The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-08-26

Not if We amt deaf it amt"
I'm afraid | don't quite under
stand. Please explain what you
mean"
"They amt nothing dangerous here,
'cept 1t makes noise. Now the rat
tiers they shakes them dingle-dan-
giles on their tails, and a scorpion he
alluz drills his singer into a piece
O. wood to sharpen it afore bitin'.
Sounds just like a woodpecker, only
the strokes is longer. The alligator
he Kisses like goose, but the drum
rat he makes more noise than any
Dem other fellows cause he's the
most dangerous thing they is in these
parts"
do these animals kill many peo-
ple?"
About five thousand was killed by
scorpions last year. Gators ct two
thousand and killed more'n a thous-
and calves and shoats and lambs in |
the same time. Then they wuz about |
ten thousand fatal cases Of sun-stroke |
last summer, but the drum rats |
guess they killed all of twelve thous-
and, anyhow. Floridy'd have quite a |
population if the newcomers wasn't |
killed so quick after they comes here. |
They won't wear tin suits like we all |
go to bed in. And they they won't !
believe us when we tell 'em how to
keep these pests away and the way
to keep off sun-strokes."
How do you do it?"
We'll, the fust thing to do is to
grow some iceland moss in doublbe |
circle around your house, thatll keep
EN- away. They just SILVER up and
nach'lly freeze to death as soon as
they touch it. 1t killed more'n eigh-
teen hundred of the critters last year
thataway. Some mornings | have to
shovel EN- up in wheel barrow lots
and spread EN- for fertilizer in the
apple orchard. And they amt no
drum rats near my house now"
What is a drum rat? / never
heard of it before!"
well, he's about as big as ripe
watermelon and much the same
shape. He's got bill like a ducks
with a turned over hook on the end
like a parrot. His teeth is like an
alligator's and he has singer the
same as a snake has. But he has a
long tail with knob on the end Of
it like the thing you hit drum with
When he's fixin' to attack We, why he
ra'hs up on his hind laigs and jes
swings that tail FUN side to side, a
hittin' his ribs ev'ey time. The hon
grier he is the more noise he makes,
and the more noise he makes the dan
gerouser. II one bites or scratches
We or hits we with his tail, it's good
night"
A loud wall from a siren signified
that machine was approaching. The
General Development Agent got out
of the car with two other men and
the t onists fastened back to their
Pullman, looking backwards at their
newly made acquaintance.
"Hello( Cranmer!" said the owner
of the mule addressing the Agent.
Hello, Jess, Old Scout" exclaimed
the other, shaking hands vigorously.
stopped at the house but they said
you had gone out to look IL the new
furniture had come in. Sorry l can't
stay awhile. Don't take any wood.
en- money"
mot likely, with Exchange Or
anges bringing $3.50 per box. So
long,"
General Development Agents know
lots of things. That is one Of the rea-
sons they land their jobs. They are
also polite.
Bert and Alexander sought con-
verse with Cranmer.
'Is the yield of wheat In Florida
very. great?" said Bert.
WHAT"
What he MEANS" said Alexander,
is this: would you consider 1875 bush
els a good crop for farm?"
| How big farm?"
Zone acre."
4 Where"
Here, in Florida"
"Oh! Lord! Wheat is one of the
few things that won't grow in this
state.
And do people eat Alligators?"
Il never heard Of it,.
Are rattlesnakes dangerous in
F1orida?"
"They would be If they got into
Florida. I've been here rs years and
never saw one. Yes, | did. 1t was