Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1877 — The Dreaded Tarantula. [ARTICLE]

The Dreaded Tarantula.

A party of Sacrament&ns returned ■ home last evening from a trip to the mountains, bringing with them two deer skins, one wildcat skin and a few other trophies, including two tarantulas—dead ones. They had a little incident attending the transportation of these specimens which occasioned considerable alarm. It occurred in Cache Creek Canyon, on Wednesday, as they were returning home. The tarantulas, for lack of a better receptacle, were inclosed in a cigar-box when caught, about ten days ago, and this box, carefully tied up, was deposited beneath the seat'of the vehicle. While they were jolting through the canyon the seat slipped and the two men occupying it found themselves dropped suddenly into the bottom of the wagon. One of them struck the cigar-box, crushed it, and immediately felt that something had hurt him. A glance showed him that be was resting on the tarantulas, and, with a yelT of “I’m stung!” he jumpedfrom the wagon, and dashing his hands behind him, as though desirous of lifting himself out of his boots, he bounded wildly along the road, then turned and made for the wagon, shouting to his amazed and alarmed companions: “Whisky! Quick! I’m dying! Why don’t you hurry ?” The other three men—there were four in the party—reached simultaneously for the demijohn, broke off the cork in their haste to pull it out, and in an effort to knock off the neck of the demijohn, to save time, broke the entire concern, and nearly all the contents were lost. About a pint of the liquid was saved, however, and without saying as much as “Here’s leek," the party that was bitten swallowed it. Soon he began to feel belter, and eventually felt % markablr well that it was evident the poison had been forced to succumb. Then the work of straightening up the contents of the wagon was commenced, and the tarantula box was carefully lifted out and examined, when, behokl! the “bugs” were found perfectly lifeless, and so dry and stiff that it was evident that they had been dead more than twenty-four hours, while a couple of tacks in the broken cover of the box conveyed a very good hint as to the naturd of the injury which the bold hunter had suffered. —Sacramento (Cal.) Union. - - -»■« -eAn old tin pan doesn't “point a moral” as often as it “adorns a tail.”—A’orrwUmn Herald.