The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-08-12
His Nerve Was There.

The Hawaiian Islands are almost as
we'll off as Ireland. St. Patrick drove
all the venom GUS insects and reptiles
out of the Green Isle, but the Ha-
waiians claim that the reptiles and in
sects left on Mr.. Dole's domain are in
no sense of the word poisonous.
People who have particular dealings
with the venomous insects imported
from the islands make the same claim.
A local fruit importer said yesterday:
every frequently we receive con-
signments of bananas and pineapples
packed in dried grass and leaves. In
taking the fruit from the boxes it is
not uncommon to find big centipede
crawling along the stalk between the
bananas, doing his best to get used
to the California climate.
"Tuesday afternoon I was opening q
boz of bananas and pushed my hand
through the straw to get at the stalk.
I felt around for few seconds and
thought I could feel something
moving around on the back Of my
hand. I had often heard of the pres
ence of centipedes in fruit shipments,
so I carefully withdrew my hand, so
as to make as little commotion as pos
sible. Imagine my surprise and alarm
to see d fve-inch centipede slowly
crawling up my arm. I was about to
strike it, when fruit packer, stand
ing near by, warned me to make no at
tempt to get rid of it, but to let it
crawl off at its leisure. [ had forgot
ten the fact that they were not pois-
onous, and l know I got as white as
sheet, believing every moment that it
would sink its claws into me and send
it's powerful poison through my blood.
II looked at it with fear and tremb-
ling, but did not dare to move mus.
c.e. 1t lifted its head and seemed
perfectly satisfied to remain where it
was. / could hardly restrain myself
from making a quick motion and shak-
ing it off, but my companion warned
me again and again to keep quiet. All
could feel was tickling sensation.
The tickling increased, and l was al.
most ready to faint with suppressed
excitement. Finally the centipede
looked up at my sleeve and slowly
made for it, moving all the legs in
unison. The sensation by this time
was upbearable, and I feared l would
be unable to remain calm until the
thing got entirely off. My flesh seemed
to shrink away as the horrible Great
ure proceeded, but in few more Sec
onds, every one of which seemed an
hour, it had settled itself comfortably
on the fabric Of my clothing, and with
motion quicker than was ever
known to make before 1routed it with
stick and sat down, perspiring from
head to foot. 1t was the most thrill
ing experience I ever figured in, and
it made me sick the rest of the day.
"My companion began to laugh as
though he would die of merriment,
but saw nothing particularly hu-
morous in the situation.
"You are crazy, he said, to get
frightened over little thing like that.
Do you not know that Hawaiian 1s-
land centipedes are not poisonous? ]
I told you to keep quiet just to see
how long your nerve would last. If
the thing had sunk every claw he had
into your flesh it would have caused
only little swelling and nothing
more. have had several of them
strike me, and apply a little am.
monia or salt water and cure it up in
an hour. ".-San Francisco Call.