760 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



J^ov. 26. 



€BQR6E; -W". YORK, - BtHtor. 



PUBLISHED WEEKI-.r BY 



GEORGE W. YORK & COMPANY, 

 118 Mlclileaii St.. - CHICAGO, ILL. 



$1.00 a Year— Sample Copy Sent Free. 

 [Entered at tbe Poat-Offlce at Chicago as Second-Class Mail-Matter. 



¥«l.mvi, CHICASO, ILL, NOV. 26, IMS. Ho. 48. 



EDITORIAL COMMENTS. 



The L.iiicoln CouTention Report is completed 

 in this number. We have tried to crowd it through as rapidly 

 as possible, and have succeeded in giving a full session each 

 week since we began it. We expect very soon to have it 

 bound in pamphlet form and mail it to those who are now 

 members of the Association. 



♦-•-• 



California Bee-Keepers' Exchange.— Prof. 



Cook has this say about the prospects of the Exchange, and 

 also regarding next year's honey crop in California : 



The California Bee-Keepers' Exchange shows great vigor. 

 Though born in a year of entire failure of the honey crop, It 

 still holds on, and will be heard from in 1897, when we have 

 reason to expect that California will harvest a phenomenal 

 honey crop. If the bee-keepers of California will all join this 

 organization, we believe that a saving of 25 per cent, on sup- 

 plies can be secured, and a market obtained for all our best 

 extracted honey at a minimum of six cents per pound. 



Californians are now jubilant with hope. It is generally 

 felt that early rains presage a wet season. It Is rare in Octo- 

 ber to have any considerable rain. This season we have 

 already had two fine rains — one prolonged for hours. 



A Chapter on S'windlers.— In the Octobern umber 

 of the Bee-Keepers' Review, Editor Hutchinson comes out in 

 forcible style against Geo. T. Wheadon & Co., whom he inves- 

 tigated when in Chicago recently. Mr. H. tells his experience 

 so interestingly, that we feel we can do no better than to copy 

 it entire. It is rather lengthy, but It will well repay a reading, 

 as It shows just how swindling commission firms "do busi- 

 ness." Here is the story : 



Twice, now, the Review has been led into accepting the 

 advertisements of unreliable firms. That is putting it too 

 mild, as In the last case, that of Geo. T. Wheadon & Co., it is 

 a case of deliberate robbery. Gleanings has been wary and 

 kept its foot out of the trap. The American Bee Journal and 

 the Review were both caught by Horrie & Co., but only the 

 Review was foolish enough to be caught by the Wheadon 

 gang. I don't know as they tried to get Bro. York to adver- 

 tise for them, but if they didn't, it was because they knew 

 that he was on the spot and would "spot" them too quick. 

 In both instances the Review took all ordinary precautions, 

 but men who go to work to swindle the readers of a paper, see 

 to it that the editors are well used and well paid, and that 

 promptly, too. It is to their advantage to do so. 



Of course, the Review doesn't lose money by accepting 

 these advertisements, but it loses what is eventually money — 

 the confidence of its readers. I am well aware that the read- 

 ers of the Review well know that the Review would not Ttnoiu- 

 ingly accept the advertisement of a swindler ; all the same, its 

 endorsement of a new firm would not, I fear, now have enough 

 weight to help that firm very much. There has been much 

 said in the journals about patronizing only the old, established 

 firms, but, somehow, I have felt that a new firm deserving of 

 confidence ought to be encouraged, which may be true, but the 



trouble is that some of the late new firms have been composed 

 of old rascals. There seems to be a gang of swindlers that 

 blossom out in a new place whenever the old location becomes 

 too hot for them. 



