The Daytona gazette=news. (Daytona, Fla.) 1901-1922, 1907-02-16
FOR PROTECTION
OF ALLIGATORS.
Uncle Sam to Take Steps to Restrict
the lndiscrimina ate Slaughter of
the Swamp Kings.
Q 2 q


now in the possession of the United
States government were the habitat of
the worlds biggest fish, animals and rep
titles, says the Los Angeles Times. The
buffalo was monarch of animals that
foamed the plains, the seal was worth
more money than any denizen of the
deep, and the ferocious alligator ruled in
the swamps OF the south. The day Of
their native supremacy is gone, and now
they would actually suffer final exter-
animation but for the protecting hand OF
$4 'ncle Sam
z The United States government has
nade protection of its seal fisheries III
pternational policy; it has established
S4 national park for the remnant of the
nerds of buffalo, and it will soon move
ITO prevent the last Saurian in the swamps
&Snf the south from yielding its life to the
eIf hunter
r. 1t is only in late years that sentiment
has grown up in favor of the alligator
Hthat unwicidy, ugly creature WAS once
|9cgardcd rs "A foe to the public order and
Nb6 complete determination at stroke
would have seemed the best thing that
Hconld happen: but the commercial uses
&t0which the tough alligator hide can be
Wet have made Il new sentiment, and
A0on national legislation will be invoked
10 restrict indiscriminate killing Of the
ANamp kings.
Not sentimentalism alone argues for
pRotection of the last survivors of Uncle
q nm lower giants. The buffalo had to
from the plains in order to make
aaOm for man, but he should have been
M6ven into herds and preserved in num-
hers. The killing of the seal to get the
Tins is a laudable and proper USE of the
himal, provided the killing is done with
inch system that the race Of seals be not
DIFFERENTIATED. So with the alligator.
Take the lives of as many as are nre,ird
E for the purpose of commerce, but do it
according to foresighted wisdom.
The alligator is nearly wiped out, but
the big saurian multiplies quickly, and
in great numbers, so that with only leas-
enable protection he would soon flourish
again.
Not so long ago the sWampS, rivers
and bayous of Florida and other south
ern states abounded with the creatures.
Many Of the older inhabitants of Day
tona can remember when the Halifax
river was far more noted for the number
riety Tomoka river now enjoys from this
source, the Tomoka being protected by
special state legislation.
Formerly the alhgators got as far
north as the middle sections of Georgia
and Alabama but now they are UNI
known there and are only found on the
extreme southern coast line of the south
ern states. The writer well remembers
when they were very numerous in Whet-
stones lake. Jackson's lake, Catoma
creek and other waters in Montgomery
county, Ala. They are still numerous
i'll the Everglades for the reason that it
is hard to get at them there.
An early explorer says he found all
gators so plentiful in Florida that ouce
at point where the St. Johns river is
half mile wide they were packed Sc
closely that had they kept still he could
have crossed the river on their Scaly
backs.
At first it was for the amusement OF
the hunter that the alligator fell. 1t
was esteemed great sport to sail down 4
river and shoot the saurians, leaving
their bodies where they iell and making
no attempt to sell the hides.
Later, as Florida began to settle, the
alligators were killed off for the prOtec-
ton of the people. The reptiles had
preying tendencies that made them Il
constant nuisance. Ordinarily they sub,
sist on fish, but when hungry they dc
not hesitate to come on land and stea
whatever comes within reach of their
huge tails, a blow from which means
the death of lambs. pigs, and even small
calves and colts.
Every time the gator attempted in
roads posse would be formed and 8
trail of alligator carcaSSes would be the
outcome of ten days hunt.
1t was not, however, until the saurian
developed commercial possibilities thai
tbs real devastation began. Trunks
travelling bags. purses and all kinds OF
leather novelties could be made from
alligator hide. The traffic took such
sudden bounds that in a short time
Florida was sending north about 200, 00C
skins annually.
The iavorite method of hunting was
to go out at night and blind the reptile
with strong light from a lantern
strapped to the head of hunter Thus
equipped he could get within few feet
and use his heavy revolver or shotgun
with deadly effect. At the present time
despite the defamation, there are still
enough alligators to make the business
of hunting them a profitable one to
hundreds of Indians and whites.
In addition to the sale OF skins there
is demand for baby gators, which are
stuffed and sold.
Although the alligator is great SWIM
mer, he gets around on land but slowly
Yet they have been found Is miles in
land They can live out of water for an