The Mena weekly star., 1909-03-04
RAISING ALLIGATORs
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.-It ia claimed that the

Washington. It is claimed that the alligator farm in Hot Springs, Ark, Is larger than that in St. Augustine, Fla, and 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 oi little lakes or ponds. These are made use of to form he breeding grounds, "stockyards" ard winter quarters" for this stock indus. try.
 There are at all times on this farm between 500 ard S09 alligatofs, ranging iu size from little baby gators, less than six inches long, up to Big Joe nearly 15 feet long. The little fellows have all been matched on the farm, but the big ones were caught in the swalGps and aayous of the south.
 The alligator Is a cannibal, and for that reason it is necessary to separate he ponds by means of heavy wire net ting and to place reptiles of very near ly the same size in each inclosure. Biz Joe, the monarch of the establishment weighing nearly 500 pounds, is Ess' y himself Otherwise, it is alleged he would soon be the only alligator there
 The eggs are placed in incdba' ori quite similar to those for hatcbinp chickens. After being hatcLed the little ones are placed in a sep2s1te .n. closure, to prevent their elder brc' tar, and sisters from eating them. They grow very slowly, so that an alligator two feet long is about two years of age, and one 12 feet long may 5e |! years or more. Some reach length of 16 or IS feet.
 If allowed to 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 ailiga tor farm Some way had to be de. vised for avoiding, in part, at least this Alternating instinct. The winter quarters are in long, low building di' vided into many compartments. Each compartment contains a pool of water through which run steam pipes so that the water can be kept at a constant temperature. One small pond will contain 200 or 300 alligators.
 Hundreds of baby alIigators are sold every year to patrons of the health re sort at Hot Springs for pets, for home aquariums and for curious memeutos to be sent to distant friends. For these | purposes little creatures not more than si1 inches long are preferred. Reptiles of larger size, from two feet in length up to the largest than can bs obtained | are sold for use as advertising novel | ties. and for exhibition in amusement l parks, museums, shows and menager 1 les. Large numbers of all sizes are | killed, stuffed and mounted in striking or fantastic attitudes and used for or namental and decorative purposes. Int skins are tanned and manufactures Into suit cases, satchels, handbags belts, poeketbooks. and, in fact almos anything that can be made of leather The durability, beauty and costhnes' of the tanned hides cause them to b' esteemed among the most desirable O leather materials. Even the teeth art not wasted, being manufactured iutt small ornaments and articles of jewel ry and sold as curiosities.