Connecticut western news., 1886-03-10
ALLIGATOR LORE.
A Florida Character who
 Hunts the Saurian$.
Living Among Them for Months and Fa-
 miiiar With Their Habits

Alligator Ferguson, well known character in Florida, is the subject of this sketch. He has made snug sum from the teeth of the allieators he has killed, and is an expert at the busiuess. Teeth are worth from $4 to $5 Te,lnd, aEd sometimes he gathered from six to eight pounds in a single week. He never cared anything for the bodies, although they are worth more than the teeth. Ferguson did not confine his operations to any particular portion of South Florid,
 but from Tampa to Biscayne Bay, an- from the saw grass fields of Lake Apopka to the shores of Okeechobee he created consternation among the scaly denizens of the marshes, and he could lay claim to having killed more alligators than any other man living. He made his bed among them, ate among them, spent many months among them as his only companions, and it is probable that he hardly ever thought or talked of any thing but alligators. The gigantic snarls and growls with which they communed together in early spring was the only mu- sic which charmed his ears. At that time of the year he knew they could be found in pairs and more easily captured. He stayed among them so long that he became, as some people said almost amphibious. One man thought Ferguson's teeth were growing longer, and another, with an exceptionally keen pair of eyes, was certain that the great hunters skin was growing rough and hard in patches, preparatory to changing into scales. Fer guson didn't care cent what they said ',r thought about him so long as he could kill big alligators and sell their teeth. He always claimed that the alligators were more plentiful on Fish Eating Creek, but that their teeth were very much inferior to those from other places. On the gulf coast, he said, was the best place for real good teeth, and pro- fessed preference for salt water alliga- tors. Those that live in salt water are of stouter build, and the head is larger in proportion to the body than that of the fresh water species. Some people claim that they are more ferocious than the other, but Ferguson does not think so. He is an expert at decoying alligators within range of his gun. He has a way of barking like small dog, and when he commenced that it would not be long be- fore their huge shouts would be sticking out of the water. Another way was to take little dog or pig in his arms and twist it's tail so that it would yell and at tract the alligators. A screaming pig will excite the interest and attention o1 any alligator, no matter how indolent ol phlegmatic. Ferguson told me that he was hunting one spring morning neal 'rohopekalign, and had brought young, fine blooded dog with him. Coming tc Il deep, round pool, which formed 6 small bay in the lake, he commenced looking out for alligators, which he knew were to be found in that place in great quantities. The dog was a little too eager for the sport and jumped into the water. Ferguson said he tried to call him back, but the dog was deaf to all remonstrance. When he reached the middle of the pool he began bowling and struggling and looked back appealingly to his master fol help. In few moments the dog disap pearcd and was seen no more. "Hit riled me awfully," said Ferguson, Ito see my purp gobbled down in that way, and laid for that gator. I wouldn't a-took the purtiest fifty-dollar bill you ever saw for that dog, and I jest says to myself am goin' to make them gators hop; ano did make lem hop. takes my leetlest purp, and wrings and twists his tail un twel he hollors like as if he was a-bein killed, and, first I knowed, out popped the head of whoppin' big gator. Ther another one of the big black imps pokec his sassy shoot out'n the water, and hi warn't no time fore the pond was teeto tally covered with lem. I never seen SC many gators in the known world. I sho and shot and shot, until was bodacious ly out of breath, but made them imp sweat. They eat up my purp and
 wouldn't a-took brand new fifty-dol lar bill for him, but I everlastingly pep pered lem for it." Chicago Times.