The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-04-02
ELI PERKINS LATEST.
The Hen That Hatched AlligatOrs.

| Eli Perkins writes from FIorids
70 the Chicago Tribune Sc follows:
''Did you ever. vice versa, hatch
aIligator's eggs under q hen, cap
taipi" I asked.
"No; but Mr.. Pratt. the editor oil
the Palotka herald, and Col. Hart,
who hiss the big orange grove over
the river, have done 90, and it was q
very curious experiment, too"
A moment afterwards the captain
introduced me to Mr.. Pratt. HE ia
very careful and truthful man,
etc." said the captain, land the
best authority We have on Rlliga-
tors"
"What was it about you and Col.
Hart Matching aliigator's eggs under
9 hen, Mr.. Prsttr" l asked.
"Why. yes, We tried it. We
Matched out two litters-one under q
goose, and the other under an old
hen. The goose staid around the
nest after the young gators came
for some time. She was very much
Puzsled. She couldn't give up the
idea that they were her eoslins, but
still she didn't want to claim them.
So she'd 60 to the nest and look in
very mourniully, as men look at the
remains at a funeral, and then go
away and think"
who fed the little alligators 2"
ooh, little gators don't eat any
thing. They will live for weeks on
absolutely nothing. I've kept ga
tors till they were a foot long, and
never given them anything to eat.
They simply lie s.ill and grow. They |
live on air" /
"Whst did the old hen do ~
swell, she was Indifferent. She
didn't act like the goose. She was a
very stubborn old hen. I had tried
n break her up. We'd tied her of
the nest, ducked her in the water,
and done everything to stop her set.
ting, but she would set. So put ten
gator eggs under her in the sand,
and let her 90 at it. | thought shed
get tired; but she sat FIVE weeks on
those eggs, and finally they Matched
out six as lively little gators as you
ever cav The little fellows, you
know, are quite frolicky. l saw by
the looks of the old hen the morning
that the gators hstched out, that
was up. The old hen
elucked in a slow. motherly way, ss
if she was very proud. 1 don't
think she'd seen the gators though.
Well, the second day I threw some
corn around the cid hen, and she
came of 4 eat. knew she wouldn't
go back again if she ever gov the
'gators; but ! wanted to zee just what
she would do. So Col. Hart and l
the hen"
ibid she come back ?"
eyes, and what do you think she
lid Why, she Just CLICKED around
he nest as if it was the loveliest
orood of white chickens on the
iarth. Why, the old fool actually
vent and sat down on the nest, and
lever noticed the difference. I al
Ways knew hens were darned fools,
'ut l never took them tor beaetIy idiots
'efore. That hen sat on those little
gators fos four days till the little fell
0ws began to crawl out of the nest
nd drop into the muddy water. And
hen the old hen ssaid around,
Tucked to them, and tried 70 feed
hem. Col. Hart has three of those
gators now in his duck house, 2
ears old, and as gentle as kittens.
hey 40 everything We tell them. to.
We are going to break 'em to the bit
hen they get about 6 years OLD, and
sc them to draw the ferry boat be-
Reen the Lskin House and Col.
Isrt's orange grove"
And the old hen ?'
well, she's still around. She
aiks around the gators still and