Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-09-08
A STRANGE SPIDER.
Good Genius OF the Olympic Thea
ter-The Fatality of Insecticfde--A
Legend OF By-gOne Days.

ing remains of the original, and our r,
ligious belief becomes problem. Youn
men emulate atheists and deists, an
don't consider themselves perfect unit
they have gone good deal ahead Q
them. IL is the correct thing nowaday
to swear, and that one is considered tn
funniest and cleverest who can strin
oaths together the most ingeniously, an,
belch them out with high-banded def
ance of all earthly or heavenly power
SO young man who doesn't at least sa,
damn" is voted simpleton and al
innocent. Where all this will end HEAVIER
knows, but it is not our purpose to in
quire. But we feel diiiident about tell
ing stories that have the slightest ting,
of the supernatural abou. them, for w
can already hear the yells of derision
and see the smiles of doubt that over
spread the jejune countenanees Of thes'
unDelieving young men. In fact; W.
apprehend the difficulty we shall encoun
ter in making them go down.
Nevertheless we boldly 90 into the
breach. What we tell here is litera
truth, and can be substantiated by many
who know the facts. We have chosen
to tell stories relating to actors as par
ticularly interesting, for actors are gene,
rally supposed TO be the most atheistical
of any class of men.
THE OLYMPIC SPIDER.
There live many yet who will remem
Der this curious circumstance in the his
tory of the old Olympic theater in It's
palmy days, when Mitchell was at the
wheel aud constantly guided the dra
matte bark to fortune and success. tits
only old New Workers who will remem
Der how favorite place this Olympic
was. Night after night, week after
week. month after month and year after
year it was crowded from pit to boxes
and from boxes to gallery.
Mitchell, the manager, was as whole a
man as ever lived, and, en- Plus, a re-
markably erudite and knowing. He was
yet quite young when he first opened
his theater 1t was the day of the first
performance, and rehearsal was going
on. Mitchell was excited and anxious,
and kept running about from place to
place on the stage, giving a cue to
the actor, suggesting an idea to the
machinist, daubing color for the paint
er. He was running from the back OF
the stage TO the front, when he suddenly
drew his foot back somewhat terrified
preternaturally large spider was crossing
the stage from the o. p. to the D. side, in
quiet and dignifed manner Mitchell
first impulse was to crush it, for he had
a horror Of spiders; but something
checked him, and he watched the insect
crawl along until it got to the fiat, when
it slowly crawled up to the roof and dis
appeared. Mitchell thought this rather
singular conduct in spider, but soon
forgot the circumstance in the excite
ment of business, especially as it
did not come again. The season
was remarkably prosperous one,
and the manager came out of it
with pockets full The theater closed
for the summer season lin those days
audiences did not indulge in theatrical
Turkish baths, and again the day of
opening came. The actors were once
more at the last rehearsal, and as usual
at the last moment everything was in
hustle and confusion. Mitchell was
running about like mad. All at once he
stopped in amazement, his eyes fixed on
the ground. There was the spider again
slowly crossing from the o. p. to the
D. side, and with the same perfect con-
fidence as the year before. Mitchell
called every one to witness the occur
renee, and it was the subject Of good
deal of talk throughout the city. Again
during the year the managers efforts
were crowned with success, and money
poured in plentifully and without eessa-
ton. Again the summer season came
and again the opening, and again the
spider, crawling in the same direction
and in the same manner. This time it
had its audience, who were seated,
watching, half seriously. half doubtingly,
for its advent The matter became so
much talked of that it was mentioned in
the press, and one journal said that the
spider was probably presage of good
luck TO Mitchell, as it had hitherto
been" From this time forward the spi-
der took distinct place in the mana
gers life. He became superstitious, and
commenced to attach great Importance
to the spider which so singularly made
its appearance but once a year, and reg
uIarly on the first day of each season.
The following fall, at the rehearsal of an
opening day, number Of press repre-
sentatives were present, several mana
gers, and, besides the actors, some we'll
known citizens, all intent on watching
for the spider. And it came, just as
regularly as before, and in exactly the
same way. The singular sight was then
seen BY a number Of New York's best
known, looking eagerly and with hushed
breath at spider walking floor; just
as any other spider in the world might
have walked it. Mitchell now began to
study the spider, and he insisted that it
was the same one that had come before.
We need not repeat ourselves. Suffice
IL to say that for years after the same
event Of the spiders appearance open
ing day occurred and grew to be mat
ter of commonplace talk.
At length, after many years of pros
perity, the Olympic once more arrived
at its opening day. Mitchell and his
company had abandoned the rehearsal
and we're seated on the stage, waiting
the coming Of the good genius of the
Olympic. Two or three women were
sweeping the lower end Of the stage,
when, all at once, the spider appeared.
Slowly il took its walk across the stage
when all at once one Of the women,
catching sight Of the monster, rushed
forward, and exclaiming The nasty
thing" put her foot on it and crushed il
Immediately. lShe knew nothing Of the
story we have told This was so unex-
pected that every one remained quite
still, as If tied to their seats. They say
that at this moment Mitchell's face was
fearful to look at His eyes we're blood
shot, his face flushed aud his members
trembling as with palsy. His mouth
worked, as IL seeking TO articulate.
When he found his powers be rushed
forward and struck the woman, and then
leyeled at her such torrent Of abuse as
never came from tbs lips Of man That
night, though it was September, il
snowed--a thing never known before
and the house presented miserable APP
pearance Mitchell was confined 10 his
bed for a month with sickness, and.