The Dawson journal., 1886-04-29
AN ASPINwAbb TRAMP.
What Was Found in a Bunch of Ba-
nanas Yesterday.

''Look out for the tramp?" said
Corput, the fruit dealer, yester-
day,
The Telegraph man was admir-
ing the bright buff colcred bunch
OF bananas yesterday, when-a big
ugly spider crawied out and am
bled along the counter. He was
a bundle Of dull brown fuzz about
the size of your thumb, into which
were stuck several long, black
legs.
He was a tramp all the way
from Aspinwell. x -
And like a tramp who had sto-
len ride under a freight car, his
legs seemed cramped from the
long journey in the crevices of a
bunch of bananas, The poor fell
low was at a loss where to go. He
was thousands of miles from home
and friendless, for people do not
take kindly to big ugly spiders.
He was tramp and in a strange
country.
"We killed one here the other
with body as big as a biscuit.
His body popped like a 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 a long time we lost
sight Of them. One day we found
web under the counter, and on
looking closer we found the home
of the two tramps. They had
raised a 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 strike them,
and many O 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 reacl
and varied their bill Of fare. AL
though we knew they were dan
gerous pets, we did not disturb
them for the reason that they
seemed to be Industrious fly
catchers and were never inclined
to sting. One afternoon new
clerk saw one big fellow run
around a corner of the counter,
and as he had never seen a spider
Of such an enormous size he i'm
agined that to allow it to go at
large was equivalent to turning q
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 to
killing spiders"
'Do they ever bite?"
eyes, but it is a rare occurrence.
They fight like wild cats, and they
are high-tempered, but they never
trouble anybody unless aroused
and teased. Although there are
millions Of punches Of bananas
brought to this country every sea-
son, and many n thousand spider
steals his way across with them,
you never hear of anyone being
stung. They are very peculiar
things, and differ widely in their
habits from the common spider of
this country, which makes a web
like the centre-piece Of a rising
sun crazy quilt. They make q
kind of nest and then spread ont
lines Of web in every direction.
On this single line, which is as
small as a silken thread, they run
with ease, hanging to it by their
long, flexible legs. When danger
threatens they have a way Of
drawing in the lines, and, hud-
ding 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 IRE game
and put up an ugly fight
TIuhannV Man