1895 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



25 



He was soon proficient enough to pass the ex- 

 -amination for what is known in Canada as the 

 third-class teachers' certificate; and this means 

 a good deal more than the ordinary certificate, 

 so called, in this country. Later on he took a 

 course in the Ontario Business College at Belle- 

 ville, doing the work of a sixteen-weeks' course 

 in eleven. After this he spent six weeks in To- 

 ronto in a wholesale house; and from there he 

 came to Medina in 1881. 



The year before, at home, he had become in- 

 terested in bees. He obtained some queens of 

 W. G. Russell, now of Millbrook. Can., and at 

 about the same time a few stray copies of 

 ■Gleanings fell into his hands. As a result of 

 this a correspondence began, resulting in Mr. 

 ■Calvert's coming here to work. 



.JOHN THORNE CALVERT. 



We had previously (as we do now) received a 

 Sreat many applications from outside parties; 

 and as a general thing we had told all of them 

 that it was no use for them to apply so long as 

 so many applicants were living at Medina. 

 But there was something in John's letter that 

 impressed A. I. R. with the fact that he was a 

 boy of the " right sort " of stamp, stamina, and 

 character, and so he was induced to break over 

 his custom. 



John was willing to work for small pay, that 

 he might have the privilege of learning the 

 'business; after which he expected to go back to 

 Canada to establish a supply-house with his 

 brother Albert, who was then living. But John 

 •developed such a proficiency at the Home of the 

 Honey-bees, and seemed to fit so well in the 

 harness, that several things conspired to change 

 iiis plans. 



He first began work in what we call the sam- 



ple-room, "tying up sticks." The following 

 summer he took charge of the apiary while the 

 writer was at school in Oberlin. We had a 

 heavy queen and bee trade that year, and so our 

 new man was pretty well initiated. 



In order that he might make himself more 

 useful he decided to take a course of studies at 

 Oberlin, working his way along, and paying his 

 own expenses as he could. He therefore at- 

 tended school at this institution, with the 

 writer, off and on, for four years, when ill health 

 on the part of A. I. Root, brought on by the 

 heavy responsibilities of the rapidly growing 

 business, made it necessary for one of "the 

 boys" to come home— at least for a time. I 

 came first and began on the journal in the sum- 

 mer of 1885, doing what I could to lift the load 

 here; and during the following spring John 

 came, andjn his turn began to lift the burden 

 in the commercial department. I have said 

 that several things conspired to change his 

 plans. I don't know which was the most po- 

 test in inducing him to become an American 

 citizen. I need not go into details, but in Sep- 

 tember of 1886, shortly after leaving school, he 

 married my oldest sister, Maude. 



A naturally good memory for figures and 

 names, his general aptitute for business, that 

 seemed to be born in him, enabled him to be a 

 proficient clerk. First he took charge of the es- 

 timates and of the buying of the goods; and 

 later on he assumed, practically, control of tlae 

 whole commercial department, including book- 

 keeping, buying and selling, etc. Under his 

 management branch houses were established, 

 and other depots for the sale of our apicultural 

 supplies were stationed all over the United 

 States; and wliile we had a very good foreign 

 trade it continued to increase, so that the busi- 

 ness changed from what was to a large extent 

 local and retail to what you might call trans- 

 continental and wholesale, although the retail 

 business and local features of it were preserved 



Mr. Calvert makes a liberal use of both the 

 phonograph and stenographer in his general 

 correspondence; and right here I might say 

 that nearly all letters relating to tlae commer- 

 cial department come under his general super- 

 vision. He is an indefatigable worker; and his 

 general good health, owing to his regular habits 

 of eating and sleeping, enables him to do more 

 business than most men. 



He is not less active in his religious life. He 

 has been intimately connected with nearly all 

 phases of the Christian Endeavor movement. 

 He has been president a number of times of our 

 local church organization, and two years of the 

 county, and is now president of the Medina Co. 

 Sunday-school Union. He is also active as a 

 Sunday-school teacher, and greatly interested in 

 all work of missions. 



Physically he is of medium height, rather 

 stoutly built, of light complexion, and of pleas- 

 ant face and manner. 



