Middletown transcript., 1895-03-02

, suming ambition may not capture llv'
alligator, but he can buy one for few dol
lars, carry it triumphantly home and re
late beautiful, artistic lie about the man
ner in which he became possessed of it.
Down at Lake Worth, just now, alligator
hunting is the "fad" of lot of fellows
whom Nature has put in the world for some
mysterious purpose unknown to everybody
but themselves. Two years ago crow shoot.
ing was the lad" with the same set. They
didn't want the crows, to be sure, but there
wasn't anything else to shoot, as the same
fellows had in previous winters killed of
about everything else that had feathers on
it. This winter the robin, one of the best
friends of the fruit grower, driven to the
extreme South by the terrible Northern
winter. has been slaughtered by the thous-
ands for the bit of flesh ON his bones Even
is disappearing before the tourists. or those
who cater to their depraved taste, and only
the razor-back hog and the Legislator,
among all living things, are proudly hold
ing their own. Why, in the wisdom Of
Nature, should this be so, when these two
seem to be the most useless?
| As started to say at the beginning of
this letter, the "fad" at Lake Worth, this
season with certain set of tourists, is alli-
gator hunting under a chaperon. The
chaperon is character known as "Alliga-
| tor Joes," who is said to be a virtuoso in his
profession. He is pupil of Alligator
Davis" who had great record of hair
breadth escapes from monster gators,
sharks, snakes, panthers and bad whiskey.
That was IN the old times, when they
didn't have the latest style of diseases
down there to kill people, so death got
tired of fooling with Alligator Davis"
and knocked him over with a streak OF
chain lightning. Then Alligator Joes'
took up the business at the old stand, and
is now, when sober, prepared to take fine
gentlemen, in quest of gators, and to furn,
ish the excitement and take all the risk for
a reasonable consideration.
The fine gentlemen let Joe catch the
gators, while they stand at a safe dis
tance and enjoy the excitement. They feel
that Joe can be better spared than they.
That is natural. In time of great danger we
all ieel that some other people are little less
indispensable than we. have no use for
live alligator, butif really felt that had
catch it while stood back and gave direc-
tions.
By long associations with alligators Joe
has become familiar with their habits He
has even learned their love song, which he |
coos on the bank on some quite lagoon. |
This attracts the attention of any gator |
who is lying near, digesting his dinner of |
moccasin snakes and thinking what a |
beautiful world this is. The gator comes |
out, and Joe who is armed with a rope on |
the end of which there is running moose |
gathers him in.
The alligator is really very harmless |
reptile if you let him alone. Just so long as
you do not tread on his coat tail he will |
consider the world big enough for both you
and him. He is eood deal more useful /
in the world, probably, than many of those
who go hunting for him in his native lair.
He spends much of his time dreaming in
the sunshine. You may walk within few
feet of him and he will only give you a
passing glance. But, if you kick him on one
cheek he will not turn the other. In that
respect he is good deal like the rest of u.s.
But, to change the subject, some people
have asked my opinion of Florida as re-
sort for invalids. and 1 will take this op-
portunity to say that regard Florida as
having decidedly the best winter climate in
the United States. 1t has a dry soil.
fairly equable and generally agreeable tenn
perature and almost continuous sunshine.
1t affords an invalid, mot too far gone with
disease, an opportunity of being out of
doors almost every day. That, in my
opinion, is about all there is in it. There is
nothing in the air of Florida, or any other
region for that matter, that will of itself
heal the diseased. Those invalids who
turn themselves into travelling drug store
and spend the day lounging about the
hotels, or reading novels in bed, receive no
benefit from a sojourn in this climate.
Those who are up early and abed early,
and take every opportunity for long,
leisurely ramble through the pine woods
who live almost every sunny hour out of
doors, take as moderate amount of exer-
else. and thus help Nature to get ths better
Of disease, are almost always much bene-
fitted if not cured.
For throat diseases, consumption in the
early stages and what the doctors oall
nervous prostration." Florida is natures !,
great saniaarium for those who will
learn how to reap its bene-
fits, but the woman who will exchange :
thick warm clothing for ball dress, dance
until she becomes quite warm, and then :
'it by an open window and fan herself un- +,
i'll she is chilled. will take cold here as
quickly as she will anywhere in all crea-
lion.
I have spent the past month at Lake
Helen, in Volersia county, about 120 miles
south of Jacksonville. think this one of .
.he most pleasant places in Florida, and
'ne which can recommend to invalids, y
,r those who simply flee from the north in !,
'ear of its terrible winters. Lake Helen is
settlement of several hundred people, al
most entirely from the North and West. 1t
s high pine" region with several pretty
axes, and is, think. thoroughly healthy,
summer and winter. In fact most of its
people live here the year round. 1t is con-
Tenient to the coast, readily accessible by I
;wo lines of railroad, is most desirably sit ,
lated for little inexpensive winter home, ,
and has one Of the few really comfortable
hotels in all Florida-a hotel in which