The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-07-16
Sleeping with an Alligator.

A correspondent of Forest and Stream,
has pleasant word for the hideous
reptile, the alligator, and suggests that
kind treatment may make it docile:
The long wharf at Mandarin, Florida,
the peaceful St. Johns, and hither repair
the fishermen, after their nights toll in
their row-boats with their nets, to sell the
quivering fish to the inhabitants, and
ship the surplus by morning steamer to
Jacksonville. strolled down the wharf
in quest of mess and met a tall, bony
fisherman on whose face the habit Of
fishing all night had left very plain
impressions. i.t t
"Haven't got a fish," said he "No
luck at all last night. l should have
had some luck, too, if it wern't for an
alligator. He got into my net and it
took me nearly all night to get him out,
and thar was two of the prettiest
schools of bass Hopping close by that
ever saw. Instead of getting good lot
of UNI as l ought ter hev done and would
hev done if it WANT for that alligator,
here am this morning with nothing at
all in the boat except the thing"
Have you got him in the boatp"
asked.
eyes; don't yer want to come down
and see himP" .r
followed him down to the end of the
wharf, and preceding US went his fisher
companion, lad of about seventeen.
The boat lay moored to the bulkhead,
and up above on the wharf, under shed,
sat about a half-dozen negro women
with their babies, waiting for the next
steamboat. The boy, with an animated
grin, ran down the flight of steps
into the boat, and as we ap-
preached pulled out an alligator, four
or five feet long, by q cord that was
fastened about its neck, and held it on
his knees, bending its tail around from
side to side. The negro women at the
first look grabbed their babies, and fed
in all directions, notwithstanding the
boys good-natured Gle won't hurt
you" He picked him up and put him
down, coiled his tail, rubbed his sides
and put his ugly head upon the boat
thwart for general exhibition, and
through it all the alligator was as quiet
as lamb. Indeed, he seemed rather
to like the process he was undergoing.
Perhaps he liked the jolly disposition OF
the boy.
"Won't he bite him p'' I asked.
"No; alligators won't generally bite,"
said the fisherman, s'unless you tantalize
um. That boy there he continued,
sis JUS like a baby; JUS as quick as his
head is down in the night he's asleep"
Now this seemed just unlike most ba-
bies to me. l said nothing, while he
went on
"Last night, sir, after we ketched that
gator we put him in the bottom of the
boat forward, and that boy there went
and laid right down alongside of him,
and sir, eff he and the alligator didn't
sleep together, rolled in the same blanket
the rest of the night"
l looked in the boys face for some
trace of kinship to the ugly saurian, or
some sign of that which had won its
mild behavior, but the kind eyes and
look of jolly good-nature were all could
see. Possibly, if all the winter visitors
to Florida were endowed with good
humored, rollicking natures, the ugly
brutes might yet be transformed into at.
fectionate domestic pets, which we might
lead about with pink ribbon, or dandlc
in our arms with interested love.