The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-10
fOriginal.l


I tell the tale Gas twas told to men by
nan who had participated in its Incidents:
Human beings are all more or less fond OF
controlling the lower animals. The process,
called tanning" they particularly delight in
The farther the animal is removed from do
mesticity, the greater the pleasure in subdu
ing it. Not often, however, does mar
choose an alligator for a companion, as did
journalist IN New Orleans several years ago
This man was an unusual sort of person
sith streaks of something like genius in his
composition. natural musician, ne could
wiring melody out of any instrument, from
jewsharo to a violin, and carved wood will
skill and taste that would have male him
fame and fortune if he had been ambitious
which he was not. Besides, he really
learned, though cynical. satirical and tired
IF people.
He lived alOnein two oddly furnished little
sooms on the ground floor of of the ole
houses in the oldest part of the city, his only
intimate associate being saucy parrot anC
the alligator which is the hero of this story.
A latticed gate opened on little porch EN-
moons Burgess Tyler sat smoking his pipe
with the parrot on his shoulder and the ALI
gator hanging limp and apparently lifeles
over his knees, his hand resting on its hideow
cough back caressingly.
As Mr.. Tyler was as ungenial and taciturr
with most persons as was his alligator, | re
garied his pretended affection for that un
handsome pet as one of his original ways o.
expressing contempt for human beings
Later on l discovered still more curiou
reason foi his preference.
He had brought the creature home witt
him when he returned from one OF his FIRE
quent fishing expeditions to the gulf when
was a mere baby-a dingy, unsightly little
reptile, mostly mouth and with no pleasing
ways whatever. With his own hands h
built house for it in his front yard-a long
vailed canal, with heap of sand and rock
at one end, so arranged that the beloved
reptile could go from the canal to dry lane
at its own sweet will. Around this curious
place he planted broad leaved water plant
and moses, until it looked like patch OF the
dismal swamp.
mere the AlnRdUOT Degdn us uOuesblCdOee
existence; and if ever an amphibious beasl
had every advantage in the way of civiliza
ton this one had. Its training was a worh
into which his owner seemed to put his soul
To the disinterested observer this repre-
sentative of the saurian family made nc
progress worth mentioning, save in the
direction of nervousness, though its infatu
atsd master frequently asserted that "Job,
rs he called the creature, hal mo end OF
senser-in fact, had a head on him that
would excite the envy of Bismarck"
So far as an outsider could judge, Job,
Atellectual achievements did not go beyond
xrrs inoffensiveness. he hung over his
owners knee, stretched himself out on thu
rush doormat and made himself at home in
lis rooms, without displaying any vicicusnes'
Of temper or injudicious selection of food
And Job grewl Oh, how he did grow. FL,
got so large that when his adorer took him
out with him, slung over his shoulder, hi;
tail almost dragged on the ground.
A curious sight was this pair perambu
lating the streets Of the quaint old city, anc
many IN astonished stranger turned to loot
altar them.
One evening ] passed Mr.. Tylers house ani