TRAPPERS' CLAIMS 



tical '"joke," Sawyer was struck on the idea oi 

 bee-hunting, As he was well known by all of 

 the old bee hunters along the Kankakee he was 

 welcomed as joyously at a bee hunters cabin as 

 if he were a long missing brother. He was at 

 once made to be at home in the bee hunters 

 cabin on Long Ridge, whilst the old hunter en- 

 tered with a friendly rivalry with the young hun- 

 ter in the giving of advice and information. After 

 visiting a number of the old-time bee hunters 

 who resided among the sand ridges along the 

 river, one of them was Honey Bee Sawyer. He 

 thought he had the secret so he began looking 

 for wild bees that stored their honey in hollow 

 trees which were called bee trees. Honey sold 

 at a good price in those days as there were not 

 many hunters engaged in the business. When 

 Sawyer began hunting the wild bees it was in 

 the Autumn of "59". At that time there were 

 several good bee hunters in the swamp among 

 whom I might mention the Steven brothers, 

 /Aarion and Pilander, Harrison Dolson, Joe 



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