Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-08-24

coming UeaO WIFI the gale the
schooner Norman ran ashore and broke
to pieces near the Delaware break
water. She was just from Jamaica
with a cargo of logWood, and the sea
was soon red of the dye with which
she was loaded. The trip up had been
a frightful one, and for five days the
crew had stood at the pumps day and
night until none of them carried Il
shred of clothing with them when the
men of the life-saving station rescued
and took them into quarters. Wild
waves and furious winds had water
logged the Norman, and she simply
drifted at the mercy of the ocean,
while her crew were begging for life
No one was lost, and the humane saw
erS of lives on the shore did the best
they could to put on to the almost eX-
hauSted sailors something to cover
their nakedneSs, and then food. How
gratefully it was all received.
A colOred boy of 10 years of age or
so, l should say, was the center of the
dilapidated group, writes a reporter of
the Philadelphia Times. He had about
enough clothes on to Wad a shotgun,
as [ saw him, but seemed to be the
cheeriest of all the crew. He spoke
English fiuently. and talked French to
one of the sufferers and Spanish to
another with as much ease as he con-
versed in English with me. His man
ner was self-pOssessed, far beyond one
of his age, and it so attracted attention
that | asked him about his life. 1t is
4 romantic story, and one end of it
turns upon a subject that is Of exceed
ing interest to the people of this cOun-
try, who now and then see one of the
insects to be talked about, and which
are part of the medical history of the
world. The cOlOred boy shall tell the
story of the tarantula. that venOmOus
offspring of the sun which sometimes
finds it's way to this country in punches
of fruit brought up from those lands
which lie close under the equator,
where "all seasons are summer" The
lad talked well in telling the story of
his career in the West Indies. Here
is Il piece of his chat:
Catching the ground spider is fun
said he. 1T is a jumper, and when
you are tryiI g to take it two eyes and
Il quick leap are necessary 20 get away
from it. If it is spider it is not only
a big one, but very quick and quite
cute. 1t will attack at any time, and
in going about the country you must
keep an eye on the tarantula holes in
the ground, or one may sting you any
moment, and then, as a rule, goodbye.
I've hunted them many "a day, for they
bring 90 cents apiece at the stores in
st. Thomas, and that is a good bit to
a boy who has TO cast about mighty
sharp to make a dime in warm cOun-
try where the negroes, who are poor,
are many and the white people few.
You see, mister, our chances in the
tropics are not like they are in this
country, where there is so much to do,
and so many ways to pick up pennies
now and then at almost anything.
Fifty cents for tarantula, dead or
alive, seemed a heap of money to us
young darkies down there, and getting
bit was not thought of enough to
brighten us form the hunt.
1--WE have no dangerous insects or
reptiles on that island, except the
tarantula, but there are lots of them.
You must be mighty careful in going
about not to get Stung, for very few
people live if they are bit. The best
and only thing to do if you are caught
is to use the poison of the spider and
civ nj. i1lSf
sible. The poison puts you to sleep al
most at once, and it is mighty hard to
get a person awake afterward.
There are about 10000 Of my race on
st. Thomas of the 1900 who are on
the island, and at least half the fam
lilies keep a bottle of rum with tar
antulaS in it in their houses. AS soon
as they are struck, if they can get
where it is quickly, they may live.
The sore part is rubbed with it and
sometimes they take it inwardly. But
you see, mister, the bite is apt to put
them to sleep before they can get at
the poison in the rum bottle like what
is in their body, and then they are
almost sure to die"
why do they bring so cents apiece?''
/ asked.
They are sent to England to be
used for medicine. That is what a
merchant in ST. Thomas told me. He
said that it was hard for him to get
enough. for lots of them were wanted
in England I don't know how they
fix them up; but that is what the man
that 1 used to hunt them for told me-
How do you catch them?"
well, mister, you see we have a tall
grass growing all over the island and
when we go hunting we pick some of
it and take it along. When we get to
where the tarantula holes are we just
strip the head off piece Of this grass,
make loop in the end and slip it over
the head of one of these little harmless
| house lizards, of which there are thou
sands You find them everywhere,
even in the houses. They won't hurt
anybody. and we pay no attention to
them. When one is caught. just take
him to the hole, drop him in Il little
way and the big spider comes up quick
ly after him. Just pull him slowly
away from the hole and the tarantula
comes along.
You have the house lizard in one
hand a shingle in the other, and kind
of turn around, you put your foot over
the hole and throw the Shingle over
the tarantula, if you can. Each one is
worth 80 cents. dead or alive, if YOU
don't break his body. You have Il
strike him just right every time tC