The Meeker herald., 1892-05-28
RIDING AN ALLIGATOR.
DANGEROUS SPORT iNDULOEp
IN BY FLORIoiANS.
uow the II 'p,ii~ M,nsg~s Ia Thr"" thu
Itii.r When out OF Wat-r-it IL
Possible to Hide the
saurian Overland.

and who will attempt 10 ride ono amy
| lay for small sum OF money. His
method OF riding tho reptile Is to
snter lake or pond where the species
,ongregate. select large one jump
on lis back quickly. and pressing his
/. humbs on its eyes urge 1t shoreward.
| An employe OF tho South Florida
: railroad. whose name l havo received
permission to use. writes n corrc-
.pondcnt of the ST. Louis Republic,
informed me that he had often mount
I'd old balls In tho lnkes OF fernando
, county and ridden them ashoro with
out my trouble by simply pressing
his thumbs on their eye, and urging
them forward with his heels or shouts,
H.. found IL far easier work to mount
than to dismount for II, soon n his
,aurinn s,ocd touched tho shore II
tried To selz. hls legs by bringing Its
tall and head suddenly together and
'Olllng over aud over like "A barrel
going down hill, This Is ,h. ordinary
m.ihoi employed bY alligator for
capturing their prey or encmlcr and
a, IL, efficacy deVrnd, on the prompt
conjunction Of jaws and tail the
stroke may be- readily avoided by n
lirlo figuring TO use Mr.. sianonl's
expression
According to MIR -, aori all hs
had Ia do whom In want OF hn aquatic
mustang wa, Ia enter hHli,dr!cd
pond pick out tho largest and lnHioSt
sauginn Ice saw Their. mount IL prompt
Is and point lnndwArd. Tho mounted
animal according to IA, statement
make, no fus, about moving wherever
It Is directed WhIlo Ia tho water but
tho moment ], ,ouche, land Il uses
every effort 10 throw aud dcgOur IL
Jockey
II l. possible To rilo nn alligator
some distance overland by ,ylHg II
muEzl- ~ II doc, not attempt io do
any Ia ury until II can throw IT. open
mouth aud long tall together by n sud.
den sweep To one side. Mr.. stafford
who IL believe II nat yo oi Florida
n yu,"rnn hunter and nm expert ALL.
gator jockey. relates An hn-Cdo,o
which shows ihn, saurian riding l. n,
dangerous "a, Irish st-aplochaslng
when the noun, ]. sulSy or wounded
iiu hAi ridden an alligator ashore dur.
Ing oa- Of his huniln. trips and a.
u, wa, rather lars. and It, sklu. a. n
consequence unusually valuable ~,
decided 80 kill nts rHy II near tho
pond.
Ai,cr rmpiying III. contents nf his
rIfu Into it, head AMI assuring himself
Of IL, bcing dead h- drrs hi, knife to
l'ny IL. bat he had hardly touched tho
head Gro III, alligator returned TO liio
sIih n yigur that In rAru, never AZ.
soachcj and s-.sins him by tho Goa,
,.coVu commenced rolling oTrr and
over
III, second or third roll took tho
| ,i.sy. OF his Goa, aud ai.ioo>t.i hi.
arm anI on 6plng soi 'rrS In thi, un.
I. p-ct.i manner IL dii not take him
long ,o .crnmbl, out oi reach of tho
'uriou. reptile A physician who wns
hunting with him set III, nrin In few
moments and when ihH, was done ,h.
20 k-y poured lead Into hi, Int, mount
until lac was sur, that Its f-rpclous
.p.r!, had rc.l to !oln it, a1c-,,ors 4
man ~hn hR, -ho, alligator. for their
hides told mo ;ha, tho animals ~-ro
harmics, In winter ani Inclined la
avoid ~ con,ns, with man Ht nil
time. unlu.. thoy were wounded or do.
Tending their young
Th.y nru WORSE In tho pa ring sen.
soB than n; any other. tho bulls being
unusually pciuiALi morp than or'ii-
narily stupid aud inclined 10 resent
any Intrusion on their ground. lct
Ly bold facing 'hom ,hcy may br
forced to turn tall aud run and may
oven hc mounted aud ridden ashore
| pro, Iicd there aru no females ia the
vicinity.
| iir once tried 10 ride on mn old bull
toward landmark ,hH, loumcd above
all other object, on thu last shore Of
n iak- On n dark night. and wondered
| why his si1-i tried 20 hard To turn
away from Il whenever tho thumbs
were lifted on his oyc4 liut hr wH.
ib!o 10 account, iur II readily fcw
minute. Intcr. when an ourngcd female
| that was guarding tho landmark.
which wrs hcr most rushed open.
'nouthcd aud Pfuu,cd like an Insane
grizzly ut them aud sent her c0ngucror
fleeing prccipi'hicly 10 tho rear and
it, ock-y deep into the mud.
Fortunately for him the hgshilnn,
pns more cnragcd ut the bull than u,
tho jockey. aud followed /, several
hundred yards charging nt Intervals
and thrnsblng i, vigorously with h1r
tail whenever sho got an opportunity.
| Tho male was driven almost across
| the lnku before sho decided 10 return
and attack tho man. but he was run.
| ming on shore for dear li'o before she
had given up tho pursuit OF tho stood
lho rider said hc had seen many
desperate charges during the civil war.
| but that he never was In ono that 10
completely bonumbcd his faculties NJ
tho charge Of that big mouthcd
sgunw gator llc though, he could
ride male saurinu at any time of the
year but that no man living could
retain his scat on the bnck OF female
tina, was defending her nest or was
accompanied by her young lie oncc
succeeded In keeping his scat on tho
back OF a female while she wns hast.
cning TO her crying offspring but was
| thrown OF tho moment she reached
the mouth of the neat by n sudden
sweep OF her tall and downward mo-
ton OF her hca'.
Managing 10 fall on his legs on hard
sand he attacked the reptile with his
hunting knife and killed hcr before
,hc could inGict any injury upon him
By avoiding her rushcs and delivering
his blows In her eyes ere she could
get out OF range. Having dispatched