The Osceola times., 1881-02-19
NARROW ESCAPE.
uaele doc Abel. Fight with an Alligator.

Uaole doc Abers Fight with an Alligator
A few YEAR ago society around Texan:
was in a iiourishing condition BefOrt
the war. most Of the old settlers wer,
rich and influential. cultivated and re
fined. There were the llayncses, the
Dodds. the Rollings. the Breckiuridges
the Stockdales and many others. Thess
were enough to give tone to large circle
Of Nirginians and Kentuckians. This
circle extended 20 Iayaca. M3tagoria and
Indianola. aud in those places met many
other families OF distinction and Of the
old noblesse.
These people had a good time IN that
soft, delicious climate, where the winters
were short, the summers not too long
and where the spring opened in January
and the summer faded iuseusihly into q
long dreamy autumn. The grass was
green from October 10 June; and 1T Was
only in july, August and September that
the vegetation was dry and Iarrhcd.
During the fall the hunting was superb.
Wild duck. wild geese. -and-hill cranes
wild turkeys partridscs, prairie chicken,
and deer were always abundant. The
turkeys and partridges were always fat.
They fed largely On the chile pepper that
grew Wild and in profusiou. This chile
gave the greatest flavor imaginable. Ia
fact, the game was readily seasoned be-
fore it was killed. The finest Wild tur-
keys in the world are found just around
the northern part Of the Bay Of laNaca.
But il i not with the game Of that de-
lightful section that interests the writer
at this time, nor the myriads of will duck,
geese, cranes and swans, but d more for
midable species, the alligator.
The Garcitas and Arrnosa rivers unite
few miles from the Bay Of Iayaca. the
united rivers retaining the maine 0f the
Garcita- until it omptios into the Bay OF
lavaca. at its northwestern point, near
Red Fish lake. a sheet Of salt water, and
connected with the bay by the deep Gar
citas
There is long. narrow strip of land
lying between the river and the lake.
called by the neighbors Alligator Point,
from a circumstance that occurred few
years before the war This strip is long
and tapers 10 4 point not one foot in
width. where the waters of the river and
lake cImmingle at high and iJw tide
This point Of land IL half a mile long.
and greatest width Is not more than fifty
feet and decreases insensihly 10 a mere
clump Of sea-weed not wide enough to
stand on comfortably. 1t is a iavOritc
fishing place for large extent of country,
and the best fishing on the coast. In
Red Fish lake the very finest red fish are
caught, and in GarCitas river the finest
sheephead Croakcrs. founders and red
fish. Just at the terminal point of this
narrow strip of land the fisherman takes
his stand, with a cast.line baited with
crab or shrimp, which he throws out in
to the lake for red fish with one hand,
and in the other he holds his stout rod.
steel pointed, which he thrust~ in the
soft mud, and waits for a bite or holds
in his hand until he gets tired fishing in
the waters of tho Garcitas.
He stands balanced on "tress0ch' of
seawecd, fishing on the left hand in the
lake, and on the right holding his rod.
he angles for the shecphead and croakcrs
in the river
II is a perilous place TO stand. The
river is very deep, and filled with alliga-
tors Of immense size and numherlcss
grandecoys, weighing over one hundred
pounds, ugly but not vicious. The lake
is also filled with alligators and small
sharks, just large enough TO bite of a
foot or break leg Of any unfortunate
fellow who may happen 10 get ont into
water ten feet from the shore. The river
at this point j. said to have no bottom;
that is, il i thirty or forty feet deep,
enough, in all conscience, tor those gen
tie creatures. alligator, and sharks
Uncle Joe Abel must now be allowed
10 tell his own story. Uncle Joe was q
Tennesseean, and well known i'm river
circles from Memphis TO St Louis and
from 1t. Louis 10 New Orleans. st an
early day he went tn Texas. and located
on GarCitas river a few miles from it,
month. lie devoted himself to the
healthy pursuit Of agriculture, hunting
fishing and spinning yarns. He was q
glorious fellow. and was noted for his
love Of truth. lie was honor'- self Like
many other men, he could not tell lie.
lie, would have licked any man who
should dare 10 doubt his word. lie was
short and wiry: his features had been
handsome before he became a Captain Of
a steamboat. Some how or other steam
boat life always gives hard look 10 the
face, and Uncle Joe was no exception t.
the general rule. lie was not q pretty
man, even at the time Of his adventure
As a swearer he was a success. He was
eloquent in the richness and mctuous-
ness of his oaths His hair was red and
yellow; his complexion So very blonde
il would not frecklc. 1t glowod red on
white, as il had been dcnuded OF It's cuti.
icle by fire or hot water
lie loved fishing. One morning i'm
June, hot and sultry. he rnsc bv DAYLIGHT
hitchcd his horse 10 an old >uu-dried and
wind-shaken buggy and drove over the
prairie down 10 Red Fish lake. Now
Uncle Joe shall speak for him:clf and
tell his own adventure with most fero
cious she alligator. lie has told the same
story a thousand and one times and ha,
never varied. His memory is much bet
ter than that of Mr.. Garfcld's. and h,
, never calls the wrong names. Uncle 10,
. has the floor:
, got up early, because the mosau.toet
, were so yillainous hungry and ha,
: eaten holes through the bar until il wa
completely honeycombed. Iarose befor,
it was light and saw that il was perfect,
I still, with just a breath of air BLOWN,
b from the gulf raw this from the di
2 rection of the gulf clouds rather thar
. from feeling the motion of the wind.
z knew when il began to blow it woul,
. bring in good tide. didn't wal. NOR,
!. than q minute before I determined I.
: 60 down and try ii at Red Fish lake.
= hitched mp my horse and buggy. got m,
gun, cast-lines and net, my iishing ros