The San Francisco call., 1909-06-09
.ALLIOATORS ON
BATTURJ1' TRAIL
Railroader's Swimming Feat
Is Not Duplicated in
the Big Tank at
Santa Cruz

rivers. Iagoons. canals. bayous
bitches. ponds. aqueduets. pools.
bathtubs. mudholes. reservoirs. IN
fact any old thing. and shall I be
afraid OF the plunge at Santa Cruzg'
exclaimed Frank E Batturs 70 Fred
Swanton-
why. man alive. once I was swim
ming in Lake Pontehartrasn when I
was chased by an enormous alligator it
was fully 100 feet long. and when it
whipped its tail the waters OF several
bayous in the neighborhood' we're
dashed into foam"
There was dead silence at the
luncheon table for many minutes and
the eyes Of the guests wandered far
over the bay toward Monterey.
"If you don't think IL was exciting
for me I wish you had been in my
place" he said. aggressiveIy. to Fred
Swanton
"oh. it must have been thrilling" re-
marked young lady,
rs that what you call thrilling
asked Frank "A mar swimming for
his life pursued BY an alligator 200
feet long and supported BY another
alligator 800 feet long. That's a funny
xpression-thri1Hng
And did you escape asked Fred
Swanton innocently
Did I escape? II I hadn't escaped
how could 1 be eating this fish on this
porch and be deafened with that band
down there?1
Il mean said the great promoter.
how did you escapeg
Wen. I swan for about II miles
up stream and the anigators were
gaining on me. had 70 think quick
~ 1 stopped suddenly. Swan with nv
powerful overarm stroke at the first
gator and plunged out his eyes with
my thumbs. The other gator turned
tail and fed and I shot him at my
leisure"
What. did you have gun with
you2" asked a young lady
No. went to the bank. got the gun.
swan after him and then killed him
1t was later in the day when the
stern voice OF the superintendent OF
the bathhouse was heard ordering
some OF the boys to desist in their
jokes with man trying to swim.
What's the trouble-' asked Fred
swanton.
"Oh, its them boys" said the man.
They are forever worrying a man who
can't swim. 1t was Mr.. Batturs OF the
Southern Pacific. sic He was in the
tanks and the boys were trying 10
have some fun with him because he
can't swim No. sir. he can't swim a
stroke II 1 hadn't been there they
would have drowned him"
In an item published in these columns
yesterday it was asserted that at
present all Santa Fe trafac between
Galveston and the Pacific coast has 10
go up into Kansas and then down
through Oklahoma. or west through
Colorado This is erroneous. for
though the main line OF the
Santa Fe follows this route the
Santa Fe interchanges with the
Fort Forth and Denver City al
Amarillo. Tex. which line. acting as
the Santa Fe agent. transports between
Fort Worth and Amarillo At Fort
Worth it is interchanged with the Gulf.
Colorado and Santa Fe. thus making
shorter line than either the route
via La Junta. in use prior TO the open
ing of the Belen cuton. OF the route
via the Belen cutoff and Kiowa. Kan.
rhSah fha Sorso r. r.--...1.s \.
to use. It being shorter than the La
Junta route. did the line not have. this
arrangement with the Fort worth and
Denver City to handle its traffic to and
from Texas when two OF from points
west of Amarillo.
D. J. Patterson. chief architect Of the
Southern Pacific. returned yesterday
from salt Lake City, where he had
been to inspect the union depot which
Hartman Is building at SALT Lake
City. The depot. bunt after plans BY
Patterson. will be arcaftecturally ana
otherwise one Of the handsomest in
the country. It will cost s500 zoe. The
depot is to be opened August ana
viii be used BY the foliowing
Hartman lines; Oregon short Line.
Salt Lake and Los Angeles. which
operates to Ssltair. san Pedro. Los An
geles and Salt Lake: Union Pacific.
Southern Pacific. AIinnadoka and
Southwestern and the Yellowstone Park
road
The once OF the chief engineer OF
the Western Pacific reports that the
work Of laying track is progressing
rapidly and the latest advicss from the
front show that the track is now at
Battle mountain. while on the Whine
mucea branch il is As miles from that
point. The telegraph line is being
operated from salt Lake city to Beo-
wave
F. A. Wadleigh. assistant general
passengSr agent OF the Denver and Rio
Grande. has left for Los Angeles.