The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-26
mi IGAToR HUNTING FOR FUN.
voRGAN's NIGHT OFF ON THE
NECHES RIVER.


-.,,.me For Catching Them, and
-. narrow Escape-A Fifteen Foot
,o.+or in a Tree-Its Great Fun.
ram the Galveston Daily News.
,.s+sen years ago alligator hunting on
veehes was at it's hight. Those were
n 5ays for the successful hunter.
of whom could go out and return
& -. next morning with as many hides as
w., Morgan. Alligator hides in those days
~, FIR from 80 cents to $1.5O, according to
There we're large numbers of shoes,
s. bags and a dozen other things
10 from them, and everybody seemed
.l, with the craze. In those days
,.rs lived a queer-loOking old individual
4 at Sabine Pass whom the boys called Ali
4 ,.,5r smith. He was SO called because
81 e. purchased all the hides from the hunt
49,. t, reship. He lived in little hovel,
q o,5 me gossip around town had it that he
., big rich and had money buried"
ore morning Bud came in just after day
& 1i,bt and was as happy as lark. In his
n t,sr here we're seventy-two of as pretty
n ,.l.s as ever dared swim in the Neches.
This meant at least $40 for his nights
,,rk The first person he met that morn
inc was the News correspondent, then a
mere child. Bud could not contain him
self in his JOY. and the first thing he said
was:
say. boy. tell the old man you want to
20 gator hunting tonight with Bud. Don't
~ him any more than that, for he knows
Who | am and you can bet a hide it'n
H. all right, and don't forget, now, cause
Inn going out for fun tonight, not hides,
q and III show you sport you read about.
Hum along and ask him now, an I'll wait
here in the skiff till you come back"
A little begging and promising TO be
good all day Sunday made it "all right
with the old man. as Bud had prophesied.
d II was about o'clock in The evening when
& Bud came along and said he was ready.
A midnight lunch was prepared. 1t was
two miles down to Old river, and then
s two miles up Old river to the hunting
n grounds so that by the time the spot
\ was reached it was almost dark. The
moon, which was full, began slowly rising
f from the tree tops, and shone down on
the sparkling water. Bud stood at the
& bow of the boat. while his partner pulled
q and The boy sat in the rear But wore on
bis head above his hat brilliant bulls
eye lantern. When they approached the
camping place all that could be was taken
from the boat and securely fastened in a
4little hut erected for the purpose. Then
E the hunt began.
wei, boys" said Bud, well go up
Pierre a little piece, and if ! can hit one
neht, III show you some queer antics"
3 What he referred to then was a queer
fl,tle flap that fits closely over the alli-
gators ear, keeping out the water when
4 DE is swimming under water. 1t is simply
II little piece of tough skin attached Just
5a5oye the ear, and forming sort of close
Fitting lid. Bud intended to shoot off one
". these flaps, and if he succeeded his
queer antics" performance would begin
Ia once. He made three trials before he
5nally plucked the flap off one, and then
the fun began. Every time the alligator
fWent under water his ear would fill with
II and up he would come. He would jump
Pm the air first one way and then the
so,ner, then he seemed to rear back and
urn the water ear downward Then in
Ia moment he would shake himself Vio-
llently as if angered at himself and the
world Next he would jump high in the
arr and come down. but to jump the sec
ond time even higher than the first This
WIS repeated time and again, until 1t be-
came monotonous, and Bud suggested
1
over the big fellow and make him pun
The boat
lhis thought was hardly expressed be- /
4 ore The two balls of fire were seen. and
? proved to be big fellow that would an
s"er the purpose admirably. Pardner
handled the lasso, as he had ridden the
prairie for cattle until he was somewhat of
Nd expert in that line himself. He threw
no missed at first, but when an alligator
II Iicrh III
rope IS not Needed so he threw it again,
HHd ihls time caught him square over the
\ oSe Inis tickled him and he made a
yImp, only 10 find himself a prisoner
ooQhd by a strong rope. He jumped again
aHd this got the boat under motion and
ON then on the propelling power of the
loat was an unseen force for several min
.'.ss. lie swan up the river, then tried to
'+In quickly back again, and almost cap
s@ed the skiff. Then as suddenly he
'uused mis- course back to the same di-
is5uon' and on they went with the silent
y opeAer After he had pulled the boat
! quarter of mile, Bud said: Let him
So' faldner; we have made him work
,uoush Pardner drew the rope in closer
! ",h the alligator's head was within two
ig,l OF his hand. With a knife Pardner
y hacked the rope off and away went the
l'fmer captive.
ilteliu SOLuGluin, boys, up
0ns yonder" There was pause yes.
IeIes some one on the bank. Let's go |
dIdher pulled up and in few minutes
Snout from Bud Who's there?"
lIousAl the answer, Chris Franklin"
~l.S Is bright mulatto who lives in |
''ouIlont to this day. He owns his own
''He and is of a sober, industrious char |
.C,atcAin' any, Chris?" asked Bud.
5Y. leSi got fifteen hides. They're all mid |
,1 5000, Slack up there little, please. |
! 1o W. a Dig one right between US" answer |
N.Y.. Is mad peculiar way of catching /
'i7atofS. He would take a strong line |
guy Tour big fish hooks in four direc- /
IN win piece of lead just behind |
I'LL Iae other end of the line he would |
.o'na his wrist and make a coil of the |
-a,,[ 80 ne could throw it, When he would |
o,# p" an alligator Che always walked up /
,,.. No"h the bank and never used his |
Fan DE would throw the line so as to
go.i, 'nd the alligator and the line itself /
,t'" gan over his back This did not dis
h. Hls satorship in the least, and all
/, was necessary was to draw the line
hal I''' lAe hooks would catch them. Chris
sgar 4t hundreds in this manner, and
head Iing as danger never entered his
H.. III lhe pursuit of this, his vocation,
.osr''7 scene that followed just after the
1r3 arrival almost cost Chris his life
H. cue nun careful ever after.