1882 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



443 



an Imitation of some previous hive. Now, let us 

 have the whole truth about Mr. I^., his claims to the 

 invention, and his present needs. I am a little bee- 

 keeper, with only five hives stuck up on a roof in 

 Baltimore. This is my socond si' ison; commenced 

 with one, but I am williiijr to contribute my mite in 

 aid of this old man, if his claims arc just. I believe 

 they are just, for I have heard more of him in con- 

 nection with bees than any other man. I know you 

 are as " busy as a bee," but I want you to spare a 

 little timi' to look into this, and join your voice as a 

 " leader" in this call for aid. Organization is what 

 is wanted. Let some oni' take the lead to receive 

 funds, and stir up the bee-men. I propose that it 

 shall be a monthly contribution, of any amount 

 from 25 ('ts. up; just what each bee-keeper feels able 

 to contribute. It needs, for success, the aid of some 

 or more bee journals, in which appeals can be made, 

 and sums acknowledg-ed once a month. Gt,EANiN(iS 

 is just the journal for it. You can squeeze out 

 some garrulous letter-writer, and give the place to 

 this cause. I think you are able to pick out some 

 good bee-keeper who has the time, and will take an 

 interest in this work of love and gratitude. Willyou 

 do it? I hope so. C. Garwood. 



Baltimore, Md., July 31, 1883. 



Friend G., I thank yon for your kind re- 

 membrance of our old friend ; but had you 

 been a reader of Gleanings for past years, 

 you would have seen that this matter has 

 been frequently brouj^ht up. Several years 

 ago I suggested that we wanted, not oc- 

 casional donations, but that we pledge our- 

 selves to send so much a year, as long as Mr. 

 L. is here among us. 1 have for some time 

 past been accustomed to send him $10.00 the 

 tirst of every January ; and if somebody else 

 woidd send as much in February, and others 

 in March, and so on, we could, with little 

 expense, keep him in sjiending money the 

 year round. Of course, let each one send as 

 small a sum as he chooses, but let it be so 

 much a year, and send it directly to him. I 

 am glad to say that my good friend Fond is 

 a little mistaken in saying he is on the 

 charity of others. He is living with his son- 

 in-law, who is, if I am not mistaken, in f;iir 

 circumstances ; still, if any one feels that he 

 is indebted to friend Ji., and wishes to send 

 him a little token of his a])preciation of the 

 services he has rendered, it will be received 

 in the same kind spirit. I do not know who 

 are sending him a sum of money yearly, but 

 it were no more than fair we should know 

 something about it ; so let us have the names 

 in print, and the amount you agree to give 

 each year. In regard to the patent : so much 

 has been Avritten on the matter in years past, 

 I do not think it wise to take it up again. 

 No one man invente<l the steam-engine, and 

 no one man invented movable combs for 

 l^ee-hives ; but friend 1j. did do more, I 

 think, all will agree, to introduce movable 

 combs, and make them practicable for the 

 masses, than any other man that ever lived. 



In memory of this service, we, whose 

 names appear below, do feel it a pleasure 

 and a privilege to give, each year, so long as 

 our old friend and benefactor is spared to 

 us, the sums set opposite our names : — 



A. L Root $10 00. 



C. Garwood . 



Now, friends, I have started it for you, go 



on. Other journals can have a similar list, 

 if they choose, and we shall soon see how 

 large a life annuity we can make up. To 

 show you that friend L. is in fair health, for 

 him, and at least able to express his thanks 

 to all who thus remember liim, I give the 

 following from a postal card recently re- 

 ceived from hiin : — 



Accept my thanks for the beautiful new copy of 

 your ABC of bee-keeping, which I value highly. 

 Bees in my vicinity have no sealed honey, and only 

 a few days' supply. In my experience of 45 years, I 

 never knew such a honey famine. Abundance of 

 clover bloom, but next to nothing in it. My health 

 is improving some. Truly your Friend,— 



Oxford, O., July 2(5, 1883. L. L. Langstroth, 



Or Departiiiciii lor tlioife wlio don't Sign 

 Tlielr IVanies. 



Mi SENT you 88 cents in postage-stamps two weeks 

 ago; if not received, will jou please notify me 

 of itV I sent for two o5-eent knives, and a pen 

 to write with clear water. Jas. Curry. 



Nebraska City, Neb., July 17, 1883. 



On receipt of the above, we of course made 

 search ; but nothing could be found of any 

 James Curry, and we were obliged to write 

 him as follows : — 



We can not lind that your letter ever reached us, 

 friend C. May I suggest that you did not address it 

 plainly? We can not now make out what you or- 

 dered, and your writing is very bad. See what wo 

 say in price list about risking money. 



About the same time came a notice of a 

 letter at the Dead-Letter Otlice, detained for 

 insutlicient postage. We sent on the re- 

 quired amount, and the letter came; but aft- 

 er it got to the Medina olHce, the address 

 was so bad it was delivered to another party. 

 In course of time, however, it got around to 

 us ; but after it did come, l)ehold,the writer 

 had not signed his name ! J lere is the letter 

 verbatim : — 



New braskcy sity June 26 1883 

 Dear sir friend rot 

 pleas find in closed 88 ct for 3 knives hand fored 

 rasor steal l)lades and 1 pen to rite with Clear water 

 i beleive this is corect i havent got your catalog A 

 long with mee 



Of course, we went to our subscription 

 list and found the letters of all subscribers 

 at Nebraska City, but none of their hand- 

 writing was like this. It was pretty clear 

 that our friend at '' New braskey " was not 

 a subscriber. Just at this crisis it occurred 

 to me there was something familiar about 

 that expression, " A pen to write with clear 

 water," etc. I mentioned it. " Oh, yes ! " 

 said one of the girls; ''it is the man who 

 complained on a card, and I know right 

 where it is." In a short time we had his 

 two knives, and his " pen to write with clear 

 water," on the way to him. Now for the 

 moral. Our good friend, who calls me " dear 

 editor " and " friend Rot," first wrote his 

 letter without signing any scrap of a name 

 to it. Next lie addressed it to Mrs. A. L. 



