Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-04-04

That the alligator should be his Nemesis seems
particularly fitting in view of his immunity TO death
in most other but it presents the great problem
in raising him for the market 1t is impossible to
provide separate enclosure for each of'OOOV amiga
tors giving them plenty of room does no good.
They all into corner, where they invariably
murder and mutilate each other. There is only one
large alligator place which has all four of his
legs and complete tall
Perhaps the next greatest difficulty in commercial
zing the alligator the extreme durability of his
hide. alligator in life, it seems to endure
forever. When properly tanned the richness OF lts
color and smoothness it's finish improve with age
No one ever has replace anything made of alligator
leather, naturally limits the demand At pres
the business is hampered by the fact that all OF the
taneries in the country booked to capacity with
shoe leather and is impossible to get alligator hides
tanned.
In the matter of food, the alligator is not at all
particular eating almost anything that is,
alive. The farm has standing order with the city
scavenger of horses and cattle, and
these fed to the larger aligaors They eat once
twice week, and consume fifty to hundred
pounds at time, swallowing the meat in great
chunks.
The little aligators sold visitors for pets.
but the their greatest value between
the of and years, when they from
six feet long 1t is during this period that they
make the best leather them grow faster than
Others and it has been found possible by heavy feed
ing, to produce hve-foot alligator in five years.
The aligators that are ten feet or more in length
too valuable be used for leather they sold
for exhibition purposes 5000 500 apiece
When alligator adjudged ready for the slaugh-
ter he is drowned by fastening weights his body
and sinking him for twenty-four hours. Thus he is
killed without in way injurng his hide which
worth a dollar foot,
This alligator business was started by remark
able commonly known Alligator Joe, who died
at the San Francisco exposition last summer He
great hunter OF wild alligators, to catch
them alive for the edifcaticn of tourists
performance Later ne established alligator farm
at Miami There are three such establishments in
Florida and there be why alligator
raising should not become industry considerable
proportions. If large supply hide were avail
able. numerous could doubtless be found
for it.
Formerly there need for raising aIIigators
in captivity, great numbers taken by the
hunters. Now hunting them is scarcely profitable in
Florida though taken every year. The &C.
cepted of taking them alive to the caves in
the river banks where they live A long pole with
hook on the end is thrust into hole. 1t is not
baited If the alligator is at home he will
pole, the hook is lodged jaw, he is drawn
out There the trouble begins, for full grown gator
is dangerous proposition handle the little
ones hardly worth taking. AIIigators are also
hunted at night in boats having a light in the bow
This attracts the alhgators, and big eye
sockets rising above surface of the water
they are killed with shotguns.
In alligators successfully in captiy-
ity the Matching of the eggs artifcialy
otherwise the adult algators would the
eggs and all of the young which Matched.
In the wild the alligator builds a pile of
sand and straw in the buries in and
guards them with her life until young hatched
In captivity the gathered they are
laid, and are placed in heap of straw and
liar to the built by wild alIigators. fair
proportion of the young hatch they kept
in groups according to and size, that at least
they will have an equal chance in the struggle for
iStence.
Whenever the weather changes the large agators
night hideous with loud throaty believing. At
all other times they silent a rock, lying abso-
lutely motoness for hours and days. as though
lost in endless meditation. Theirs is absolute
indifference of creatures who whole CEN
turtles marching by.