Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-05-18
A TOUGH YARN.
A Florida Man Rides an Alligator
Ashore, and Then Captures and
Tames The SaurIan.
Florida LncO1l.


On last Saturday morning a scene took
place at Lake Lochloosa station on the
Peninsular Railroad, which for genuine
excitement and sensation will complete
lY lay in the shade the best Spanish bull
fight on record. A party of men on the
wharf saw large alligator about hun
bred yards out in the lake gently repos-
ing amid the ripple that a pleasant breeze
was making. Some of the party got into
a boat, carrying with them small har-
pooh hook, and rowed out to the alliga-
tor. When in convenient distance the
harpoon was thrown and with unerring
shot made its way into the beast just be-
hind the right fore leg. No sooner than
this was done and while the alligator
was raging in the waters in its most pow
erful efforts to release itself, one of the
party, a Mr.. Posey, a man probably fifty
Years of age, leaped into the lake, swan
to the rearing and surging monster, got
upon its back, grabbed it around the
neck and rode it to land amid the shouts
of those who were fortunate enough to
witness the exciting scene. When meas.
ured the monster was found to be ten
feet and six inches long. Strange to say
after Mr.. POsey had backed him and
crippled him around the neck, the beast
was almost entirely subdued. A few
lunges and he quietly followed the tight
enIng of the rope until he reached the
shore a tanner, but greatly confused ALI
gator His mouth was then muzzled
and a rope tied around his belly, and it
was hauled up on the platform at the
depot.
When the afternoon train came along
the passengers got out to look at the
beast and its valiant captor, and then
another scene took place quite as ex-
citing and extraordinary as the one in
the water.
POsey got on the gator to ride it for
the entertainment of the crowd. After
much tickling and squirting aroused the
animal into such desperate struggle for
freedom that everybody expected to see
some one literally chewed up and swal-
lowed by it. In the melee it snapped
the ropes that were bound around its
long and brutal mouth, and then making
a dash for the ground, it was swung up
by the rope, tied by its body and fasten-
ed to post. 1t soon broke this and fell
heavily to the ground, when it put out
for the lake. But he was scarcely landed
before Posey was on its back, when a
struggle ensued between man and alliga
tor that could scarcely have its paral-
lei in the arena of dcrobatic action. The
crowd scattered at this appalling scene,
and men there, who, if first fights with
alligators were feasible and practicable
thing, would be strong enough for the
business, exclaimed that the world had
not treasure enough to enter such strug-
gle. Yet, in a few seconds Posey was
master of the situation, the saurian was
conquered and lay as quietly under the
grasp of his couquerOr, as if instead of
being four hundred pounds of real live
alligator, it was the most cowardly cur.
A shout of victory went up for Posey
and parties went to his assistance and
again tying and securing the animal.
The job was completed and the hero of
the fight offered his prisoner in market
overt for the trifing sum of $40.