While on my way home from the fairs I stopped off in 

 Chicago one day, and half of that time was passed In the office 

 and warehouse of Geo. T. Wheadon & Co. They occupied 

 one-half of a store, and some other commission firm the other 

 half. Wheadon was not there. He would be there later. If 

 I would come in between four and six o'clock I would surely 

 catch him. I stayed all of the afternoon until the shades of 

 night fell and the store was closed, but no Wheadon appeared, 

 although some of his victims did. Nothing could be done, as 

 Wheadon wasn't in. Neither was there any produce " in." 

 Two 12-pound cases of honey was all there was on hand. Two 

 crates of ducks were there when I came in, but they soon 

 went out. A two-horse dray with " Geo. T. Wheadon & Co.," 

 painted on its side came in several times loaded with barrels 

 of apples. The driver said he was unloading a car for Whea- 

 don, but the apples were taken in next door to Wheadon's. It 

 is my opinion that they were sold to the neighbor before they 

 were even unloaded. I had quite a talk with Wheadon's man 

 (and he was an ill-looking imp, too, I can tell you), and he 

 said that he knew very little about Wheadon's business. He 

 was employed to receive whatever came in and sell it and turn 

 the money over to Wheadon, At the end of the week he re- 

 ceived his salary, and that was all he knew about it. I am 

 well satisfied that he knew exactly what was going on. 



Two or three times during the afternoon a tall, well- 

 dressed, light-complexioned, good-looking fellow came in, and 

 there were private conversations between the two, accom- 

 panied by many smirks, and winks, and sardonic grins, and 

 finally I asked one of the men who worked for the other firm 

 who that man was, and was told that it was McConkey. He 

 is the man that was in partnership with C. R. Horrie. I had 

 a long talk with one of the men who worked for the other 

 firm, and he told me that Wheadon & Co. began business 

 there last B^ebruary, and for several mouths did an apparently 

 honest business. They kept a half a dozen girls busy all of the 

 time sending out circulars. Having in this way established 

 confidence, they began holding on to all the money that they 

 could get, paying no bills unless compelled to do so, and finally 

 paying nothing, simply keeping a man there to receive any 

 produce that came in and sell it at once and turn over the 

 money. If irate shippers came in, none of the principals 

 could be found. 



While I was there a constable came there to arrest Whea- 

 don. I knew this because he called me one side and asked me 

 if I knew Wheadon, and finally he told me what he wanted, 

 and showed me the warrant. I see by the last American Bee 

 Journal that Wheadon has finally been arrested, and I only 

 hope that he will get his just deserts. You see, when it gets 

 too hot for these fellows, they keep out of sight, but keep a 

 man there to receive and sell what produce comes in. An 

 honest (?) thief is a respectable person compared to these 

 human vampires that induce hard-working men and women to 

 send In their products, representing, perhaps, the toll of a 

 whole season, and then cheat them out of it. 



I have taken all this space that my readers may know 

 something of these human spiders and their dens, and when 

 sending away their honey let them beware that It does not get 

 into one of these dens. Never send honey to any dealer unless 

 you knoiv that he is reliable. There are such dealers, and we 

 can learn which they are if we will take pains enough. 



Remember, friends, that these same men are likely to 

 turn up again, if not In Chicago, then in some other city, and 

 they will play the same game, but I beg of you, don't send 

 your honey to new, unknown firms, even if they do give what 

 seems like the best of references. 



It will scarcely be believed, and yet it is true, that the 

 Atchleys — publishers of the Southland Queen — also published 

 a full page advertisement for this same Wheadon & Co., in 

 their October number, and that, too, after all we have said in 

 the Bee Journal. To show how smart they are, the Atchleys 

 gave this editorial explanation in the same issue of their paper : 



"The advertisement of George T. Wheadon & Co. appears 

 in this Issue. The American Bee Journal says ' snide,' while 

 Bradstreet's report for July gives them a rating of '.? 10,000 

 to $20,000 — credit fair.' You pays yo' money an' takes yo' 



choice." 



*-»-*^ 



The Illinois State Convention was held in 

 Chicago last week, and a very profitable meeting it was. 

 While the attendance was not large, there was a deep interest 



