The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1901-1982, 1908-08-06
RAISING ALL|GAT0RS.
ONLY TWO PLACES IN LAND
WHERE INDUSTRY PREVAILS.
From 500 to 800 Reptiles Kept on
Ranch at Hot Springs, Ark,
and Culture Is an Inter
esting Process.

Washington is claimed that the
alligator farm in Hot Springs, Ark, IS
/ larger than that in St Augustine, Fla,
ard that these two are the only farms
of the kind The farm in Hot Springs
is on a small mountain stream that
feeds a series of little lakes or ponds
These are made use of to form the
breeding grounds ~stockyards" and
winter quarters" for this stock indus,
try.
There are at all times on this farm
between 500 and 500 alligators, ranging
in size from little baby gators, less
, than six inches long, up to Big Joe,
nearly 10 feet long The little fellows
have all been Matched on the farm, but
! the big ones were caught in the
| swamps and bayous of the south.
The alligator is a cannibal, and for
| that reason it is necessa " to separate
the ponds by means of heavy wire net
ting and to place reptiles of very near
ly the same size in each Enclosure. Big
Joe, the monarch CT the establishment,
weighing nearly 600 pounds, is kept by
himself. Otherwise, it is alleged he
would soon be the only alligator there.
The eggs are placed in incubators
quite similar to those for Matching
chickens. After being Matched the
little ones are placed in separate In
closure, to prevent their elder brothers
and sisters from eating them. They
cln hot n
two feet long is about two years or
age, and one II feet long may be 10
years or more. Some reach length
of 16 or IS feet
If allowed 20 follow their hibernat-
ing habits in captivity, the alligators
would bury themselves in the mud and
lie dormant for nearly half of the year
and business would have to be sus-
pended during that time on the alllga-
tor farm. Some way had to be de-
vised for avoiding, in part, at least
this alternating instinct. The winter
quarters are in a long, low building dl-
vided into many compartments. Each
compartment contains a pool of water
through which run steam pipes, so that
lllt water Cali Dc hcpb dI q SoHoloiAe
temperature. One small pond Will
contain 200 or 300 alligators.
Hundreds of baby alligators are sold
every year to patrons of the health re-
sort at Hot Springs for pets, for home
aquarums and for curious mementos
to be sent to distant friends. For tn csc
purposes little creatures not more than
six inches long are preferred. Reptiles
of larger size, from two feet in length
up to the largest than can be obtained,
are sold for use as advertising novel
ties, and for exhibition in amusement
parks museums, shows and menager
les. Large numbers of all sizes are
killed, stuffed and mounted in striking
or fantastic attitudes and used for or
namental and decorative purposes The
skins are tanned and manufactured
into suit cases, satchels, handbags
belts, pOcketbooks, and, in fact, almost
anything that can be made of leather
The durability, beauty and costliness
of the tanned hides cause them to be
esteemed among the most desirable Of
leather materials. Even the teeth are
not wasted, being manufactured into
small ornaments and articles of jewel
ry and sold as curiosities.