The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-08-14
A WORD FOR THE ALLIGATOR


For while the alligator has made
the purses of the north, it has filled l
the purses of the south. II is not for
nothing that sportsmen are prohibited +
from shooting the alligator wherever
the winter hotel fourishes en- the PIE
thoric exile from above Mason and
DiXOn's line.
And why not confess it? The ALI !
gator is as legitimate an attraction /
as the glass bottom boats Of Catalina
and Santa Barbara, the orange groves /
/ OF Radlands and Riverside, and the
vineyards Of northern California,
where wine is made while you wait.
Indeed, the alligator belongs to US
all. Il is a priceless asset of the naive
northern Imagination. In the south
they may be turning to commercial
and industrial. developments. Bir-
mingkam IDEALS may be displacing the
mellow memories Of the old south.
But the northcrner will cling fondly
to the south OF the magnolia and the
palm, the creole and crocodile.
while We are conserving the natur-
al resources. Ie. us not forget the ALI
gator. "-ChicagJ Tribune.
. With the boil and the bubble of the
mercury at the top Of the tube, it is
not so easy to think tenderiy and af-
feCtiOnateIy Of the land Of cabbage
Ipalmettoes and alligators and herOns
!. and surf and sand as it is when win
ter winds blow and a slanting sleet
suggests flight to Florida as a refuge
, from the rigors Of the northern eli
, mate and perhaps from rheumatism as
= we'll But even in melting midsum-
0mer, when the sluM5ers Of the urban
, tire in this zone are ftfui, and when
= the mosquito and the tomcat and the
: sUparwatchful watchdog make need
, less noises throughout jle night. AID
+ d sun white hot in d SKY OF brass
marks the arrival Of the morning, II
, is not out of order 10 say few kind
= words in behalf yt the gator" who
r sleeps in the sluggish bayou and pre-
.sents TO the tourist from the land OF
sick Yankees" to the north Of Jack
- IsoUville 8 picture CT life in the tCop-
les. without which nc traveller feels
tha- he has seen the south as adver-
tsed in romance and railroad Iitera-
q ture
FIori1a-the state where most
uortherners see the gator amid his
home surrOynGilgs-was provided by
Providence a. j pleasure ground for
North America east of the Rocky
,. mountains. as southern California and
the islands adjacent to it's shores
: We're provided as a playground for the
Pacific slope A part Of the pictur
tesQueness Of Florida consists in hel
aligators. her spectre cranes. her pei
leans winging their silent way alOng
the crests of the breakers, grOtesque
q in their sOlemnity Of mein and ap
= pearance Of incalculable age and I'm
fathomable wisdom her bald eagles
the rObber barOns of the inlets, who
/ defraud the fsh-hawk Of the profit!
of his industry with feudal dignity
her great blue herOns and smalle
= birds of brilliant plumage; her man
o war hawks and scarlet flamingOes
her saltwater monsters of the deeI
: and Of the shadows. Robbed of thes,
D. picturesque features the state woulc
suffer in reputation as a winter re
o. sort. offering the attractions of tn
Is tropics within "A or SO hours Of tn,
east and the northern section of tn
middle west. For her own benefit
g and for the pleasure Of tuOrists fTSu
other states, Florida will do we'll L
RI enforce rigidly rigid laws protecting
her ornamental birds and her alliga
a tors and game from destruction at tn
m hand Of the vandal Increased trans
DOrtatiOn facilities will not send tn
people Of the north to the West II
Of dies if Florida retains the attraction
that have made her the Mecca @
n hunters and fishermen, yachtsmen an
,a tourists Of other varieties. Her troI
icaI aspect is an asset, as well as he
no semi-tropical climate and her anim5
and bird life constitutes a feature c
~ that aspect which should be retaine,
Louisville Courier-JOurnaI