Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-04-08
HIS NERVE WAS THERE
This Sort of Ccnffpede yVas HARMLESS
3uf He Dida't Know IT.

This sort of Ccnffpetae Was HARMLESS
3ut He Dida't Know 1t.
The Hawaiian islands are almost. as
welh off as Ireland. St. Patrick drove
all the venomous insects and reptiles
| out of the Green Isle, but the IEawaiians
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
local fruit importer said recently:
Very frequently we receive consign-
| ments of bananas and pineappIes
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.
Zone afternoon I was opening box
of bananas, and pushed my hand
through the straw to get at the stalk.
/ felt around for few seconds, and
thought l could feel something moving
around on the back of my hand. | had
often heard of the presence Of cent?
pedes in fruit shipments, SO carefully
withdrew my hand, so as to make as
little commotion as possible. Imagine
my surprise and alarm to see FIVE
inch centipede slowly crawling up my
arm l was about to strike it when 4
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 know 1 got as white
as sheet, believing every moment that
it would sink its claws into me and send
its powerful poison through my blood.
II looked at it with fear and trem-
bling, but did not dare to move a mus
Gle. It lifted its head and seemed per-
fectly 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 tickling sensation. The tickling
increased, and I was almost ready to
faint with suppressed excitement. FL
nally the centipede looked up at my
sleeve and slowly made for it, moving all
the legs in unison. The sensation by
this time was unbearable and l feared
L would De undD1e 20 remain CALM unIu
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, it had settled itself comfortably
on the fabric of my clothing, and with
a 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 expert
ence 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
1 saw nothing particularly humorous in
the situation.
"'You are crazy he said, ito get
frightened over a little thing like that
Do you not know that Hawaiian cent?
pedes are not poisonous? 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 little swelling and
nothing more. I have had several OF
them strike me. and apply little ALI
monia or salt water, and cure it up in
half an hour" San Francisco Call.