The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-11-30
TARANTULA MATCHED
WITH vINAGAn00NS
BY TEXAS SPORTSMEN
BY FRANK G.. MENKE

Out of the vast reaches of Texas. !
! they have introduced a new form of +!
sport that brings tarantulas
and vinagaroons into a battle to
death.
For long time the Texans found
amusement in dog fights and similal'
! affairs. But the dear old lawmakers
| recently legislated such entertain
ments out of existence. Browsing
around for something that would pro-
vide a contest, and also be a medium
| for wagering, the sons of the Lone
/ Star state discovered that a tarantula-
vinagaroon battle was very much a
lapalooZa.
The backgrounds are kept secret
because of the fear of interference
| by the authorities. Only the chosen
few are permitted to be at the ring
. side. But those chosen few usually
arrive with 4 portion OF the wealth of
lCreosus-and they promptly proceed
to plunge it on the outcome of the
strange battle that is waged.
The tarantulas which are used for
battle purposes in Texas are the big
gest that can be found. And that
! means they are sizeable enough. Some
grow bigger than a heavyweight glad
iator's fist. Their sting is as danger
Gus as a rattlesnake. The VinagaToon,
hideous as a gila monster has thick
shell almost completely over his body
and two big hands much like those
of a crawfish
Stren1th Amazing
The vinagaroon's strength of hands
is amazing. Although the insects
rarely grow to be more than two
inches long, those hands have a grip
ping and a crushing power at least so
times that which would be ordinarily
expected.
Out in Texas some men have it all
figured out that a pair of tarantulas
can whip a vinagaroon any day in the
week; other Texans have views just
to the contrary. And that's where the
arguments begin-and that's why the
battles are staged with heavy wager
ing on the result.
The Texans hire Mexican boys to
catch the tarantulas and VingarOons
for them, They pay the kids any
where from 81 to So for their catches
= | depending upon sizes. The bigger the
tarOntula or vingaroon, the more the
Mexican youngsters get paid when
[ they turn them over 10 the Texans
Those fellows put them in boxes 'ol
: bottles and feed them on worms OF
y flies.
Natural Enemies
The tarantula and vinagaroOns art
, natural enemies. If they encounter
- each other in the desert, it's a battle
- to finish And when they are tossed
into a little enclosure, in which there
is no chance for "Tun-out," the vici
- BUSINESS of their battling is intensified
It's considered sporty out there Il
match two tarantulas against on
} vinagaroon inasmuch as it has beef
Ia found that one tarantula, meeting
IS vinagarOon in an enclosure which doe
N not permit much lodging is really n
20 match for his enemy. So the warfar
re starts when two of the huge member
e. of the spider family are tossed into
Is ring with a battling vinagaroon.
G. Being natural enemies, they begi,
le business at once. There is never an
lack of action. The tarantulas rush Il
and try to sting the vinagarOOn I
I'd death. Usually their stingers are turr
lie ed back in the inaugural efforts be
Y. cause they tried 10 pierce the shel
OF the vinagarOOn.
Vinagaroons Win.
Meanwhile, the vinagaroon reache
out with his claws, trying to grab til
spiders. Success doesn't crown hi
early efforts. as rule, for the tarar
tulas shift too quickly to enable tn
vinagaroOn to catch them. But even
ually. the vinagaroon is successful
~ and in a trice when he has secured
tarantula in his claws, he brushes tn
life out OF them.
But occasionally the tarantulas wi
- the fight. largely through the clums
- ness of the vinagaroon, in his pursu
. of them. Sometimes a vinagaroo
aS will upset himself. If he does, tn
az tarantulas leap upon him and, wit
'i vital spots exposed, sting him to dealt
Sometimes to vary things, the TIE,
ans put on battles between tarantula
~ or between vinagaroons. But neithe
III seems to satisfy the spectators 5
Co much as one which brings the poison
nc Gus taTantula into battle with the te
60 ribie clawed vinagaroon. And tn
,1e wagering on these contests sometime
~ reaches four figures.
Copyright 1871 by King Features
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