Mexico Missouri message., 1912-08-08

a few years ago covered practi-
cally the entire lower portion of the
peninsula, is fast becoming but his
torical recollection. What was only
few years ago a great marsh of saw
grass, is today yielding fruits and
vegetables in infinite varieties.
This wonderful change has come
about through the great drainage
project now under way, which 1t is es-
timated will cost something like five
million dollars before completed. but
will reclaim some four million acres
of former inundated lands.
The opening of the first canal a
short time ago, which completed
waterway from the Gulf of Mexico TO
the Atlantic ocean marked the first
step in this big undertaking.
With the coming of the tillers of
the soil, the saurian that was former
ly almost the only inhabitant of this
great tract, has been forced further
and further into the 'glades. Time
was when the hunting of these crea-
lures was profitable, but today hunt
q y ilc bNdINt, lOI llltit are lew dlli-
gators to be found.
Recently the writer made a trip
across the peninsula by way OF the
canal just completed, which connects
Fort Myers on the Gulf OF Mexico
and Fort Lauderdale on the Atlantic
ocean.
Some of the party wanted to see
how the alligators were caught. on
In the distance, at the edge OF the
canal, flew bright red handkerchief
or rather what had once been hand
kerchief. II marked the camp of two
white men who make a business of
hunting gators. Jim and Jack are the
only names to which these men an
swer. If they ever had any other
names they seam to have forgotten
hem. They have never been out OF
the 'glades in twenty years, except to
go to Fort Myers for supplies, and are
known all over southern Florida by
the titles here used.
Surface Dead Level.
Owing to the fact that the surface
of the Everglades Is dead level,
without a natural landmark of any
Kind, 1t is necessary for the hunters
to mark their camp, so that 1t may be
seen by them from n distance. This
Is done by flying a flag or a rag from
the top of pole from ten to TWEEN
~ feet in height.
Drawn up on the canal bank were
three boats, one of them, a light, fiat
bottom scow, half filed with the skins
of alligators, packed in salt Around
| the camp were scores OF carcasses OF
the reptiles, over which the buzzards
the scavengers OF the south. fought
So numerous and so daring we're the
| birds that 1t was difficult to move
around the place without kicking
against one of the fowl, all OF which
attempted to dispute the right OF the
intruder to pass.
The two other boats were small
skiffs, easily carried by man OF ordi
nary strength. They we're the boats
used in travelling over the low places
in the 'glades in search Of gators
which do not always expose them
selves on the banks OF the canal. In
o
fact, the older and larger reptiles
which have grown wary as the hunt
ers have more closely pursued them
make their homes far back from the
stream, where they walIow and bel
low In fancied security.
Jim and Jack were not very com
municative. Tall, gaunt, Drowned and
unshaVed. they presented a picture
not easily forgotten. With them
speech was almost as scarce as dla
monds, and even when they did speak
It generally was only the word yes
or no" that they uttered
For many months at a stretch they
i've alone in the 'glades. far removed
from human habitation. not seeing a
white man once a month. They grow
quiet, apparently sullen, and have 1T.