The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1902-01-10
STRANGE MONSTER IN FLOR
IDA.

HUNTER IN THE EVERGLADES sLAYs
A BIG REPTILE THOUGHT TO be A
CREATURE OF THE MAGMA.
TION.
New York Times.
An enormous reptile, more like the
extinct brontosaurus, or sea serpent
than any living creature has Just
been killed by a hunter in the lower
Everglades. He means to send the
skeleton to the Smithsonian Institu-
tion at Washington. H
1t has for one hundred years not
only been tradition among the Sem.
mole Indians, who Inhabited the bor-
ders OF Lake Okeechobee, but it is
stated as fact, within tile knowled.
&c Of some of the Indians now living
that an immense serpent made its
home in the Everglades and has Car.
ried of at least two Indians. TIn
The Indians reported the animal
to be snakelike in appearance, with
ears like deer; that it had only been
seen in the Everglades and that it
was very wild. They said that when
1t travelled it frequently stopped,
raised its head high above the saw.
grass to take view OF its surround
ings, to discover enemies or locate
victims, deer, bear, hog, or some
other animal. II frightened, the
Indians asserted that it glided of at
immense speed.
These stories have kept the ven
turesome hunter and trapper on his
guard and In state of more or less
anxiety, notwithstanding they did
not give credence to these Indian
stories. Recently Buster Ferrel, one
of the boldest and most noted OF the
hunters OF Okeechobee, who for
twenty years has made the border of
the lake and the Everglades his home
on one of his periodical expeditions
noted what he supposed to be the
pathway of an immense alligator. ,r'
For several days he visited the To-
cality with the hope Of killing the
saurian, but was unsuccessful in find
ing him. His pride as a hunter was
piqued and his desire to obtain the
hide OF what he felt sure TO be one Of
the largest alligators ever seen in this
section, where alligators are noted
for their immense size grew daily. He
studied some plan to outwit 1t. A
large cypress stood near its pathway
and lie concluded to climb the tree
and take stand for his game. He
accordingly took his position in the
tree. For two days he stood on the
watch with his rifle ready. Nothing
appeared. He was becoming dis.
couraged, but determined to give one
more day to the effort. ..
On the third day, before he had
been on his perch an hour he saw
what looked to him like an immense
serpent gliding along the supposed
alligator track. He estimated it to
be any where from twenty-five to
thirty feet long and fully ten tt
twelve inches in diameter where the
head joined the body and as larg,
around as a barrel ten feet furthe
back. The creature stopped withiI
easy range OF his gun and raised higl
its head. AS it did Ferrel shot at it
head. Taken by surprise the serpen
dashed into the marsh at tremendou
speed, while Ferrel kept up firing ur
I'll he had emptied the magazine O
his rifle.
About four days afterward he YER
tured back into the neighborhood an
: about a mile from where he first say
J the monster he saw large flock Q
. buzzzards, and went to see what the
e were after and there he found tn
< creature dead, but its body was $
o badly torn by the buzzards that
}, was impossible TO save the skin.
e He, however, secured the head ant
: has IL now In his home on the kissim
y NEE river. 1t is truly frightfu
S looking object, fully ten inches from
t Jaw to jaw, and ugly, razor.like teeth
8 He described the animal as darl
: colored on its back and dingy whit
y beneath, with fcelcrs around 1t
9 mouth similar to a catfish.
He has gone back into the swami
9 with the intention OF obtaining tn
z skeleton and bringing 1t back, aftel
:. which he will send It to the Smith
y sonian Institution at Washington.
A Grand Rapids furniture man be