The Russellville Democrat., 1881-02-03
A MARROW ESCAPE.

A MARROW ESCAPE.
 Uncle Joe AbePs Fight With an AIIegator.
 A few years ago, society around Texana was in a fourishing condition. Before the war, most of the old settlers were rich and influential, cultivated and re- fined. There were the Hayneses, the Dodds, the Rollings, the Breckinridges, the Stockdales, and many others. These were enough to give tone to large circle of Virginians and Kentuckians. This circle extended to Lavaca, Matagorda and Indianola, and in those places met many other families of distinction and of the old noblesse.
 These people had 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 insensibly into a long dreamy autumn. The grass was green from October to June; and it was only in July, August and September that the vegetation was dry and parched
 During the fall the hunting was superb. Wild duck, wild geese, sand-hill cranes, wild turkeys, partridges, prairie chickens and deer were always abundant. The turkeys and cartridges were always fat. They fed largely on the chile pepper that grew wild and in profusion. This chile gave the greatest flavor imaginable. In 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 Lavaca
 But 1t is 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 more for midable species, the alligator.
 The Garcitas and Arcnosa rivers unite a few miles from the Bay of Lavaca, the united rivers retaining the name of the Garcitas until it empties into the Bay of Lavaca, at its northwestern point, near Red Fish lake, 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 circumstance that occurred few years before the war. This strip is long and tapers to point not one foot in width, where the waters of the river and lake cummingle at high and low tide.
 This point of land is half mile long, and greatest width is not more than fifty feet and decreases insensibly 10 mere NiuIitD Oi ocst-Nctu liOI Nlut tDOugn to stand on comfortably. It is a favorite 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, croakers, 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, steelpointed, which he thrusts in the soft mud, and waits for bite, or holds in his hand until he gets tired fishing in the waters of the Garcitas.
 He stands balanced on "tressoch" of seaweed fishing on the left hand in the lake. and on the right, holding his rod, he angles for the sheephead and croakers in the river.
 It is perilous place to stand. The river is very deep, and filled with alliga- tors of immense size and numberless 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 off a foot, or break leg of any unfortunate fellow who may happen to get out into water ten feet from the shore. The river at this point is said to have no bottom; that is, it is thirty or forty feet deep, enough, in all conscience, tor those gen tie creatures, alligators and sharks.
 Uncle Joe Abel must now be allowed to tell his own story. Uncle Joe was a Tennesseean, and well known in river circles from Memphis to St. Louis and from St. Louis to New Orleans. At an early day he went to Texas, and located on Garcitas river, a few miles from its mouth. He devoted himself to the healthy pursuit of agriculture, hunting, fishing and spinning yarns. He was a glorious fellow, and was noted for his love of truth. He was honors self. Like many other men, he coulAA not tell a lie. He would have licked any man who should dare to doubt his word. He was short and wiry; his features had been handsome before he became Captain of a steamboat. Some how or other steam boat life always gives hard look to the \ face, and Uncle Joe was nc exception to the general rule. He was not pretty man, even at the time of his adventure. As a swearer he was success He was eloquent in the richness and unctuous- ness of his oaths. His hair was red and yellow; his complexion so very blonde it would not freckle. It glowed red or white, as it had been denuded of it's cuti- icle by fire or hot water.
 He loved fishing. One morning in June, hot and sultry, he rose by daylight, hitched his horse to an old sun-dried and wind-shaken buggy and drove over the prairie down to Red Fish lake. Now, Unle Joe shall speak for himself and tell his own adventure with most fero- ciolis she alligator. He has told the same story thousand and one times and has