The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-19
HUNT ALLICATORS
Congressman Scott Has Rather
Unusual Experience.
lola Statesman Goes After Big
Game i'm Panama.
THE TIME OF HIS LIFE.
Worth Going to the 1sthmus
for That Day Alone.
Had Repeating Rifles and Shot
Them in the Eyes.
THE TIME OF HIS LIFE.

lola. Kan, April 19-Congressman
Charles F. Scott writes in the Register
of his recent Panama experience:
Among my numerous failings is a
fondness for hunting and fishing. I
can never go past a shop window filled
with guns and fishing tackle without
stopping to look in, and from my youth
up, good as my appetite has usually
been, have always fshed or hunted in
preference to eating when the alterna-
tive was offered. When my friend,
Captain Stanton, took me privately
aside, therefore, about the second day
of our stay on the Isthmus and asked
me if I should like to Join an alligator
party later in the week, I instantly as
sented. 1 was not sure whether it
meant hunting or fishing but 1t was
certain to be one or the other and they
both looked alike good to me.
And so it happened that on Saturday
morning, the last day of our stay, the
bell tangled in my room at four o'clock
and dressing sleepily and getting a
hasty bite of breakfast 1 stepped out of
the hotel into the chilly gray dawn to
find Captain Stanton with an army
wagon waiting for his crowd. Mr.. Par
ker of New Jersey. Mr.. Burleson of
Guire of Oklahoma. Mr.. Cole of Ohio
Auditor Harper of Washington. and
myself together with Captain Stanton
and one of his friends constituted the
party. There was a rapid ride of three
miles over to the dock at IaBoca where
q little steam launch awaited US. A
dozen repeating rifles with plenty of
ammunition and hamper of provisions
constituting our equipment were speed
ilv put on board and just as the sun
was rising like great golden globe out
of the Pacific we steamed out of the
harbor and started down the coast on
what was certainly one of the most de-
lightful rides I ever had in my life. The
sea was smooth, the air was cool and
bracing, and the scenery along the shore
was superb. 1t was worth going to
Panama to take that ride.
In something over two hours we found
ourselves at the mouth of the Chorrera
river which was to be our hunting
ground Leaving the launch there at
anchor we took to small boats, three
hunters and a native oarsman in each
of them, and started up the river The
tide was running out like a millrace
and 1t was a stiff hard pull. in which
we all took our turn. For six miles we
toiled up the turgid torrent, the sun
beating down mercilessly upon our
heads but our hearts cheered with the
new experience we were to have and
with the unaccustomed sight of the
tropical jungle that walled in the river
on either side. Only once did we see
any sign of habitation and that was
very South Sea picture indeed of two
or three matched huts on the bank of
the stream with cocoanut trees lifting
their tall tufts above them, and a half
dozen dugout canoes floating lazily in
the sunlit waters before them
Finally, at a signal from Captain
Stanton, the three boats came toanchor
on the shady side of the river and we
were told that the game was near at
hand After a leisurely lunch which
our early breakfast made most accept
able. the guns were loaded, Us shells
apiece, the last cautioning instructions
were given and our boatmen were di-
rected to pull carefully around the bend
In less than five minutes we we're
among the gators and the battle had
begun. In a sort of pool. where a wide
bend of the river left the water quieter
than usual there were dozens of the
great saurians lying lazily just below
the surface of the wafer with only their