Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1892-03-03
llORRID BEDFELLOWS
TARANTUlAS CRAWL ALL OVER
SLEEPING TRAVELLER.

Tired Camper Who Awoke One Morn
ing to Feel Poisonous Reptile Ex-
pIoriug His Anatomy. While Anoth er
Made a Bed of the Man. Upright Hair.
Joseph Grandelmyer. well known
. mining man of Nevada, has PASSED
through many startling experiences dur
ing u residence of twenty-eight years In
the far west, but is perhaps the only
man who can boast of having had a
round bakers dozen of deadly tarantulas
for bedfellows and surviving the terri
ble experience without material injury
II happened a number of wears ago, but
even now il causes cold shiverS TO chase
mp Mr.. Grandelmyer's spinal column
when his mind reyerts to that particular
event. However, surrounded by cir
Gle of friends at the Palace hotel few
evenings since. ne was induced to relate
the incident.
In 1854 | came to San Francisco"
said the gentleman. and with the hope
fulness of youth determined to make my
fortune. | had little money saved mp.
but was a raw tenderfoot. and whatever
put my money into failed to pan out
Finally | concluded to strike ont for Ne
vada. 1t was new section of country
then. that had been explored to very
limited extent. and when made known
my intention many and urgent We're the
requests for he To refrain from being so
foolish as to encounter dangers IN such
a wild and almost unknown country.
Nothing daunted. however and not
allowing myself to be .dissuaded from
my purpose. one day in the summer OF
1864. after inducing three acquaintance
to join me. | set out for the land of sage
brush. My particular Object il gong
was to better my fortune by any method
could. Two of the party We're pros
pectors, and the fourth. a DR. Heath
went along to spy out a good location
for a hog ranch.
We'll. after crossing the Slerras at
Walkers pass. we found ourselves In
Owens valley. which is now IN lnyo
county. Dusk was approaching AMI
when, after riding d distance IN the
teeth of cold wind. we found ourselves
at deserted adobe hut by the roadside
we halted, unpacked and unsaddled our
animals. and prepared to camp for the
night.
TERRIBLE AWAKENING.
There was feed for the horses in abun-
dance, and while one staked them out
ihe others began preparations for supper
and made the beds ready My friends
preferred sleeping uudera large oak tree
near. but | chose A spot adjoining the
old adobe house. where | spread my
blankets close to the wall where the
wind would not reach me. After hasty
meal we all retired to our respective beds
on the ground and readily dropped off to
sleep
Il presume it was within an hour of
daybreak when | awoke with a sudden
start A peculiarly dreadful feeling
worse than any nightmare, took posses
sion of Inc. | felt paralyzed and was
afraid to stir. There was something
moving on my face. II WAS not Il large
object. but as it moved about the trail
left seemed to scorch my face felt
the thing traverse my face from the left
eye down over my nose and mouth.
Then it crossed to the other side and ex-
plored in the region of my ear Then il
was gone.
L knew it was not snake gliding
over my face. but some animal much
smaller, though what it was | was utter
iy unable to conjecture. / was wide
awake. of course. but such an uncom-
Portable horror held me fast that was
unable to move "A muscle and gazed help
lessly up at the stars. Once | tried to
call ont to my companions. but not a
sound could muster ! lay there rigid
az log. maybe for one minnie, maybe
for five. when | again knew that the
same thing. or something like it, was on
my hand, which rested outside the blan-
ket. and cold chill ran up my arm and
through my whole body. Still | was
absolutely powerless to move limb, and |
involuntarily closed my eyes, almost ex-
pecting to feel them closed in death, so
dreadful and indescribable was the SEN
sation.
A HORRIBLE SUSPENSE
Next 1 knew it was climbing up |
over my throat. then to my chin and |
about my nose. An irresistible impulse |
caused me to open my right eye. and | |
saw by the dim light the fiery eyes of
big tarantula looking into mine. with
Its hairy body on my face, not two inches
awayl
knowing that death or at least pain
full injury might result if | moved my
body, | Immediately dropped the eyelid
and had the satisfaction of feeling the
sprawling spider crawl over that eye to
my forehead and into my hair. where II
prepared a nest and finally settled down.
no doubt as snugly as bug IN rug.
fou may think you can imagine my
feelings, but you cannot. For a full
half hour, should judge. endured all
the suspense and torment that comes to
most mortals in lifetime. and allowed
another spider to slowly crawl up my
leg, not knowing at what time would
feel those black fangs sink into my flesh.
But, thank God. that did not hap
pen, or | should probably not now be
alive. Ages after that, so it seemed,
Dr. Heath arose, and. after dressing.
came to see if | was awake. whis-
pered to him the particulars of my
plight, and in my hair. which had been
standing on end for don't know how
long. he discovered and at once killed
one of the tarantulas. an immense fell
low, fully three inches long Carefully
turning back the blankets and exalnin-
ing me. he found twelve others that had
undoubtedly sought my quarters for
warmth These he quickly but quietly
dispatched in manner not to alarm the
others.
"God Owns the Church,
A small New Yorker, while on a
visit to his aunt, who lives in a New
Hampshire town. was taken to church