Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-04-20

sages to the veteran, who had drift
ed ssoutre mere.n So when the Wis
itor hammered the colonial knocker
one day last week he was welcomed
volub,y.
AN UNCANNY ROOM.
The shed where the naked and i'll
fated squads are reared for sacrifice,
the forcing houses for tomatoes, Gu.
cumbers and lettuce, and the mush-
room beds in the cellar were shown
with pardonable pride, and then tue
spiders were exhibited as the piece
de resistance. It was bit shudder-
ing for the visitor, who had been
brought up to smash spider with a
slipper or whatever came the hand
lest, 10 be brought into 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 foot
across, like magnifed sections of the
wire fence used to enclose poultry
yards. Behind these wire screens
the wall had been covered with
rough planking. There were cracks
between the boards, apparently left
with design, and their weather-beat-
en- surfaces were dotted with knot
holes 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, in
spired by the mysterious instinct
which has made them weave their
fllmy snares in the same fashion
since the world began. The sunlight
strealned through the open door and
the room seemed hung with curtains
of elin-woven lacework. The king
of this fairy palace raped his stub
by pipe against the door and the
webs were dotted with black spots
as the spiders scampered from their
retreats in the wall cracks, and q
score OF Misunderstanding pets as
big as half-dollars emerged from
their crannies op the table and clus-
tered against their glass roofing.
TELLS ABOUT HIS PETS.
They think 1 feed them now
said Pierre, "but | fool them fol-
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. l will watch
him. He is diplomat, an archi
tect, a mathematician. His know
ledge is worth having All, there
is fine fellow running on your neck
Don't knock him of. He will not
bite you. They are harmless. He
wishes to give you bon jour and
make your acquaintance"
1t was bit trying to have one.
self closely investigated by a dozen
wandering and cordially-inclined
spiders, but guest must alwayG
have his feelings under good control
The spider city, recognizing that the
dinner call was q false alarm, became
less in evidence, and the inhabitants
retreated into their homes to sit and
watch their telegraph systems fol-
news Of a victim somewhere on the
lines.
You wish to know of the bust
ness first? That is like you people
i money first, then the sentiment
There are 1900 spiders in this room
all raising families and minding theil
own business. Is not that a teach
ing to the world and lesson already!
You see, in these frames / breed my
pets, and when the enfantes are big
enough to run around | take then
in the next room, where they car
set up for themselves, as you say. i
is from there l sell most. They are
great canhlbals, my pets. They eat
their children, and the children eat
each other. So must get a good
price for those that survive theil
childhood
cit is not all kinds of spiders thai
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 petite homes in the grass OF
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
They are the selected ones. They
are three families, the names ofthem
the Epira Vulgaris, the Zilla and tht
Nephila Plumipes, which the onto.
mologists will tell you are the grand
web spinners, the artistes of the
spider world.
WHERE THE PROFITS COME IN.
"But what money is there in it
you ask. Mon dieu, money, money
always money. l, who~love my pets
to be always thinking of what they
!