The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-10
Wonderful Experience
OF Starke Citizens
According to Their
Truthful Versions

Honorable Veracious Relaters of
North Starke. Bob Daniels had made
application for membership and he
was to relate an occurrence before
the consistorium would admit him TO
the Novitiate degree.
In choosing a place for the meet
ing Mr.. Daniels said he was at heart
a railroad man and as such must let
safety first rule his actions. For
this reason he suggested that the
meeting be held in a gondola coal
car belonging to the Pennsylvania
railroad, capacity 100000 pounds
he wanted nothing to break down
under his weight.
Worshipful "Reminiscences Hans
Austin first told of an occurrence IN
order to show the new member the
STYLE of relating observed in the
Consistorium. The Narrative fol-
lows:
Once I was in Lafayette county
hunting. | had wounded a deer so
badly that he could only move lit
tie faster than |. The ground was
covered with bushes and ! hoped to
get to an open place where ! could
get a good shot at the deer and XIII
him. Suddenly there appeared
small lake or pond ahead of me. A
lot of snags which looked like dead
buttonwood bushes grew in the lake.
The deer entered the water and
swan away and | shot at him and
killed him. | went to get him. but
the water was away above my head.
] held my double-barrel with one
hand and swan with the other till
came to a couple of snags, which !
caught hold Of.
+" found the snags to be the top
of pine tree, for this was sink
hole formed by the ground collaps-
ing, and the water was probably 60
feet deep Soon couple of gators
came and fought over the deer. Then
a scaly old fellow, with moss on his
sides, swan up to my tree, intent
on grabbing me. My shells had got
wet. but | found two that hadn I
swelled much and | put them in the
gun and shot at the gator. 1t
didn't hurt him, only made him
madden. | couldn't load up again
and expected the gator would get
me, as the crotch | was standing on
was below the surface of the water
Every time he came very close | jab
bed him on the snout with the gun
but at last he grabbed the CUR
away from me.
''Imagine my position-perfectly
helpless surrounded by deep water
at the mercy of blamed gator
Then a strange thing happened
saw a lot of bubbles rise, then {
long, black, pointed object rose ant
struck the gator, going clear
through him!
1T was cedar log that in SOM
way had become fast in the bottom
when the land sank, but had beef
loosened by the conclusion Of tn
water when | shot SO that it coul'
float up. When the log became still
the top end rested on the land, AM
! could reach the butt end and res
in the crotch / was standing on an
thus walk to land. The trigge
guard of my gun had, in sinking
happily caught on snag on tn
cedar log, SO my gun was not los
after all
1t was now up to Mr.. Daniel t
make his maiden narrative:
when | was a flagman on tn
Scabboard, my train, going NORTH
had to stop at Highland to cool he
box. The second section was not ia
behind and went back to flag. TIL
engineer forgot to call me in an
the train went on and left M
while it was raining like fury.
Then the second section cam
along 1t went very slowly up tn
grade and l had no trouble gettin
on a box car. | was wet and tire
and wanted a place where l coul
lie down. | opened the gate of I'll
north end of the car and crawled Il
The car was loaded with lumb,
that had been pushed back to IL
south end, leaving an empty space
the north end. l laid down and SOC
fell asleep.
when | woke UP | was wet Wi
sweat and nearly suffocated. | cou
not move. 1t was this way, you u
derstand. The train was going |
the steep grade south of Highlan
the sleek boards all had slid ba
to the south end. Going down t
grade north of Highland they 81
back toward the north end, holdil
me fast.
81 could feel the car swingi
around a curve, then get out on t
tangent When we got on t
straight level the wheels would S
on the wet rails and the engine
had to apply sand frequently. L
cry time sand got on the rails
drivers would take hold and jerk
train forward, causing the boards
my car to slide back little, a
when We got to Fiftone they
moved SO much that l could era
out of the end gate again, and J
may bet your life it felt good to