GIIAQ5 LIKELY III
STATMILS
IP THE DECISION IN THE SCHOOL
TAX CASES STANDS AS IT
NOW IS.
OTHER CASES MIGHT ARISE
Chain of Attacks on Past Elsetions la
Poaalbla If It la Daoldad That Wom
an Praaholdara Can Legally Sign Pa
r tltlona Por Elections,
Raleigh. That the decision of
Judge Ferguaon, of the auperlor court,
In the Wake Foreat achool tax case
threaten chaos In no one knows how
many of the 1.825 achool tax districts
in North Carolina la the conclusion
of several attorneys. The decision
ot the advocates of the tax to carry
the case to the supreme court la one
that haa drawn forth Intense Interest
from all parts ot the state. If It Is
decided In the supreme court aa It
waa In the lower court It la possible
that a chain ot attacks on the validity
of past elections will follow.
That the attorneys and the state'a
educators are deeply concerned over
the outcome ot thla case la easily to
be understood. The decision of Judge
Ferguson, making null and void the
recent election, baa raised the ques
tion whether the entire local tax
acheme may not be vitiated It the sen
timerit against such elections cares to
assert Itself. There are no figures at
hand whereby the number of districts
which have held elections without
calling upon women freeholder to
sign the petitions can be ascertained.
But uneaslnesa la rampant The tact
that these districts are operating un
der the present law doea not provide
against attack upon their validity. An
t injunction may be applied for at any
time.
The Wake Forest promoters of the
election were more careful than they
might appear to have been. Before
proceeding they called upon Attorney
General T. W. Btckett, whose opinion
waa to the effect that women are not
to be regarded as freeholders In elec
tions ot thla nature, that la to say
that they would not be counted In the
aggregate of a district freeholders
against the one-fourth of the men
freeholders.
Officer Receiving "Hush Money."
There Is talk around the court house
at Wilmington that the grand Jury la
making searching Investigation of a
report that officers of the law have
not only winked at certain offenses
in New Hanover county but have, it is
alleged, accepted "hush money" from
those engaged in the whiskey traffic,
gambling, etc. - An alleged "blind tig
er" Is quoted as saying that he had
to go out of the business on account '
of the amount he had to pay officers
for protection. It is expected that ad'
dltlonal bills of indictment for differ
ent offenses, especially violations of
the prohibtion law, will be returned
by the grand Jury.
Tax Report of Mecklenburg County.
County Assessor Henderson has Just
finished tabulating the returns of tax
able property In Mecklenburg county
for the year 1912, a task on which
be and his assistants' have been lab
oring for the past several months,
That the work haa been a large un
dertaking is evidenced by the mass of
figures which he has piled up in his
office, an accumulation representing
months of effort on the part of no
less than 26 statisticians.
Murder Committed In Union County,
Ike Dees, colored, shot and killed
D. Staton, also colored. The killing
occurred at the home ot the Dees ne
gro on Ellson Hamilton's place In
Goose Creek township. Station had
followed Dees home, threatening to
kill him. Dees seized his gun and
went to the door Just as Staton shot.
Staton's bullet entered the stock of
Dees' gun. Deea then fired with the
above result Dees surrendered to
Sheriff Griffith. .
..Tax Valuatlona In Davidson.
i . Register of deeds, has Just complet-
!ed a statement showing that Davidson
county haa gained in taxable values
during the past year, $614,000. Thla
gain is distributed among 14 town
ships. Three township show losses
ranging from $2,000 to $6,000. Thorn
asrille township makes the biggest
gain, showing net advance of $397,199
and a total valuation of $1,706,800.
Lexington township shows a total val
uation of $3,063,382. Thomasvllle's big
gain la attributed to the rebuilding of
aeveral big furniture factories. v
To Remove Holly Case To Pender.
In auperlor court at Wilmington
Judge Carter made an order removing
the celebrated caae against J. C. Hol
ly, charged with the murder of his
, ward, Edward Cromwell, by poison
ing, to Pender county and set Septem
ber 21st as the date for the hearing.
