The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-04-29
SHARING AN ALLIGATOR.
Curious and Exciting Adventure in
Florida.

Curious and Exciting Adventure in
Florida.
A Florida correspondent tells in For
est and Stream Of his adventure in snar-
ing an alligator. eve procured" he
says, "a strong seyen-eighths manila
rope, forty feet long, a small halter
chain Twisted links), eight feet long,
and a piece of well dressed hickory.
"The latter we cut to length of
eight inches, leaving the diameter one
and half inches, and we shafpened
each end.
cat the center we girded it with a
quarter-inch groove, leaving the diane
ter still one inch.
"The stick of wood we securely fast
ened to the link.
TO the other end of the chain our
rope was fastened. Our snare now had
the appearance of cap 7 with the up
right stroke very much elongated.
We now procured ten-pound chunk
of beef, into which we securely fastened
the piece of hickory, and then, bringing
one end of the stick parallel with the
chain, we fastened it there with bit OF
yarn.
Repairing to the reserve we select
ed spot, secured our rope to pine
tree growing near its edge, and then by
the. aid of a canoe we carried the bait
out as far as the rope would permit. To
insure the floating of the bait near the
surface of the water, we laid the rope
across fve-foot strip of plank.
or1oo 1otoJ -x,o ,.o4,,.o,5 ~,
await developments. Early next morn
ing we were at the reserve, and there,
sure enough, we had gator fast, and,
Judging from the muddy condition OF
the water, he was a whopper, and had
been there some time.
"The rope was moving through the
water in quite rapid manner, and
without christening it, we made a pull
with all our strength, but we might as
well have tried to lift an elephant by the
tail.
CATER much talk, it was suggested
and agreed to that we make use of
small wagon and a pair of mules be-
longing to the party.
81 went for the team, and, in my
haste, did not take time to put the body
on the wagon, it having been removed
for the purpose of hauling wood. Hast
lily throwing q plank across the holsters,
I seated myself and drove over to where
the party awaited me.
"The rope had been secured by
slip-loop, without passing it around the
tree, so we had only to fasten the loose
end to the hind axle and drive away, and
thus slip the knot and make a direct
pull on the gator. After securely fast
ening this rope to the axle, seated my
self on the plank and gave the mules
the slack.
"The mules were young, fiery, and
hardly broken to harness, and had re-
peatedly run away, endangering our
lives on more than one occasion but we
had not thought of this in our excite
ment.
'sFor moment after starting the
team there was strain on the rope. and
then out came tina huge monster, Gov
cred with mud, and flashing the water
into foam with his tail, the noise he
made resembling to some extent the
beatings of huge propeller.
The mules both looked around: and
as they did SO the monster gave a roar
that made the very earth tremble. The
team, alligator and your humble servant
started for home.
"The distance was about two miles.
and I think ii Rarus had seen us he
would have left the track with broken
heart
The mules left the road-in fact,
made new one without the aid of sur
veyor-and that alligator bounded in
the air as he never bounded before.
"Now and then he would rap against
tree, but he scarcely touched the
ground, and had serious fears for a
while that, in his anxiety to go ahead,
he might put head on me; however,
we reached home at last, and the mules.
completely winded, stopped of their own
accord.
"When we came to sum up, we found
all the run taken out of the mules,
one tire gone, three spokes in another
wheel broken-in fact, the wagon
wreck.
envy suit of clothes was torn to rags,
and my person bruised, torn and bleed
ing by the terrible whipping of
the trees and bushes over which we had
passed.
ga fourteen-foot alligator, with every
bone broken, was almost skinned by
his constant banging against the
trees"