AN ALLIGATOR FARM.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2643, 28 August 1906, Page 7

AN ALLIGATOR FARM.

WHERE THK REPTILES ARK HATCHED IN A SI N IMTIIA I uu. + Mr. Frazicr has startled the millionaire visitors at Palm Iteach. the popular T'lorida resort, by moving his whole menagerie of alligators down from his original lagoon inciibatmg ground to the sands -)f the beach, where he experts to reap a fortune by selling young live alligators a.s watch-charms to the men and as sul>stit utcs for chameleons to the ladies. I-'ra/icr's farm has been a favourite sight, for visitors and evenone who goes there wants to take home a basketful of young snappers. just to prove that he has been in Florida. The big ones lie around in the vard yawn, and eat any stra,\ dogs or cats that happens to intrude, and the females occupy their time by laying eggs. The eggs Fra/ier digs out and places in the sun in an old log canoe, which makes a line incubator. Here they hatch out in the mellow sunshine, and crawl over each other and take lessons in biting riff each other's tails. One of the proprietor's favourite stories to make the visitor's eyes stick out is that alligators' eggs are line eating, and that, he has alligators eggs on toast every morning. When Frazier started his alligator farm the 'gator tribe had begun to disappear, and dealers in alligator hide were beginning to substitute mottled cowhide for handbags and other gew-gaws. Then every hide that Fra/ier could produce brought its price, and 'gator teeth from his farm liegan to appear in the market. Fra/ier made money,. "But f should think it would cost a good deal to feed them while they are growing," said one visitor. "Oh, they eats each other when they'sc hungry," he said ; "an' if half of them that's born grows up, my profit is good, 'cause I ain't fed 'em anything but their brothers ami sisters."