Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-01-24
A Remarkable Story.

Maj. W. P. Cooper. chief of the miscel-
laneous division of the Interior Department,
usually entertains his visitors with stories
of life in the ar-down south. To party
of friends who clustered around him this
morning he told the following yarn:
"At camp fire in south Florida, friend
of mine, one of the natives, said: "Did you
ever hearn tell of how Bill Spowler onct
ketched big gator?' | said mo- Well
he continued, when Bill and l lived in
Polk county we lost lots of hog- by gators,
and one time me and Bill was ridin'
through the woods in our range lookin' up
some meat hogs, when we come to little
lake, about forty acres, | reckon, or about
400 yards wide. Right in the middle OF 1t
big black hog was Aoatin' dead and
swimmin' near it the biggest gator ever
seed-he must have been twenty foot long
if er inch. Bill was high-tempered man,
and he got powerful mad and swore and
cussed and said he knowed the hog was
hissen, and though he didn't have nary gun
with him, he'd be blamed if he didn't git
that blasted gator anyhow. tried to stop
him. but it warn't no use-he tuck and cut
a stick about as big round as my wrist and
about two foot long and sharpencd both
ends, then he tuck the twenty foot rope he
had for halter and tied it to the middle of
that stick. he shucked off his clothes and
just with the stick and rope, as naked as he
was born, he commenced to swim out to
that all fired gator. At first the gator
didn't pay any 'tention to him, but kept
swimmin' round the dead hog, but when
Bill got in about-ffty yards of him, he turn
ed and headed for Bill. Bill he stopped
swimmin' and just hilt the stick in front of
him and shuck it from side to side, to make
splashin' sound. Then that gator started
for Bill, slow at first, but faster as he came,
till the water fairly billed, and when he got
IN about ten foot of him his jaws few open
and could see his tusks shinin' through
the log of water and his mouth looked ten
foot wide Gee Whillikens l hollered
Good bye, Bill, but no, stree Bill he just
kept his place and hilt that stick at arms
length in front Of him, and when the gator
got close enough just showed it into bis
mouth. That cussed gator shet down on it
with snap and it just stuck at both ends
and propped his mouth wide open. The
gator stopped and shet one eye aud looked
at Bill, he hlt on and looked at the gator,
the gator tried to turn his head one way
and the other, he tried to go backward and
then to go fored, but it warn't no use. Bill
hilt on and usin' one arm and hand swan
back to the shore, bringin' the gator with
him, and tied him to n stump, and then he
said "You dtrned old amuiverous cuss"-
which means you eats meat and likes hog best
IN 90 home and git an AK and come back
here and finish you.'
"My friend having concluded this re-
markabe narration took long Whit at his
pipe, and regarded me earnestly. Despite
my Efforts to be politely credulous my ex-
preston, | fear, did not exactly please him,
for he said little stiffly, That is solemn
fact, as true as gospel, and you may be-
lieve it just the same as if you had seen it
YOURSELF expressed my regret that ] bad
not had that privilege"