Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-28
Dixie Goes Ahead
xI-THE PROFITABLE ALLIGATOR
BY FREDERIC ]. HAsK1N

unique, He begins to turn over and
over, thus converting himself into
living tourniquet that quickly sewers
the neck or leg Of the largest animal,
or twists the body of smaller one
to pieces. II on land, this turning pro-
cess consists of series of clumsy
somersaults, and may frequently be
seen here at the farm. In the water
the gator can turn with lightning
speed and the whole process OF at
tacking and tearing up victim Is
carried out like the stroke of a dag
ger.
There are instances known to the.
local hunters of men having been at
tackled bv large alligators. One man
swimming in the Miami river was
seized b. gator, carried to the bank
and down one of the holes In which
the reptiles live. Neither he nor MS
remains were ever recovered. An
other man, who was very skilltul
swimmer, was attacked and bitten
three times; but each time he twisted
himself out OF the deadly jaws before
the gator could get his final grip.
That the alligator should be his
own Nemesis seems particularly fit
ting in view of his immunity to death
| in most other forms; but it presents
the great problem in raising him for
the market. It Is impossible to pro-
vide a separate enclosure for each
of six thousand alligators and giving
them plenty OF room does no good.
They all crowd into one corner, where
they invariably murder and mutilate
; each other There Is only one large
alligator on the place which has all
four of his legs and complete tall.
Perhaps the next greatest dfficulty
in commercializing the alligator is the
extreme durability Of his hide. Like
the alligator in life, it seems to en-
dure forever. When properly tanned,
the richness of its color and the
smoothness of its finish improve with
age. No one ever has to replace any
thing made Of alligator leather, and
that naturally limits the demand. At
present the business Is hampered by
the fact that all of the tanneries In
the country are booked to. capacity
with shoe leather. and it is impossible
to get alligator hides tanned.
In the matter of food, the alligator
is not at all particular, eating almost
anything that Is, or once was, alive.
The farm has standing order with
the city scavenger for the carcasses
Of horses and cattle, and these are
fed to the larger alligators. They eat
once or twice week, and consume
fifty to a bundled pounds at time,
swallowing the meat in great chunks.
The little alligators are sold to visi-
tors for pets, but the creatures attain
their greatest value beween the ages
Of four and twenty years, when they
are from two to six feet long. 1t is
during this period that they make the
best leather. Some of them grow fast
err than others, and 1t has been found
possible by heavy feeding to produce
five foot alligator in five years.
The alligators that are ten feet or
more in length are too valuable to be
used for leather; they are sold for
exhibition purposes and bring six or
seven hundred dollars apiece.
When an alligator is adjudged
ready for the slaughter. he is drowned
by fastening weights to his body and
sinking him for twenty-four hours.
Thus he is killed without in any way
injuring his hide. which is worth a
dollar foot, raw.
This alligator business was started
I by a remarkable man, commonly
known as Alligator Joe, who died at
the San Francisco exposition last sum.
mer He was a great hunter of wild
alligators and used to catch them
alive for the edification of tourists at
so much performance. Later he es-
tablished an alligator farm at Miami.
There are now three such establish
ments in Florida, and there seems to
be no reason why the alligator raising
should not become an industry Of con-
siderable proportions. II large sup
ply Of the hide were available, numer.
Gus new uses could doubtless be found
] for it.