Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-29
POISONOUS lNSECTS.
ocErR fRtvos IN rExAS.

SanuerSon ttexaS) iettet says
This Il an eating station on the South /
e,n Pacific railroad. and stands we'll
out ON the great. Prison Plain. about
midway between I'll Paso aad Del Rio.
ola ROY Bean. who formerly dis
pcnsed frontier justice of decided
IL original and peculiar Kind while
acting as magistrate at Vaudeville du-
ring the building Of the railroad, owns
the eating privilege at SanderSon and
The LIQUID rcffeshment bureau connected
herewith. This business is rather mo-
notonous, and TO man Of old Roy's !
Temperament not altogether pleasant. |
latterly he has found time hanging /
heavily on his hands, and to assist him
in Willing away the tagging hours that |
cleep by so slowly out on this dreary
plain he has taken up the study Of natu-
raj history. His collection. as yet Is
small, but it is decidedly unique one,
and he Is adding specimens every day.
Ii IS his hope and ambition to one day
be the proud possessor Of living spc-
cimcu Of every manner Of creeping and
crawling thing. and all those that hop,
skip. jump, run or fly in the Lone Star
State.
PLENTY OF Gagged VENOM.
In large glass case in the rear OF
his saloon he has Gagged more concen-
traied venom than can be found any |
where outside of poison,iactory.
First on the list is family OF cent?
pedes, consisting Of a giant nearly ten
inches in lcrgth, the old fellows son
and daughter. and a numerous progeny |
Of babies. The centipede is not
pretty insect. He runs too much
TO legs. Once thought them of no
use, but after seeing n lot OF little
Chracahua Indian papooses pulling cen
,ipedes from their holes and greedily
devouring them. legs, poison and all,
I no longer doubted the wisdom and
LeneGccnce Of their creation. In the
course Of my checkcred career nave
had several adventures with ceniipedcs.
and always came out second best. y
cep,ipcde can raise blister on man.
body quicker than n red-hot iron, and
if YOU don't Immediately apply re-
medal poultice Of pounded prlckly
near and dose yourself inwar3ly with
post-whiskcy- which latter is warranted
10 Kill anything but an army mule-the
resultant effects nav be serious. Cen
,ipedcs usually attack their victim at
night, when he is asleep and can't de
fend himself. They are armed with
about two hundred little ianceS con-
yoniently dashed TO the toe of each
fooi-of which they have seyeral--and
al the base o. each lance is tiny sack
Of venom. II q ocntipcde crawls across
your body-which he'll most likely do
if You lie down anywhere within half
mile Of Lim-youn have no difficulty
in following bis trail aud you'lircmcm-
Der his visit for weeks. No man ever died
fiom the bite Of a ccntipcde. but nave
known one to make a man wish he were
dead.
\ DEN OF TARANTrLAs.
In the cage adjoining that occupied
BY the centipedcs was a den Of taran-
tulas, whose scientific name is LycoSa.
The den contained two Lycosas, but
whether they were brother and sister,
mother and daughter, father and son,
or husbapd and wife, am unable to
declare. They were about the size Of
common saucer. aud were rs hairy as
Esau. Their mouths were blood-red,
and they each had four sharp teeth,
which from time to time they
snapped yiciously. was bitten by
tarautula once, and felt thankful that
these two were Gagged. | suggested 20
old Roy that it would be good idea to
pull out their teeth, and he kindly gave
me permission TO operate on them dea-
tally. declined. The tarantula is an
exaggerated spider, with teeth and hair.
They are always ready for fight, and
will tackle anything, not excluding a
buzz-saw. In days gone by | have
often amused myself 10y teasing one
with a red-h0t coal. At first they
would fight shy, but after they once
got mad they would attack that coal
and never surrender until they were
burned TO crisp. never heard of
any one eating tarantuls. If one bites
you use same remedies as prescribed
for centipede sting, only more so.
THE vINEGAROAN.
A gastronomic tendertoot would have
peerea into the next cage, coniured up
visions Of lobster salad and smacked
his lips. shuddered Ii is true that
the fair occupants somewhat rcsembled
liliputian Holsters in all save color,
which was subdued roam. Lobster
salad is made with vinegar, and this fact
is probably responsible for the name Of
these peStiferous little vermin, which |
Immediately recognized as a Quartette
Of vincgaroans. The yinegaroan has
never been scientifically classified, and
is content TO plod through life undis-
tinguished save by his humble frontier
patronymic. The MeXicans and In
dians, who have been acquainted with
the yinegaroan longer than ! have,
solemnly assert that his bite is deadly.
] have always taken their word for it.
The yinegaroan lives under decaying |
logs, and if disturbed scorns to run. /
| saw fight once between vinega-
roam and tarsntula. The tarantula |
was lifted out Of the pit dead in one
minute.
The adjoining apartment contained a
pair Of singing lizards, which are
scorpions in miniature. The singing
lizard is found most anywhere, but |
principally saugly enscOnced in the |
folds Of your blanket when you lie |
down at night. He always lets you
know that he is there, aud !
have known strong men TO tear
their hair and dance and--pray in
very undignihed and eccentric
fashion upon discovering that singing
lizard had selected them as a bed
fellow. The stinging-lizard's weapon
Of defence and offence is his tail, which
is long and as full Of joints as bamboo
pole. When he punches you with the
sharp end Of this caudal appendage you
think Of sheol's fire and howl. The
singing lizard is not good to eat. The
application Of fresh quid of tobacco
!. will take the fire out Of the spot where