Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-01-08
EXPERIENCE WITH ALuleAToaa
Whss .. Old sav-uW Man Lost HIS TEN.
per-A Race For Life.
fpoxtnn G'ofSa I

per-A Race For Life.
Boston G'obel
They were talking about alligators. A
we'll known matchmaker Of Charlestown
laid down his instruments. pushed his
eve glasses up on his forehead. and said
Talk about cunning. tell you it's
iivel, sport shooting alligators They're
saucy critters. and dangerous ones. too
A number of years ago l was in Jackson
vile. Fla on board the schooner Carrie
Walker. my brother, John Nc arland
being captain Of the craft We were
hauled up at Scotia saw mill. loading
with lumber Old Scott IS We used to
call him. could swear the bark
of Q southern pine tree There
were two alligaton under the
mill, and We wanted to shoot them.
Old Scott swore We shouldn't for, said
he, they've been under my mill for sew
eral years, and they're my pets One
morning negro boy, whose father worked
in the mill. was fishing from the wharf,
when one of the alligstors 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 alligxtors hurt The next day Scott's
nephew . young boy VIII m 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 aud kill them sllgators
under the mill Not stick of timber
will be sawed here till them cussed crit
/ ters are dead III pay every man just
the same as though the mill was run
ming. Them Gu ussed slligators have eat
Every man quit work, and armed
with sticks axes. shot guns. and pistols.
began war on the slligators 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 q flock of geese will alight on a
river, and soon YOU will observe an ALI
gator some distance OH, stick his nose out
Of water and look about him The neGt
time you see him his head is poked W
among the gees4 They can measure
distance to q dot
Il was on board Q schooner on the
Mississippi one time. Wien | noticed a
man and woma in q small boat crossing
the river. l also observed an alligator
push his nose out Of water. The man in
the boat saw ibe crocodile too for he he
gan TO increase the number of strokes
with his oars. Again the alligator came
10 the surface He was nearer the boa
than when first seen. The man increased
his speed " hen the alligator showed
himself again he had shortened the dis
lance between himself and the boat Th'
man now exerted himself for all lie wa!
worth. for it was race of life or death
Fortunately the shore was near. The boa
touched land at last but as it did th'
man and woman got up and ran. In
latter had not left the boat when the ALI
gators nose appeared over the stern. ant
. coat, upoE which the woman had beei
sitting. was lifted from the seat and will
the crocodile d disappeared beneath the sur
face of the waller Had the man beei
half minute later in reaching the sh0r
the woman would have lost her life.
"Alligators when wounded in the waite
will take to land You have got 10 know
how to shoot them always fire int
the mouth. stand in front OF the critters
for their tails are powerful. aud wit
, them they can fell an on or horse. III
, hides of these alligators are excesding
} tough