Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-07-27
ALLIGATOR SKIN
TRADE IS GOOD

4 Inc sDdlly OOHSuldf dtlI lTduS he
I port gives an interesting resume Of
| the alligator skin trade Of Colombia,
| OF this industry it says:
Alligator skins were not exported
from Colombia prior to 1871 in which
year efforts We're made to establish
the business, with some degree of sue.
cess. In 1904 there was only one firm
III the field. and il. January, 1905, this
firm was granted by the Government
the exclusive right to hunt the reptile
and export the skins for term pi
five years. Some 90 stations were soon
established along the lower Magua
lena River and its tributaries, ard pa:,-
! ties of Indian hunters were lifted -ont
and instructed in the best manner of
preparing the skins. Success followed,
| the annual exports for the ensuing
years averaging 10000 skins. The con-
cession expired in January 1910, and
alligator hunting is now free to all.
II is a promising industry. which will
increase in importance. especial: If
the various products of the reptiies
can he put to other uses, AS is expect
| ed.
Three different kinds of alligators
are found in the Magdalena River.
The Babilla, which has blunt, sn ,rt
head. small though numerous teeth, a
dark-colored back, deep yellow bel
| ly, and seldom attains length of .
feet, is of no value for It's hids, which
is made up of boRy scales that turn to
q scffff hriff1~ uhe.lI r. usx<,,, q I, ,.rv,,,,xr
ed from the animals body. The cal
man de aguja, or needle-snouted ALI
gator, has a light yellow belly, with a
greenish and spotted back, and some
times exceeds "a feet in length and
six feet in girth. These have large
teeth of beautiful white ivory. some
times 5 inches long and IL inches in
diameter. The largest skins are one
half inch thick and so to so square
yards in area, but no use has yet been
made of them, except as curiosities,
The skins of this variety tan well, and
have pip mark in the center. of each
| scale. The third class of alligators
found in the Magdalena River is call
ed the caiinan porro, or thick, short
HEADED alligator It's maximum length
is not over 10 feet, and it has plant,
IrIerchantable Skin, showing no pip
marks
Unlimited Supply.
There seems to be no likelihood Of
1.-The extinction of there reptiles. what
Fever slaughter is carried on, as every
fulLgrown female is said to lay about
+ 1G0 eggs in a year. Alligator hunting
Dis carried on along the Masdalena
River from December to April and in
July and August. During these rain
less months the streams subside,
draining the great alluvial plains
which border the main stream. The
alligators, which rushed out unto the
| inundated fats during the previous
swelling of the river, crowd back
through the connecting branches and
channels, where the Indian hunters
slaughter them in large numbers,
spearing them and hauling them out
on the banks, where they are stunned
and then beheaded with long-handled
axes. Rifles are not used owing to
the prohibition of the use of firearms,
except shotguns. Hundreds of alliga-
tors are also left stuck in the deep
slime left by the receding waters,
over which their short legs will not
drag their heavy bodies. The animals
are not molested in the main stream,
a. the swift current and deep water
afford them easy means of escape. If
a practical trap could be devised the
alligators could be easily and profit
ably caught by hundreds on the sandy
beaches as they crawl out to sleep or
bask in the SUM- Only green-salted
skins are used by the tanners, as the
stiff, sun-dried skins are worthless
The alligator-skin business of the
world is controlled by firm in New
ark, N. j., which buys so to 80 per
cent of the American production. 1t
is significant that the sudden supply
o. 10000 alligator skins-per year from
Colombia found such ready market
in the United States that they have
invariably been purchased upon arriv-
al at New York. on presentation of the
shipping documents, even before I'M
loading the ergo.
The prices paid by tanners at New
York range from 5000 for a 3-foot skin
Ito $3.50 for those to 10 feet in