The suburban citizen., 1902-08-16
GONE TO JOIN THE 3 lsoN.
fhe Florida Alligators Nearly Externnin-
ated by Hunters.

Persons who visited Florida a few
gears ago and saw the rivers, swamps
and bayous literally teeming with
countless thousands of alligators, will
be surprised to learn that these large
eptiles are fast becoming extinct. The
constant and wholesale warfare that
has been waged against them has
thinned them out so completely that
lnless q halt is soon called their total
determination is only a matter of time.
While they were formerly numerous
as far north as Georgia, they have
gradually become extinct until now
hey are found In great numbers only
along the coast line Of the extreme
Southern States In Florida they are
practically extinct, with the exception
Of Manatee, Lee, DeSOto and Dade
counties. In the Everglades the spe-
cies have probably been more numer-
Gus than In any other portion of the
world, for the reason that 1t has been
well-nigh impossible to get to them.
In this almost lmpregnable swamp ma
ture has defended them so well that
II hunter succeeded in penetrating 1t
and killing his game, he was frequent
ly unable to secure 1t.
It was not until the hide Of the
sauran became a factor of commerce
that its determination began In ear
nest. The skins, when tanned, make
excellent leather for the manufacture
Of such articles as trunks, travelling
bags, purses, pocketbooks and all kinds
Of leather novelties. Books are also
bound with it, and it is even used for
upholstering chairs. Dade County, on
the cast coast of Florida, sends to mar.
ket about $4,000 skins annually, while
the number from the counties on the
west coast reaches fully 125,000 each
year. There is one firm in New Or
leans that handles over 100000 skins
annually.
In addition to the wholesale slaugh-
ter of large alligators for commercial
purposes, a feature of recent develop
ment is the preparation of young ones
for the summer trade. Dealers pay
S15 a hundred for the little reptiles
while they are from five to ten inches
in length, They are disemboweled,
picked in preserving solution, stiff
ened by the insertion of wires into
their bodies, stuffed with sawdust and
then vanished. They are mounted
on pin cushions, pin and jewelry trays,
&c md q
average Of fifty cents each. One firm
in Florida sells every winter thousands
of these little stuffed "'gators' to
tourists, and as many more thousands
every summer at Asbury Park and
other Northern resorts.
In addition to being preyed upon by
the curlo hunter, the young alligator
is also beset by birds Of prey and large
fish, 1t is even devOured in great num-
bers by the hardened males of its own
species, so that altogether its young
existence is altogether precarious. 1t
is falling by the wayslde at such an
alarming rate that the future of its
kind is in serious jeopardy.
The saurian lives to ripe old age,
ranging from 100 to 150 years They
generally travel in groups and the
hunter who bags one looks around for
others and nearly always finds them.
There are seldom less than three or
four together, and sometimes as many
as fifty.
Since the skins Of the alligator have
become such valuable articles Of COM
merce, all countries where they thrive
are being secured for them. A New
York firm recently sent a band of Sem.
mole Indians to India to hunt them.
Most Of the skins used in the United
States come from Mexico, while nearly
all the product Of this country goes to
Europe. Florida formerly produced
more skins than any other portion Of
the United States, but now furnishes
less than any other section, where the
reptiles are to be found at all-In-
dianapolis News.