National Republican., 1883-12-27
ALLIGATOR SKINS.
The General Tells How He Gets Them and
tho Dealer what Is Done with Them.
Ma, Y,o4t SIN


who was general, hailing from the cotton
belt of Louisiana. "Payl Why, dog-go it,
the whole kintrys gone mad on them var
gators. I thought I'd take a run up and see
whar they was Roin'-mskin' bags and boots
and kyard boxes. I've been squattin' on
durn swamp dosn thar at the mouth o. the
Mississippi for about ten years. stuck to 1t
like mud to q grounding, and raised cotton
and children-,just enough Of the first TO keep
the latter a-goin. / he'd close call between
the two, jedge. I'll be dogged If didn't
"As was sayin' stuck it out fo' ten years;
had the chills so bad IL tshook all my teeth out,
and when got false set he'd to have 'em
spliced in. Why gentlemen" the general
a tremblin' on damp nights and just shake
right off tho tree. A friend O. mine he'd
hu II orange grove threatened that way in 10
The chills KEN on, and the bark began ter
split and the old man sent for doctor.
Colonel" the doctor says, II kin save the
grove, but it'll cost q heap"
"How much ?" says the colonel.
Fifteen hundred dollars" says the doctor,
kind o. chokin'.
"'Go ahead says the colonel, the fruit on
the trees is wuth $4,000
"And so the doctor sot to, and reckon they
didn't lose more than dozen or So"
"What was the treatment" 2" an interested
listener asked.
ooh, he gev 'em the regular thing" the
general replied. "Gev 'em hyperdermics of
quinine. It's good thing. Try 1t. AS was
sayin', stuck TO IL, and was havin some
doubts two years ago as ter which was goin'
to come out ahead-me, the cotton, tho chill
dren, or the chills-when along KEN chap
andeays, 'Alligators plenty hereP
$50 So says l. we uses 'em as shingles
allow much air they wuth 2" says he.
II sec then he'd been drinkin', SO / hu-
mored him and said, About two bits skin
"'Ill take all yer kin git at that says he
Gentlemen, Pm dogged If he wasn't sober
in real earnest. He paid me in advance for
forty or fifty gators, and l whistled up the
bank while he stood there. | made enough
ter hire some coons ter do the shootin' and l
moved up on ter dry land, and now I've got,
as | said, fifty chaps at work.
"Yes. / he'd some lively times" he con-
tinued, refectively. "rhick Why, there
was kind O. stream between my house and
the main land, and we never spent cent
on bridges in the ten years; walked right
over the floatin' alligators. Tame!
Well, familiar's the term, gentlemen.
On Friday we always he'd hog and
fish. Yes. it was kind of curious COM
pound, but ye see my wife was a Jew and
Pm Catholic, and we had sort of wrastle
tryin' to convert each other, but it ended up
in her sayin' that she's eat meat on Friday
ter spite me; so / just slowed in pork ter
cheer her up, and made the young ones cleave
to IL, too. As l was sayin' ,on meat days these
yer slligators KEN from all sides, and just
filled up the place, some of them leanin' on
their elbows and lookin' through the winder,
watchin' us at dinner. Tame was nothin'.
But when got this yer bid there was a time
on that var hill, now ye kin bet We shot
'em by the hundreds right around the place,
and he'd gang shootin,' and another gang
skinnin,' and, as fast as the skin was off, we
packed 'em in brine and shipped 'em on
schooner here, where they go tothe tanner.
"We he'd some lively times, but most of my
boys were dead shots-could take the cusses
in the eye every time. Spile the skin ter hit
'em anywhere else, so a mans got ter hev
some qualifications even ter be a gator spot
ter. / he'd one coon that never tuck rifle in
his hand, and Pll be dogged If he couldn't git
away with more gators n any man in the gang.
The weapon he used was an ironwood club
about four feet long, with big spike like a
turtle peg in it, and he'd jam that yer spike
inter a gators brain every time l only see
him miss once We was out in the swamp,
lyin' in the grass takin' rest, when Pete see
big feller about sixteen foot tlong lyin' in the
mud about a hundred yards off, Over he went,
a sneakin' through the bushes, and when he
got close on ter the brute he gev run and
jump, and landed right alongside its head, and
fetched it whack that yer could hev heard
down ter Galveston. But the gator he'd
moved, and it didn't even stun him, and the
next minnit we see that nigger fyin' through
the air as if he'd been sent fo. The gator
had fetched him whack with his tail, and by
the time he landed it was on the spot bang
in at him again. But Pete had been thar
befo', and when the old cuss struck at him he
just jumped up and let the tail pass under
him, and I'll be dogged if it didn't keep him
n.movin'. But he kept up until the gator
see he wasn't a-gittin' ahead. 1t then made
move for the by-u, and Pete dropped on
him and socked the peg inter him for good.
If you ever want TO SEQ sport gentlemen,
git some chap to go through that dance. It's
fun. They say alligators has been converted
but don't put any dependence on 'em. You
can't tell what they're up to, I've seen a six
tooter chase a man up u tree and watch fol
him like hound and yet at times ye kir
walk right up to 'em.
From another source it was learned that
the general had shipped thousands of skim
to Europe and the north. "But the Market
said the dealer, "has been overstocked will
'alligators and the business has fallen off con.
siderably. For several years there was grand
rush for the hides Everything was made o
alligator from shoes to furniture, and ever
dados for rooms; but, like all fashions it ha:
had its day. Curously enough, the mos
money made in the business was in the sale o
imitation alligator hide. This is made 81
skillfully that only those who know the rea
thing from experience can tell it. The pecu
liarity of alligator hide is that it is water
tight and creased in n curious way. To max
perfect imitation, cast or impression
made of the real thing and astamp made iron
that. Alligator goods still cost good dea
because it costs moro to tan them than
does pigskin and the cheaper feathers, bu
for while the profit on the goods was enor
nous. have bought skins by the dozen a
81 cents apiece from twelve-foot animals
tanned thsm aud made them up into ba
that sold for S75. The bags now sell for al
prices. | can make you one for $1,000. w
are getting up one now that will bring that
1t is u complete toilet set for a gentleman
The toilet bottles and boxes are Of glass, soli
gold mounted, and ivory. The ivory boxo
all have bas relief monograms on them, an
the gold covers have the same in gold. w
formerly dealt very extensively in alligato
goods, but they are 80 common now il hardl
pays. The animal is pretty valuable al
through. From some kinds musk is oil
tanned. The skeletons still sell 10 colleges an
museums, especially If they are large, and th
teeth are made up into necklaces, pins, ear
rings, and everythings you can think of /
the way of jewelry, aud they find large sal
mt the summer resorts in the north and Jack
sonville and st. Augustine in the south Pee
pe always want to take away something wit
them, no matter what it is, and curiositie
are actually prepared here in New York an
sent down south for sale"
DEATH OF THE CRAZY DOVE