Holly has already been tried twice.
The first time he waa convicted and
aentenced to be electrocuted, but at
the second trial the Jury tailed to
agree, being eight to four In favor of
the defendant The motion for remov
al waa made by the solicitor. .
. Woodmen to Meet at Hendersonvllle,
The announcement that the uniform
rank encampment District No. 7,
Woodmen of the World, comprising
the states of North Carolina, District
of Columbia, Virginia and West Vir
ginia, will hold it annual encamp
ment here on August 26 to SI, Inclus
ive, Is received with much Interest.
I" 1 Adjutant R. V. Ladd has
' r 1 f-ora Korebead City,
-hi f 9 t e ia arrang-
f r t e e t rft at
-. . i t wia
. '; !
GOVERNOR GRANTS PARDONS
Aged Negreita Convicted aa Blind
Tiger E ''Hlgge of Warren and
Lane of Durham.
Raleigh Governor KItchin granted
three pardons, an aged colored woman
lying In Jail for selling whiskey, an
other for larceny, and the third for
manslaughter.
The old colored woman la Esster
Miller from Ashe county. She la los
ing her health and the governor gtvea
these reasons for his action:
Thla woman la 85 or 86 years old
and haa served a considerable part of
her sentence. A reputable physician
certifies that her health la falling on
account ot her extreme age and her
confinement and recommends her re
lease. The solicitor and the Judge
who recently held court there and In
vestigated the case recommend clem
ency. I pardon prisoner on condition
that ahe remain law abiding and ot
good behavior and upon the following
conditions: That ahe enter Into bond
In the aum of one thousand dollars to
be approved by the clerk ot the Su
perior court to refrain from selling
spirituous liquors, and that ahe lived
and remain at the home of her son,
Willis Miller.
E. Higgs, of Warren, I let out on
a larceny Imprisonment. The gover
nor says this ot him:
Owing to the diseased condition of
thia prisoner, the trial Judge, solicitor,
county physician and other prominent
citizens recommend pardon. I there
fore pardon prisoner on condition that
he remain law abiding and of good be
havior.
Harvey Lane Is a Durham man who
haa served five of his fifteen years
for manslaughter. He was convicted
In 1907 and haa gained his freedom
under these conditions:
Upon the recommendation of the
trial Judge, the solicitor and many
prominent citizens I pardon this pris
oner on condition that be remain law
abiding and of good behavior.
The North Carolina National Guard
A total of $196,629 wljl be placed
In the pockets ot the national guard
of North Carolina, In addition to the
pay now received by these citizen sol
dlers. If the Pepper militia bill be
comes a law. The present Federal
appropriation to the national guard of
the various states is $4,000 annually.
Adding this to the appropriation of
$30,000 now made by the state for the
maintenance of the guard, the total is
more than a quarter of a million dol
lara. The report on the Pepper bill.
which was submitted to the house,
shows that the strength of the North
Carolina national guard is" 37 officers
and 1,965 enlisted men. V
i
North Carolina New Enterprises.
Charlotte Dairy Company, Char
lotte, capital $25,000 authorized, by
J. A. Berryhill, D. H. Watkins. H. D,
Klrkpatrlck, A. C. Blanton, G. V. Kel
ler. The Pastime Social Club, Con
cord, capital $2,500 by W. M. Smith,
W. A. Joyner, D. H. Hamilton and
others for building club bouses, oper-
ating cafe and other features. The
Bank of Denton, Davidson county, "In-
creases capital from $7,500 to $10,000,
The Berry-Owen Shoe Company, New-
bern, changes name to the Standard
Shoe Company. The Newlln-Brooks
Dry Goods Company, High Point
changes name to the Georgia T. Wood
Dry Goods Company,
Durham In Grip of Dry Spell.
Durham continues in the grip ot
the dry spell, and unless there Is
rain In a few days some of the crops
of this county are going to be so bad
ly hurt that the farmers will be
greatly damaged. The tobacco of this
county Is standing the hot and dry
spell better than any of the other
crops, and the bottom leaves of this
have begun to dry up, and fall off.
