The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1882-10-13

One rainy day. ~ the children were
amusing themselves By ransacking their
uncle Harry's closets. Tom pulled his
hand out suddenly from the back part
a deep drawer. and shouted triumph
nntly: Preserves NJ the same time
holding ont large glass jar for inspec-
ton. A cry Of disgust followed. for in
stead of preserves there was nothing in
the bottle but Strengthening animal
floating in some brown liquid.
.'fah! It's horrid bug" said Alice,
turning up her nose in disgust
"'1ain't," contradicted Charlie. re-
CARELESS Of his grammar. Its
tarantula.n
"And what is that but . bugg" re-
piled Alice.
Its SPIDER" said charlie. lyon
ask Uncle Harry II il isn't"
In the mean time Tom and Alice had
takcn the jar over to the desk where
Uncle Harry was writing.
what Is this, Uncle Harry said
Alice.
1T i a tarantula drought il home
from California with me.
II told you sou exclaimed Charlie,
from the closet
ut il a kind Of spider. and one Of the
largest that lives in this country. They
don't make webs like ordinary spiders.
but dig hole in the ground and line il
with sort Of silky web like the cocoon
Of q silk-worm. Their hole Is about six
inches deep. and is closed BY funny
little trap-door made Of the same silky
lining. and covered on the outside with
sticks and gravel 50 cleverly that one
can rarely find tarantula's burrow I'M
less you SEQ him going in; and even II
Won do sec him going In. il is very diff
cult TO get him % come out, Is he pulls
his trap-door shut after him. and holds
il tight from the inside"
III he don't build . web. how does
he catch flies and things" inquired
Charlie.
He jumps after them. A lively
tsrantula can jump from three 70 five
feet. and when he once catches hold q
any kind o. . bug or small bird with
those great hairy legs. It has but little
chance 20 get away.
is their bite really 20 poisonous?
asked Alice, cycling the jar rather tim
idly. as II she was afraid the terrible In
sect would get away
THAT question Is hard one to an
swer. Some people who have lived in
countries where they are common claim
| that il Is only fatal IN : few cases, while
Others seem 20 think Il i deadly
/ poison"
..What arc you laughing at. Uncle
| Harrysr demanded Charlie.
II was thinking Of the most horrible
night ever experienced" replied his
uncle. You KNOW ne continued.
=. while / was in the West spent some
two weeks camping out in the mount
aims with party q four young men.
We had an old cabin. where we slept q
night. and We spent our days delight.
fully. fishing, hunting. geologizing. and
botanixing. We had not hecn IN camp
| long before we discovered : tSrantuls
village not far from our cabin, and We
All determined 10 catch some specimen:
20 take home with u.s. AT first we hid
considerable trouble Ia catching them
they were 30 lively and % ugly that w
always ended in killing them in self
defense. At last brilliant member o
the party discovered that by placing I
wide-mouthed bottle over the mouth q
the tarantula's burrow. and then thump
ING on the ground around Il. the anima
would crawl out into the bottle, and TIL
captor could turn the bottle oyer. claI
. piece Of board over the top. ana secur'
his prisoner. AZ soon - the discover
was made known. All the old pickle jar
were called into requisition. and A. III.
former occupants Of the cabin had lef
number, We were soon lucky. or un
lucky. enough % have about twenty-five
large specimens. We covered the jar
with bits Of single. and set them On
shelf which was nailed 20 one side Of TIL
. cabin. Everything went well. and "
determined that - soon = We ha,
leisure we would kill them with chloro
form and preserve them in spirits q
! that one Is But one night. after W
. had all cot comfortably settled ID
sleep, one 81 the party thought that n
was thirsty. % rising carefully from hi
bunk. he CROPPED his way over % Oh
, conner under the shelf. where the waite
! pail stood; he had his drink, and forget
( ting the existence Of the shelf. r. 81
, his head Crash! down came the rot
ten old shelf, and down came the jar
! with the tarantuIas In them. The part
: heard the fall. and like one man spran
! from their beds and rushed for II
y door. but before they had got half-wa
! ACROSS the floor they remembered thu
\ the tarantulas were loose, and the
2 stopped; moment more and Il was 10
! late. We were all afraid 70 move 4
4 fear that We would put our feet on
= tarantula; % there We stood = II turne
!, into statues. ID short time our pos
y tons became strsinod and cramped, b
! we did not dare % change them. "a
4 nerves became excited. and Ne ima<
n ined that We could feel them crawlir
\ up our backs and walking over D.
4 bare feet The minutes seemed lcngt
Y cnod "a hot,r4 and fhc houfe erc1u!