Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-06-13
SPIDERS Al TEN CENTS EACH.
Bought by Cunning Wine Merchants
for Use In heir Cellars.

can learn there are only two spider
farms in the world. Entomologists
have raised spiders for purposes Of
scientific observation and investigation,
just as oacIlii aud other unplea SAINT
animals afe nurtured. Here and there
a spider has been made a pet ot by
some lonely prisoner of Chillon. but
spider farming AZ a money-making N
dustry is vet in its infancy. What in
the wofid Is done with crop of
spidersi YOU ask. one has only 10 90
four miles from Philadelphia On the
old Lancaster pike and ask for the
farm OF Pierre Grantiare 20 see what
can be found nowhere else in this
country, and abroad only in a little
French village in the department of
the Loire. Pierre Grantaire furnishes
spiders at so much per hundred for dis
trtbution in the wine vaults Of the
His trade is chiefly with the Wholesale
merchant who is able to stock a cellar
with new. shining, freshly labeled bot
ties, and in three months see them
yelled with iilnly cobwebs, so that the
effect OF twenty years Of storage is Sc
cured at small cost. The effect upon
a customer can be imagined, and is
hardly to be measured in dollars and
cents. 1t is a trifiiEg matter to cover
the bins with dust. That effect is easy
to the yeriest tyro in the wine trade.
But coDwebS-that is different mat
ter--cobwebs spun from cork to cork,
cobwebs that drape the slender necks
like delicate lace when the flask is,
brought to the light-the seal Of years
Of slow mellowing and frution,
The Lancaster pike is an old, old
highway that trembled TO the tramp of
marching columns in The revolution.
In one OF the low, stone farmhouses,
huge rs to chimney. lives Pierre Gran
taire, veteran Of the French army,
who was conscripted as a mddleaged
man from ais fathers farm in 1870 TO
tight the PrIssians. For ten years he
has lived here, a rather unique 1gure
among the matter-of- fact farmers
around him. For the tri-color always
dies from his roof on the 18th of July,
and the colors are draped haH-mlst
on The anniversary Of the day that the
hated PruSSlans marched into Paris Il
quarter of a century ago.
Ola Grantaire has a wonderful vege
table farm, and sends in the choicest
green STUFF that is displayed in the
Philadelphia markets. Ills negnbors
know that he Is market gardeler,
MI al ~ 81 "A 1slt'
envy him the returns from his squads,
that retail At 60 cents a pair this time
Of the year. But few Of them know
OF the spider-raising industry which
makes a substantial parts Of Pierre's
business. 1t is not to the old man S in
terest to have this advertised, and lie
seldom takes caller into the Two
rooms Of his dwelling where his multi
legged pets cover the walls ana weave
their gossamer patterns everywhere.
Ii was Bit shuddering for the Wis
itor, who had been brought up TO
smash a spider with Il slipper, or
whatever came handiest, To be brought
into loom where there We're spiders
te the rear of him, myriads of spiders
on every hand. The walls were COW
cred with wire squares from six inches
TO foot across, like magniiied sec
lions of the Wire fence used 10 incl )Se
poultry yards. Behind these wire
screens the walls had been covered
with rough planlIing. There We're
cracks between the boards, apparently
left with design, and their weather.
bea ten surfaces We're dotted with knot
holes and Splintered crevtces. Long
tables running the length Of the soom
were covered with small wire frames
wooden boxes, and glass jars All of
these wires in the room We're covered
over by patterns Of lace tracery. in the
geometrical outlines fashioned by the
spider artists, inspired by the mysteri
Gus instinct which has made them
weave their filmy snares i'll the same
fashion since the world began. The
sunlight Streamed through the open
door and the room seemed hung with
curtains of elm woven lace-work. Fhe
king Of this fairy palace raped his
stubby pipe against the door, and the
webs were dotted with black spots as
the spiders scampered from their re-
treats in the wall cracks and q score
of Misunderstanding pets as biz as
half-dolars emerged from their cram
nies ON the table and clustered 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
ana | tell YOU Of them you will never
crush them more. You viii say: The
spider can teach me something. | will
watch him He is a diplomat an
architect mathematician His knpwl-
edge is worth having. All. there Is
fine fellow running on Your leek.
Don't knock him off He will not bite
you. Tie Is harmless. He wishes 70
give YOU hon jour aud make yonr ac'
duaintanec. Yon wish 70 know Of the
business hrst? That Is like YOU people