Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-09-02
RIDE on AN ALLIGATOR
a Story Which You are Not Obliged
TO Believe.

A Story Which You are Not Obliged
to Believe
There have been great many queer
rides from the one Jonah took in the
whale to the latest balloon ascension,
/ but one Of the most curious and inter
esting short trips on record is described
/ in a Florida lettertO the New York
/ Tribune Last winter, during a vlsit
! paid to a Florida plantation, says
/ this writer, "A novel and effective
method or catching allfgators came I'M
/ der my notice There were half a dOz-
/ en- young people in the house at which
was staying, and, wearying of com
uPonplace comfort, they decided to
camp out for a few days. A pleasant
/ piece Of woodland was chosen, and
| preparations began at once The camp
was near the plantation, but was sep
arated from it by creek, one of the
/ innumerable tributaries Of the St
John River. A. least twice ii day
some Of the young people went over to
| the camp in an awkward but roomy
old fiatbOttomed boat carrying various
articles which they supposed would be
useful. On one occasion there were
I four Of us going over, and as we were
nearing the opposite shore young
woman in the party esped some
beautiful wild flowers. There was a
submerged log directly in front of the
bank where they grew, but as our
boat was strong, and she said that she
would he broken hearted unless she
could nave them, we rOwed directly
over .he log and one Of us leaned out
to pick the blossoms.
/ Suddenly our boat. began to move
\ in most extraordinary manner, go
ing neither forward nor backward, but
straight up Alligator" shrieked some
one and we instantly realized that the
supposed log we had seen was in re
aliy a living saufan In far less
time than it takes to tell it, one of our
party had snatched up the hammer
and nails and was using the first ar
ticle to drive the second through the
/ bottom Of the boat
/ You'll have TO help we must be
quick Take off your shoes and use
the heels as hammers he cried. and
/ realizing the necessity Of blind ODE
/ dience, we began driving nails too
/ His intention dawned on us by Che
( time it bad become a finished action
/ and we complimented him on his idea
Of pinuins the alligator to the boat
with nails
But our prisoner was not pleased
and began thrashing the water vio-
|lently. Again our clever friend came
/ to the rescue. Does either of you
wear black stockings" said he. One
of us did. Then sit up in the end of
/ the boat and dangle your feet in the
water. No, don't put ~aJr shoes on.
I Now swing your feet to the right"
! The yong person followed his directions
and wonderful 10 relate, the boat
moved slowly to the right. Oars We're
useless The alligator bore VS. home
on his back, and we showed our graft
ulde 10y putting him out Of his misery
rs soon as we could.
But how did you know he'd carry
the boat, and why did he go where l
steered? And. above all, why were
black stockings necessary
Have you never heard of tying a
carrot to the end of a whip and dang
ling 1t in front of baiky horse to
make him go? My idea was based on
that You swing your feet in the
water, and seeing the black hosiery,
the gator fancied you were his fayOrite
article of dtet-a nice plump little
darby He followed where yOu lei: the
nails preyentd him reaching you,
though his hide was So tough they hurt
him but little, and certainly didn't in
terfere with his powers OF locomotive
as we have seen"