Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-06-18
THE HAWAIIAN OENTIPBD.
A Harmless Insec', But Can Cause
Unpleasant Sensations.

Unpleasant Sensations
The Hawaiian islands are almost
as well off as Ireland, says the San
Francisco Call St. Patrick drove 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 deal
ings with venomous insects imported
from the islands make the same claim.
A local fruit importer said recently:
every frequently we recei-e 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 centfped
crawling along the stalk between the
bananas, doing his best to get used
to the California climate.
GA short time since was opening
a box Of bananas and pushed my hand
through the straw to get at the stalk.
l 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 ship
ments, so | carefully withdrew my
hand, so as to make as little commo-
ton as possible. Imagine my surprise
and alarm to see fve-inch centiped
slowly crawling up my arm. | was
about to strike it when fruit packer
standing near by warned me to make
no attempt to get rid of it, but to
let it crawl off at its leisure. had
forgotten the fact that they were not
poisonous, and l know / got as white
as sheet, believing every moment
that it would sink its claws into me
and send its powerful poison through
my blood.
81 looked at it with fear and trem-
bling, but did not care to move a
muscle. 1t lifted its head and seemed
perfectly satisfied to remain where it
was. could hardly restrain myself
from making a quick motion and
shaking it off, but my companion
warned me again and again to keep
quiet. All / could feel was a tickling
sensation. The tickling increased,
and l was almost ready to faint with
suppressed excitement. Finally the
centiped looked up at my sleeve and
slowly made for it, moving all the
legs in unison. The sensation by this |
time was unbearable, and / feared 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 few more
seconds, every one of which seemed
an hour, it had settled itself comfort
ably 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 thrilling experience 1 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 |
over a little thing like
that. Do you not know that Hawai-
ian centipeds are not poisonous? l
told you to keep quiet just to see
how long your nerve would last. If
the thing had sunk every claw into
your flesh it would have only caused
a little swelling and nothing more.
l have had several of them strike me,
and | apply little ammonia or salt
water and cure it up in half an
hour"