The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-07-07
ASPlNWAll SPIDERS.
The Big Insects Which Sometimes Com
to the United States.

The big Insects Which Sometimes Come
to the United States.
"Look out for the trampsH' said Cor
put, the fruit dealer.
The Telegraph man was admiring the
bright buff color of bunch of bananas
yesterday, when big ugly spider
crawled out and ambled along on the
counter. He was bundle of dark
brown fuzz about the size of your thumb.
into which were stuck several long.
black legs.
He was tramp all the way tom AS
pinwall.
And, like tramp who had stolen
ride under freight car on the break
beam, his legs seemed cramped from thu
long journey in the crevices of bunch
of bananas. The poor fellow was at a
loss where to 90. He was thousands
of miles from home and fricndless, for
people do not take kindly to big, ugly
spiders. He was tramp and in a
strange country.
"We killed one here the other night
with body as big as biscuit. His body
popped like torpedo. They come often
in bananas, but we generally manage
to kill them. Up at the old store one
made his escape and made his home
under the counter Then another es.
capped, and for long time we lost
sight of them. One day we found a
web under the counter, and on looking
closer we found the home of the two
tramps. They had raised large fam
lily of spiders, and they were the cutest
little things you would care to see.
They ran nimbly into the web il
you made a motion to strike them,
and many days we have watched
them simply for the amusement.
They caught every fly that came
within range, and now and then a bug
happened within their reach and varied
their bill of fare. Although we knew
they were dangerous pets we did not
disturb them for the reason that they
seemed to be industrious fy-catchers,
and were never inclined to sting. One
afternoon new clerk saw one big fell
low run around corner of the counter,
and as he had never seen a spider Of
such enormous size he imagined that
to allowit to 90 at large was equiva-
lent to turning tiger loose, and he
killed the pet. The Others ran out, and
for about an hour the new clerk had
about as much as he could stand up ia
killing spiders"
"Do they ever bite?"
eyes, but it is rare occurrence
They fight like wild cats, and they ART
high-tempered, but they never trouble
anybody unless aroused and leased
Although there are millions of punches
of bananas brought to this country
every season, and many thousand
spider steals his way across with them
you never hear of any one being stung
They are very peculiar things, and diff
fer widely in their habits from the com
mon spider of this country, which make
a web like the center-piece of a rising
sun crazy-quilt. They make kind o
nest and then spread out lines of wei
in every direction. On this angle-line
which is as small as a silken thread
they run with ease, hanging to it b,
their long. flexible legs. When DANCE
threatens they have way of DRAWN!
in the lines, and, budding together
await the attack of the foe. When thu
disturbed they make prodigious leap
and arrange in circle around the nest
which they seem to guard with jealou
care. Then, when provoked, they rul
all over the attacking party. They ar
game, and put up an ugly fight. ~
; Macon Telegraph.