The reports from other sections of
the county . show that the crops all
need rain.
Southern Railway Fireman Hurt,
Lee Harrison, of Spencer, a fireman
on the Southern railway waa danger
ously injured near Gastonla. It is
stated that when his train stopped for
some length of time for orders- he sat
down on the main line to rest and a
fast train speeding by struck him a
terrific blow. The extent of his in
juries have not been learned.
Uniform Assessment Rate.
A uniform tax assessment for the
long distance transmission lines oh
the Yadkin River Power Co. was
reached at a conference between the
corporation commission, tax assessors
for the counties through which the
lines run, and the officers of the com
pany, which la a subsidiary corpora
tion of the Carolina Power and Light
Co. Different county assessors had
named contusing rates. . The counties
involved are Anson, Richmond, Moore,
Lee, Chatham, Wake, Harnett and
Cumberland.
Dog Was Th Cause of Murder.
W. R. McCullen, a well known farm
er and country merchant doing busi
ness at Kroner, 10 mile north ot Clin
ton, waa brought to Jail, charged with
being accessory ,to the murder, of
John Simmons, a white farmer, who
waa shot and killed from ambush
while coming along the road, from
church, near his home. James Mc
Cullen, aon of W. R. McCullen, 1
charred with firing the , Run which
killed Simmons. The trouble it Is said
grew put of the killing of a dog be
longing to the McCullen'.
School Census P r Gaston County.
Superintendent Hall haa Just com
pleted the school census of the coun
ty and report from the various town
ship show that there are 9,766 white
children ot school age, of which 4,928
are male and 4.838 female. There are
2,950 colored, ot which 1,455 are male
and 1,505 female. The school census
shows there are 2,243 white children
of school age in the town of Gastonla.
Professor Hair announce that the
r-- i!ar biennial Institute for public
school teachers will be held at Lln-fc-
1 CcHeg. -
NOT FOR LEASIItG
STATE CONVICTS FEATURE PIRST
DAY DISCUSSION OP GOOD
ROADS MEETING.
MANY ATTEND CONVENTION
Superintendent Laughlnghoua of State
Prison, Advocate Employment of
Able Bodied Convicts on Roads-
Di Hyde Pratt Delivered Report.
Charlotte. A spirited discussion ot
the advisability ot leasing convlcta to
railroads and corporations, in the
course of which the state farming
operation were denounced aa the com
petition of criminal labor with honest
labor, was the decided feature in the
first day of the sixth annual conven
tlon of the North Carolina Good Roads
Association. The discussion waa pre
olpltated by a talk of Superintendent
Laughlnghouse, of the state peniten
tiary, in which he advocated the em
ployment of all able bodied convicts
on the county roads under the county
chain gang system and the employ
ment of crippled, weak or otherwise
Incapable one on the atate farm.
About five hundred regular dele
gates and a large number ot visitor
were present in the city auditorium
w.hen President H. B. Varner, of Lex
ington, called the convention to order,
Following the opening prayer Mayer
C. A. Bland welcomed the vialtors to
the city. For the Greater Charlotte
club, Ita president C. O. Kuester, ex
tended welcome and announced the
entertainment program for the two
daya. C. C. Moore, clerk ot court for
Mecklenburg county, welcomed the
delegate In behalf of the county.
President Varner responded first for
the association and waa followed by
W. C. Felmster, of Catawba, who In
the absence of J. A. Wellons, on the
formal program, responded for the
delegates.
Sand Bag Automobile Chauffeur.
Reldsvllle. A dangerous and das
tardly deed was perpetrated by some
person on the Reldsvllle-Wenthworth
road, when Mr. Honeycutt Mrs. Wil
liam NIssen's chauffeur, waa hit In
the face with a sand bag as he was
motoring over the road. The sack
bursted and Honeycutt' eyes were
filled with sand. With rare presence
of mind he brought the machine to a
standstill within three feet of a tele
phone pole. He waa completely blind
ed and It Is considered marvelous that
the machine was not upset when It
ran Into a ditch. The chauffeur was
carried Into a farm house and his
eyes washed. The car was occupied
by Mrs. Nissen and several other la
dies.
