The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-08-01
LIFE IN THE BIG SWAMP.
Wicrd OkefcnoEee S~cencs-Savage Snu-
rians-Shooting Fish With Arrows.

The prairie land, which covers a con-
siderable portion of the Okcfcnokee
swamp, is Il very remarkable forma-
ton, and is, am told, peculiar TO this
swamp. 1t is open land, entirely free
from timber, and stretching away rs
far rs the eye can reach in every di-
r%cction. 1t has most of the character
istics of a hugh inland sea, except the
waves. Interspersed here aud there
in this huge prairie are small patches
of high dry ground, of variable size
and heavily timbered, called cow
houses. | am unable to ascertain the
propricty of this name, unless it be
that the cattle, deer, aud other animals
seek these places for shelter and to get
out of the water. The surface of these
prairies is covered with y deposit of de-
cayed vegetation that has been ac-
cumulating for centuries, and is called
muck. This varies in thickness from
four TO ten feet, with water beneath.
aud below the water sand. This
singular formation gives to the swamp
its name of Trembling Earth. 1t will
support the weight of the average mar
if he keeps moving onward; but if he
pauscs an instant he commences to
sink, and may go through to his waist
or over his head. AT every step the
water oozes up around the feet, while
yards around.
There is something grand and even
sublime to the visitor in the silent vast
ness of this prairie formation. 1t
stretches away before the eye in every
direction until ouly limited by the
horizon, its perfect stiffness only
broken by the occasional below Of
some huge alligator, or the far distant
| scream of some unknown bird. Here
and there can be seer the track left be-
hind by some hunter. where possibly
| years q he had laboriously poled his
canoe along in pursuit Of game, the
| path as distinct and fresh now rs if
made only yesterday. All around fish
of endless species and sizes can be seen
swimming and darling about. while
not infrcquently the eye may fall upon
some immense alligator or snake sun
ming himself upon the surface of the
muck and water or slowly sinking out
This description conveys a slight but
at best II very imperfect idea of the
prairie land of this swamp.
Upon the island where we are at
present cncampcd are living two
families, with the aged father named
Cheshire. The old gentleman is nearly
so years of age, and has spent thirty
odd years of his life in this spot, AT
the time of the expedition sent through
the swamp by the Constitution he acted
as guide, and is full of "reminiscences
Of that trip. He is II wonderful fisher
man. and indeed calls himself the King
Of the swamp. to which position he
was duly appointed and commissioned
by DIR. Little, the State g%eologist. The
two sons of Mr.. Cheshire have their
families here. The men attempt to
cultivate small crops, but spend most
of their time hunting. Their revenue
is almost entirely derived from the sale
Of hides of alligators, deer and bears.
The quantity of these that they destroy
and many of their stories of hunting
adventures are almost incredible.
Think of Il hunter shooting down iour
deer with a rifle, one after another,
and without moving from one spot.
In several of the lakes that arc thickly
interspersed throughout this prairie
the alligators are so numerous and
fierce that they will attack Il man in {:
boat as soon as he appears among them.
and shooting them by night, which is
the way they are commonly killed. is
sometimes attended with no little
danger.
The entire armament of the Cheshire
family consists of one ten gauge. ter
pound double-barrelled Remington
shotgun aud two Winchester rifles. onc
thiriy-cight calibre and II %lllirty-two,
Also a small yellow pine bow, and {
few cane arrows. These latter ar,
used in shooting fish. and feel safe il
affirming that the dcxterity with which
these men use their rude bow an,
arrows will put 10 shame the average
Atlanta marks,pan with his rifle. III
passing over the ptairi4. II of tho
Cheshires will suddenly stop, poise hi
little bow, and send his little arrow
flying into the water, ordinarily into
spot where you or | would see nothing
but the way in which that arrow will
dance about for the next minute O
two will convince you not only tina
there is an object on the other end 0
it, but that it is an object of some size
too. When your hunter pulls up hi
arrow behold a four or six pound trou
or black bass, centrally transtixed,
shot that very few of our marksmel
could make with n g~un.-Atlant
Journal.