Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-06-06
A NOTED ALLIGATop
He Likes to Be Shot At and 7. :,
ways On Hand. =

Bob Of Dunn's creek is tba to..,a
to river men and tourists Of anv m N. 2
tor in Florida, says a writer n i, ai'l4s
Louis Globe-Democrat. He i - =
the largest saurians in the STATE h
IA feet and 6 inches in Length ~ 5
the largest alligator on the n ~ ~
river of which any reliable aecorr ~ I
be had is but l6 feet in length. ~
creek, Bob's home, is one Il tbea
beautiful of Florida streams T. :
twenty-five miles in length AMI I Y
deep, being the outlet from Cras.'
lake into the st. Johns river Il
very crooked stream, and is So n.'.
that in places the boat will sorars NJ y
banks. 1t is lined with eyerd,.. !.
which meet overhead, forming = IN
bower that is delightful to the lovs. \
the picturesque. The windines are =.
abrupt at times and nayigatior
diIhcdlt; The steamer Georga r..
Bright commanding, is the onlv 4
now plying its waters. In one n 4
shortest OF the many bends in DIM
creek Bob has had his home for mss
years, always lying on the same l.
and so close to the log that passens..s
can reach him with an oar. ADo,.,a
usually become frightend and Nh 4
from the logs into the water at tbe on
proach of boat, but Bob is used +
and appears to wait for the boat =
come. Every day for ten wears h IT,
been seen on the same log, and as h.
boat approaches he slightly turns h.
head, as though he We're waiting for IN
passengers to begin to shoot al lin
which they invariably do. A.
he is tired of this amusemsi
he dives into the water. i
again reappear when the boat \.
turns. He has been shot every daydv,
ing the last decade, but he never tr.
OF it, and no one has ever succeeded n
hitting him in a vulnerable place h
seems to understand that he is thee |,
act as target for the marksmen and
throws his throat close against The Il,
and turns his head 50 that the bullet
cannot strike his eyes. He then know,
that he is safe. The log on which Ba
suns himself has been measured a nun.
Der Of times. and its length is thereion
well known. During the ten years sHs
he first began to become famous lie ha
grown two feet.
Capt. Bright stated that be believel
the piolet would miss his location il BIB
was to die. He is certain Landmark
and passengers who are acquainted WITH
the stream will ask: "HOw many nils
are we from Bob 4" in order to ascertain
their whereabouts.
The log ON which he lies has becons
known as Bob's log, and some iacetoa
have made up pettiHsh
have a post-ofiice established there and
Bob appointed as postmaster giving
him as surname that of the man alta
whom the creek is called. Several p
titions, it is said, have been prepared
but so far as heard from none have ben
to the department; but i
''Bob's Landing, Bob Dunn, postIas
ter" is ever put in the "Postal Guide
it can be known that no one lives theFs
and the postmaster is a huge gator
Bob's home is the halfway point te
tween Crescent lake and St JohHs
liver, and visitors to Florida should lc
fail to see him. Capt. Bright saia
hat if they ever run short Of amnult
ion they will catch Bob and take ~
bullets out of his back, where enough
% stock a small store mustbe imbeddei
Bob is not a myth. He can be seen
my passenger who will go up Duna
,reek, and hundreds Of tourists Wv
estify as to his existence and ehar1sa
sites.