The morning times., 1896-07-08
LIVE n BlAlNl 1UEcnEs
Deadly Insects That Threaten
Dealers in Tropical Fruits.
SNAKE AND TARANTULA
They Constantly Menace the Men
Who Handle Bananas wholesale.
Crawl Out In the Ripening Rooms
Snakes, Crabs and Other Creatures
Among the Imports.

sale fruit houses near the market are aware
Of the danger attending the handling OF
bananas. ,fr,.ie
The workmen who unload the great
wagons OF their burden, are in no little
danger from various venpmous and unwel-
come stowaways frequently found hiding
| amidst the great buDGhes OF tropical fruit
Scarcely carload enters the city but be-
meath the layers there is hidden way some
reptile. spider or insect.
The aDifnnllife W hich Ia akes free passa ep OF
only in this country from foreign lands but
also from city to city and store 10 store
would furnish materiaI for an interesting
volume OF natural history.
So accustomed have the handlers of this
fruit become To seeing big hairy tarantulas
crawl out OF the punches that they whisk
them to tile floor and step upon them with
no more concern than ir they were hurm-
less bugs or caterpiilars.
The places wicre these poisonous insects
are more frequently seen are in the under
ground rooms and banana cellars OF Lou
isiaDaavenue. One wholesa le dea Ier' s ripen-
ing room extends the area OF nearly half a
square. The Whole space is divided into
rooms where tie bananas are kept at dir-
fereDt periods OF the ripcning process When
the fruit reaches this city IL is yet green and
is npeDed in these cellars before being 4 pla ced
ODsale. tits here thatuany ofthe enomous
creatures are found. The heat OF ttc ripen-
ing room draws them out and they era wi
forth among the fruit and on the floors
MEN DO NOT FEAR'THEM.
The presence OF q South American
taruDtuia creates among banana handlers
no more terror than II they were tie most
ha rmleSs of spiders, no; withstanding z its bite
isiD DallclscspoisonOusa all and many instances
deadly. They come from every baDana port
"TaraDtaius, said a well known fruit man,
ARE black and fuzzy, with long hairy legs
and little teadlke eyes which twinkle and
snap like electric sp1rks, and their very
appearance would strike terror to the tearis
of those who are not accustomed TO seeing
them. TIE botiics Of ttesc big spiders are.
as rule, about the size OF the end OF a
mans thumb. but sometimes larger one
appears and is Immediately captured and
Gagged. for good specimens find ready pur-
chasers." 4f
On a recent visit OF Il Times reporter
TO onc Of the hot oeUars several big
tarantulas were seen in the cracks OF
the rouin where they lived with rats and
other animals.
Strange as it may seem there are thou
sands OF punches Of bananas under the old
Bijou Theater. and not infrequently sna kes
are found coiled around the stalks. Seldom
aIt IttiC iNpthts Tue
being peculiar II ready markc, is found for
them.
A pretty green snake all decorated in
rainbow colors is now at the Zoo" the
gift OF a banaDa merchant Of the city.
reptile most feared Is II black snake wiii-
a brown tinge near its under part. It's
head is rather fiatter than is usual with
snakes. and Just back OF its head. for
about ten inches. 1t is marked with yellow
stripes. which closely resemble a gold
collar. workinen assert that its bite is
invariably fatal. }
SNAKES BITE FATAL.
"A number OF years ago while engaged
in unloading Il cargossf bananas from
n vessel in Baltilnore, saw a workman
beside me. bitten by one Of those sDa kes,'
remarked u truckrpan. and five minutes
later lie died in terrible .agong. He wriihed
and turnbled and tore his hair and scratch
cd at himself like mad, aud within a few
minutes doubled up and rolled over dead
The IEost fre9uens visitor OF the snake
Kingdom is what is Known rs the diamond
snake. II is two feet in length. head sharp
and flat, and OF a: bright golden color,
with diamond shaped scales. Its bite for
tunately is not deadly
Centipedes. not OF tho domestic order
known as 'earwigs.,, are not uncommon
In banana cargoes. They are long fat
fellows, with two rows OF saffron COlored
legs and brilliant purple bodies. Smallpox
is not feared half as much by banana
wnrkfEeu as is the sting III Il oeptiretie.
It is said that they are SO poisonous that
when they walk upon the hare flesh, the
legs leave red trail uron the skin, as
il a pin had scratched it. So quickly do
they sink the ends OF their numerous legs
into whatever they are era wiling upon
when they become alarmed, that it is
impossible to knock them off. The work
Inem say that should the legs penetrate
the flesh death is inevitable. and the
flesh almost Immediately mortifies when
tho POISON is injected.
When q dealer discovers one rawling
upon him he sta perfectly quiet and
allows il 10 crawl off without disturbing
IT. Then it is crushed with the boot or
captured and sold.
SCORPIONS AND CRABS.
Scorpions are aiso among the stowaways.
and while their stings are not considered
actually dangerous. they are extremely
painful. and the victim generally takes
immediate steps to reduce the swelling and
aliay the pain. When one of these reptiles
lights on fit subject it seems tn Cp abort
its work body and Soul. 1t catches one
with its two arms and head. and, giving
4 sudden hump OF its iointed back. il jabs
the end OF its needlepointed tail intn the
flesh where it calculates to do the most
harm.
A peculiar crab also hides itself in the
bun ches of bananas occasipualt and
makes free trip to- this city How these
auimals find their way among the bananas
is known only to themselves. but the sup
position among the fruit men is that when
the fruit is piled up on the shore for ship
ment they crawl among the bunches and
stick there. In shape there is sea rcciy any
difference between them and the ordinary
crab. but in dress they are as gay as
stylish woman on Easter Sunday. Their
legs. claws and eyes are fiaring red, and
give the In ression that they have stepped
into hot water and managed tn hop out
again without being boiled all over. Their
bodies are about as large as the back
of a mans hand and are perfectly black.
and their long feelers re dark blue. They
are known as land crabs.
Other articles found in banana punches
are sen shells and coral hes rs.
Remembe Him at Once
Famous old Gov. Henry A. Wise Of
WI nd fl,o