Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-16

section seems to be a li,-b,r
Allipators have been killes IN ,v ~ knot
spring with remains Of on, une earl
Knots IN their stomach, boa y, thes.
p".sheu. Inc animal probab,v 9lly
~, rras nar9 substance Just to SIN, ,xes
io,,,ar ~, LOT II can probably ,hi
longer without food even in t..s live
state. than any other creat,,rss aactiv.
are stories. some Of them n,,,, lhefs
Gated. going to show hia aulhent.
power in this direction kahl.
catching SMALL one in ,ha hnnts,
while the alligator was mat, WOOD,
way from one pond TO another h,
81. IN me tail and. passing n eI
,nIvusn H. put the other end nyap
lynching style until his hem ~, up d |
eral feet above the ground. Tb TINS sev.
Intended TO return for his nr4 sapo'
next day. but something in,a1ss u.
Several months afterward ha rieret
that way and was astonisheJ passei
the creature still alive 10 lid
IN another case one sumner
gator about four feet long was a alll'
near gentieman's house and thusht
INTO an empty barrel. where ha 'v w
months after. the barrel va W. eigh,
turned. and the gator brought Vs. oyer.
He was not only alive, but bnS light
about six inches. He had prn,,, stoWl
ever, In the curved shane ~ ~, nov. |
tom of the barrel His tan iu., ' ~. Dot
to his mouth, and he could oni,' eaehet |
a circle. In week or two f6o IN y
became somewhat less rigid ar, nek |
gator was set at liberty "nu TIE
IN the summer Of 1919 alligator,
guest'onapiy saved the lives Of h' W.
dreds of negroes in the coast W., W. nun.
this state. There was eslon Q.
drought. Crops and gardens i,silnos
leriy, and the negroes were daa.,, VI
There was then no phosphate ,,sSulutt
there was little rice PLANTING gustf
labor was in no demand Tho AZ .hti'
niilue the saNanas and old rico sn,Ssugi
dry, exposing the holes of brrdsellgss
alliShtols. Gangs Of a dozen ma,
equipped with long stout nol5s -
~ pnr emu with O large iron honl, ~,
a sharp spike extending several T. 40!
beyond the hook then Wont oh !nchs
country catching alligators Sau lhs
When an Inhabited hole wac ra ioel
pole was thrust into IL. ana ,uhd As
prlcking the gator, he mgdo a " splke
IT, his great jaws closing a., sun
hook. and all. Then tho r,en splks,
other END gave jerk. and ,ha,. us
was caught. But to bring II on, s9me
water was quite another matt, VI tns
t "s 'hey pesan 10 drag hin, II, ~
ahlIhh praned himself, when ,s w..
m,,sn. as wen nave attempted to drn.y.
up the root OF growing oal u,aT
negroes, however, knew tbeir me
and did not expend their stran.. gamA
lessly When the alllgntor s mus u.s..
they made no further effort ,essht
MN up. one of their nuInhar nAul
hand on the pole as on lena neN
so knew when the big creot,,ra ~
,other END got off his guard ma a. ia, NE
MS feet down from his braoed na, .9Ok
Ihen all hands were summoned ''i ".
, nook hoid OF the pole and made a ,n1l
ne aIi,sator was taken unawares ~
ura9ged to the surface v,bans all
blade of an ax was buried in MI. ua
1t was common thing thu, s, llrch
10 see little negro children wiz Ii
arm or an ALLIGATOR in their banS"" Ms
ing ANA IL was an uncnnnv sIgb,
more prosperous times the negreas ~
eat only the tail of the aliles,n. w,
prefer those under six feet FL Ias ~
me meat Is beautifully white ana yoa
uertuily rich. Dogs are Very fors
II; aud one week on Il diet Of aIiiS,. w
VIII MAKE the leanest, mangiest bSpri
round and glossy "Vuaa
THE largest alligator trnr. ., A..
was captured by negroes in ths ma ,ls'
ner described was one of the two III.
est nave known of in our ~,
swamps-twelve feet long and wa issdni
perhaps 1.400 pounds. When ,bsv e,.aas
such n size they are exceedInslr lam Ial
,ructive. II on n cattle range yo No.
Is 100 large for them, and they can sns
40 drown horses and cattle by oa,rbIra
.uehi ny the nose when they "a n
urlnh' When once they close ,bsi-
Jaws on the nose or meek OF horsa
legs braced on the side Of a hos ers
bank, there IL no escape.
While on the subject OF alligator,
let me contradict a statement havs
seen in print dozens of times In hS
so invariably does II accompanv an Al.
Ilgator story that | am led to do1bt
whether the authors have ever shot one
OF the creatures. The eye Il NOT IN.
only Vulnerable point. II II was yer,
lew i would ever be killed. The eye
Is small and presents poor, In.
distinct target. 1t is doubtful h
with the best sporting rifle made, with
the usual open sights. the finest shot
on earth could hit an alllgators eve
oiteher than once in ten times at
forty yards. offhand The difficulty
about killing alligators is that thy
must IL shot In the head, be hit 10 ths
Drain, and the brain Is exceedingly
man ioT inc size OF Inc animal
about as large as the palm Of ones
hand-and high up in the heae.
load of buckshot fired at an alllgatct
aimed to strike between the eyes will
If the shooter is anything like hoH
zontal line, glance off as from ste
plate. If one .should strike the eye
and follow up the channel 1t would "a.
ter the brain. The same load deI.
cred perpendicularly, driven by mod.
ern powers, would smash through TIE
skull. Any good rifle from 32-cslloe,
up viii send "A bullet through the skul
Of any alligator and smash the hral
pan. But the fatal shot for shotgun
Is the side OF the head behind the eyt.
There are no tough bones there. an
turkey shot at close range would z
effective. IL the gator Is out Of tR
water running himself on bank
tussock. as is his delight on hot sun.
mer days. with mouth wide open Y
catch flies on his tongue. load
heavy shot Just behind the shoulaa
will reach the heart and lungs. pr.
iucing instant death. If shot ple!es
his lungs the creature will not re'naA
under water