THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



March 



venerable Drayton Hall, today famous 

 for its wonderful gardens, was preserved 

 inviolate. The knowledge of the fate 

 that had overtaken the homes of his 

 neighbors, and which he felt that a few 

 hours more would precipitate upon his 

 own, determined Colonel Bull. Calling 

 for kindling wood, surrounded by his 

 awestricken servants, he himself applied 

 the pine torch to his household gods. 

 Pictures, plate, antique furniture, val- 

 ued heirlooms — all were sacrificed save 

 the small number which could be has- 

 tily secreted by trusted slaves when they 

 learned of his intention. It is related by 

 an eyewitness that the stalwart planter 

 wept tears of infinite sorrow as the 

 sounds of falling brick and crumbling 

 woodwork smote upon his ears. Just 

 back of the house is an ancient monu- 

 ment erected to commemorate one of 

 Carolina's colonial governors, an ances- 

 tor of the doughty colonel. It was on 

 the base of this shaft that the master of 

 the manor sat and watched the destruc- 

 tion of his home. 



We retrace our way along the ranks 

 of rare old trees, passing through the 

 ancient gateway, fit subject for poet's 

 theme, into the open road, where we are 

 greeted by a procession of oaks as sym- 

 metrical as those we left behind. Miles 

 of moss fringed trees, their somber cur- 

 tains swaying far above, and again 

 drooping so as almost to touch the earth 

 about their feet, continue even to the 

 cleared strip of land immediately in 

 front of the bridge. Opposite lies the 

 city, her cluster turrets and slender 

 spires outlined against the evening sky. 



Asked how we like the oaks, we say 

 that they are "beautiful," but all the 

 while we are conscious that they have a 

 charm of their own not to be interpreted 

 in words. — Cor. New York Post. 



TALKING ON THE AIE 



The Cheerful Idiot. 



"One swallow doesn't make a spring," 

 said the boarder who misquotes. 



"A swallow ot beer might," said the 

 Cheerful Idiot 



And when the landlady guessed that it 

 mignt make a spring on account of the 

 hops in it tho Cheerful Idiot got huffy 

 and loft the table before the prune pie was 

 Berved. — ludianapolis JournaL 



RECORD FOR LONG DISTANCE CON- 

 VERSATION WITHOUT A WIRE. 



It is said that mules fed on corn that 

 has the smut will lose their hoofs. 



Hew Carlotta Got au Amateur Balloonist 

 Out of a Fix a Mile Up la the Air — Her 

 Voice Reached Over Four Miles — Gas- 

 bags Acted as Receivers. 



Tales are plenty of long distances over 

 which men's voices have been conveyed 

 by the medium of placid water. An 

 Adirondack guide tells of having talked 

 in ordinary tones, on a very still day, 

 with a companion l^o miles distant at 

 the other end of a lake, and another 

 guide caps this story with one of yells 

 which were heard and returned near a 

 water extent of three miles. These tales 

 fcre quite outdone by a well authenti- 

 cated story told by Carlotta, once the 

 most famous woman balloonist in the 

 world. In her story air, instead of wa- 

 ter, was the medium, and the distance 

 of the conversation was four miles. It 

 took place above the outskirts of St. 

 Louis some years ago. 



"It was an aeronautic exhibition," 

 says Carlotta in telling the story, "and 

 a young man named White, who was 

 inexperienced in ballooning, had agreed 

 to make an ascension. I had already 

 gone up and was quietly drifting east 

 on an easy air current when he started 

 out. He had bad enough experience to 

 know how to handle the valves and 

 sandbags, and he intended to go up a 

 mile or so and then descend easily. Now, 

 the upper air is full of varying currents. 

 You may be going due west at a half a 

 mile altitude, and when you get up a 

 few hundred yards farther you may 

 •'trike a current that carries you due 

 ©aslv Mr. White checked his upward 

 jr,c,erin a west bound draft, so that 

 • jen be ^ :illy drited out of that cur- 

 en*- int' ^lue ^''ewere A good long dis- 

 te'ace *^ , »rt. 



"I .'A'ayshavt .. powerful glass with 

 ttie v'uen I mak* an ^.-oension. When I 

 tr led this on hira, i saw that he was 



trouble. His bailooL: had twisted a 



,ttle in such a way '?hat I jud.i."vd it 



was likely to twist more, an J .e was 



C'v^mbering around che ropes s^^ing to 



rieht It. but without mo'* aonarent 



