Evening star., 1901-07-27
Miles of Mexican Lagoons Filled
With the Reptiles.
AMERICAN HUNTER IN THE SWAMPS
Three Men in a Crew Do the
Killing at Night.
GREAT SIZE OF MONSTERS
Copyright, 1901, by Left Koren.)

Copyright. 1901 by Left Koren)
Written for The Evening Star by Left Koren
Along the far southern coast of Mexico,
extending down into Central America, there
stretches series of dark lagoons. Three
hundred miles of these lagoons form the
'tierra caliente," the hot lands of the state
of Chiapas. Precipitous mountains shut
off this region on the inland side, and the
almost impenetrable vegetation forms
barrier to the winds of the Pacific ocean.
In this twenty-mile breadth of swamp and
morass and lagoon is the home of the alli-
gator. He is lord of the land, and for GEN.
turies his kind have basked and wallowed
and multiplied in undisturbed sovereignty.
But now his tough and gnarled hide has
become a highly valued variety of leather;
the white man of the north has invaded his
realm and already the slaughter Is well
under way that would exterminate any less
numerous and fecund species.
At Laguna de la Joya, eighteen miles
from the nearest OK road settlement is the
alligator camp of the pioneer gator hunter,
Mr.. James, known to the natives as Don
Ohenio. Mr.. James is an American, hailing
from Milwaukee. He does not now do any
killing himself. but leaves that to his crew
of Zapotecos from up the coast, under their
Indian foreman, Don Jose, who was my
guide on the occasion of my visit TO the
camp. We rode most of the night over
trails that were mere tunnels of blackness,
through the enVeloping vegetation, ana
morning found us at La Joya. A vast ex
panse of ripping water lay before us, the
opposite shores of which appeared long
line of semi-submerged trees, vibrating in
the heat.
Away to the left, under the mountain
slope. an oasis of verdure marked the pres
ence of fresh water, and contrasted strlk-
ingly with the gray-green "mangly'' and
grease wood on the borders of the briny
lake. Athletic, brown-skinned boatmen,
in breech-clout and high, broad-brimmed
sombrero, poled their craft with the grace
of Venetian gOndoliers, or deftly cast their
circular nets for shrimp. Frequent hoarse
believing called my attention to the alli-
gators that fioated about like stray logs
adrift in the sluggish current. Down the
beach to the right, a group of men were
almost hidden from view by the swarm of
great black buZzards, the scavengers of
the tropics, that pounced on each freshly
skinned carcass and fought one another
with the avidity of flying pigs. A puff of
wind from that direction brought with it a
Whit as of musk and decaying bones. Be
yond. the sand was strewn with hundreds
of skeletons, indications of Don Ohenio's
industry.
Lovely Panchita.
The camp was located some two hun
dred yards back from the beach under
clump of low-growing briar trees. Here
amid hammocks and screened beds,
crockery, boxes and bags, presided Pan
chita. the charming young wife Of Jose.
The women and children were lesurely
moving about, all neatly washed and
kempt in anticipation of my arrival. No
Introduction was necessary. Each gave
friendly stare and Panchita renewed the
polite welcome of Jose, in Spanish, though
the others carried on softly modulated
conversation in their own native gutteral.
These pure-blooded Zapotecos are not to be
confounded with some of the uncleanly
tribes of colder cimes. In point of native
intelligence they are superior to any other
that / have ever seen outside of the ma
tfons of Indian territory. Their physical
development and erect carriage approach
perfection The women affect a skirt of
brown print stuff and low-necked, sleeve
less Jacket OF bright red with large yell
low polka dots, and fringed with yellow
stripes. Set above this Is a necklace of
American gold coin, dainty features
dancing eyes and wealth of double-braid-
ed raven hair, supporting wild geranium,
and you have a belle who obiterates the
color line and fascinates even the blase.
Jose escorted me down to the water s
edge TO watch the men in the process of
skinning, which is an operation of only an
hour duration, inasmuch as each man has
carcass to work upon. A few accurate
incisions are made about the neck and
limbs. the hide is carefully loosened from
the flesh. longer incisions are made along
the sides, and then the great carcass is
turned over on it's back and presently-the
finishing stroke-the entire body is denud-
ed with strong ripping yank. The do
cility of the buzzards was such that
scarcely end of the long body
denuded before the other became the scene
OF a gorging feast. stroke of the opera
tors arm would send them fiuttering off.
only to return again like flies to a sugar
barrel. After the skinning, two of the men
stripped TO the waist and proceeded to
carry the skins up to the camp Four or
five of these, wet and Shiny, thrown over
the shoulder was as much as one man