The Topeka state journal., 1899-09-29

a member of the list Regiment de-
clared the other day that nothing kept
the troops alive, while waiting to move,
like the sport of alligator hunting. Ac-
cording to his tell, the sport OF Shoot-
ing an alligator out-distances tnat OF
hunting the graceful deer or bringing
down the squawking wild duck Sports
men who had once hunted the great
reptile would be satisfied with nothlhS
less exciting
The fact that scientists insist that
both the alligator and the crocodile are
slowly but surely disappearing from
the face of the earth and that by the
middle of the next century man Will
have an opportunity to deplOre their
complete determination makes the
study of this wonderful beast partleu-
larly interesting In spite of all that
may be said they look just what they
are creatures of prehistoric times,
when the earth was Inhabited by mon
sters. strangely forgotten and left in
the passage of the centuries
During ages unnumbered crocodileS
have infested the Nile down to the
Mediterranean. A Gaulish pilgrim of
565 A. D., whose diary has been pre-
served, states that horses and oxen
were frequently devoured at Damietta-
= hundred years ago, even, they We're
not uncommon in the neighborhood or
Cairo but to-day the signs of their ex-
tinction are multiplying wonderfully
Travellers who pass up the Nile now
seldom see a crocodile The fact IS
that they are beasts who have nothing
in common with civilization and that
as the steamboat and other modern IN
ventions have appeared they have re-
tired of their own free will to seek re
pose in more quiet spots. Further south
they have gone and as man has fol-
lowed them they have retreated so II IS
safe to say that it Will not be many
years before they will cease to exist al
together
The same rule applies to the alligator
and the single species of crocodile that
is INDIGENOUS to Florida. Years ago
tiplying rapidly, but as the state mas
become populated their number has de-
creased. Many have been killed or
course. but this will not account for the
remarkable decline in the population
In fact it is but another story OF the
experience in Africa told over again
At the coming of man and the accom-
panying steamboat they have retreated
and within half a century they viii
probably have entirely disappeared
THE MASCOTS.
In spite of this, however, there are
still many a1ligators in the South just
as there are crocodiles in Africa. if one
sets out to find them During the war
with Spain, when the United states
troops were encamped IN Florida there
were several exciting experiences with
these brutes. At one time a soldier
who was in swimming found himself
face to face with an alligator The
brute's mouth was open and it was
only by most fortunate circumstances
that he escaped being beheaded by the
brute.
On another occasion the members of
the list Regiment of New York found
one embedded in the sand, where he
had gone to spend the winter The
saurian was speedily captured and |
was adopted as the mascot of the. regi-
ment, but when, few weeks later. he !
wandered into one of the tents and /
started to attack an officer, he was /
speedily dispatched by a bullet The !
skin was preserved, however, and was |
carried as mascot all through the
Santiago campaign.