Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-10
Trolling for AlligatOrs.
From the New York Sun,

ciou VIC new 1OIk gun.
We found him after three days hunt. Just
above the mouth of a creek flowing into the ST.
Johns river was a small bay or lagoon, and as
we rowed softly into this, we caught sight of
him.
lie was the biggest, ugliest-looking alligator
ever seen in the state of Florida. He was two
thirds out OF water on the sandy shore, and on
that part Of his body thus exposed we could see
the marks of dozen bullets. 1t was evident,
from his size and wrinkles. that he was an old
denizen-a boss among alligators. How many
darkies, pigs and calves he had picked up dur
ing his career could only be guessed at, but he
was sized up as having taken in his full share
of this worlds goods.
We were after his highness. Among our
party was machinist, who had invented
an internal machine. 1t was a clock-work ar
rangement to explode gunpowder, and we had
been hunting for some autocrat, monopoly or
tyrant to try it on. We looked upon the ALI
gator as the personifcation of all three indi-
vidualities and corporations, and we wanted to
strike telling blow for freedom.
AS soon as we discovered his hiding place. we
dropped buck to the river and the machinist
prepared his surprise. The clock was set to run
for half an hour, and the entire machine prop
erly charged, was>encased in a large neck-piece
Of beef brought from the hotel Kitchen. The
beer was wound with wire, and then we were
ready.
The idea was that the alligator made b,s
home in the lagoon, and that he was not likely
to leave 1t under ordinary circumstance K
ne no was lande0 ana sent through the bushes
to scare the old monopolist out of his
sleep and off the shore. This was a feat easiiy
accomplished, although the reptile seemed
mad and insulted as he took to the water
We then rOwed into the lagoon q stout fish.
line was tied to the beef, and we began trolling
for alligatOrs Using the oars very softly wa
rowed back and forth across the lagoon. with
the beef drawn along on the bottom. From the
time the clock was set to the moment we en-
tered the lagoon was full fifteen minutes
When we had used up five minutes of the
other fifteen things began to look discOu. aging.
Somebody besides the alligator might get blown
up. We had exactly eight minutes LEFT when
the machinist called out:
Somebody or something had grabbed the
baited line with such eagerness that the man
had TO let go. He had taken the precaution tn
attach o float. and as we stood an the shore we
saw this float make o circuit of the lagoon
His royal nibbs had got it, and IL that infernai
machine was Of any good he would SOM l,a
made TO feel real unhappy.
We got back on d rise OF ground about thirty
feet from the water and waited. The four or
five minutes seemed twenty, and we were he.
ginning TO despair, when the alligator suddenIv
ment the explosion took place. There was a
horrible muss. Meat and pieces of hide snat.
tered the sand and bushes, and about half tho
tail was blown thirty feet into q tree to LODGE
there. The smell for the next ten mfnntes
would have discounted all the skunks i'm Ohio
and we had to push back q Quarter of a mia
and wait for o cold wave to carry it OF.
The Internal machine was O success r. had
exploded to the very minute. It had beemn
from way back In that alligator's system AND
given him surprise party which tickled him