Stranger Struck by Work Train.
Spencer. A stranger , giving hi
name as John Edward, and claiming
England a hi home, was seriously,
If not fatally Injured, by being struck
by a work train of the Southern rail
way near Spencer, He was walking
south, on the main line, when the
train making good speed and running
backwards, struck him, knocking him
down an embankment Both legs and
one arm were broken and other Inju
ries sustained. In a half conscious
condition he was brought to Spencer
and attended py Dr. H. L. Monck and
later removed to a Salisbury hospital.
He claimed that he hadn't any home
or people and at first refused to give
his name, but later said he was John
Edwards.
Lee County Teachers' Institute.
Sanford. The Lee county teacher
Institute Is In a two-weeks session
here using the Sanford graded achool
building for same. It la conducted
by Profs. John A. McLeod of Carthage
and M. A. McLeod ot Broadway and
Mis Addle St. Clair of Sanford. At
tendance is good, there being forty
to fifty teacher on hand and profit
able work la being done. County Su
perintendent E. M. Judd la also at
tending. At the same time an Insti
tute for the colored people la being
carried on at ; the colored graded
achool building under the instruction
of Professor McLeod.
Drainage Question In Rowan.
Salisbury. The drainage proposition
now receiving considerable atten
tion in Rowan. The people are not
only coming to rails that it will pay
to look after the health conditions of
the county, but that every acre that
la Inundated 1 about $50 that th
owner is paying tax on and getting no
return to say nothing of the addi
tional crop-production that he would
realise. R. A. Cooper, who ia tit th
head of the work in Iredell county,
haa been aiked to make an estimate
on the work in thi county. .
Durham Haa Made Good 8howing.
Durham. A report prepared by th
county auditor for the purpose of pre
sentation at the Charlotte good road
convention which was mad publlo
recently shows that Durham county
haa epent $68,110 from June SI of last
year to July 1 of thia year, The fig
ure for the preceding year are not
available, but a material Increase
over them la ahown In the figures
now at hand and Durham county will
hot be backward when reports of
progress are being made at the Char
lotte meeting. - - -
B. e O. May Com Into State,
Raleigh. Th report, credited by
the nest Informed railroad men that
A. W. Thompson, "in charge of the
operating department of the Baltimore
ft Ohio Railroad, I to succeed E. T.
Lamb as president of the Norfolk Si
Southern Railroad, brings a strong
impression that the Baltimore A Ohio
1 coming Into North Carolina through
control ot th Norfolk ft Southern
system, and that it is Baltimore ft
Ohio interests that are pushing Uu
construction of thla road.
I FALLS AT LHDillGHT
WriterDescribes Wonders of Yo
semito by Moonlight
! Had Thrilling Experience When H
Ventured Sack of Water t Ad
' mlr the Dim Vailed Grandeur
of the View.
Mr. Mulr tells of an exciting ad
venture that once cam unexpectedly
to him when be waa enjoying the
Yosemlt fall by moonlight
'"A wild scene but not a safe one;"
he says, "1 mad by the moon aa It
appear through the edge of the
Yosemlt fall when on la behind it
One after enjoying the night song
ot the water and watching the forma
tion of th colored bow aa the moon
cam around th dome and aent her
beam Into the wild uproar I ventured
out on the narrow bench that extenda
back ot the tall from Fern Lodge and
began to admire the dim veiled
grandeur of the view.
I could aee the tine gausy threads
of the fall' filmy border by having
the light in front, and, wishing to
look at the moon through the meshes
of some of the denser portions of the
tall, I ventured to creep further be
hind It while it waa gently wind
swayed without taking sufficient
thought about the consequences of It
swaying back to It natural position
after the wind pressure should be
removed.
