Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-12-23
RIDING ALLIGAT0RS.
A NATIVE WHO THINKS NOTHING or
MOUNTING A sAuRlAN.


According to Thts Man In Florida. An
You Have tn De is to Vault Lightly Ia
the Animals Hack. Press yoar Thumb.
over His Eye. and Say "G'isns."
II the ancient writers and painters
who depicted men ON horseback aa CEN
taurs were now living what field they
would find In Florida for originating
new forms of life. provided they fol
lowed the idea developed in the produc.
tion of the creature that was part man
and part horsei Here. for instance. they |
could see men riding huge saurians
across lake without either reiRs or sad |
die. some coming from the depths OF the
ocean mounted on gigantic turtles
weighing as much rs Clydesdale horses,
and others straddling jewish. shark or
porpoise, OF being towed behind an enor-
nous sea devil in cookie shell OF boat
or In a large schooner.
Tampa BOASTS of colored citizen who
has no more fear Of an alligator than he
has OF the harmless lizard, and will at
tempt to ride one any day for small
sum OF money. His method OF riding
the reptile Is TO enter lake or pond
where the species congregates, select a
large one. jump on its back quickly and.
pressing his thumbs ON its eyes, urge II
shorewari.
railroad. whose name | have received
permission TO use. informed me that he
had often mounted old bulls in the lakes
OF Hernando county and ridden them
ashore without any trouble by simply
pressing his thumbs on their eyes and
urging them forward with his heels or
shouts. He found ii far easier work TO
mount than dismount, for as soon as his
saurian steed touched tho shore 1t tried
10 seize his leg by bringing its tail and
head suddenly together and rolling over
and over like barrel going down hill.
This Is the ordinary method employed
by alligators for capturing their prey or
enemies, and as its efficacy depends on
the prompt conjunction Of jaws and
tail, the stroke may bo readily avoided
by q little figuring" TO uso Mr.. Stat
ford's expression.
, According TO Mr.. Stafford. all he had
to do when In want Of an aquatic mus
tang was TO enter half dried pond. pick
| ont the largest and LATEST saurian he
saw there, mount IL promptly and point
its head landward. The mounted ami
NAL, according to his statement, makes
no fuss about moving wherever II Ia
: directed while In the water. but the mo
1 ment IL touches land II uses every effort
Q 10 throw aud devour its jockey.
Ia w.. 10 nj
4 distance overland by tying its muxzle
as il does not attempt 10 do any injury
until it can throw its open mouth and
D long tail together by sudden sweep to
/ one side. Mr.. Stafford. who Is. ! be-
4 heve. a native of Florida. n veteran
v hunter and an expert alligator jockey
r relates an anecdote which shows that
4 saurian riding Is ms dangerous as Irish
steeplechasing when the mount Is sulky
n or wounded. He had ridden an alligator
|. ashore during one Of his hunting trips
a and ms II was rather large and its skin
q as consequence, usually valuable, h
% decided to kill and fay il near the pond
10 After emptying the contents of his RI
Is fie into its head and assuring himself o
it's being dead, no drew his knife to fia.
4 1t: but he had hardly touched the hea.
% ere the alligator returned TO life, an,
II seizing him by the coat sleeve com
menced rolling over and over. The sec
10 ond or third roll took the sleeve of hi
4 coat and dislocated his arm. and on be
,r ing set free in this unexpected manne
II 1t did not take him long to scramble on
of reach of tho furious reptile. A ply
a sician who was hunting with him set hi
4. arm In a few moments. and when tha
was done the jockey poured lead into hi
late mount until he was sure that II
N ferocious spirit had fed.
70 A man who has shot ailigators fc
"a their hides told me that the animal
q. were harmless in winter and inclined
NJ avoid contest with men at all time
L. unless they were wounded OF defendin
IN their young. They are worse In I'll
sh pairing season than ut any other, th
N, bulls being then unusually petulan
IT. more than ordinarily stupid and stul
40 born and inclined to resent any intr,
RI sion on their grounds. Yet by bold
sh facing them they can bo forced to ruI
NJ and may even be mounted and riddle
OF ashore. provided there are no females
IL the vicinity.
al He once tried b. ride an old bull b
he ward landmark that loomed above a
nd other objects on the fat shore Of u iai
as ON dark night. and wondered why b
or steed tried 30 hard TO turn away from
al whenever tho thumbs were lifted of Il
la, eyes, but he was able 10 account for
nd readily few moments later. when .
of enraged female that was guarding Il
mt landmark. which was her nest, rush,
m open mouthed and grunting like an !
M sane grizzly. and sent her conquer
precipitately TO the rear and its jocks
deep into the mud.
Fortunately for him the essailant WI
W. more enraged at the bull than at Il
aw jockey and followed IL several hundrs
set yards. charging Mt intervals and thras
,ur ing 1t vigorously with her tail whenev'
ew she got an opportunity. The male wi
ial driven almost across the lake before si
sn- decided 70 return and attack the INA
all but no was running on shore for de-
by life long before she had given mp Il
srt pursuit OF the steed.
The rider said he had seen many dc
I'm perate charges during the civil war, b
@ o that he never was in ono that 90 COZ
lily pletely benumbed his faculties a. d
nd charge Of that "big mouthed squa
the gator" He thought he could ride
eat male saurian at any time Of the yea
,ur but that no man living could retain |