St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-11-03

NATURES W0NoGa8- =
Bsv - Asnv q Asa Daspsssa - -
tEeeedlnasy large Ceatlpeae
We were travelling In that land oi
teeming prodigious life, Central Amer
tca: and were camped in . glade Dor
dering . grand old virgin forest q
marvelously rich in strange forms and
colors Of vegetable life that We would
have fingered long in this spot 70 ID
mire. but that We were driven by {
sudden shower to take shelter II . de.
serted shed. or house. left probably By
some planter who had migrated to an
other spot-a not unusual case.
There We sat. for want Of something
better 10 do. commenting and surmis
ing. when suddenly our attention wa
caught by some living thing. as i ap'
peared to us. issuing from . hole in
the ground close up under the wall,
midway betweea . crack in the wall
and the right-hand oorneA In ansthes
minute 1t had beat upward. and VA
taking the direction up tho wall. Out
itcame. longer and longer. We thought
IL would never stop unfolding. Was II
. snake. Every one started at the bare
thought
We watched it At . respectful dis
tance. No. it was y hugo centipede.
fully eighteen inches long. The whole
party wero instantly ON their feet "a
give it chase and knock It over. when
some one uttered . note Of surprise.
and invited us to stop and examine IT.
mode Of progress. I should explain
that the natural gait Of this reptile
when in movement IL serpentine; it,
multitudinous legs rising and falling ir
quick succession. like q series Of small
waves, very pretty too look at when
near. This creature did not seem tc
use its legs At all, but aid up the wall
as II pulled by some invisible string.
Every one exclaimed with surprise,
but on closer inspection the riddle was
solved. $50
The ceutipede was dead but was
impelled up the wall. not BY . string.
but by the serried ranks Of thousands
Of little black ants fringing the sides.
which they showed up BY slanting their
bodies a. We ourselves shoald under
the circumstances; also 1t the. bead.
which they were pulling. and at
the 'tail. which they were pushing.
And all this with . ananilhity
Of aim and ,action. md n intel
ligence Of the work they had under
taken. and all in such perfect and
beautiful order, that It won the ad-
miration Of our whole party. No set
Of human beings could do II better.
They had already gained half way up
the hut On went the procession. swift
and smooth. without q break or pause,
till they came to the crack in the wall.
The break here measured . full inch
In width; they could not bridge il over.
They halted, and ]. moved BY the most
intense curiosity, mounted . stool to
watch. 1t was then I discovered that
ON the back Of the dead reptile we're
stationed some half.dozsn loose ants.
running hither and thither, in . state
Of greatest agitation and excitement,
looking down on the workers on this
side. and then on the opposite side
then along the body to the hsad-back
again to the tail and so. on; while one
little fellow, not a whit differeut from
tho rest, kept stationary 'oh the exc
tremest point Of the head. He was
evidently the captain and cosnInlnller-
and though not differing from
the others in form and color, as far as
We could see. yet no doubt was elected
to the position from his superior intel.
hge0cA st .foF ss-'
The rent here was 90 vida 90 im-
possible to get over. that L fully ex-
pected they would have to give up
their booty ind let It fall to the
ground. But not . hair's-breadth did
they budge-the stoutheartear little
creatures held on as immovahle q, q
post; this for some fraction of .
Then at some sign Of COM
mand. invisible andruninteliGible to iie.
the whole procession moved backward
(that .is. downward) for about. the
space Of an inch. Then camc ANOTHER
halt, and then again the whole body
rscommenced their march upward;
only this time it took q slopiDg line.
parallel with the crack In the wall, ,-evi-
IDENTIFY aiming at the place where the
rent dwindled away to nothing. Aud
they reached it. too. They crossed It.;
they came to Tie top. and We saw the
body Of the dead ceutipede beading
over the highest point Of the wal, as il
gradually disappeared under the raft
Bro which supported the roof.
The whole scene was an impressive
one, for the movement shswsd mot
only . skillful combination Of foroes-
Df rare generalship on the part Of the
worthy Of human hero
but an Obedience On the part Of the
that might rival the bes&-
drilled army in the wegA; .sad ve can
not but recognize in. those small Great
nres an amount Of intelligence which
may rank On , par with many nations
md people which We ,salls human.-
uotdeS Ooys. ersl . rsSer e.: s.ass
How 70 Catch Suckers.
10 sr-sC... -. ca - .,f@
Dealsr-I say jake. sA6ss' ea0 jers
ey shirts don't seen 10 sell vii at Ill!
Jake1No. they. don't, every bedy
says $3.50 - too high for them; fhat