Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-12-06
4 NOTED ALLIGATOR.
lie Likes to BE Shot at amd Is -il,cays ON
Hand.

| He Likes to BE Shot at a,aH Is -itscdys o.
|, Hand.
Bob of Dunn's Creek is the bes
known to river men and tourists of an,
alligator in Florida, says writer in tn
! ST. Louis Globe-Democrdt He is on
of the largest saurians in the State
being fourteen feet six inches in length
while the largest alligator on the st
Johns River of which any reliable &C
count can be had is but sixteen feet il
| length. Dunn's Greek, Bob's home, il
one of the most beautiful of Florids
streams. 1t is twenty-five miles il
length and is very deep, being the out
let from Crescent Lake into the st
Johns River 1t is a very crooked
stream, and is so narrow that in place,
the boat will scrape the banks. 1t il
lined with evergreens, which meet over
head, forming leafy bower that is de
lightiul to the lover of the picturesque
The windings are very abrupt at times
and navigation is exceedingly difficult.
The steamer Georgia, Capt. Bright
commanding, is the only boat now ply.
ing its waters. In one of the shortest
OF the many bends in Dunn's Creek Bot
has had his home for many years, al.
ways laying on the same log, and sc
close to the log that passengers can
reach him with an oar. Alligators usu1
ally become frightened and roll off from
the logs into the water at the approsch
of boat, but Bob is used to it, and APP
pears to wait for the boat to cone
Every day for ten years he has hten
seen on the same log. and as the toat
approaches he slightly turns his head,
as though he We're waiting for the JAS
sengers to begin to shoot at him, which
they invariably do. After he is tied
of this amusement he dives into She
water, to again reappear when the bat
returns. He has been shot every Jay
during the last decade, but he ne-er
tires of it, and no one has ever SIC
ceeded in hitting him in vulnerable
place. He seems to understand thathe
is there to act as a target for the marks
men and throws his throat close against
the log and turns his head so that The
bullets can not strike his eyes. He
then knows that he is safe. The los on
which Bob suns himself has been meas
ured number of times, and his lelgth
is therefore we'll known. During the
ten years since he first began to become
famous he has grown two feet.
Capt. Bright stated that he believed
the pilot would miss his location i Bob
was to die. He is certain Landmark,
and passengers who are acquainted
with the stream will ask Glow many
miles are we from Bob?" in orderp as
certain their whereabouts.
The log upon which he lies has be-
come known as Bob's log, and tome
facetious passengers have made up petit
tons to have a postoffice established
there and Bob appointed as postmaster;
giving him as q surname that of the mar
after whom the creek is called. Severn
petitions, it is said, have been prepared
but so tar as heard from none have beer
presented to the department; but i
"Bob's Landing, Bob Dunn, postmas
ter, is ever put in the "Postal Guide
it can be known that no one lives there
and the postmaster is huge gator.
Bob's home is the halfway point be
tween Crescent Lake and st. John.
River, and visitors to Florida should no
fail to see him. Capt. Bright state.
that if they ever run short of ammuni
ton they will catch Bob and take the
bullets out Of his back, where enough
to stock a small store must be imbedded
Bob is not myth. He can be seen b,
any passenger who will go up Dunn,
Greek, and hundreds of tourists will
testify as to his existence and character
! ismcs.