The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-03-25

80 great has been tho demand of
fashion OF late yeara for alli-aa3. ...iu~
that IN some parts oI tu. south tac
huut.IroI these g-im@la forms s-.ts %
profitable industry. Men band t.am-
selves together in couple and in .o,n-
pan.cs ol half a dozen. provision r.air
boat for "a wc@l.# or a. month "trip
and seek the wilder and more secluded
streams and bayaus.
50 thorough are such hunts and $50
crafty and cunning are the hunters
that a locality that previously COM
taincd from ten to fifty gators viii al
the close OF a hunt be either totally de-
populated or 1t best. possess bat one
or two cautious war Old fellow. that
are next To Impossible To- get view OF.
to say nothing of near enough ap-
proach for "a -hot
Tai, mode OF systematic hunting has
had tendency 70 make the ALLIGATOR
extremely Iare in many sections ol Ie
coUul r--.aut 10 iarc-er drive them away
from some. They ar queer, UnealIE
brutc-. and a few facts in regard 10
them may prove interesting.
TO begin with, stories of alligators
mea airing fourteen and sixteen feet in
length may safely he put down a., cE-
aErcratious. / doubt If such a one
c-si-ts: twelve feet Is q Tremendous ailc-
and rarely. very rarely, Lhcy run 10
twelve and half
! have measured ALLIGATOR inuumer-
able, and fully tg-r.E.lt per cent.
run from nine - eleven AND "a I.Li
feet. 80 scarce Is one attaining taa
mythical isart-cn feet that rsvars
of as hundred dollars for one oi this
size has leon Unllai4gd Tor tLe last
twenty v.ar7-
Tho part Of the skin used for COM
mercial purposes j. cut from line
alone tar side, Just where the heavy
scale begin and iaciu.cs tlc sides
and belly, the back being SO tough as
10 bc utterly worthless and almost inn
pervious To a ride LaL
In fact the two vulnerable points are
the eyes and Just behind the fore Leg.
while bali striking his coat of armor
in any bur 4 direct line viii glance OF
as II from metal plate.
Although dcnizru~ Of the water. they
have the most abiect horror OF rain.
and no sooner does the first faint
sprinEliug manifest itself than, pluur-
ING from the bank or log, they seek
dr. quarters beneath the surface on
: warm. sunny days they basA ON the
bank ior yours, but even when cloudy
IL Is unusual 20 see one.
A. q rule they c0nGnc themselves to
what nature nu- provided for food, oc-
/ cas.onalIy varying their diet with a
! stray deer or calf but at times they
/ become Iuau-caters, and are then
/ terrors 70 all. Like the tiger. having
/ once tasted human flesh, they prefer il
/ to everything else, and with waiclfUl
/ eve cnvvall syho como within reach.
At times the community organizes
and institutes a. regular siege, which
/ sooner or later ends in capture.
It was nay pleasure in the winter of
's1-eS. together with a friend to be
more or less intimately associated with
party OF alligator hunters on the up
per II. Johns river ia Florida. and
. .lpon one or two occasions TO partici-
! pate la some remarkable hunts.
We were encampcI on sluggish
/ little creek beneath "a group Of pal
mettos ii mile or more from the river.
and for some weeks past had been in
/ vestlratiug the bird life of the sur
! rounding rcgiou. Ali-ators were par
ticularly numerous. and their roariugs
/ and bellowings could be heard on still
nights from creeks and sloughs five
miles distant.
about TO turn in bright light came
suddenly around the bend and "a boat
with three men. armed and equipped
for gator shoOtin'," pulled up to our
camp They proved TO be just out
from Noluria, and, an accident having
happened to their coffee can, they had
come up TO borrow of Us.
They informed rs of their intention
of remaining in the neirhbornood for
some time and extended a cordial invi-
tation to Join them in the chase.
There are Two modes Of alligator
hunting. First and best Of all. i fire
lighting or fre-jaciling; second, by
floating in the daytime. For the first
strong reflector light is -laccd in the
bow Of the boat and provided with a
dark slide or door: the man who is TO
shoot for the evening sits directly be-
hind it, while his companions propel
the boat
The light, flashing full in the ami
mails face. appears TO blind him and
make him insensible TO all danger, but
the slightest soond proceeding from
the boat is sufficient to arouse him.
Nearer and nearer the boat crecps
until the distance is a minimum, when
the rincman, taking a careful aim,
most available part OF his body.
Those killed n night are pulled out
| on the beach and skinned the follow
ing day, while those killed in the day
! time are usually skinned on the spot.
The second method Of floating con-
| sists of stealing softly within range of
a sleeping gator by day. II j. a diff
cult thing to no, and, on tho whole,
! unremunCrative. 1t Is usually prac-
/ ticed by local hunters, and very rarely
10y professionals.
Our party tried the first method
/ Stepping into the boat the light was
trimmed, the rilemau took his accuS
toned position in the bow and ths
party started \ mile from camp the
stream widcned ont into fat marshN
prairie. filled with small islands an,
quantities OF driftwood.
Turning the Ii~nt fgl ahead an inn