The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-06-19

eral O1 ner caves, anu dlIllOSG every Udy
some of her stock would disappear. 1t
was supposed at first that cattle thieves.
we're at work, and close watch was
kept. But the calves continued to dis
appear even when the men were watch
ing. One night the supposed thief was
discovered crawling, as it was thought.
on his hands in the grass. 1t was moon
light, and all that could be distinguished
was form moving from the swamp
toward calf. Suddenly it pounced upon
the animal. and the men fired several
shots at it with rifles and closed in
around the form, when 1t was found
that the calf thief was pure white al
ligator. The reptile sacceeded in escaping
to the swamp, and parties were Or
ganized to hunt tneXt day. They watched
for its appearance for week, but could
see nothing of it until one night about ten
tlavs after it was first seen. Several
shots were fired at it without effect, as
the range was evidently too long 10 hit
the saurian in any vulnerable part. A
great many have tried to kill it since
that time, but none have ever succeeded,
and the white alligator is still master of
the swamp.
Before his appearance there were
number of ordinary alligators, but with
the advent of the white one the others
made themselves scarce, leaving him
sole posSeSsor of the territory. 1t is not
known whether he has killed them or
whether they fled at his approach. He
has continued his depredations, how
ever, among the cattle, and every posi-
BILE means has been tried to effect his
destruction. but without success.
His size is unknown, as none have ever
been able to get sufficiently near to him
to determine, except one luckieSs lndl-
vidual, who was too badly scared to
measure him accurately, and who
thought he was ABOUT as long as a
telegraph pole.
A party had been organized to hunt
him and he was seen to leave the swamp
and climb upon log at some distance
from the water. The swamp was sur
rounded and a mannamed Drew, armed
with truSty rife, went between the
gator and the marsh. The wicked
saurian seemed to appreciate the Stua-
ton at a glance and, thro wing up his
upper Jaw, started for Drew; at what
seemed lightning speed. The hunter
became the hunted. He forgot TO shoot,
and did not have time to get out of the
gators way. He eStartcd on the run, but
il was evident that he could never
escape, and his friends were horror
stricken at his impending fate, when he
suddenly disappeared and the alligator
passed over him.
When the crowd became sufficiently
nerved to look for the missing man. they
found that he had proyidentially fallen
into the stock well, which was at the
edge of the swamp, and was twenty feet
deep. The hunter when discovered was
standing up to his waist in mud and
water. but was rescued by means of
ropes without serious injury. Since that
time the reptile has not been disturbed,
except at a distance, and bullets and
slugs seem to have no effect on him.
Owing to his peculiar white appear
ance the negroes, it is said, entertain a
peculiar regard for the alligator, and
will not mention him except with super
stitious horror. He is supposed to be a
malignant spirit, and the negroes believe
that he will never die, and that it is i'm
possible to kill him without drawing
upon themselves the wrath of all evil
spirits. who will revenge themselves by
visiting them with all manner of imag-
Unable horrors. Meanwhile the fact re-
mains that the cattle continue to diSap-
pear and the reptile still lives.-8.
louis Globe Democrat.