The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-02-22

How the sport IL Conducted In Florida
~ ssight-Time.
Alligator hunting BY night y the
grcat sport In Florida. In their pres
emit panic-stricken condition the ALI
gators seldom 60 far away from tho
water In the daytime. but make all
their overland journeys at night. They
are growing very uneasy At the ad-
vance OF civilization. and have learned
10 shun both men and steamboats, so
frightened have they become that re-
peated trips may be made the entire |
length OF the st. Johns river without
q single specimen being seen. Alliga-
tor hunting was formerly ono OF the
most lucrative pursuits in Florida. as
| well as source OF infinite amusc-
ment to tourists. The reptiles were
slaughtered in great numbers all over
/ the State. They seemingly possess no
! intelligence whatever. and are notably
slothful. but have learned that safety
Is found only in hasty flight and Sc
clusion. In former years they were
shot at random BY excursionists IRON
the deck Of nearly every steamboat
that nayigatcd the lakes and rivers OF
tho State, but now the iron-clad rule
Is everywhere enforced on board that
alligators must not be seriously dis
turbcd by either passengers or en-
ployes. This regulation has been
rendered necessary to satisfy women
and children who constantly complain
OF being in Florida for weeks without
ever seeing single real live alligator
in it, native haunts. Under present
conditions alligator hunting by day
light has become tedious and I'M
profitable in most parts OF the pen
insula, and novel scheme for killing
} them at night has been adopted. The
! hunters equip themselves with guns,
revolvers and bull's-eye lanterns. The
alligator track is reached soon after
dark, for the alligators begin TO move
early in the night Tho tracks are
/ as plainly marked as wagon roads,
) and are made by the reptiles
Q constantly travelling from one
5 lake. river or swamp to another. The
: alligators can be heard at considerable
!. distance laboriously approaching
4 The men preserve absolute silence I'M
J. til the alligators reach the proper
Q point and then turn their bull 's-eye
! upon them. The dazzling stream 0
i light seemingly paralyzes the reptiles
/. and they stop short in their journey
y Their eyes bulge out and sparkle, an
:. at these glistcning orbs the hunter
: direct their aim. II is useless TO shoe
J. the alligators except in the ope
d mouth or under the throat. as the sho
Y Is repealed BY the tough skin or othe
a parts Of the body. producing no pei
Is ccptiblc effect. except in instances
q exasperatc the reptiles to frenzicd r.
e sistancc In one case, between lake
IS Nellie and Louisa. in this county,
:. few days ago, an alligator suppose
le 70 be fatally shot showed fight whe
ID approached. and knocked one {
40 the men unconscious with i
te tail Fearing to shoot then becaus
mt Of possible injury to their companio
G. the other hunters attacked the fer
or cious reptile with clubs. one OF whic
ed four or five inches in diameter. "
o. seized in the monsters jaws al
nv crushed 10 splinters. A man is US
t. unlly employed to remove the hid
NJ and teeth. while the bodies are left
nc food for the numerous buzzards. whi'
st are here protected BY the law. III
to hides sell for from ono dollar TO thr'
Sc dollars each. aud the teeth for
nd much. the former being in demand 4
es the manufacture OF various leath
rs goods. and the latter TO be worked !
&c into jcwelry and other ornament
ar Half dozen entcrprising men Ct
he capture from one to score OF allig
ial tors in single night. the number d
tie pending largely on the locality selc'
er ed and the conditions OF the weathe
IN If the migratory propcnsities Of y
lc- alliyators continue TO develop. so tn
ar they can be reached without cncou
'us tcring the dangers Of tho SWAMI
nj they will be practically cxterminat
Is, throughout this region within Z
hr naxf few Years Cor Chicago Hcra