The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-08-09

Alligators are high. For many years
the supply of them has been obtained
mainly from Florida. There has been a
great demand for their skins, and, as a
result, they have been hunted relentless
ly. Now they are getting scarce, and
the industry of procuring them for mar
ket is threatened with extinction. This
is not surprising inasmuch as it is esti-
mated th9t 2.50O,000 of these great liz
ards have been killed in Florida since
1880.
Large numbers of alligators are de-
stroyed before they are old enough to
breed. They grow very slowly. When
one year old they measure only twelve
inches in length. At fifteen years they
are two feet long. When you see one of
the largest size, a twelve-footer, you can
take il for granted that the animal Is
at least seventy-five years OF age. He
grows as long as he lives, but the pro-
cess is not rapid. Nobody knows the
duration of an alligator's life under nat
ural conditions, but it is certainly much
longer than that of the average human
being.
DIR. Hugh Smith of the U. s. fish COM
mission says that there are very few
alligators left in the st. Johns river.
Hunters In that region who have de-
voted many years TO the business are
giving ii up. 1t seems only a question
of time when this valuable fishery,
served for an indefinite period, will be-
come exhausted. to the great loss of
large element of the population inhab-
iting the interior of the state. In the
Indian river country, Cocoa, Melbourne
and Fit. Pierce are headquarters for alli-
gator hunting and trade III the hides.
a few years ago one hunter at Cocoa
killed 500 allgators i'm a season, and an
other secured forty-two in one night.
In 1889 and 1890 twelve hunters in the
vicinity Of Melbourne killed about 1000
alligators. At FIT. Pierce large numbers
OF the saurians We're handled in former
years. In 1889 twelve men brought in
1000 skins, and in 1890 1000 skins. In
1889 alligator hides 10 the number of
600 were shipped from Miami to New
York, and in 1890 the number shipped
was 5.O33. Kissimmee, situated on Lake
Tohopekaliga, in the interior of the
state, is an important center of the ALI
gator trade. In 1889 three firms were To-
Gated there for the purpose of buying
skins taken in the region between Lake
Kissimmee and Lake Okeechobee, and in
that year they handled $4,000 hides. In
1890 only two firms did business, pur-
chasing $1,000.
This decline Of over so per cent. was
due chiefly to scarcity of alligators, but
was also influenced by the low price re-
ceived by the hunters. The skins men
toned represented the work Of about
ANtlAAy HAbltoSlOildi anu Nl6hhg oNiAA
professional sportsmen. The aggregate
number of animals killed and the aver
age number to a man are very much
less than the result a few years ago,
when a skillful hunter could easily Sc
cure 600 gators in two or three weeks.
The marketable skins are from three TO
twelve feet in length, and are paid for in
provisions, ammunition etc The dealers
get 60 cents apiece for them from the
tanners in New York
The income of the alligator hunters in
that region is considerably augmented
by the capture Of offers, says DR.. Smith,
Of which ZOO skins were sold In 1890 at
an average price of $3.50 each. Large
numbers of other skins are also brought
in. including those Of the deer, bear
wildcat, opCssum and raccoOn. few
years ago a large trade was carried on
in the skins and plumes of various
aquatic and and wading birds, but the
practical determination of these wild
fowl over large areas has put stop to
the business.
During the past three or four years
large part of the alligator trade of
Florida has been centered in Jackson
vile. where there are two firms which
and dealers. mostly in the southern part
Of the state In 1889 these firms han
died about $4,000 skins, and in 1880 about
10000. They assert that the decline
in the business is due to the fact that
the hunters have been obtaining more re-
munerative employment in working the
phosphate beds, and that much of the
trade that formerly went through jack
sonville now goes directly to New York
Live and stuffed alligators enter large
ly into the trade in Florida curiosities.
In Jacksonville there are twelve dealers
in alligators and eighteen other dealers
in shells, fish-scale jewelry. alligator
teeth, etc. In 1880 about S,400 alligators
were disposed Of to tourists in Jackson
vile. The taking of small alligators for
sale curiositieS is now a prominent
feature OF the business. Large numbers
are annually secured and disposed of at
prices varying with the season, supply
and size, ranging from $50 to $50 per
1OO although as low as $40 has at times
been received. The price for stuffed al
| ligators is about % cents more than for
live ones. Alligators from six to twelve
| feet long bring from $12 to $14 each.
1t is estimated that about $50 pounds
| OF alligator teeth were sold in 1890. OF
| the best teeth about seventy make a
pound, but from $50 to 200 of the smaller
ones are required. The teeth of alli-
| gators have some commercial value to
the hunter. but In many places Of late
not much attention has been given to
| them on account of the difficulty of ex-
| tracing them and the low price received
| 81 to 50 per pound. They are removed
| by burying the head and rotting out the
| teeth. The stuffing of alligators and the
polishing OF alligator teeth give en-
| ployment to forty persons in addition to
| the regular dealers.-Washingt Star.