The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-26
MANY TARANTULAS FOUND
DANGEROUS LITTLE ANIMALS COME
IN BANANA PUNCHES.
south American Snakes Also show n
Disposition to Wander from Their
Own Firesides.

establishments are beginning to feel some
alarm for their safety. Five of the hideous
giant spiders from Central America were
killed on South Delaware street during the
last few days. three of the travellers from
the tropics having met their fate in one
big commission store.
The explanation of this state of affairs
lies in the fact that never before in all its
history has Indianapolis been so banana
hungry as ii has been this summer. AL
ways an exceptionally active market for
bananas, the present year so far has been
record breaker, with every indication Of
continuance of the wonderfully heavy de-
mand for the fruit. In the summer time it
is almost impossible for the tropical dealers
to keep the tarantulas out of the great
punches of bananas which are being
shipped to various parts of the world. Ev-
erything is done to rid the fruit of the ugly,
poisonous creatures, but tarantula that
knows his business has cunning way of
sneaking into coy little corner in BAN
ana bunch where he is entirely free from
discovery. The commission dealers say that
the local market has been getting more
than its share of the summer visitors from
the south during the present month, and
there has been a decided feeling of uneasi-
ness among some of the men who earn their
living in the warehouses of the big fruit
establishments.
TARANTULAS NUMEROUS.
Il never saw the like in all my life," said
A. d. Hitz one afternoon last week. Mr.
Hitz, who is connected with one of the
large commission concerns that border
South Delaware street between Washing
ton and Maryland streets, had just had an
encounter with one Of the largest tarantulas
that ever came a-visiting the Hoosier cap
ital. and had only Succeeded in killing his
enemy after considerable "skirmishing''
with broom. That's the third one of
those Internal things we've had in the
store here in as many days, and I've about
come to the conclusion that the whole place
is alive with them he continued. LAS
yet nobody about the building has been
bitten, but I'm afraid that unless we sue
coed in exterminating the creatures we'll
have some serious trouble with them be-
fore the summer is over. Every car seems
to contain at least one of them. Judging
by the unusual number that have turned
up in our fruit shipments this summer this
must be big year for tarantulas in Central
America.
I'VE have not only found numerous giant
spiders among the punches of bananas re-
ceived recently, but once in while we
have the extreme pleasure of making the
acquaintance of a snake or two, and upon
one occasion we actually discovered a nest
of rats comfortably tucked away in the
very heart of a big bunch of green bananas.
The mother rodent made her escape, and
1 wouldn't be surprised to see curious
race of hybrids of brand new variety
spring UP in these precincts ere long. The
babies attracted great deal Of attention,
for rats of their sort were never seen in
this part of the world before. They were
very black and had heads of different shape
from our native pests. An old man who
lives out on West Washington street and
who is greatly interested in zoology relieved
US of the responsibility of deciding whether
the infants should live or die. He took
them out to his home, where he has them
now in a cage. bringing them up "by hand
1t has been just two weeks since the rats
arrived, and suppose they are pretty good
sized animals by this time.
THREE SNAKES SHOW UP.
There have been three snakes to put In
an appearance this summer, all Of them
Of the same species-slender, brown-and-
| yellow spotted reptiles of about four feet in
| length. You can wager that when an en-
ploye picks up a bunch Of bananas and
| sees snake glide out from the clusters of
| fruit there is quite bit of excitement
about the warehouse for while. / really
don't know whether these snakes are dam
gerous or not. So far we have never had
any difficulty in killing them before they
| have had chance to show what they could
| do in the way of biting. We know. however,
| that the tarantulas are very dangerous
| when aroused to a state of fury, although
| they will always try to get out of the
way of human being and never seem de-
| srous of inviting trouble. They are hor-
| rid things to look at, and the very sight
| of them will give the uninitiated employe
| the shivers. We are getting somewhat used
| to seeing them around here of late, but
| just the same we would feel more at ease
| if we could completely rid the building of
| their presence
! One might imagine that during the warm
| weather, when fresh fruits and vegetables
| are cheap, the banana sellers profits would
| fall off, But Ii Is at this time of the year
! that the profits swell to twice their winter
| proportions. 1t is not during the cold
| months, when little other fruit Is to be
| had, that people consume bananas In great
/ quantities. but in summer, when the great
ripe punches are to be seen banking tempt
| ingly from the fruit stands and groceries.
| The United States has within the last
| decade become the greatest banana-eating
| country in all the world, and Indianapolis
/ Is, without exception, the best banana mar
/ ket in proportion 10 the size of its popu-
| lation, of any city in the country. Twenty
/ four million punches were imported last
| year into the United States. an increase
| of 40 per cent over ten years ago. Ao-
| cordng to local commission merchant,
| over 225OO0 punches were received and sold
/ in Indianapolis last year, and there will
/ doubtless be considerably over 100000
| punches received and sold during the pres
| ent year. Great improvements have been
| made in the handling of the fruit of recent
years and now adays II is received in much
| better condition than formerly. Ships are
| now constructed especially for carrying ba-
! nanas from South and Central America
| 10 New York and New Orleans, and each
| of these ships has from twelve to twenty
/ big ventilators in her hold. In the Old days
/ there were no ventilators at all.
| ATTENTION TO THE FRUIT.
When the fruit lands on American soil as