Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-08-27

IF you want to see the alligator a
he is" observed the colonel, III
you want to talk with q man who has
been brought up with 'em, if you
want 3 square view of the reptile in
his native swamp, ride over to Judge
speeds plantation. The Judge is the
only man in South Carolina who can
talk alligator and not tell lie."
/ did want to see the alligator in his
native jungle, and rode across the
country aud got down in front Of an
old time, old fashioned southern resi-
dence, withits long verandas and
beautiful shade. Half q mile away
were the first signs of the big bayou,
and it was in that bayou that the ALI
gator passed his years in basking and
eating and keeping one eye out fol
the flash of a shotgun.
Yes, / own that bayou" said the
judge, as We got seated; ''own alliga-
tors and all. was figuring up the
other day, and calculated that l was
the owner of ut leas 1000 alligators.
OF course, they come and go, but
calculate on 1000 reptiles which are
steady tenants"
ANY very big ones in thcre."
"a few. There are seven or eight
old seekers whic have been there fol
thirty vears. II I was pinched to it,
l tbir K ] could exhibit two or three
rel tiles q ieast fourteen feet long,
al dthers 10 one there that will meas
ure twenty to an inch"
How long do they live?"
well, that's hard question. The
big one speak of has been personal.
ly known to US for over forty years,
and he doesn't show any signs of sec.
ond childhood yet. l reckon the
average alligator puts in from fifty to
20 years in this world of trouble"
what must they eat?"
Most everything. An alligator is
always hungry. When he can't get
food he will chew away at pine log,
just as q hungry man will chew q
tOothpick. That big one devoured a
steer for me this Spring. and was nos.
ing around after more meat in half
an hour. l had calf tied up to that
tree down there one day last Fall,
and reptile came out of the bayou
and took him of, chain and oil. and
il be didn't swallow the chain we
have never been able to find it. ]
have seen q darky throw 'em an old
pillow point and il would be swallow
ed at gulp."
"Are they dangerous to human be
ings?"
''Not If you sit here. but il there is
q man in this country who dares cross
that bayou ia q skiff at sun down he
can have my plantation. As near az
l can figure up, these reptiles have
got away with fifty darkies, eight OF
ten white men, thirty cattle, five or
six mules and no end of pigs and
geese in the last twenty-five years. F."
when are they the liveliest:"
Early in the morning and after
shutdown. Let's see. It's after ten
now, and the sun is pretty hot, but ]
guess we can stir up q few"
We walked down to the edge of
the bayou, and the noise we made In
the grass and reeds brought score
of shouts to the muddy surface. The
judge had q billet Of wood in his
hand. and presently gave it q toss far
out on the water. In an instant there
was a grand rush from all directions,
followed by q fer0ciOus fighisover the
billet, and his honor quietly observed
There weren't over thirty in that
crowd. Let me call the dog"
He whistled to one of tbs dogs left
behind on the veraanda, and when
the animal reached US it was encOur-
aged to bark. That fetched 'em. ]
believe that at least 800 alligalors put
in an appearance inside of q minute,
some content to remain stationary,
others plunging about and blowing
and fighting.
Louder, King, louder!" command.
ed the Judge, and the dog barked as
il he had freed q coon. The number
of reptiles increased by at least q
hundred, and the waters were thrash.
ed and padded until the od0r from
them was quite stiff.
Cant fool the old vetefAns that
way" observed the judge, a. he turn
ed away. ''They are down on the
muddy bottom or lying in the weeds.
and they know that this is only a
false pretence. Let Q darby come
down with fish pole and that would
mean business. They swim the bayou
and do not leave ripple, and crawl
through the grass a. softly as q snake
rs the alligator possessed of intel
ligencei"
"You bet! l regard him as keener
than the serpent and sharper than the
fox. Let one start to crawl to the
house and he will take advantage oil
the ground, and bushes and grass just
as Q wolf and tiger would"
"And can't you get rid Of them?"
Good lads, but l don't want to! ]
want to foster them. ! want 'em to
thrive and increase and multiply I'M.
til the bayou won't hold 'em. Ten,
fifteen or twenty years hence the price
Of alligator hides will be four times
what it is now. And then I'll turn
on EN- and make some money. That
bayou Is my alligator farm. The
seeds are there and plants are grow
ing, and when l figure that l own
1000 good sized alligstors. shall lei
cotton 60 for one season and send
alligator hides TO market. Bless you,
my boy, but l wouldn't let . man
crack away here with . rifle for q
twenty dollar gold piece. He'd get
'em nervous and skeery, and like
enough my whole alligator farm
would sail OF down the river in
search Of . new owner. want to
keep 'em right here. There's going
to be big money in that sort Of live
stock before we are ten years older.
The Austrian navy possesses some
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