Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-02-12
ABOUT ALLIGATORS.

/ haT III 'me parts OF tne SouIu lie
/ hunting Of these animals forms quite
Il profitable industry. Men band them
selves together in couples and in com
/ pauies Of half dozen, provision their
/ boats for weeks or q months trip
( and seek the wilderaud more secluded
streams and hayous.
/ So thorough are such hunts and so
/ crafty and cunning are the hunters
/ that locality that previously CON
( tain.d from ten TO fifty gators will at
the close Of hunt be either totally
/ dapupulated, or, at best, possess but
one or two cautious. wary old fellows
! tina are next to impossible to get "A
view Of, to say nothing Of a near
/ enough approach for a shot.
/ Til, mode of systematic hunting has
( had tendency TO make the alligator
( extremely rare in many sections Of the
/ country, and 10 forever drive them
away from some They are queer. un-
/ canny brutes, and few facts in re-
/ gard TO them may prove interesting.
TO begin with. stories of aliiGai Or>
measuring fourteen aud sixteen feet
/ in length may safely be put down as
eXaygprations | doub. if snch one
I exists; twelve feet is tremendous
size and rarely, very rarely, they run
10 twelve and a-half
have measured alliaators innumer-
able. and fully ninety-tight per cent
run from nine to eleven aud a-haIf
feet. SO scarce j. one attaining the
mythical fourteen feet that a reward
Of five hundred dollars for one Of this
size has been unclaimed for the last
twenty years.
The part Of the skin used for com
mercia purposes is cut from line
along the side, just where the heavy
scales begin. and in lude the sides and
belly. the back being so tough a to
be utterly worthless and almost i'm
pervious to rifle 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 off as if from a metal plate.
Although denizens of the water,
they have the most abject horror of
rain, and no sooner does the first faint
sprnkling manifests itselfthan, plung-
ing from the bank or log, they seek
dry quarters beneath the surface. On
warm. sunny davs they bask on the
banksfo hours, but even when cloudy
it is unusual TO see one.
As rule they coutine themselves TO
what nature has provided for food
occasionally varying their diet with
stray deer or calf, but at times they
become mau-eaters, and are then ter
rors to all Like the tiger. having
once tasted human flesh. they prefer
il to everything else, and with watch
ful eye envy all who come within
reach.
At times the community organizes
and Institutes a regular siege. which
sooner OF later ends in capture.
l. was my pleasure in the winter Of
81 SS. together with a friend, TO be
more or less intimately associated
with "A party Of alligator hunters on
the upper 81. Johns riyerin Florida.
aud upun one or two occa~ ~ions 70 par
ticipate in some remarkable hunts
We were encamped on a sluggish
little creek beneath IA group Of pal
met o. mile or more from the river,
and tor m weeks past had been IN
vrstiyariug tie bird lie OF lhe sur
rounding region. AlIIgatOrs were par
tirulark numerous, and their roar
iugs and b"llowings could b" heard on
sill ni-hts from creeks and sloughs
five miles distant.
One dark night just as we were
about to turn in. n bright light came
suddenly around the bend and II boat
with thlpe men. armed nd equipped
for " gator shooiin', pulled up 10 our
camp They proved TO be just our
from Voluria. and an accident haviu2
happened TO their cote" can. they had
come up TO borrow Of us.
They inform d Us Of their intention
of remaining in the neighborh""d for
some time aud extended cordial nvi-
tation TO join them in the chase.
There are two modes Of alligator
hunting. First, and best OF all, Is fire
lighting or fire jacking; ; second. by
floating in the daytime For the first
a strong reflector light is placed in the
bow of the boat and provided with a
dark slide or door the man who j. 10
shoot for the evening sits directly be
hind it. while his companions propel
the GOat.
The light, flashing full in the ami
uual's face. appears to blind him and
make him insensibIe TO alfdauger, but
the slightest sound proceeding from
the boat is sufficient to arouse him.
Nearer and n,arer the boat creeps
until the distance is a minimum, when
the rifleman. taking a careful ailn'
pours a murderous discharge into the
most available part Of hi body.
Those kiIlrd at aight are pulled ont
on the beach and skinned the follow
iny day. while those killed in the day
time are usually skinned on the spot
The second method Of floating con-
lists of stealing softly within range Of
a sleeping gator by dav. 1t l. diff
cult tning 70 do, aud, on the whole
unremunerative. Ii is usually prac-
ticed by local hunters, and very rare