"I waa In fairyland between th
dark wall and th wild throng of
Illumined watera, but suffered sudden
disenchantment, for. Ilk th witch
scene In 'Alloway Kirk,' 'In an Instant
ail waa dark.' Down cam a daah
of spent comet, thin and harmless
looking in the distance, but they felt
desperately solid and atony when they
struck my shoulders, like a mixture ot
choking spray and gravel and big
hailstone.
Instinctively dropping to my knees,
I gripped an angle of the rock, curled
up like a young fernn frond with
my face pressed against my breast
and In thla attitude aubmltted aa best
I could to my thundering bath. The
situation was quickly realized. How
fast one's thought burn In time o!
stress! I was weighing chances of
esape. Would the column be swayed
a few Inche away from the wall or
would it come yet closer? My fate
seemed to depend on a breath of
idle wind.' It was moved gently for-
ward, the pounding ceased and I was
once more visited by glimpses of th
moon. But fearing I might be caught
at a disadvantage In making too hasty
a retreat, I moved only a few feet
along the bench to where a block ol
f'il tat " fA? '
1 . , A
In Camp on the Yellowstone.
ice lay. I wedged myself between th
ice and the wall and lay face down
ward until the steadiness of the Ughl
gave encouragement to rise and gel
away. ,:: . .
'Somewhat nerve shaken, drenched
and benumbed, I made out to build
a Are, warmed myself, ran home,
reached my cabin before daylight, got
an hour or two of aleep and awokt
sound and comfortable, better, no
worse, for my hard midnight bath."'
EAT SPARROWS AS DELICACY
Italian In Boston Buy Them Satur
day Night aa a Dish for
Sunday.
Boston. Th much despised Eng
lish sparrow find a warm spot In th
heart and stomachs of the Italian
residents in the north end. There is
a ready market for these small blrda
there. On Saturday nights one can
find a small push cart among the
many peddlers' carts near Faneull
hall from which the blrda are sold.
Chefs In th Italian cafes and res
taurants declare there 1 not enough
call for sparrows to warrant th bird's
nam being placed on the menu card,
but admit they can prepare them. ,
They aay th Italian housewives buy
and cook the sparrows, the usual way
being to place the bird on a wire or
pit and toast them brown.
TWO BOYS WHIRL ON SHAFT
Yell Till Machinery Stops, and Than
Escape Alive at
York, Pa. -
Tork, Pa. Caught by a belt in ths
Kochenour flour mill at Mount Wolf,
Gilbert Beattle and George Knuedaen,
boys of th neighborhood, were badly
injured and only escaped death
through th prompt action of th
miller in shutng down th machinery.
Both boys er whirling upon, the
shaft when their cries attracted at
tention. The Beattle boy had one arm
almost torn from Its socket, and hi
companion was severely braised.
Girl's Long Swim. ;
' London. A six-year-old girl, Freds
Pickett of Market Harborough, Leices
ter, swam across Dover bay from th
Prince of Wales pier, a full half mile,
In nineteen minutes. The child Is
three feet tall and alight in build.
She uses a breast stroke.
til UV
-my!
1 ' J' ft a
NOTED PLACES IN SUSSEX
Seaside Resort In England English
Town Haa History of 2,000
Year Ago.
London. Th borough of Bexhlll,
England, Ilea In a more exposed posi
tion than most of the Sussex seaside
resort. ' Ther are no rolling downs
to protect it as ar found at East-
bourn and Brighton and the
breeses sweep unbroken across th
Pevsnsey levels,
Old Bexhlll stands inland. Th ma
nor of Bexelel, as It Is called In Dooms
day, belonged in pre-conqoest time to
th South Saxon sea. Elizabeth in
1561 secured the plac on th vacancy
of the blshoprio and transferred it to
Thomas Sackvllle, Baron Buckhurst
Knight of the Garter, a famous Sus
sex worthy. Bexhlll belongs to ths
present representative of th family,
Earl d la Warn
East of Bexhlll, at th mouth of a
very little river called Astsn, waa th
Did port of Bulverhyth, most of which
! now submerged. Through th wind-
ng ways of Pevensey marshes, where
eed th heron, the gull snd the shy
Way
Ruins of Portal, Pevensey Castle.
