Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-10

The most annoying thing I found In the
Everglades was what the natives called saw
grass, kind of sedge with saw-toothed leaves.
It grew everywhere on the undiscovered bot
TOM raising its leaves about 3 feet above the
surface Of the water and making the shallow
parts of the lake practically impossible.
The bridge was temporary affair built Of
oak planks and beams supported on piles. I
have seen a good many bridges, but this was
the worst Of the lot. Some of the piles had
sunk so that sections of planking sagged until
they were almost hoop-shaped.
The first thing we did after we arrived on
the job was TO jack up the sunken portions
of the bridge. We did this by splicing short
sections on top of the piles. It was q tough
job, because, although the water was low, the
water and saw-grass offered no footing, and
the men had to work with the aid Of short
drop ropes and bosun's chairs. just as they did
on the rattlesnake bridge in Sonora.
AS a matter of fact. had even more trouble
with the men in the Everglades than had had
on the Mexico job. Once thought they would
all quit and return to Chicago but brought
them around with a promise Of q bonus 70
be paid out of the prohtS-h there were any
really didn't blame them for being diScon-
tented in a place like that. After hard days
work there was nothing to do but sit around
camp fire and fight bugs and mosquitoes.
We had been at work three or four days
when one of the men, lacking up timbers, hap
pened to look down and saw what he took for
a huge fish swimming and circling Immediately
below him. He called the attention of the
others. and they all stopped work to look at
1t. When my brother and I came out to see
what was up, we found the men arguing about
it, as they always did when anything unusual
happened Some of them thought it was an
alligator; others said it was crocodile What
ever it was. it was large enough to swallow
a man whole, If he was unlucky enough to
fall into the lake.
Later in the day one of the workmen from
the canal told us the animal was . crocodile,
and an extra large one-only he called it q
"crock." The men didn't feel any too good
when they learned there were crocodiles about.
spent most of the day watching the beast.
1t finally crawled out on little sandy beach
close by and pretended to be asleep, but every
now and then it would open its enormous mouth
and snap its jaws together like steel trap.
WHEN its mouth was OPEN it was no pleasant
sight. noticed its under jaw worked like
a hinge, and with two long rows Of sharp teeth
it could have bitten a man in half as easily as
You would take bite out of an apple. All
heard from the men around our camp fire that
night was crocodileS, and you can be sure felt
hundred per cent better when we went on the
job next morning and Mr.. Crocodile had dis
appeared.
For two days we didn't see thing of him,
ana then on the third day he suddenly APP
peared again, bringing another one, equally
large. Then began to worry. hated to think
what might happen If a rope broke and dropped
a man into the water.
Next day two more came. Apparently the
first one had passed the word around to all his
friends. More and more arrived until there
was small school of the monsters circling and
circling around directly beneath where the men
were working.
I cautioned the men to use the utmost care
transferring drops and chairs, and at the same
time I began to plan and study what to do If
an accident happened. There were now is of
the man-eaters swimming about, and more came
each day.
Finally had an idea. Torches had helped
us out of one bad situation, why not use them
again? called the men together and ordered
every man to snub life line and have 1t handy
in case Of a fall. Then picked out two men,
who had experience in the use of torches, and
gave them special orders what to do in case o
man fell into the water.