Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-11-19
TROLLING FOR ALLIG ATORs.
AN INTERNAL MACHINE WHICH BLEW
A BLOODY REPTILE INTO A
THOUSAND PIECES.
IN. Y. SUM-

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 al.
ligdtor eyer seen in the state Of Florida.
lie was two-thirds out Of water on the
sandy shore, and on the part of his
body thus exposed we could see the
marks of dozen bullets. 1t was evil
dent, from his size and wrinkles, that
he was an old denizen-a boss among
alligators. How many darkies, pigs
and calyes he had picked up during 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 in
vented an Internal machine. 1t was a
clock-work arrangement to explode gum
powder, and we had been hunting for
some autocrat, monopoly or tyrant to
try it on. We looked upon the alliga-
tor as the personification of all three
individualities and corporations, and
we wanted to strike telling blow for
freedom.
AS soon as we discovered his hiding
place we dropped back to the river, ard
the machinist prepared his surprise.
The clock was set to run for half an
hour, and the entire machine, properly
charged, was encased in a large neck
piece of beef brought from the hotel
kitchen. The beef was wound with
wire, and then we were ready. The
idea was that the alligator made his
home in the lagoon, and that he was
not likely to leave it under ordinary
circumstances. A negro was landed
and sent through the bushes to scare
the old monopolist out of his sleep and
off the shore. This was a feat easily
accomplished, although the reptile
seemed mad and insulted as he took to
the water.
We then rowed into the lagoon, a
stout fish-line was tied to the beef, and
we began trolling for alligators. Using
the oars very softly, we 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 entered the lagoon was full fifteen
minutes. When we had used up five
minutes of the other fifteen things be-
gan to look discouraging. Somebody
besides the alligator might get blown
up. We had exactly eight minutes left
when the machinist called out:
"He's got 1t! He's got it Pull for
the shore!"
Somebody or something had grabbed
the baited line with such eagerness that
the man had to let it go. He had taken
the precaution to attach float, and as
we stood on the shore we saw this float
make circuit of the lagoon. His
Royal Nibbs had got it, and if that in
fernal machine was of any good he
would soon be made to feel real unhap-
py.
We got back on a rise of ground "a
bout thirty feet from the water and
waited. The four or five minutes SEEM
ed twenty, and we were beginning to
despair, when the alligator suddenly
preached like whale, and at the same
moment the explosion took place.
There was horrible muss. Meat and
pieces of meat spattered the sand and
bushes, and about half the tail was
blown thirty feet into tree to lodge
there. The smell for the next ten min
utes would have discounted all the
skunks in Ohio, and We had to push
back quarter of mile and wait for a
cold wave to carry it off.
The Internal machine was success.
1t had exploded to the very minute. 1t
had begun from way back in the alliga
tors system and given him a surprise
party which tickled him to death.