Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-06-08
TREE-CLIMBING CRABS.

| bhEG"SLIm6lNS SnAOS.
Four Feet I'm Diameter, and Can
Crack Cocoanuts with Thei
claws.
When the naturalists OF California
have completed their collections o
sharks aud sea-serpents, British Colum
bia has a curiosity to present for in
spection which they will find fully as
worthy OF their scientific attention
The specimen, OF specimens, for there
are two OF them, is still alive and, al
though not yet Injured to the chill ol
northern latitudes, enjoying a fair
measure of good health.
at" is a giant member OF the crab
family, dark green in color, and
measuring upward of four feet in
diameter, the largest crab that ever
crossed torrid sand or climbed cocoa
nut tree, and rejoicing in variety of
names, of which the robber crab" is
the most familiar and lirigos latro the
scientific. Strange to say, neither the
specimens secured nor any of their
kind have yet been known to enter the
water. They belong to the purely
land or tree-climbing family, no worthy
representative Of which has yet found
its way into the British museum, and
which are 90 rare that institution has
entered heavy bid for one or both OF
those captured. The muesum auth
critics will send a man all the way
from London to take possession if the
present owners decide to sell.
The crabs were brought here by the
schooner Norma, cocoanut laden from
Tanning and Washingtons islands,
which is now discharging her cargo.
They were secured on Palmyra islands,
in the South Pacific, and as yet have
developed no dangerous propensities,
through quite willing to give exhibi-
tions of their strength, breaking broom
handles and such toys as if they were
pipe-stems. 1t would be the simplest
thing in the world for them to crush a
mans leg or arm in similar way, but,
fortunately, they are slow to anger or
to action, and take life so lazily that
any one can get out OF harms way on
seeing danger ahead. One cocoanut
day serves as meal, the nut being
cracked as if it were an egg, and the
kernal slowly devoured. In appear
ance the crabs remind one OF nothing
so much as overgrown and exaggerated
spiders with abnormally developed
bodies and . wonderful wealth of legs.
Captain F. d. Walker and his sons are
very proud of their captives, which
they assert are as rare as birds OF
paradise.
Five years ago he, Captain Walker,
with his wife and family and seven or
eight others, were shipwreeked on a
small sand island belonging to the
Midway group, where they subsisted
for IA months on sea birds, eggs and
fish. They had started out from
Honolulu on the bark Wandering
Minstrel on shark hunting expedi-
ton. and, after passing through the
various islands to the south of the
Hawaiian group, sough protection
from typhoon near Midway island.
Their ship dragged her anchor and ran
on the reef. The crew, numbering
80 all told, escaped in the boats to the
land five miles distance. The bark
was broken up so badly that nothing
was saved from her, and, as the island
was uninhabited and away out of the
path of shipping. their position was
anything but enviable. Six of the
party, after being several months in
this fix, left in q small boat to seek
help, and have not since been heard of.
Half OF those remaining succumbed
before chance brought the Norma
along to rescue the survivors. On the
passage to Yokohama with the ship.
wrecked party the skipper died, and
when port was reached Captain
Walker purchased the vessel.
The record of the adventures Of the
Walker family on their desert island
would read as q second edition ol
" Robinson Crusoe." The total ares
of their domain was not more than 0
thousand acres; it contained no tree
no eatable fruit or Notwithstanding
but spring of water, few stunted
bushes and sand. There was at the
highest point rude hut which United
States surveyors had once erected, and
which, repaired with rope and wreck
age, formed the homestead. Tht
staple and, in fact, only reliable
article of diet was sea bird-th,
"goonie" or sea fowl of the Pacific
This was served in every style knowr
to Delmonico, and = few more. Ono,
or twice turtles sought the shore, and
it may be said they were welcome
visitors. Twice did the shipwrecke(
ones attempt to build themselves frai
vessels Of driftwood, with which the,
hoped to return to civilization, bu
just as they were completed sudder
storms made wrecks of the weary Labor
of months.
"THE CoLoRED TROOPS FOUGHT
NOBLY." - The smoothest pension
fraud ON record was unearthed a
Leavenworth, Kan, recently. 4 col
ored man was drawing two pensions
one OF $24 month under the name o
Peter Gillespie and another under the
name of J. II. Brown for $l2. H,