1895 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



213 



thousand tooth-brushes. In view of the bo- 

 nanza before us I had only one suggestion to 

 make; and for the moment I was inspired to 

 put it into rhyme, as follows: 



That is riglit, Bro. Pryal; 



On the Are put a lop, 

 And by the cheerful flames 



We'll view the festive hog. 

 You may make him into bacon, 



Or fry him in the pan. 

 Or his bristles use for brushes. 



But here's a better plan : 

 Tour highfalutin schemes. 



Like mice and men, will fail. 

 Unless advice you take — 



Make whistles of his tail. 



This ended the hog discussion for the evening, 

 and our convention resolved to adjourn. It 



As we climbed and climbed the moderate 

 mountains, the landscape grew behind us, and 

 we were soon at such an elevation that the 

 cities, the bay, the islands within the bay, the 

 Golden Gate, and the broad ocean, were spread 

 out before us in one grand panorama; and 

 when we consider that a genial clime touches 

 with its magic wand the vegetable world, and 

 gives one round of growth and bloom from one 

 end of the year to the other, it is no strange 

 thing that people enthuse over the wonderful 

 climate of California. 



We are now in Contra Costa Co., and we drop 

 down on the north side of the mountains; and 

 18 miles from Oakland we halt for a few days 

 in Walnut Creek, a pleasant little town. Hard 

 times seemed to be knocking at the doors of 

 the majority of the people. The saloons, how- 



PUMPING WATEK TO SPRINKLE THE HIGHWAYS. 



was hard upon 1"2 o'clock. Mr. Jones disap- 

 peared in the darkness with a kind farewell, 

 and we made an opening in the fog and sought 

 our tent. 



The days sped by so full of duties and plea- 

 sures that a week elapsed ere we were again 

 ready to proceed on our journey. Our evenings 

 of social converse with bee-keepers, and espe- 

 cially in the Pryal home, when the family 

 gathered around the hearthstone, and, aside 

 from the words fitly spoken, there was vocal 

 and instrumental music in the air — those eve- 

 nings will not soon be forgotten: and on the 

 nth of August, when we took our departure, 

 and climbed the hills that rise abruptly in the 

 rear of Temescal, I cast glances below and ex- 

 claimed in heart-felt tones, "May the shadows 

 of all the Pryals never grow less!" 



"Amen!" says Bro. Wilder. 



ever, seemed to be doing a good business— even 

 better than the churches. Spending Sunday in 

 town I patronized the little M. E. church, and 

 found 40 in attendance. At the close of the 

 services there seemed to be a greater crowd 

 and more lively times around the saloons. The 

 pastor was young and earnest, and disp*ensed 

 the word with ability. Still, there was apathy 

 in the outside crowd, that left the church with 

 a meager attendance. 



Spaniards and Portuguese were numerous 

 here, and the Spaniards often indulged in a 

 barbecue. We camped near the scene of their 

 festivities. In a shady nook on the banks of 

 the little creek the Toro Club assembled occa- 

 sionally to eat the face off a bull's head and 

 crack a few bottles of vino. 



The master of ceremonies, the barber of the 

 town, came around to prepare for one of these 



