750 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



SbpT. 15 



of the country if bees were evenly distributed, 

 many persons keeping a few colonies to fertil- 

 ize fruits and clovers. 

 Peoria, 111. 



NOTES OF TRAVEL. 

 That Bee-keepers' Paradise in Texas. 



BY E. R. ROOT. 



When I left San Antonio, Texas, I took the 

 train for Uvalde, about 80 miles west, on the 

 Southern Pacific R. R. There seemed to be 

 nothing particularly inviting in the country I 

 went through, for the land seemed to be cov- 

 ered with desert-like shrubbery ; when, there- 

 fore, Uvalde was called out by the train-man, 

 I could not think what there could be in that 

 apparently Gjd-forsaken country to support 

 bee-life to such an extent that carloads of bee- 

 keepers' supplies should be poured into it and 

 train-loads of honey go out. 



Uvalde proper — that is, the town — is about 

 1% miles from the station ; and as we got up 

 into the suburbs of the village I began to see 

 evidences of thrift and good homes. I went 

 first to the hotel, and prepared to put up for 

 the night. At the supper-table that evening 

 I was surprised to hear talk about bees, hives, 

 and honey prospects, just as one does here 

 hear talk about grain crops in a farming com- 

 munity. As no one knew of my coming un- 

 less he consulted the register (and probably 

 would not know me any way), I was an inter- 

 ested and a silent listener. Sometimes the 

 talk changed to cattle-raising ; then it would 

 veer o.-er to bees, honey, and hives. Said the 

 owner of a weather-beaten face, with scraggly 

 beard all over it, hair somewhat disheveled, a 

 typical Westerner, with brawny hands, and 

 big cowhide boots, "Wall, I reckon I can 

 make my own hives — don't cost so much. 

 Then you know I am a j ick at all trades. 

 Yes, I am quite handy in tne use of tools." 



Some one across the table ventured to re- 

 mark that he preferred " factory goods," as 

 they are made better. 



" Mine aie good enough for me, and I will 

 put them aside of any of your Rule go ids 

 or Lewis goods, or any of your highfalutin' 

 stuff." 



And then, as if to qualify what he had said, 

 he continued : 



" Rute goods are all right, only I just won't 

 pay his prices — ireight is high, you know ; 

 and then I guess Rute likes to mtike a little 

 too much off'm us fellows. No, I can make 

 my own goods, and save Ruie's big profits ; 

 bat I'll allow Rute goods are good goods." 



At this juncture I could not restrain myself 

 any longer, and, turning to him, I said : 



" I am very glid to hear you make that last 

 remark, for my name is Root." 



His eyes swelled under those shaggy over- 

 hanging eyebrows, and finally, recovering 

 himself, said : 



"What! you Rute? Wall, now! Say, 

 stranger, I did not mean to run down your 

 goods, for they are all right ; but you know a 



fellow can't afford to pay freight. You a'n't 

 to blame for that. The S. P. road robs us." 



" Certainly, my friend; you spoke highly 

 of our stuff, and that is why I spoke." 



But he seemed to feel that he had given me 

 offense ; and if he apologized once he did it 

 half a dozen times while the rest of the men 

 at the table were having a good laugh at his 

 expense. I assured him his logic was all 

 right, and that I had no doubt he could make 

 just as good goods, and save money ; and that 

 if I were situated as he was, and could do ac- 

 curate work, I would do just as he was doing. 



After supper I sat out on the veranda, and 

 heard bee and cattle talk intermingled. I was 

 still an interested listener — the more so, as I 

 knew that only a small number had heard the 

 conversation at the table. I finally went to 

 my room, which was just adjoining the veran- 

 da, and when the men thought I was out of 

 hearing I could hear them laughing at the 

 expense of our old friend — I can not remem- 

 ber his name — and the " slick way " he had 

 "punched the ribs " of one of the Roots. 



Knowing that D. M. Edwards was the 

 "great bee-king " of the whole county, and 

 of this fact I obtained evidence afterward, 

 I sought out that gentleman the following 

 morning. Everybody knew him, and I was 

 told to go down to such a street, turn to the 

 left, go so many squares, then go down an- 

 other street — well, in trving to carry out my 

 instructicns I got all mixed up ; so I turned 

 to a man who was working in a back yard of 

 one of the homes. I asked him if he could 

 tell me where Mr. Edwards lived. 



" No sabe. " 



Not catching the reply, I looked into his 

 swarthy face, surmounttd by a great peaked 

 hat. I repeated my question, thinking I had 

 been misunderstof d. Back came the same 

 lingo. I kept saying it over to myself, not 

 knowing what it meint. After a little more 

 wandering I found Mr. Edwards within a 

 stone's throw of the "greaser" with whom I 

 had been talking, and who persisted in hurl- 

 ing at me his " no sabe." Mr. Edwards was 

 busily occupied in the rear of kis pretty home 

 when I called. I found him to be a man of 

 pleasing address, and, after I had introduced 

 myself, I related to him my expirience with 

 the aforesaid greaser. 



"What! that man over there? " pointing. 



"Yes," I said. 



"Why, he knew perfectly well what you 

 asked, but, like half the Mexicans, rather 

 than give you a civil answer he fired at you 

 the usual ' no sabe,' meaning 'don't under- 

 stand,' when he did. But if you owed him 

 some money, }ou would find he could 'sabe' 

 with the rest of us." 



All through my western trip, even extend- 

 ing into California, I found it was almost im- 

 possible t) get a direct answer from many of 

 the IVIexicans or greasers. I had the words 

 no sabe (no sobby) fired at me so many times 

 that my impression of the average half-breed 

 is that of a man who is suspicious of the 

 Anglo-Saxon, and who prefers to hide under 

 the cover of "no sabe " rather than to extend 

 an accommodation. 



