The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-31
EATEN BY AN ALLIGATOR.
Globe Democrat.

that city, Is the the terror of all we'll posted Florida alligators. The story is told that whenever he goes hunting for them now he only drops his card case overheard in the river and the huge saurians come up to meet their doom.
 The commodore is down this season as sprightly as ever and full of lite and animation that makes him so popular here and renders him the pride of the "Cracker" heart. The recent cold drove all the gators down deep into their winter mud-holes, but the natives wi persist that the fame of the commodore Is so we'll known that his arrival here produces conster- nation in tine saurian family at once, and the only question then was which could get into his hole the quickest. Some of the tales of his experience arc very weird and wild and perhaps may be taken with grain of salt.
 One of his most thrilling and truth iul exploits was at Rice creek, some six miles from here, several years ago, the details of which are often narrated by the old guides.
 It was on a cold day in March, with a. stiff breeze blowing from the west. Engaging small boat, colored man and boy, Mr. Root started on hunt in the creek above mentioned. A row of two hours brought them to the mouth of the creek, where 1t emptied into the St John river. Tine first two bends were rounded without any game being sighted, but on reaching the third two large alligators were seen to swim out from the dense canes that lined the shores. Raising his rifle the commodore fired, the ball striking the larger of the two gators between the eyes, "laying him out" From the wound poured crimson stream, dyeing the water for yards around, while the last agonies of the reptile churned the water into foam. At the first crack of the gun the other saurian had sunk, but the smell of blood attracted his attention and it rose on the other side of the boat, and reused to fury by the blood and ago. nizing plunges of its mate made for it's enemies with rush. The inmates ot the boat did not notice it till a near splash attracted their attention, when turning they saw the gator with huge open jaws within few yards of the boat and coming like lightning. The commodore said at- forwards that its eyes seemed fairly to sparkle with internal glee, and he verify thought that the reptile seemed to recognize him as the dreaded enemy to his kind. The gator struck the boat fairly, and savagely crunched the tow sides in with its jaws bearing it down under the water.
 Mir. Root jumped out on the oppo- site side and swan to the shore, where he climbed tree, AS the bank was boggy and swampy, followed by the colored man. But the boy could not swim, and the mortified men saw that he was doomed. They were power less to help him, however, and blood curdling scream and the disappearance of the struggling boy soon followed, while the red waters told the tale. The gator was not seen again, and MI ihOOt huu htb ilIdu ICtiIdttNNl IIIt tree top for some hours, suffering greatly from exposure, when a pass ing pleasure yacht rescued them.
 This exciting experience and horri- ble death of the boy caused commo- tion among the tourists at the hotels here, most of them being huAters and sportsmen at the time. An expedi- tion therefore was made up to try and kill that old gator in few days, con- sisting of about a dozen persons. They killed four before they fou nd the right one, but finally huge old fellow rose in the weeds as they ap- preached, and was finished by dozen rifle balls at short range. On open- ing him they found the skull of the boy inside, besides a number of ribs and other bones. A piece of plank, two sections of a log chain, several pine knots ground round and smooth, and fishbones, etc., formed some of the contents of the old saurian's stomach. He measured over eighteen feet long, his head alone being six feet. The jaws were enormous in their spread, opening at their tips when propped open to the full extent of some three feet
 The commodore says this was one of his most exciting experiences, al- though it occurred in so short period as to give him but little time for re- fection.
 In the old days before these reptiles were driven of the rivers they were extremely tame and very numerous. The commodore's record was geDer- ally 300 to 500 every season, and he finally became known as the "New York alligator man" among the col ored guides.
 
 DEAR SIR:-It affords me great