Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-07-18
IN THE FOOT HILLS.
An AptediIuvIan Captive Has His Cell
Broken Into.

TSpCc al Corr .sponisncn
PEsCADERo. Cal. July s.-A recent find up
in the foothills Of the Pacific coast range of
mountains has added another to the catalogue
If thOSe creatures that are able 10 maintain
an existence during periods which it makes
one giddv to contemplate, and, apparently,
under the most unfavurable circumstances.
\ few days ago n party Of labOrers engaged
in exCavating FOR n road along tine side Of a
mountain spur, with n PERCEPTIONS deClivity
upon one side and yawning canyon on the
other, lighted upon collection Of bOwlders,
water worn and rouyded by tide or current in
S"'re long past elemental dispensation- One
Of theSa. too heavy for the handling, was
broken up. Its interior disclosed a cavity
containing u member Of that unpleasant fra
ternIty Of exaggerated spiders known as the
tarantula. When first discovered the animal
was of bright green complexion and symp-
tOmatically CnmatOsc, but after n brief eNIe-
rience in this enlarged environment 1t regained
the inquietude characteristic of its race, well
llS a large share Of those irasClhle and bellig
Drent tendencies 10y which the tarantulidR are
distinguished. The cavity in which this ante
diluvan was inclnSed WAS about an inch
longer than the animal, and at one extremity
Of the same there were traces of textile work,
as if at som" time or other during its lnCar-
ceration it had ndulged in visions Of domestic
ties and social enjOyments 70 lie realized in
some dulcified poSteriority.
II is noteworthy that the creature here
spoken Of was to all appearances of the same
species with those that are now common in
the locality where il was discovered This
would justify the suggestion that the tarnn-
tuldR in spite of their unpleasant man
ners and ignohle appearance, are family Of
no mean antiquity. The rock in which the
individual was immurtI being of the sedi-
mentary species the commitment must have
occurred while it was in the process OF fOrma-
ton. The abundance of remains of marine
shells in the locality where the discovery was
made would seem OindiCate that the stratum
in which the creature was contained had, at
some time. been part of the bed Of an ocean.
From these incidents. with some assistance Of
the Imagination, We may construct a brief
outline Of the history and experiences Of the
elderly captive.
At a date to which, in all probability.
Adams fall was comparatively an event of
yesterday, the party i'll question, taking his
constitutional upon the border of some name
less primOr,lial ocean, was suddenly over
whelmed by a wave, and buried in the sand
by which it WAS accompanied In the course
Of centuries, more or less, the sand having in
the meantime sOlditiei. the concrete. through
one of those changes of level which the sur
face of our globe is addicted. became a part
Of the sea bottom. to b. inhabited by moluscs
Of various species, and to serve as a cemetery
for the generations Of their posterity. Broken
up, after cons have elapsed, by some intesti-
terrestrial colaclysIn, its fragments, worn
into rotundity by tidal surges, are slowly
lifted by forces from beneath until that which
was once the bottom Of an ocean becomes the
top of mountain, there, perhaps, to begin
again IA circuit Of subsistence and elevation.
How was the involuntary capture affected
by the vicissitudes of the vehicle in which he
WAS passenger Was his life one long leth-
argy, or did the rude shocks to which his
eluipage was. now and then, subjected, rouse
him 10 state Of semi-consciousness and
prompt him 10 the utterance of a little taran-
tular profanity at the ruughneSs of the thor
oughfare over which he was being trans
ported3 Hal he even the shadow of an idea
that he was destined to the dignity of living
link between the unhrecchcd infancy Of the
human world and the Christian civilization of
the Nineteenth century. How many empires
nave D-tll tTtNlt1i anu ubN IlldllN
dynasties have been elevated and e1tin
guiShed; hog much history has been mad,
and forgotten: how many millions of million,
Of human beings have lived out their litth
span and surrendered to All inSatiate oblivion
how many lows and hates, and faiths and ia
naticisnIs and ambitions and intoerances.
have been born and died; how much of hu
man dignity and meanness have been mani
Tested and honored or despiSed, while this in
significant creature has been dnzing away tb,
centuries in his iuexorable environment, and
though deprived Of air and food, clinging Il
its minute spark of vitality, as If that which
is, to other creatures, n sentence of death .wer,
to it an assurance Of an endless eNiStencef
The tarantula- Americana belongs to tn,
or,ier of burrowing spiders. 1t spreads no net
70: the capture Of its prey, but digs a pit il
tho ground which it lines with tissue OF IL
own manufacture, surmOunting the same witt
a trap door 80 cuntrived that it closes of itself
and 50 ColOrS1 upon the surface Us to be indiS-
tinguiShable from its surroundings. HiddeI
there, environel by telephone lines of his Owl
construction. he obtains timely notice Of tht
approach of any creature with which he in
Clines 20 hold an interview, and conducts him
self accordingly. Although able to endure 4
would appear from the foregoing, fast of t
few thousand years, more or less, in continu
anCe, he is n creature of lively appetite and al
untiring digestion; and, being supplied witt
very efficient weapons both Of offcnSe and de
fenSe. the interviews which he SOlicits are apt
to terminate To the disadvantage Of the party
interviewed
Speaking of burrOwing animals, one would
be inclined To suppose that, Of all creatures.
the one least adapted by natural confOrma-
ton and reputed quietude of disposition, Il
the work of rock excavation, would be n
clam. And yet there is a species Of thi,
mOuSk-the very emblem Of COntentei cas-,
and happy inertia-inhabiting the coasts Of
the Pacific, between high and low water,
which horcs for itself place Of residence IL
the friahle sand rock of the region, and Their
lives, multiplics and cxpatiates. The burrow
ing clam is of the round. harishelleSi family
similar to the quahaug in shape, about tbs
half of a silver dollar in diameter, and having
no projecting soft parts. Ii appears Ia live il
colonies, though each individual has its Sepa
rate homestead. and is obtained by breaking
up the rock into which it is incOSed It i
priced as an eatable How this seemingly
helpless creature cOntriveS to penetrate tn,
rock in which it makes its habitatiOn what
are the tools which it employs or to what en-,
are labOrs which, u compare small thing
with great, must be Herculean, undertake
and prosecuted, are questions reserved.
HESRY REED
Eating Uncooked Vegetable Food.
A community UNA at