The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-06-24
CURIOUS TRAMPs FROM AsPINwALL
Spiders That Gene to This Country in
Bunches of Bananas.

Spiders That Come to This Country in
Bunches OF Bananas.
Look out for the tramps!" said fruit
dealer the other day.
The reporter was admiring the bright
buff color of bunch of bananas, when
big ugly spider crawled out and ambled
of dark brown fuzz about the size of
your thumb, into which were stuck sew
eral long, black legs.
He was tramp all the way from As
pinwall. And, like a tramp who had
stolen a ride under freight car on a
brakeman, his legs seemed cramped from
the long journey in the crevices of a
bunch of bananas. The poor fellow was
at a loss where to go. Hewas thousands
of miles from home and friendless, for
people do not take kindly to big, ugly
spiders. He was a tramp and in
strange country.
1--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 es-
capped and made his home under the
counter. Then another escaped and for
long time we lost sight of them. One
day we found web under the counter,
and on looking closer we discovered the
two tramps. They had raised large
family of spiders, and they were the
cutest little things you would care to see.
They ran nimbly into the web
if you made a motion to touch them,
and many a day 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 industri-
Gus f1y-catchers, and were never in
clined to sting. One afternoon a new
clerk saw one big fellow run around a
corner of the counter, and as he had
never seen a spider of such enormous
size, he imagined that to allow it to go
at large was equivalent to turning
tiger loose, and he killed the pet. The
others ran out and for about an hour
the new clerk had as much as he could
stand up to killing spiders"
do they ever bite ?"
"Yes, but it is a rare occurrence. They
fight like wildcats, and they are high
tempered, but they never trouble any
body unless aroused and teased. AL
though there are millions of punches of
bananas brought to this country every
season, and many spider steals his way
across with them, you never hear of any
one being stung. They are very peculiar
things and differ widely in their habits
from the common spider of this coun-
try, which makes web like the center
piece of q rising-sun crazy quilt. They
make kind of nest and then spread out
lines of web in every direction.
On this angle line, which is
as small as a silken thread they
run with ease, hanging to it by
their long, flexible legs. When dan
ger threatens they have a way of draw
ing In their lines and, huddling together,
await the attack of the foe. When thus
disturbed they make prodigious leaps
and arrange in a circle around the nest,
which they seem to guard with jealous
care. Then, when provoked, they run
all over the attacking party. They are
game, and put up an ugly fight.
con (Ga.) Telegraph.