The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-11-17
A CHATTY LANARK LETTER
ALLIGATOR VENTURED TO REST
HAVEN" BUT DIDN'T FIND ANY.
Fishing Is Fine, But 1t Is Necessary
TO Have Tackle. How a MaSon's
Wife Saved Her Home.

ItANARK. Fla.-EditOr of The
Dawson News: Did you ever read
that magnificent book by E. P. Roe,
Driven Back to Eden?" If you
have then you can get some idea as
10 how felt on my return to Rest
Haven after a weeks absence at the
Association and in the cities. l was
anxious to get back by the 4th, as
that was my birthday We cele-
brated it by going in surf bathing.
1t may sound out of season to
talk about surf bathing this time of
the year, but it is a fact, all the
same. The climate is so delightful
here that we are still enjoying the
salt baths.
1 did not say how old I was on
that birthday l will say, however,
that am not old enough to remem-
Der when the stars fell, but was old
enough, though quite young, to re-
member Sherman's march through
Georgia, and the careless way in
which he handled fire This reminds
rae of an incident that occurred at
that time with lady relative that
lived in north Georgia. 1t shows
the wonderful protection that Mason
~ places around the women of our
country. Shermans barn burners
were nearing the home of this lady,
whose husband was in the cOnfeder-
ate army. She could see the smoke
from the burning cribs and smoke
houses of her neighbors. She was
thinking what she could do for her
own personal safety when she Temem-
bered her husband told her when
leaving that if she ever got in trouble
or needed a friend to make known
the fact that she was a MasOn's wife.
She remembered his regalia was in
his trunk, and brought it out and
spread it on the veranda. When the
barn burners came the officer in COM
Tnand was a Mason. He dismounted,
went to the door and asked whose
regalia that was. She told him it
was her husbands. He said: Il see
ne is an officer in the grand lodge"
She said: He is an officer in the
Grand Lodge of Georgia" He went
10 his men. who were waiting for
orders at the gate to burn, and or
dered a guard placed around that
house, and if any one bothered even
a chicken to shoot him.
If you will stand on the dock here
and look east you can see, about
twelve miles up the bay, Alligator
Harbor. some weeks ago one de-
cided he would come down and get
a drink of our fine mineral water.
After trying it he liked it so well he
decided he would stay. AS there
was no room for him at the Inn" he
took up his abode in the small branch
that flows from the spring about
three hundred yards into the bay.
He would slip out at night, like a
bad boy, and swim around the bay
and feed He was seen several times
at night by the fishermen. One day
ne ventured out for a swim in broad
open daylight. We spied him about
half mile out. We got our ar
tillery ready and the navy afoat in
short order. We chased him around
the bay for quite awhile, firing on
him every time his head would APP
pear above the water. Finally one
shot took effect in the eye. This en-
abled us to lassoe him with a rope,
after he had paved up the bottom of
the bay and exhausted his energies,
and towe him to land. He was tied
no a post, like poor blind Sampson,
TO make sport for the children for