plover, -one comes to the wonderful
ruin of Pevensey castle, th ground
upon which it stands having a history
extending hack for close upon 1,000
years. It la pretty certain that the
walls which ar of Roman construc
tion, encompaaa th spot where stood
the city of Anderlda, one of the nln
great fortresses which guarded th
southern shore. '
Until the thirteenth century the sea
encroached so far Inland that ahlpa
rode at anchor beneath Its walls. Un
der the shsdow of the castle Is the old
Mint house, under whose roof Edward
VI. haa alept About five miles away,
on a clear day, can be seen the mellow
brick ruins of the castle of Hurstmon
ceau, one of th finest specimens of
medleva brick ruins In England, and
dating from the reign or Henry VL
Besides its advantageous proximity
to these historical spots Bexhlll has
an extraordinary charm and Individ
uality of its own, quite unlike most
south coast seaside places.
MEAT SHIRS D0Q FROM BOY
Wad Shepherd's Attack Stsyed Just
Long Enough to Resous Lad
From Possible Death.
Coatesville, Pa. The fact that he
was delivering meat for bis father
saved James, twelve-year-old aon of
William Snyder, from the fangs ot
a mad shepherd dog which had start
ed to attack the lad.
When the dog sprang at young
Snyder the boy with quick wit aelsed
an order from hla express wagon and
tossed It' to the raving animal. This
diverted the dog'a attention to the
load of meat, but instead of eating
any he merely went into canine
hysteria over It
Albert Flahardy, a clerk In a Main
street atore, saw the boy's plight and
with a brick struck the dog in the
head, and Charles Dunleavy, a con
tractor, ended the animal's life with
a pick. Before attacking the boy !ha
dog ran amuck and bit a number of
other dogs. 1 ,
RIVER MAY DESTROY LAKE
Missouri 8trm Eating Land Away
From Summer Resort Body (
of Wster.
St Joseph, Mo. Lake Contrary, a
summer resort of the middle west Is
threatened with destruction by the
Missouri river. The river haa eaten
the bottom land away within 300 feet
of th lake. In on day 800 feet of
land was taken into the river. If th
river consume th remainder of th
land it will drain th lake.
The federal government recently of
fered $75,000 to protect the lake if this
city would raise a like amount, but th
city failed In its attempt V
GETS DAMAGES BY NEW ACT
Chicago Carpenter Awarded 8um by
Terms of Workmen's Compen- ,
. sstlon Act,
Chicago. John Faust a carpet,
ter, who was injured May 6 while
in the employ ot the George J.
Cooke company. Is th first workman
in Chicago to take advantage of th
new workman's compensation law, a
Judgment being entered lnhls favor
for $128 against the company Faust's
thumb and right arm were .injured
when a ladder alipped, causing him
to fan.
' Hssd Broken; Eggs Safe.
' Winsted, Conn, A question puz
zling Coroner Herman ia how could a
man fall to hla death with a bag of
twelve eggs in on hand and not
break a single eggt . ,
. George Wilcox, alxty-slx years old,
was found sitting beside the highway
in Sharon at th base ot a wall, dead,
with two deep cuts in the back ot hla
head.
In a bag beside the lifeless body
were a dozen egg and not one of
them waa broken. One theory ia that
Wilcox was murdered, another that he
raa killed In the fall.
Tumbled Sixty Feet In His Sleep.
Boston, Mass. Robert Buchanan,
while asleep, took a saunter from hla
bed and dropped 60 feet out of a win
dow, hit an awning, bounced out of it
and landed safely on the lawn. He
stood up, looked out In dazed sort of
way and then noticing he was not
dressed exactly for street rra,:r , ran
to the front door and dashed up Into
th house and went back to bed.
i . . i m... . . ', "i a . i , v
. -W,".v.v
:
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tt
',.v '
By John B. QaMng.
