The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-19
. EIDE AN ALLIGATOR.
80, u,s Back. Press Your Thumbs
5l--..- ala Eyes and Say" Glsng."

EUN
80, uis Back. Press Your Thumbs
V5l--,.- T5is Eyes and Say" G'lsng."
NON, the 81. Louis Republic
- FLA. Dec. S0.-If the ancient
ND painters who depicted men on
Eii'' - a. centaurs were now living.
r. r. .ield they would find in Florida for
=. ting new forms Of life. provided
oIls'. ,,,,,-ed the idea developed in the pro-
be- lIi-s4 he creature that was part man
b1.uOl horse, Here, for instance, they
b1l 70 70 men riding huge saurlans across
l.' --,tbout either relns or saddle; some
-, .f from the depths OF the ocean
49, On gigantic turtles weighing as
"a Clydesdale horses, and others
--.iiling a jewish, or porpOlse' OF Delng
Tall4Nr- s5ind an enormous sea devil In
to'rll Ill N a boat or in large schooner.
b. As'-' boasts Of a cOlored citizen who
lamp - fe.r Of an alligator than he
.; ~ -. - harmless lizard, and will attempt
S Oh 20 any day for a small sum OF
p roe his method of riding the reptile is
f1onsJ iake or a pond where the species
eu1ei = select a large specimen, jump
cons 80 ,uickly, and pressing his thumbs
y, ives. urge 1t shorewaId-
. - Us ~ Of the South Florida rail-
40 80 nlF,so name have received permits.
rosl -. informed me that he had often
sion - ~, - oid bulls in the lakes OF fernando
and ridden them ashore without any
O.S. nv simply pressing ms thumbs on
ouD oys: AID urging them forward with
I eL or shouts. DE found IL Tar easier
~ -. =, mount than 70 dlsmount, lot as
w. a, lis saurlan steed toucheu the shore
ool q 20 seize his leg by bringing its tail
t,,E El snddenly together and rolling over
va praT ike a barrel going down bill. This
ll ~. o' o-dinary method employed by alli-
. .... for capturing their prey or enemies,
a' 1n, its efficacy depends on the prompt
flu .o % of laws and tail, the stroke
r0nI ta raadily avoided by little "fgur-
lal r " ~ ,lsa Mr.. Stafford's expression.
ny ,,ordinp 10 Mr.. Stafford, all he had to
A ..Gon i6 want of an aquatic mustang
- inter lf-dried pond, pick out the
A5'., and LATEST saurian he saw there,
s. SCI' il promptly and pyint its head land
"a The mounted animal, according to
.a.,.tament. makes no fuss about moving
Scr it IS directed while in the
..ar Init the moment it touches land it
' vow, very effort to throw and devour its
Ckey -.
I,noe overland by tying its muzzle, as it
Eoas not attempt to do any injury until 1t
sr tbrow its open mouth and long tail
gsher by sudden sweep to one side.
d, stafford. who is. believe, native of
Tc,ida aveteran hunter, and an expert
.ngator Jockey, relates an anecdote which
4 shoTs that saurian riding 10 as dangerous as
Ersb steeplechasing when the mount is
~ Itv mr. wounded, He had ridden an alli-
rstor ashore during on Of his hunting trips,
az nd as it was rather large, and its skin, as
consequence, unusually valuable, he de-
rs iei to kill and fay it near the pond. sesssa
After emptying the contents Of his rife
ma its head and assuring himself Of its
"a. 4lo0 dead. be drew his knife to fay it !;
sntSe had hardly touched the head ere the
lgator returned to life, and seizing him
5v ina coat sleeve, co mmanced rolling over
Ind over. The second or third roll took
s tbe sleeve of his coat and dislocated his
f erm, and on being set free in this unex-
s kected manner, it did not take him long to
tcramble out of reach Of the furious rep
te. A physician who was hunting with
him set bis arm in a few moments, and
when that was done the jockey poured lead
Into his late mOut until he was sure that its
& fer0cious spirit had fled.
A man who has shot aligators for their
des told me that the animals were harm
y with man OF all times unless they were
Wounded or defending their young. They
Ire worse in their pairing season than at
Eny other the bulls beingthen usually petu-
PANT, more than ordinarily stupid and stub
porn, and inclined to resent any intrusion
pn their grounds. Yet by boldly facing
them they can be forced to run, and may
tven be mounted and ridden ashore, pro-
fded there are no females in the vicinity.
be once tried to ride an old bull toward q
landmark that loomed above all other OBJ
ects on the fiat shore OF a lake on dark
Rnght, and wondered why his steed tried so
bard to turn away from it whenever the
thumbs we're lifted of the eyes. but he was
fble to account for it readily a few mo-
nenis later, when an enraged female that
Tas guarding the landmark, which was her
esq., rushed open-mouthed and gruuting
HE en- insane grizzly, and sent her con-
queror pTecIpltetely to the rear and Its
Cckey deep into the mud.
fortunately for him the assailant was
more enraged at the bull than at the jockey
all followed it several hundred yards,
Charging at intervals aud thrashing it Wig
f0lSly With her tail whenever she got en-
opportunity. The male was driven almost
lcro'a me lake before she decided to return
aDa attack the man, hut he was running on
taofe Tor dear life slong before she mad
gwen gwen up the pursuit Of the steed.
Inc rider said he had seen many des-
luals charges during the civil war, but
lAI le never was in one that so completely
psluno9d his faculties as the charge
Nat 'blg-mouthed sQuaw gator He
.lOuSlt he could ride male saurian at any
Hue Oh the year, but that no man living
UNl retain his seat on the back of a
,sllaIe that was defending her nest or was
a'V uipanled by her young. He once sue.
.sslsl In keeping his seat on the back of a
,su'le while she was fastening to her cry
,uS ousprIng, but was thrown off the
i-olsht she reached the mouth of the nest
~, ~ q sudden sweep of her tail and a down
VAR Y, motion Of her head.
AaIsS1lg to fall on his legs on hare
iauI ne attacked the reptile with his hunt
az Allte and killed her before she could In
r n.s any injury upon him, by avoiding bel
a., . s.a, and delivering his blows in her eyel
5is Ssao could get out of range. Having
t bstaGned her ne called the young out Of
,S bsr ueep hole by initiating the gruntiug o
n . sioIher, and had sixty of them in sacl
sI6 19Uu1 as many minutes. As he received
So r"i tAe mother and 25 cents each for
NM ogehy he concluded that his advent
40 uAu paid him very well.