Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-04-30

WIZ TAS@A1
DUEL BETWEEN SPIDER AND LARGE Ant
OR amusement. Really, fancied
myself on the verge of Il great discov
cry. Why might not a most beautiful
fabric be made of that glistening ma
terial? Who could tell what might
come of it?
So l managed to get hold of the end
of the strand, and began to draw it out.
Now if there is anything that a spider
particularly detests it is to be robbed
of his silk; no pack-peddler values ms
stock half SO highly. As soon, there
fore, as my victim perceived what was
at. he reached back with claw and
shipped the thread. This was repeated
several times.
Then / saw that ] must devise some
means for preventing this sort of in
reference. So ! cut q small round
hole in bit of cardboard, and made n
slit from the hole to the edge-see cut.
This arrangement slipped about my
spiders wasp-like waist. AS his legs
were on one side of the card and his alb
domcn with the spinners on the other,
he could no longer NEEDLE with the
thread; neither could he get out of the
sort ofpil:ory in which had placed him.
He wasn't hurt in the least. but he was
humors. Then got hold of the strand
with pair of tweezers and proceeded
to draw ont as much silk as pleased,
winding it about my finger.
But this process was slow, and die
not satisfy me. l wanted spiders silk
in bulk; my head was full of schemes
for producing new and beautiful far-
rio from this bright and elastic ma
terial. / therefore mounted n spool
upon spindle in such a way that l
could make it rotate with great speed
by means of band running from Il
wheel-about eight inches in diameter
which / turned with crank. To
this spool / attached the end of the
thread, and set my machine in motion.
1t was q great success. The spindle
sang like humming-top as it spun
on it's bearings, Keeling his precious
silk from that Disguised spider until
the glistening thread covered the spool
as with q sheet of varnish. An angrie"
insect, l fancy, never lived; but what
could he do about it? And afterwards
| fed him well by way of compensation.
Thus far my plans had worked to
perfection: but when endeavored to
utilize the material SO unscrupulously
obtained, like many another thief
became involved in difficulties. found
that the adhesive strands-so perfect.
" adapted to the owners own business
of tiy-catching, were not SO well suited
to manufacturing purposes as l had
fondly hoped. In fact they had glued
themselves together 50 firmly that
was never able to unwind them from
the spool; and my invention, though
highly interesting, did not prove re-
munerative--a lucky thing for tho
spiders.
There were other experiments that
tried with these ungainly pets-some
OF them too cruel, az now realize, but
was quite unconscious of it then. For
example, often waited flies against a
large fresh web, aud in this way l
presently discovered that the ordinary
spider, though he has eyes with num-
herless facets. is really almost blind.
tie does rot trust to sight at oil. He
stands waiting at the center Of his web,
his feet clutching the strands. When
n fly strikes against the meshes the
spider gives the whole fabric sharp
snake. IL the fly remains still the
owner Of the web seems unable to To-
cate him, but il he Duzzes or struggles
Mr.. Spider is down on him in an in
ssa;s, and hastily incasing him in a
winding sheet Of silk, bears him back
and hangs him up to be deyoured at
leisure.
Once, remember, presided at an
encounter between q spider and bum
bic bee. The bee, OF course, buzzed
loudly. The spider rushed upon him,
vas stung, and hastily withdrew. Again
The bee buzzed. and again the spider.
Unable to resist his instinct, rushed to
the attack with the same result. At
last. however, the spider managed to
get his silken shroud about his for.
midable prey, aud bore him OF in tri-
umph.
He was not % fortunate, however,
with large, black ant which I treach-
erously dropped upon his web. The
ant began 70 struggle, and down cane
me spider; whereupon the ant coolly
oit on one Of hin legs. The spider with
orew Ia diamoy. But being = rsvenous