Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-09-01
A south CAROLINA Alligator Warm.

A south Carolina Alligator Farm.
'If you want to see the alligator as he is,
observed the Colonel "if you want to talk
with a man who has been brought up with
'em IL you want a square view Of the reptile
in his native swamp ride over 10 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 and got
down in front of an old time, old-fashioned
Southern residence, with its long verandas
and beautiful shade. Half a mile away were
the first signs of the big bayou, and it was in
that bayou that the alligator passed his years
in basking and eating, and keeping one eye
out for the flash Of a shotgun.
Eyes, 1 own that bayou" said the Judge,
as we got seated town alligators and all.
I was figuring up the other day, and 1 calcu-
lated that l was the owner of at least 1000
alligators OF course, they come and go, but
calculate on 1000 reptiles which are steady
tenants"
'Any very big ones in therep
"Afew. There are seven or eight old sockers
which have been there for thirty years If
was pinched to it Think could exhibittwo OF
three reptiles at least fourteen feet long, and
there is one there that will measure twenty to
an inch"
"How long do they lve?"
"well, that's hard question. The big one
l speak of has been personally known to us
for over forty years, and he doesn't show any
signs of second childhood yet. 1 reckon the
average alligator puts in from fifty to seventy
years in this world of trouble"
"What must they eat 2"
"Most everything. An alligator is always
hungry. When he can't get food he will
chew toothpick. That big one devoured
steer for me this spring, and was nosing
around after more meat in half an hour. l had
a 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 all, and if he
didn't swallow the chain we have never been
ableto find it, have seen a darkey throw 'em
an old pillow point and it would be swallowed
at gulp."
'Are they dangerous to human beingsY
'Not If you sit here but if there is a man
in this country who dares cross that bayou in
a skif after sundown he can have my planta-
tion. As near as can figure up, these rep
tiles have got away with fifty darkies, eight
or ten white men, thirty cattle, five or six
mules, and no end to pigs and geese in the
last twenty five years
when are they the liveliest p
Early in the morning and after sundown.
Let's see. It's after ten now, and the sun
is pretty hot, but guess we can stir up a
few"
We walked down to the edge Of the bayou,
and the noise we made in the grass and reeds
brought q score of shouts to the muddy sur
face. The Judge had billet of wood in his
hand, and presently gave it toss far out on
the water In an instant there was grand
rush from all directions, followed by fero-
cious fight over the billet, and his honor quiet
ly observed:
There weren't over thirty in that crowd.
Let me call the dog"
He whstled to one of the dogs left behind
on the veranda, and when the animal reached
us it was encouraged to bark. That fetched
em. believe that at least 300 alligators put
in an appearance inside of minute, some
content to remain stationary, others plung-
ing about and blowing and fighting
Louder, King, louder!" commanded the
Judge, and the dog barked as if he had treed
coon. The number of reptiles increased by
at least 100 and the waters were thrashed and
padded until the odor from them was quite
stiff.
Cant fool the old veterans that way" OBJ.
served the Judge as he turned away. "They
are down on the muddy bottom or lying in
the weeds, and they know that this is only a
| false pretence. Let darkey come down with
| a fish pole and that would mean business.
| They swim the bayou and do not leave a rip
pie, and crawl through the grass as softly as a
snake"
rs the alligator possessed of intelli.
| gence ?"
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 of the ground and bushes and grass
| just as a wolf or tiger would"
"And can't you get rid of them?"
Good lands, but don't want to l want
to foster them. 1 want 'em to thrive and in
crease and multiply until the bayou wont 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 'em
and make some money. That bayou is my
alligator farm. The seeds are there and plants
are growing, and when l figure that l own
5000 good sized allgators, l shall let cotton
go for one season and send alligator hides to
market Bless you, my boy, but wouldn't
let a man crack away here with a rife for a
twenty y-dolar gold piece. He'd get 'em nerv-
Gus and skeery, and like enough my whole
alligator farm would sail off down the river in
search of new owner l want to keep em
right here. There's going to be big money
in that sort of live stock before we are ter
| years older. "-DetrOit Free Press.