Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-05

DEATH N BANANAS,
CARY-srRBBT MERCHANTS DEs-
TROY \ DEADLY REPTILE.
WRAPPED AROUND THE. STALK
Only It's Herd Wa. Left Uncovered.
nut That Was Sufficient Warming.
First of the Season. Say Fruit
men, Who Take Chances on Hand
ling Tropical Products.
a beautiful and deadly snake was found
the other day in large bunch OF bananas
which was being unloaded on Cary street
for the firm OF Hudson & Co. Inc pa-
mana men were badly scared. Inc trop-
ical reptile was almost hidden unuer Tue
yellow fruit. having wound It's s'e1''s!
body about the banana stalk, leaving on'S
it's head uncovered to view the pustll''3
surroundings.
At the sight Of the black and yellow
object all hands fell back until John w.
Tucker charged the creature with large
Ratchet. Mr.. Tucker is considered an
expert with this useful implement. wnen
routine business is to be performed. out
a this crucial time his hand was nervous
and he sliced a few Of the golden fruit
before manning the poisonous reptile:
When the excitement died down and the
snake was stretched out on the sidewalk
the banana handlers then realized what
risks they take in handling tropical
fruits This snake which had travelled,
concealed from a small island In the
West Indies, mea sured more than thirty
inches.
FEARED BY NATIVES.
Natives of the tropical islands feal
these snakes more than they do all other
dangers. They carry with them long
knives with which to cut the banana
stalks from the tree. and through con-
slant practice are able to slice off the
head of a poisonous reptile with one
swift. certain blow. The danger, how
ever. lie. in the treacherou. concealment
of the creature.
No one on Cary street yesterday could
tell the name of the reptile killed: some
said it. looked like a viper. others that
it was bull snake, but from the descr1p-
ton of it's beauty and the yellow and
black bands. it was probably the deadly
Coral snake.
Mr. Hudson believes this to be the
first snake found this fall. Some time
ago Mr.. William Jenkins discovered a
reptile among his bananas.
TARANTULAs IN PLENTY.
Tarantulns. however. are by no means
scarce Mr. Hudson claims to have
few small ones in his cellar at present.
Bananas come in green. and in cold Win
ter, the spiders are in a catamose state.
To ripcn these bananas they are placed in
cellars where burning gas jets keep the
Temperature around 70 degrees. It is then
the tarantulas show some activity and
crawl out of the banana stalk. upon the
ceiling where they remain watching every
movement of the men beneath The
smaller of the spiders skip away at the
near approach of the men. who often kill
them in their fight. Some of the larger
one, however, are not so hasty to depart.
and occasionally show signs of giving
fight The big fellows are very danger
Gus, as they have the power Of springing
six or eight feet and so take the unSus-
pectinE unawares.
n tarantula bite does not always kill
il an antidote for the poison is admins
tered at once and before the poisoned
blood reaches the heart in quantity. AL
coho always tends to lessen the danger
if taken in quantities. a story was told
on Cary street yesterday. however, about
one fruit handler who was bitten in d
vital spot and died in agony within ten
D,ip,1tes