T
HE alligator la taat losing hla
home. That great mysterious
region, the Everglades ot Flor
ida, ono th paradise of the
alligator hunter, which only
few years ago covered practi
cally the entire lower portion of th
peninsula, la fast becoming but a his
torical recollection. What was only a
fsw years ago a great marsh of ssw
grass, is today yielding fruits and
vegetable in infinite varieties.
Thla wonderful change has come
about through the-, great dralnag
project now under way, which it is es
timated will cost something like flv
million dollars before completed, but
will reclaim soms four million acre
of former Inundated lands.
The opening of the first canal a
short time ago, which completed s
waterway from the Gulf of Mexico to
the Atlantic ocean, marked ths first
step in this big undertaking.
With the coming , of the tillers of
the soil, ths saurian that waa former
ly almost the only Inhabitant of this
great tract, haa been forced further
and further Into the 'glades. Tim
wss when the hunting of these crea
ture waa profitable, but today hunt
ers are scarce, for there are few alli
gators to be found.
Recently the writer made a trip
across th peninsula by way of the
canal Just completed, which connects
Fort Myers on ths Gulf ot Mexico
snd Fort Lauderdale on the Atlantic
ocean. , - .
Some of the party wanted to see
how the alligators were caught Off
in the distance, st the edge of the
canal, flew a bright red handkerchief.
or rather what had once been a hand
kerchief. - It marked the camp ot two
white men who make a buslnesa of
hunting 'gator. Jim and Jack are th
only nsmes to which these men an
swer. If tiey ever had any other
names they seem to have forgotten
them. They have never been out of
the 'glades In twenty years, except to
go to Fort Myers for supplies, snd ar
known all over southern Florida by
the titles here used.
Surface a Dead Level.
Owing to the fact that the surface
of the Everglades Is a dead level,
without a natural landmark of any
kind, it is necessary for the hunters
to mark their camp, so that it may be
seen by them from a distance. This
Is done by flying a flag or a rag from
the top ot a pole from ten to twen
ty feet In height Even then, at a dis
tance of a mile or even leaa the flag
looks ss if It were close to the ground.
Without these artificial landmarks it
would be an eaay matter for a 'gator
hunter, to get lost and he : might
never be heard ot again.
Drawn up on the canal bank wer
three boats, on of them, a light, flat
bottom scow, half filled with ths skins
ot alligators, packed In salt Around
the camp were scores of carcasses of
the reptiles, over which the buzzards,
th scavengers of the south, fought
So numerous and so daring were th
blrda that it was difficult to mov
around th plac without kicking
against one of the fowl all of which
attempted to dispute the right of the
Intruder to pass. -.v a
Th two other boats were small
skiffs, easily carried by a man of ordi
nary atrength. They were the boats
need in traveling over the low places
in the 'glade in search , of 'gators,
which do not always expos them
selves on the banks of ths canal-' In
fact the older and larger reptiles,
which have grown wary as the hunt
rs hsve more closely pursued tham,
make their homes far back from th
stream, where they wallow and hal
low In fancied security.
Jim and Jack were not very com
municative. Tall, gaunt browned and
unsbaved. they presented a picture
not easily forgotten. With them
speech was almost aa scarce as dia
monds, and even when they did apeak
it generally was only the word "yes
or "no" that they, uttered. .
For many months at a stretch they
Uve alone In the 'glades, far removed
from human habitation, not seeing a
white man once a month. They grow :
julet apparently sullen, and have lit
tle to ay. New of the outside world
Interest them not a bit It waa all
the same to them whether the passen
gers of the Titanic .were lost or res
cued; aa a matter of fact they had
not even beard ot the ocean disaster.
A high-power rifle, a long steel rod
sharpened at ons snd snd a stout 'X
larger snd much stronger than t'-.e
gaff used by fishermen. constltuUjJ the
weapons ot ths 'gator hunters. Ths
r tft-
' A
f "TSJ CVS.' i
VX A .';
4.
