Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-27
rHAr DEADLY oENr1PEpE.

note that you have turned your bat
| teries upon the 'centipede, " and further
note that you contravene the generally
accepted idea in Texas, that those claws Of
the animal contain poisonous secretion and
are employed as Weapons Of offense and de-
Tense. Let US, therefore, Gf any person
who has been "bitten" or ''clawedn has
miraculously escaped death to testify for
the benefit of the living have recorded in
this department of THE GAZETTE his per-
sonal evidence on this point at which some
old Texans, at least, and your books are at
variance.
To begin the work submit the testimony
of my wife, who was reared in this par
kerr county, on Mary's creek, where she
had for her amusement and companionship
not the "bisque doll' and the poodle so
common nowadays, but mainly the rattle
snake, the cotton-mouth, the tarantula, the
centipede and the Comanche Indian. With
these natives of the Texas frontier she be-
came very familiar, spending much time in
handling and studying their habits when q
child. And she can tell you as much about
spiders as some men who have written
books.
By the way, she relates an incident bear
ing on guardianship by her only companion,
Newfoundland dog, that is worthy of
record. On one occasion, when the creek
had run very low, she, being accustomed to
playing there, was about TO enter the
water, when her dog threw himself between
her, and the water and barred her prog
ress. She pushed him aside and was about
to enter the water anyhow, but he again
threw himself against her with such force
as TO Knock her down. When she got up
near the edge of the water she discovered
that the place was literally wiggling mass
of snakes, they having been disturbed by
the eDcroachment. As to the number of
snakes and other reptiles existing in this
section of Texas, in those days, she says
they were as hundred to one, compared to
the number we have here now.
But to the text: My wife says that be it
so or otherwise as to the biting propensities
of the centipede, she is certain that it uses
the claws YOU describe and she has seen it
often when stick or anything it was on
moved, strike those claws into it quicker
than lightning" and though she has leased
the animal for hours, until it would writhe
in anger, she never saw it attempt to bite.
Again, she says her father, like Mr.. Bent
ley of the Illinois colony on Red river, was
stung on the back, and the feet or claws
each left its mark and made red spot like
the sting of wasp. 1t happened this way:
He was leaning against fence, and the
centipede fell down or crawled Gown the
inside of his open shirt collar He killed
it and Immediately applied aqua-fortis, and
he didn't die; indeed it didn't even qualify
him for becoming freak, as you intimate
:
cores pondent now supposed TO be in train
ing for travelling museum of extraordinary
curiosities
There is a bit Of history current in
Western Texas, to the effect That while
lounging under the ''grub wagon cowboy
like, one Of the boys discovered centipede
crawling upon his knee, the said knee being
protected by only thin duekskin. Knowing
that it would, when disturbed. instantly
sink its claws or fangs into his flesh, he
quietly raised his six-shooter and shot it in
twain. As it flew apart one-half struck the
inohensive 60 hind leg of mule, and the
other half struck wagon wheel The
cowboy died, likewise the mule, and the
wagon wheel instantly dried up and went
to pieces, and in consequence of the mishap
to the mule and the wagon wheel the rest
of the boys came near starving TO death,
not beng able to move on. This clearly
proves the deadly character OF the Texas
centIpede. But mark you. this bit Of COW
boy history IS not vouched for by NJ wife
But my wife offers to prove her faith in
her cIawing history thusly: She will catch
the centipede and meet you at the ',old