Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-04-17

to release itself, the mouse managed
to sever the fastenings around its
hind legs, but so strong were the
threads which suspended it in the
air and so securely were they at
tached to its tail that all efforts TO
break them proved fruitless.
Mr.. Gross, taking great interest
in the proceedings, left the spider
undisturbed, and during almost the
whole of Monday night, with sew
eral friends, watched its workings
attentiyely. The little insect, after
taking her position on her victims
tail, commenced manipulating the
threads and working. Gradually
could the astonished witnesses Of
this wonderful feat see the mouse
creep up, and the threads, descend
ing from their fastenings under the
corner of the bench to the mouse's
tail, increased in number, and dur
ing the twenty-four hours ending
yesterday evening the threads had
so increased that it became impos-
sible to count them, and the mouse,
which was still alive though quite
weakened, had been raised from one
to three and a half inches from the
floor. The spider during the whole
time Of its work sat on the mouse's
tail, only leaving its position at
long intervals, when it would eau
tiously creep down the tail to its
root, and there feed upon the blood
of the mouse. Then resuming its
position on the end of the tail, it
would again commence its work.
This unheard of capture of a
mouse by so small an insect and its
ingenius manner of eleyating it has
excited the wonder and admiration
of thousands of visitors, among
whom may be mentioned several
scientific men and physicians, who
assemble in large crowds at Mr..
Gross's carpenter shop to witness
the progress of the gigantic task
which the little spider has under
taken and is SO successfully bring
ing to an issue.
Mr.. Gross will leave them undis-
turbed and carefully watch the re-
suit, as every one is anxious to see
what the spider will do with its
captive after it dies, and how far it
will elevate it.
APRIL 13.-Who is it that has
no enemies ? The industrious little
spider, too, which had been for the
last forty.eight hours so successful
in the gigantic work which it had
undertaken, had, it appears, its enc
mics, who took pleasure in destroy
ing its work, and depriving it of
the mouse, to the detriment of sci
entitic discovery, for which it had
so industriously and tenaciously
worked since Monday morning.
Tuesday night, at 9 O'clock, Mr.,
Gross, in whose carpenter shop the
wonderful feat was performed, left
the key of his shop to one of his
friends, while he went to supper,
in order that those who desired to
see the spider at work might be ad
mitted. Before leaving, however,
Mr.. Gross measured the distance
between the floor and the mouse,
and found that it had been
increased to four inches, that is
to say, half an inch in three hours.
During Mr.. Gross absence mis-
chievous visitor deliberately broke
the threads by which the mouse
was being hoisted, and down to the
floor it went. Upon discovering
this, Mr., Gross attempted to fasten
it to the threads again, but the lit
tie spider refused to notice it any
more, and leaving the bench to
which her webs were fastened, dis
appeared. The mouse being ex-
amined, was found to be almost
dried up, the greater portion of its
blood having been absorbed by the
spider. Thus, by one stroke of a
wicked hand, in an instant the
herculean task which the spider
had undertaken, and which it had
almost completed, was destroyed,
Such is life!