V
hid of an alligator must not be n .
tllated if it la to bring a dollar or two
to the hunters, and for that teaaon
there was not spear In th camp
such aa ons of the party had expected
to s.
In Muek and Mlr.
tor," remarked our guide. "Maybe so
you offer 'em money an go catch on
while you here."
The guide was authorised to conduct
negotiations.
With several dollars In his hands
he approached the two hunters, who
st first turned away without appar
ently even glancing at the money.'
More cash was added to the little heap
in the hands of the guide, and than
the 'gator hnnters took notice and be- ,
gan to show signs of lit.
One of them spoke.
"SIg bull 'gator out yon," he said,
pointing out on ths sea of waving aaw
grass. "I know his hiding plac.
Corns on."
Jim and Jack, carrying the rifle, the
uu, inn CUQ uu bu, in tuw
way. Through th prairie elush th
little party walked for possibly a mil.
"Hara!" and Jim nolntad tn what
appeared to be a mud hole, wher cat
tle or bog had, to all appearances.
been wallowing.
While the party stood around, won
dering what caused the strong, musky
odor that Oiled the air. Jack fished
around in the wallow with the biff
gaff. - For bait an hour he poked, with-
. TT At .V - M Tl
he seised ths steel rod and began
stabbing tbs prslri around th wal
low, burying th weapon deep In th
soft muck time and Urn again.
"Ah!" he shouted as th rod struck
against a hard body deep In the mlr.
Than ha heir an tn nnah and nmd. mnt
terlng oaths under bis breath' th
while. ' -
BUuaemy were wu norm m moo
ana water, ana irons ui router ui uiv ,
wallow rushed a 'gator alt feet long
or mor. With a snap of hla powerful
jaws ana a oeuow ine repine uresnea ;
around in the muck and mire, throw- . -Ing
the aaw grass snd th water tn all
f directions. With his roaring and bel
lowing cam an Increased odor of
musk.;' "
For an Instant the saurian paused
In his mad floundering. Instantly
there came a crash from the rifle held
by Jim snd the monster rolled over, '
shot through ths right eye. Before
the body could sink from sight in the ,
watery muck Jack got busy with the
gaff, which he Inserted In th mouth
ot th reptile, and In leas time than
it takes to ten it u gator was lym .
out on th prairie, ready for th skin
ning knives of his captors.
Instances have been known in
which large 'gators have attacked and .
killed or severely injured hunters who
bave not been lucky enough to kill at
th first ahot or have been caught un
awares while crossing the 'glades.
There Is a tradition ot an Indian hunt
er who, after his legs were bitten off,
saV th same 'gator make a meal of .
his two children, who had accom
panied him on the trip.
The 'gator was dragged back to the
camp by Jim and Jack, who there pro
ceeded to skin their victim. An in
cision was mads along the belly, from
the head to the tail, and the bide
drawn off backward, over th tail, in "
order that the head might not b In
jured. '. " ! - v .- '
- But 'gator hunting la no more prof
itable. The canals hsve drained
mK r tha Eversladea. which' will
soon be only a memory, and where
once these creatures wallowed in si
lent security the truck farmer will be- .
for long be tilling th rich muck
solL .
Her Mind.
"Th trouble with yon, Ethel," h
said, reproachfully addressing .his fair
young wife, "is that yon can't keep
your mind mad up for two minutes
at a time. The thing that you want
today you ar always In doubt abort
tomorrow." " . ' " v
"Oh, no, Tom, not alwaye."
"I've never noticed a solitary ei-
ceptlon." .
"But I've always wanted you to try
to increase your Income, .haven't If
. Making Some Progress.
"I wonder what has become of my
husband. Three days ago I sent hi in
to match a sample at a department
store. He hasnt been seen since."
"I saw blm yesterday. He was st
the third counter of the fourth x
aisle, snd was Just starting for f
fourteenth cous.'.er of the third