The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1906-04-27
decay. They are not a meat cat

| A'>y tti Z llpJ IIItdI p2I-
ing people. The deer is killed
more to get its hide than for
1000: These Seminole Indians
are friendly, yet they will resent
any encroachment of the pale
tace." There are millions Of
acres IN these everglades. The
government has never been able
10 take a census of these people.
as 1t IS worth a mans life to 90
among them for any purpose that
they would suspect of treacherv
his is just remnant of the old
Seminole tribes. WV
At the jungles I was verv
much interested in what is known
as the Alligator Pond, /" con-
Quoted and owned by "AlIipator
joe He has enlarged his farm,
very much in the last few years.
and is making a great financial
success OF raising alligator. He
SelIs them after they are one
year old, up to any size that he
gets an order. He now matches
his gators" in incubators
saw one thousand in one pen
which was built in the water
upon a mound of earth in tn,
centre. The mound was for th
gators to sun themselve.
In an adjoining pen saw mite
number of the breeders, SOM
th9 "Hso.@s Ion" AS fourte en- feet.
alligator are suitable for food,
and is very fond of them him
self. He has them for breakfast
as commonly as we use hens
eggs for breakfast. 1t is his
choice food. These gators
are sold to tourists at fancy
prices and are carried in great
numbers to the North to the
schools and to families. mostly
for children to pet. They are
often turned loose in pools in
the yards. Some of these pets.
while yet quite small, are caught
by cats and destroyed. The
greatest traffic in the alligator
business is the tanning of skins,
which are used TO make shoes,
travelling bags, purses and such
articles.
Along the Western coast of
the Atlantic and the Gulf is the
Cver-the railway. MIR. Flag
| l. is the head of this railway
and the survey is now being
made and construction going on
upon the Key West end. You
can see strips of land for several
hundred miles along the coast
upon which this railway will be
built. and their long stretches of
shallow water which will be
spanned by trestles and fills. At
a distance one sees the high
places along the coast and they
resemble the walls of buildings.
Mr.. Flagler thinks that in two
years there will be an all-rail
connection from any point in the
United States to Key West.
This will shorten the distance
from Columbia to Cuba thirty
six hours. 1t is only ninety
miles, about six hours, from
Key West to Cuba, In making
the journey from Miami to Key
West there is great danger from
shoals and sand and the channel
is often quite narrow. This rail-
way will obviate these difficult
ties. A pilot not Thoroughly ia.
miliar with conditions would be
unable to get through. This
railway enterprise of Mr.. Flag
ler's is considered by expert en-
gineers one Of the most gigantic
railroad undertakings of modern
times. 1t is even greater than
Mr.. Hills spanning the Great
Salt Lake in Utah. This railway
runs through the Everglades,
and with the development of
: that vast swamp will give to
commerce a great impetus, be-
} sides civilizing the remnant of
, Seminoles that now inhahit the
= Everglades. With this accom-
plished. our commercial relations
5 with Cuba will be increas ed, and
f will be we'll worth all the cost in
D nn0naU