1901 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



U 



the snap and go in the bee that counted. 

 Whew ! but how he wields the "black- 

 jack," vkle A. B. J"., Aug. 1. If I could 

 I'd like to trot a heat with him — think 

 of me trotting! Now, if your brother 

 and sister editors could only corral about 

 a dozen of his blood, what a royal stable 

 youd have. Why, the bee-papers would 

 begin to amount to something; they'd be 

 worth reading. You'll have to hunt 

 quite a while to get a match for him; 

 but you may be able to get some one 

 who will trot a close second. There 

 wouldn't be any more "Please, Mr. 

 Blank, tell me through the columns of 

 the Apiary Breeze what those yellow 

 lumps are on my bees' legs" — followed 

 by a vapid "space filler." If folks would 

 only buy a text book and then read it, 

 they wouldn't weary others and make 

 such shows of themselves ; and if the 

 editors had a little more sand, they'd cut 

 out a lot of "stuff." Some of the papers 

 are getting dryer than an Arizona ranch; 

 they'll take fire spontaneously pretty 

 soon. Some have a string of editoiials 

 which are only "clippings;" others 

 don't even have that, but just have a 

 bunch of "ads" by the business man- 

 ager. One of you editors will go and 

 pay for a good article, the rest copy it ; 

 or worse still, garble it, and then first 

 chap don't pay for any more; and you 

 have all progressed one step forward 

 and two backward. Also the contribu- 

 tor of the good article is disgusted and 

 stops writing. If you doubt it, I will tell 

 you of a host of them. 



Again, observe how publishers and 

 subscribers are "done.'" Publisher pays 

 regular contributor for an article, sub- 

 scriber pays for his paper : also for 

 several others, whose publishers have 

 done as first one did, then 'tis discovered 

 that R. C. has sent same article to each 

 paper, possibly having shuffled a few 

 sentences. General disgust of publisher 

 and subscriber, and latter drops all or 

 all but one paper. Brace up and get a 

 copyright; own what you print, and go 

 for the thief who steals it, even if he 



does say "taken from the other fellow." 

 If the nervy editoi's would do that, 

 they'd soon drive out the good-for- 

 naughts all along the line; would bring 

 forth the well-posted, self-respecting 

 bee-keepers in larger numbers, and ever- 

 lastingly bury some of the tiresome 

 "repeaters" who cumber the pages with 

 tales so oft twisted and turned that they 

 are thinner than Hamlet's ghost. 



"Their copious stories oftentimes begun, 

 End without audience and are never done." 



The smart bees are thieves, and so, 

 too, are a weary many of their keepers. 

 Aye, they fairly tumble over each other 

 in their haste to steal another's glory in 

 a new idea, be it a machine or an opera- 

 tion. Look at the case of Langstrotli"s 

 hive, Heddon's hive, Alley's trap, Ferris' 

 wax extractor and many others. Just see 

 the attempts to get around a patent by 

 putting forward some poor substitute or 

 worse. (Now don't go and mix this with 

 efforts at improvements; they're differ- 

 ent). Look at the contributions and 

 see how many ideas are stolen and put 

 forth as original; and the editors help it 

 along. They haven't the time to scru- 

 tinize ? What are they for ? Bah ! 

 they are guilty, too. 



I can't waste any more good ink on 

 your profession. I doubt if there is one 

 who would take my advice if you sent it; 

 they're so bloomin' wise in their own 

 conceit. I'm going after "cats." Those 

 skins that were on the barn when you 

 took the photo were pulled down and 

 eaten by some of the rascally cannibals 

 soon after you were here. They're as 

 bad as some of the bee-men who just live 

 on each other. No! hold! the "cats" 

 are better. Yours as ever, 



John Hardscrabble. 



Referring to The Bee-keeper, a Phila- 

 delphia subscriber writes, "The new de- 

 partment is brim full of pointers; you 

 are bringing it up with every issue. It's 

 the biggest fifty cents' worth 'that comes 

 down the. pike.' " 



