Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-11-07
xuLIxG ALLIGaroRs.
A Charlesfown Man Relates His Exper
fence With the Critters.


fence With the Critters.
r. o. Mcfarland, Charlessown, watch.
maker, laid down his instruments, push
ed his eyeglasses up on his forehead and
said: "Taik about cunning, tell you it
is lively sport shooting alligators
They're saucy critters, and dangerous
ones too. A number of years ago was
in Jacksonville, Fla, on board the
schooner Carrie Walker, my brother.
John Mcfarland, being captain of the
craft. We were hauled up at Scott's saw
mill, loading with lumber. Old Scott as
we used to call him, could swear the
bark off a southern pine tree. There
were two alligators under the mil, and
we wanted to shoot them. Old Scott
swore we shouldn't for, said he, they've
been under my mill for several years,
and they're my petsp One morning q
negro boy, whose father worked in the
mill, was fishing from the wharf, when
one Of the alligators caught him by the
leg and pulled him under the water.
That was the last of the boy. Some one
told Scott about it, but he wouldn't have
the alIigators hurt. The next day SCOTS
nephew, a young boy whom the old man
dearly loved, was fishing from the same
wharf when he was caught by one of the
alligators and devoured. When Scott
heard of the fate of his nephew he was
beside himself with rage. Rushing into
the mill he shouted; Every man stop
work and 90 and kill them alligators un-
der the mill. Not stick of timber will
be sawed here till them cussed critters
are dead. I'll pay every man just the
same as though the mill was running.
Them cussed alligators have eat my boy!
"Every man quit work, and, armed
with sticks, axes, shot-guns, and pistols,
began war on the alligators. On the
third day the crocodiles were killed. On
opening them only few small pieces OF
cloth and several buttons were found.
The death Of the boy was hard blow
to Scott, and he never could forget the
sad affair. Alligators are very tricky.
For instance a flock of geese will alight
on the river, and soon you will observe
an alligator some distance off, stick his
nose out of water and look about him.
The next time you see him his head is
poked up among the geese. They can
measure distance to dot.
II was on board the schooner on the |
Mississippi one time, when I noticed
luhA duO WoMhu LII y oLuhll UOdV W ocAAS
the river. also observed an alligator |
push his nose out of the water. The
man in the boat saw the crocodile, too,
for he began to increase the number OF
strokes with his oars. Again the slliga-
tor came to the surface. He was nearer
the boat than hen first seen. The man
increased his speed. When the alliga-
tor showed himself again he had short
ened the distance between himself and
the boat. The man now exerted him
self for all he was worth, for it was a
race of life and death. Fortunately the
shore was near. The boat touched land
at last, but as it did the man and woman
got up and ran. The latter had left the
boat when the alligator's nose appeared
over the stern, and coat, upon which
the woman had been sitting, was lifted
from the seat and with the crocodile dis
beneath the surface of the wa
ter. Had the man been half minute
later in reaching the shore the woman
would have lost her life.
"Alligstors when wounded while in
the water will take the land. You have
got to know how to shoot them. I al
ways fired into the mouth. Stand in
front of the critters, for their tails are
and with them they can fell
an OK or a horse. The hides of these al
ligators are exceedingly tough"