asleep, reckon"
Back up the boat said. II want to
look at him"
The boat was noiselessly backed up the
bayou. The monster gave no sign of life
He was fully eleven feet long. | had taken
IN my spinner and was handling my rod
like horse-whip. "'Fore de Lord, don't be
BRASIL murmured July, "dah's Il heap o.
In IN, |
believe that the reptile was alive i nc
were breathing, his TANKS ought to snow
the motion of Il bellows. When within six
feet | prodded him under fore leg with
thJ lancewood tip. All doubt vanished.
The reptile jumped as though torpedo
had exploded beneath him He took in
the situation in a second. Reeds and lily
pads few in the air, and he landed slap
against the gun-wales, throwing me partly
overboatd and covering the frightened ne
gro with mud. The water was shallow, and
as the monster slid under the keel, the boat
was carcened, the ireedmans hat went
overheard, and an oar was thrown ten feet
away byawipe of the serrated tail. ! clam
bcred back into the boat and saw curved
line Of bubbles marking the reptiles course
from the bayou into the lake. ] had seen
knowed dat gatah was asleep, sab, - said
Jnly IN tone of reproach, as he fished for
his hat and broke for the stray oar. We
resumed our fishing, but the old gentle
man pointed out no more alligatOrs. al
though he undoubtedly saw half dozen.
On our return to Enterprise, Capt. Tom
Reeves heard of the adventure, and made
inquiries a. to location and position. A
week aitelvard he was pulled up to The
dock, with the cayman trailing at the stern
Of his boat.
Within fortnight was strolling along
a fringe Of lilypads, near the mouth of the
Neki,a, and saw siX-tooter piastcrcd
against the opposite bank Of the river in
proiuud slumber Showing cartridge into
| a bennington rifle, | got out of the boat,
oraccd myself against live oak, took de-
,oerate aim at the reptiles neck and fired.
~ cloud Of SNOWY herons arose from a
marsh behind NE, but the alligator did
hgt Stir. Dat all gatahs good sleepah
,A' ss'd July "Dat ah shot done gone
.gaa ODER him, l reckon Again stead
~ ny -..i against the live oak, and a Sec
~" sport rang over the water / heard a
crashing in the canes behind me, and saw
uN-e sinrmn rushing for the lilypads like
train of 63a, rar. NJ had probablv
a,.s A'AE HIs from the time | landed
az. '.'' 9e"u startled ~ the second crack
..,-l,. ~ Ac went into the river
s"Iti litH WAIVE roHs-t =...r.,fo lil,-,,,ds
~ N.to.. VI large .4- (which had been
aioihE ~ the shady r,..-.. - IL,
go y ~ "as. -rH .u ttrl.. TIE Siv-fqgfer
~ -. op217it. bank 0l the river remained
o. . a3r>ctHta@ F9u. After tEr,.-,,i,l:.i,,,.,I
>o0is We crossed the rf,,.ra..l