The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-09-16
HIS NERVE WAS THERE.
This sort OF Centiped Was Harmless. but
He Didn't Know It.

/ SORT OF Nenttped WAS Harmless, hui
He Didn't Know It.
The Hawaiian Islands are almost a,
we'll off as Ireland. ST. Patrick drovs
all the venomous insects and reptiles
out of the Green Isle, but the Hawaiians
claim that the reptiles and insects left
on Mr.. Dole's domain are in no sense OF
the word poisonous.
People who have particular dealings
with venomous insects imported from
the islands make the same claim. A To-
cal fruit importer said:
very frequently we receive consigp-
ments Of bananas and pineapples pack
ed in dried grass and leave In taking
the fruit from the boxes il is not uncom.
mon TO find big centiped crawling
along the stalk between the bananas,
doing his best to get used TO the Cali
fornia climate.
lone afternoon l was opening a box
Of bananas and pushed my hand through
the straw To get at the stalk | felt
around for a few seconds and thought |
could feel something moving around on
the back of my hand. had often heard
of the presence of centipeds in fruit
shipments, so l carefully Withdrew my
hand, so as TO make as little connection
as possible. Imagine my surprise and
alarm to see a five inch centiped slow
ly crawling up my arm. | was about to
strike II when fruit packer standing
near by warned me TO make no attempt
to get rid of it. but TO let it crawl off at
- lafSpra 4 nI -
that they were not poisonous, and know
got as white as a sheet, believing every
moment that il would sink its claws
into me and send its powerful poison
through my blood.
Il looked at il with fear and trem-
bling, but did not dare to move mus
Gle. 1t lifted its head and seemed per-
fectly satisfied TO remain where it was.
l could hardly restrain myself from
making a quick motion and shaking il
off, but my companion warned me again
and again TO keep quiet. All l could
feel was tickling sensation. The tic
king increased, and l was almost ready
TO faint with suppressed excitement.
Finally the centiped looked up at my
oANN'N eiiA SAONly III luONlflR
all the legs i'll unison. The sensation
by this time was unbearable, and fear.
ed l would be unable to remain calm
until the thing got entirely off.
My flesh seemed to shrink away as
the horrible creature proceeded, but in
a few more seconds, every one of which
seemed an hour, il had settled itself COM
fortably on the fabric of my clothing,
and with motion quicker than l was
ever known TO make before | routed it
with stick and sat down, perspiring
from head to foot 1t was the most
experience | ever figured in.
and 1t made me sick the rest of the day.
MY companion began to laugh as
though he would die of merriment, but
| saw nothing particularly humorous in
the situation.
" You are crazy. he said, to get
frightened over a little thing like that.
Do you know that Hawaiian Island CEN
tipeds are not poisonous? / told you to
keep quiet just TO see how long your
nerve would last. If the thing had sunk
every claw it had into your flesh, il
would have only caused little swell
ing and nothing more. l have had sew
aral Of them strike me. and apply a
little ammonia or salt water and cure
t up in half an hour. San Fran
CISCO Call