Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-03-18

Hf&KEEU EfsA&Aa
cosresp -neencs Boston Commercial Bulletin.
The largest tarantuia ever saw paid
me visit one evening and walked into
tho paflof without waiting to be an
nouneed. Several Nassau gentlemen
were spending the evening with me, and
we were talking and thinking about any
thing but spiders, when somebody ex-
claimed
q There's ground spiderl" II hand
grenade had come through the ceiling and
dropped on the floor none of us could
have been on our feet quicker. Every
body inuapad back two or three feet, for
the beast was right in our midst. He
was on the floor at our feet, not q yard
away from any of us, md had walked in
ns unconcernedly as possible. He was,
without amy exaggeration as large as the
GROWN of a mans hat. His legs looked
as thick as the neck of small bottle and
were covered with coal-black hairs, some
Of which were more than on inch long.
Fortunately / was following Nassau
custom at that time of leaving the floors
nncarpeted, and we bad no trouble to see
him against the light-colored boards.
There was immediately rush for walk
ing sticks and umbrellas to fight him
with; but one gentleman, with great pres
Z enee Of mind, picked up large ottoman
that stood near and threw it at him. That
one shot put an end to the tarantula's
career. He was soft, and the ottoman
left nothing of him but big spot ON the
Hoor, larger than the rim of hat, and q
little heap Of black hair and legs.
Tar-an-tu-la, the accent being on the
second syllable, is the pronunciation given
by Webster, and that excellent authority,
In giving picture of him that will show
anybody what beautiful bird he is, says
that s'its bite sometimes produces o
trifling effect, about equal to the sting OF
o wasp, and Is popularity supposed to be
cured by music.n This is O supposition ]
have never heard of in any of the taran.
tula countries; and as to the bite being
about equal to the sting of wasp, that ID
contrary to what everybody believes who
is familiar with the species. Opinions
differ az to whether the bite of a tarantula
Is ever fatal ANY colored person in
Nassau will tell you that his bite is sure
death. I have taken some pains TO make
inquiries for any person who has ever
known, of his own knowledge, of fatal
result from the bite of a tarantula. II il
impossible to find any well-authenticated
casa. When I ask man whether the bite
is sure to be fatal he is certain to reply
''Oh, yes, boss; dead sure But wheI
try TO pin him down to the facts and ash
him whom he knew, who was killed by
IL, and where and when il happened, h.
never knew Of anybody who died from it
but Just heard of it.
And such information, perhaps, may
remark is not very reliable. never coult
get on the track of anybody who hal
even been bitten by tarantula, excep
one man. This was q stonemason wht
has done agreat deal of work for me here
and man entirely worthy of belief. II,
was working on q wall on the east end o
this island, and in picking up larg
stone, ran his hand against tarantula
and was bitten through the thumb. TIL
thumb Immediately swelled up and be
came very painful, and the mason wen
to the house of his employer and asket
his advice. 1t was some miles from aphysi
clan OF drug store, and the gentlemal
had no remedy in the house but bottl
of paregoric. He applied some of thi
70 the wound and tied it up, and next da
the man was at work none the worse fo
the bite.
I think 1t is safe to hold midwa
belief between Webster and the commo
opinion about the tarantula-that his bit
is not fatal, but that it is much MOI
severe than the sting of wasp. If til
author of the great quarto were to fin
himself unexpectedly in close quarter
with tarantula / think he would tai
very active measures to escape. And y,
the tarantula himself would be Just
anxious to get away. have often mac
them run with q long stick, and kno
they never will fight if they have chaL,
10 retreat. The only danger of beiI
bitten by them, think, is in putting Il
hand under stone or board where OIL
lies, and accidentally taking hold of hir
We sometimes see items in the new
papers about tarantulas appearing su
denly in fruit stores and groceries in Il
north, having made the journey in
bunch of bananas. This might We
easily happen; and northern groce
who saw one for the first time waikiki
across his counter, think would imagi
Old Nick himself was after him. Fort
nately, they seldom come into the hou
in tropical countries, and then never
believe, climb upon anything, but st
on the ground or floor, as their Mass
name implies. To wake up in the mig
and feel such beast crawling over o
would be twenty times worse than t
bite itself 1t must not be imagine
however, that this king of spiders is
beseen running about in tropical countr
like ants and lizards. In eight months
Nassau saw only two or three of the
ssThat tired feeling from which you suffer
r1ssnh rnarttnuIaPIv In tho T1nrntuO ia nntiV