St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-03-05

A nush OF shame his face o'erspresd.
And crossing over to where ahe stooA
He kissed her warmly. and gently said:
"fou are more then oeautiful-you're good~
-Cape Cod Item
ABOUT ALLIGATORS.
Their Habits and How They Arc
Hunted In Swamps.
Naturally Ttaid. seoeeamss hoy Bs-
oo0s Ferosaoas Man Eatsrs-Oas
Nights Wsrk u Whish
Five Were z lleh
So great has been the demand of
fashion OF late years for alligator skins
that in some parts of tho south the
hunting of these animals forms quite .
profitable industry. Men band them
selves together in couples and in COM
Panies Of half > dozen, provision their
boats for . weeks or . months trip
and seek the wilder and more secluded
streams and bayouA
So thorough are such hunts and SO
crafty and cunning are the hunters
that locality that previously con-
tained from ten to 6fty gators will q
the close Of hunt be either totally de-
populated. or At best possess but one
or two cautious, wary old fellows that
sre next to impossible to get view Of,
to say nothing of near enough ap-
proach for . shot
Thia mrde NJ sv.An,n. ia h,.~&:.- ~
had . tendency to make the alligator
extremely rare in many sections of the
country. and to forever drive them away
from some. They are queer. uncanny
brutes. and few facts in regard to
them may prove interesting.
To begin with. stories of alligators
measuring fourteen and sixteen feet in
length may safely be put down Is ex-
aggerationS I doubt il such . one
exists: twelve feet is . tremendous size;
and rarely, very rarely. they run to
twelve and . half
have measured alligators n lumer.
able. and fully ninety-eight per cent
run from nine to eleven and ! half
feet So scarce is one attaining the
mythical fourteen feet that . reward
va sAVS 10A1ukSO 0O1l0E0 luz OuC Oh t0lS
sixe has been unclaimed for the last
twenty years
The part of the skin used for COM
mercial purposes is cut from . line
along the side, just where the heavy
scales begin. and includes the sides
and belly, the back being 80 tough -
to be utterly worthless and almost i'm.
pervious to . rife ball
In fact the two vulnerable points are
the eyes and just behind the fore leg,
while ball striking his coat Of armor
in any but . direct line will glance OF
as il from . metal plate.
Although denizens Of the water, they
have the most abject horror of rain,
and no sooner does the first faint
sprinkling manifest itself than, plung-
ing from the bank or log. they seek |
dry quarters beneath the surface. On
warm, sunny days they bask on the !
banks for yours, but even when cloudy
It Is unusual to see one.
As . rule they confine themselves 70
what nature has provided for food. oc-
easionally varying their diet with .
stray deer or CALI but 1t times they
become man-eaters. and are then
terrors to all Like the tiger, having
once tasted human flesh, they prefer it
to everything else. and with watchful
eye envy al who come within reach.
At times the community organizes
and institutes regular siege. which
sooner or later ends in capture.
1t was my pleasure in the winter Of
'S7-SS. together with . friend, to be
more or less intimately associated with
. party Of alligator hunters on the up
per St Johns river in Florida, and
upon one or two occasions to partici-
pate in some remarkable huntA
We were encamped on . sluggish
little creek beneath . group of pal
mettos mile or moro from the river,
and for some weeks past had been in
vestlgating the bird life Of the sur
region. Alligators were paf-
numerous. and their roarings
and bellowings could Be heard on still
nights from creeks and sloughs i've
miles distant
One dark night just - we were
about to turn in . bright light came
suddenly around the bend and boat
with three men. armed and equipped
for "'gator shootin'," pulled up to our
camp They proved to be just out
from voluria, and, IN accident having
happened to their coffee can. they had
come up to borrow Of uA
They iuforned % of their intention
Of remaining in the neighborhood for
some time and extended . cordial invi-
tation to Join them in the chase.
There are Two modes Of alligator
hunting. First and best Of al, il ire .
lighting Or Are-jacking; second. BY ,
aoatin9 in the daytime. For the first ,
} strong reflector light l. placed in the ,
bow of the boat and provided with
lark slide or door the man who ID to
,hoot for the evening sits directly be-
hind il, while his companions propel I
he boat
The light, flashing full in the ami ,
nails face, appears to blind him and q
make him insensible 10 all danger. but /
he slightest ooood proceeding from q
he bat il sufficient 70 arouse him.
Nearer and nearer the boat creeps Z
lntil the distance Il = minimum. when
he ri6em.n. taking . careful aim. Q
,ours = murderous discharge into the Y
most available part Of his body.
Those killed II night are pulled out I
n the beach and skinned the follow
nR day, while those killed in the day u
|me are usually skinned on the spot .
he second method Of floating con- n
lists of stealing softly within range Of =
sleeping gator by day. It IS . dim Z
ult thing 70 No. and. on the whole. Il
Il il usually prac- q
ICED BY lccel hunter. and very rarely q
Y professso6alA e
Our perty tried the first method
teppinr into the boet tho light was :,
.immed, the riAeman took his eccns- !.
med position in the bow and the !.
NV started A nile from camp the .
resm widened out into . Ast marshy =
rairie, fitted with snail islands and :
nantities OF driftwood. Ia
Turuinr Tie light full ahesd IN I'm
euse fellow was seen lying On . piie
, A.:e& .oA sotnmflv watching the d