Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-05-09
SPIDER FARM.



SvLvANIA.
An Old Frsnohman Sells The spIdsrs
% Wine Merchants Making New
Settles Look Like Old.
There is but one s ider farm in the
United States. As far as writer
for the Philadelphia Press can learn
there are only Two In the world. One
has only to 60 four miles from Phil
adelphia on the old Lancaster pike
and ask for the farm of Pierre Grant
aire to see what can be found no.
where else In this country. and
abroad only In little French village
in the department. of the Loire.
Pierre Grantalre furnishes spiders
at so much per hundred for distribu-
ton In the wine vaults Of the mer-
chant and the nouveaux richie. His
trade Is chiefly with the wholesale
merchant, who Is able to stock eel
lar with new, shining, freshly
labelled bottles, and in three months
see them yelled In filmy cobwebs. so
that the effect OF twenty years oil
storage is secured at a small cost.
The Lancaster pike is an old, old
highway that trembled to the tramp
OF marching columns in the Revolu-
ton In one Of the low, stone farm
houses, huge as to chimney, lives
Pierre Grantaire. q veteran of the
French army, who was conscripted
as middle aged man from his
fathers farm in 20 to fight the
Prussians. For ten years he has
lived here, a rather unique figure
among the matter Of fact farmers
around him.
Old Grantaire has a wonderful
vegetable farm, and sends in the
choicest green stuff" that is dis
played In the Philadelphia markets
His neighbors know that he Is a
market gardener, and also raises
mushrooms, and rather envy him
the returns from his squads, that
retail at sixty cents a pair this time
Of year. But few Of them know of
the spider raising industry, which
makes substantial part of Pierre G
business. 1t is not to the old mans
interest to have this advertised, and
he seldom takes caller into the two
rooms of his dwelling where his
multi-legged pets cover the walls
and weave their gossamer patterns
everywhere.
1t was a bit shuddering for. the
visitor. who had been brought up to
smash spider with a slipper OF
whatever came handiest, to be
brought into a room where there
were spiders in front of him, spiders
to the rear OF him, myriads of spiders
on every hand.
The walls were covered by wire
squares from six inches to a foot
across, like magnified sections of the
wire fence used to enclose poultry
yards. Behind these wire screens the
walls had been covered with rough
planking. There were cracks between
the boards, apparently left with de-
sign, and their weather beaten sur
faces were dotted with knotholes and
splintered crevices. Long tables
running the length Of the room were
covered with small wire frames,
wooden boxes and glass jars. All OF
these wires in the room were covered
over by patterns OF lace tracery, in
the geometrical outlines fashioned
by the spider artists, inspired by the
mysterious instinct which has made
them weave their filmy snares in the
same fashion since the world began.
The sunlight streamed through the
open door and the room seemed hung
with curtains OF elfin woven lace
work. The king OF the fairy palace
raped his stubby pipe against the
door, and the webs were dotted with
black spots as the spiders scampered
from their retreats in the wall cracks
and a score of villainous looking pets
as big as half dollars emerged from
their crannies on the table and clus-
tered against their glass roofing.
"They think feed them now"
said Pierre. "but ! fool them for
you. They have brains, these little
creatures. All, they are cunning
After you see them and tell you OF
them you will never crush them
more: you will say, The spider
can teach me something. / will
watch him. He is q diplomat, an
architect, mathematician. His
knowledge is worth having. Don t
knock him of. He will not bite
you. They are harmless. He wishes
to make your acquaintance.
"You wish to know of the bust
ness first? That is like you people
money first, then the sentiment.
There are 1000 spiders in this room,
all raising families and minding their
own business. Is not that a teach
ing to the world and lesson already
You see, in these frames 1 breed my
pets, and when the infants are big
enough to run about take them in
to the next room, where they can set
up for themselves, as you say. 1t is
from there / sell most. They are
great cannibals, my pets; they eat
their children and the children each
other. So / must get good price
for those that survive their child
hood.
1t is not all kinds OF spiders that
make webs. There are those that
live in holes in the ground, and make
for themselves trap doors, and some
make soft nests in cracks, while 9th.
ers spin small homes in the grass or
in the room corner. No, indeed; !
have sought out kinds that weave
themselves fine large webs Of lines
and circles. They only look artistic
in the wine cellar or on the bouteille.