Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-02

Alone Id a DeeOlass Florida
Jungle with BuEznrds
aud saurian.
JaeksonsllIs LEla.N rimr..

Jacksonville tEla.) Timrs.
Did you ever hear an alligator bel
low2" The news editor asked the
question. IL was | o'clock in the
morning; the last copy" had zone up
the tube, and a number Of the young
men had dropped in for a chat and
smoke before seeking their lodgings.
The speaker leaned back in his
chair, gave a mighty pull at his pipe,
sighed with the genuine enjoyment
OF taxation and threw his ankles
over a. neighboring chair back.
There is nothing like it on this
earth. II is the realization, or near
it, Of the blood curdling roars of
the monsters Of fairy land that tor
tured our youthful imagiuations. 1
don't know better how to describe il
than BY saying that it is a loud, pro-
longed, dental below that shakes the
ground like an earthquake, and at a
distance Of three miles il seems not
900 yards away" You have heard
them, | suppose" said tho marine re-
porter, Yes, | have heard them.
They are not heard often 10 the tenn
perate regions of Northern Florida,
hut in the tropical confines of Lakes
Winder and Washington, aud, further
vet, up in Bonnet Lake, near the Big
Cypress, the source OF the st. Johns
river
Above steamboat navigation" sug-
gested a smoker.
Yes, and beyond the tourists
everlasting rife, the great bull alliga
tor lives, aoHrishes -and bellows
Lets all 60 up there" exclaimed
the beardless junior reporter.
You would no doubt make an ALI
gator very agreeable company" said
the police reporter.
Yes added the news editor, very
agreeable Tor the alligator. When
our party was over there from Indian
river he added significantly, I'VE
lost our three most valuable pointers
Il heard" retorted the discreet
junior reporter, getting through tho
door aud nearly closing it, II heard
that your family we're all wearing
heavy mourning about that time ,
Then be slammed the door aud skin
ped, While the news editor rooeeded
In 1876 Walker Lund, the elder.
tried to get one Of his small steamers
up into Lake Washington He did
make two or three trips to Turtle
MoUDd, aplace .blut halt way between
the two lakes (Windrr and Wash
iuVton), but above that int the
channel was iull of floating mud
islands and smartweed ana
grass. We expected him up one
Thursday night. Several teams went
over from Indian river, it was fifteen
miles from our settlement, and Billy
Mccullough and | rode over on our
marsh tackey. We made camp on
the mound. waited till dark, but no
steamer came. The mound is a little
bullock OF perhaps ten acres, covered
with a dense jungle of palmettos, sweet
gum trees, and wild vines, standing
out q solitary clump in the midst OF
the low, wet prairie through which
the river runs.
"A runaway British sailor named
Harness was keeping a little store
on Lake Windsor, and, among other
goods, had a barrel of pinetop
whisky. Some of the boys got
hungry for a drink and made up a
party to go down to Harness. We had
a little red skiif at the mound, and one
after another got in until only | was
left. They padded away into the dark
went TO Harness, got drunk, came
near being drowned ard did not re.
turn until nearly daylight. | made
my bed and went to sleep-on the
ground.
About | O'Clock the gators begin
swimmin' back up stream. They e
in pairs, and the males COO as il
were, to their mates. | was s%leepinI
very peacefully. Suddenly sometime
conyulsed me-. | sat up, quaking il
every joint.
The fire was out, only red ember,
remaining. The darkness in Oh,
dense moss hung hammock that GOV.
cred the mound was profouAd. Bug
yards %roosiing in the darkness al
away were breaking down occasionally
dry limbs, and two or three opossuml
were sneskiDg around the dead EN-.
bars OF the ERE | sat aud shivered
Suddenly again, right at tho foot O.
the mound, not twenty yards from me
came that below -gOdsl | can't de
scribe tia noise | bad never heart
in my life before. Then another
J below answered. | seemed to BE-
surrounded by them. Ny first though
was panthers, but | had heard panther
A)ugh and concluded il was NIT them
got up and CROPPED NY way 10 ON
o. we EAS,esssS; my rife was gone. !
mad been taken by one afthe rarty o
! whisky hunters without my kuowlede
or consent. | got up in the WACO
and calmly waited my fate. Within
twenty minutes a form az big as
whale was paving around the fire
Then be beloved | saw BY hi,
movements that it was an alligator. |
was not possible TO see them but
dosan at least must have come al
there, They mad away with svery
thing they could fud Then I shouted
yelled, swoFs and danced in tn
wagon. l felt about for a Wagon
: stake, but there was ZONE.
Then through the stiffness Of III,
night ! heard, star of, the proionre,
tally vAoo otthe coz boy, The crow,
was coming back, drunk.
u think it soberoi them up a bi
when they saw that camp"