The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1895-04-11
JUST sNAIK STORIES.
yarns Spun For The Publication Of Our
Readers.

4 A-N@A~A0~~S~~-
Readers.
The concluding paragraph of form
er letter was snaik story" or if it |
was not, it should have been. It was
not only a story, but true story, and
can be corroborated by both white and
colored testimony Snaix may be
plentiful in the woods of Florida, but do
not often invade the city ets-they
are perfectly harmless q few feet dis
tant. The snaik in the story lost his
life at the hands Of negro by coming
out on Sunday, and then lost 81 inches
of skin by the same hands. At the
curio shops rattler's skins are worth 81
and upward, according to length. Other
snaix are yet to be heard from.
Last week gator seven feet in
length was caught with fish hook III
small lake in the rear of West Palm
Beach. He, too, was skinned and cut
up, and various parts of his anatomy
placed OH exhibition-claws, jaws,
skins, etc. Such game is not unusual.
Half mile from the Hotel Royal Poin-
ciana, bordering a shady walk, over
arched by cocoanut trees, is a pond
kept expressly for such game. On a
sign board is posted, "Pet gators
don't shoot" They sometimes growl at
timid passers-by, but never bite. AL
ligator Joe captures them in the ever
glades and halter breaks them. A lit
tie caution may be necessary in fooling
around, lest the fool should get a whack
from wild gators tail. He never
, suffers his dignity to be trif1ed with.
A day OF two after the snaik and
, gator episode, while strolling along the
Atlantic beach, my attention was at
:. tracted towards some half dozen share
which lay upon the sand, and it was
not considered a particularly favorable
. day for shark either. 1t happened So.
, They we're five to seven feet long by
my tape line. Upon investigation it
was learned that they had been caught
5 by negroes with fish hook, but having
) no use for them, they we're left on the
< beach. Ever anxious to secure some
memento, and also to establish the
, ~nracity of my " fish STORIES, +" cut off
tan ID one fin with pocket knife,
but it required nv. w 90" 00lll l;nad
patience, and colorGd lay VIM i'0o'
in q cabin just over the bank; among
the scrub palmettos, wondered what
could want of them, but the white of
her eyes rolled out when informed that
they were worth S. if sent far enough
north. A piece of skin was then taken
) out under the throat as large as the
} hand, but so tough that it required
both patience and perseverance to Sc
cure it with a pocket knife, but
Omnia vincit, etc." and a severe eff
fort, succeeded, and in confirmation of
this fish story please find enclosed a
; scrap of this veritable share skin.
r A few bare-legged Seminole indians,
the remnants or descendants Of those
! who refused to surrender to the soldiers
during the famous Seminole var, some
time in the fifties, still reside in the
Eswamps and everglades, and live by
hunting and fishing. They dress in
fantastic style and are frequently seen
! in the towns disp0slng of their venison
and wild turkeys. While the snaiX,
gators and shark were skinned the
red men were not skinned-they were
Ionly copper skinned.
In addition to all the above named
Igame Of snaiX, gators, shark and red
skins, it is reported upon impeachable
Testimony that in the summer season
mosquitOs abound, of gigantic size, and
m09ay of them will weigh pound! Let
me add once more, that none of this
game is considered vicious-at safe
distance. What more can be desirable
to make this state a paradise for
hunters.
But small per centage of Florida
has been settled and developed. The
population being so much scattered
public roads are few. Blind trails among
the scrub palmettos, or through the
woods, or along the river banks, are
more common than good roads. Schools
are few except in towns. The soil is
mostly white sand, but adapted to the
growing of various kinds of fruits, par
ticularly pine apples and oranges.
Fertilizers are used to a large extent,
and large quantities are found within
the state.
Choice land, adapted to the growth
of oranges, is held at high figure
500 per acre and upwards, and $40 to
$50 more will be required per acre to
grub it out preparatory to cultivation;
but it is claimed that $500 to 500 or
| $500 is not an unusual return in a sim
gle season for the outlay.
The great extent OF latitude in the
state adapts it to a great variety of
fruits and early garden products. Per-
| hans no other state in the IIninn ov