194 



TEE AMEEICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[March, 



The suit was commenced in 1863 and closed 

 in 1866. Time and again Mv. Austin appeared 

 ready for trial, and yet it was deterred, and at 

 last he determined to waste no more time, being 

 aware that should tliey take judgment by default, 

 he could at any time open the case. 



So, in his absence the case came up ; a judg- 

 ment was found against him. That was just to 

 their hand, and we are told they even paid the 

 expenses incurred by the suit, not even calling 

 upon Mr. Austin to settle one cent of it (very 

 clever that). We don't see why they did not 

 want the benefits derived from the judgment, 

 and why they made no use of it save to herald 

 it all over the country. We don't say it was a 

 put up job, but it smells of it and tastes of it. 



Otis is a cuTining man, and he would be glad 

 if Austin would permit him to take judgment ; 

 and as Otis has left Austin go scott free, what 

 else does it look like ? Who will tiam". the bant- 

 ling ? Are we not right in charging that if Otis 

 can prevent it, we will never have another de- 

 cision upon the Langstroth patent I They dare 

 not risk it. Their only desire is to scare some- 

 body into paying them for what does not rightly 

 belong to them. 



If Mr. Langstroth's claims were to hold good, 

 not one movable comb hive in twenty could be 

 held as infringers upon the Langstroth patent ; 

 and as we have been compelled to come out in 

 defence of the beekeepers, we must perforce make 

 it lively for Mr. Langstroth's man Friday, and 

 shall also give in our future numbers, the cuts 

 and drawings of movable comb hives used before 

 Mr. Langstroth obtained a patent, and that will 

 enable all beekeepers to read Mr. Lang.stroth's 

 claims understandingly. Both him and liis man 

 Friday have no one to blame but themselves in 

 bringing this discussion before the public ; if it 

 is notoriety they seek, we propose to give them 

 enough of it. 



It will be remembered, that during the early 

 spring months of this year, that Mr. Langstroth 

 and his right-bower were swinging round the cir- 

 cle. Chicago was favored with their presence, 

 where they sent out red hot shot broadcast 

 through the medium of the Prairie Farmer, 

 threatening direful things to all beekeepers using 

 the movable comb hives. That article was copied 

 (as was intended by them) into many of the 

 agricultural journals of the United States — a 

 cheap way of advertising— and at that time wo 

 put forth our mightiest effort to keep from open- 

 ing our battery upon them ; but after due reflec- 

 tion, concluded to wait further developments. 

 Fiom thence the pair proceeded to Wisconsin, 

 and were there skinned to the tail by Kidder. 

 Mr. Langstroth struck a bee line from there to 

 more congenial climes, and his man Friday went 

 at his old tricks, viz. : skinning everybody that 

 he could find that was green enough to hold still. 

 The instrument used for skinning was threats 

 of bringing suits against said persons, and dwell- 

 ing upon the enormous amount of costs they 

 would be put to if suit was commenced against 

 them. 



Of course it took ; for if there is anything our 

 farmers dislike, it is a suit at law ; and rather 

 than have any trouble, they would shell out 



beautifully. Others that would not come down 

 with the needful, were told to look out for the 

 United States marshal, and are still looking out 

 for him, vainly, it must be confessed. 



Many of them have written to us for our 

 opinion, and have asked us to publish the Lang- 

 stroth patent. For a long time we hesitated, 

 Mr. L. being an old and honored beekeeper, and 

 for whom we have ever entertained the best feel- 

 ings ; and in all candor, we must say that we 

 dislike very much to say anything that will 

 wound the feelings of Mr. Langstroth, having 

 ever held him to be a good and worthy man ; but 

 human nature can't stand everything ; and so 

 long as he keeps that man Friday in the field, 

 harping upon infringements, he must look out 

 for breakers, for we shall defend the right and the 

 people against fraud to the last. 



Had Mr. Langstroth and his right bower been 

 satisfied with their just claims, and kept about 

 their business, they might this day have been in 

 the same condition as the Yankee {that got rich 

 by minding ?iis oion business). 



We pity ]\[r. Langstroth for having selected 

 such an instrument as Otis to represent him, and 

 then persist in following him to the last ditch ; 

 and they will soon be floundering in the same 

 ditch together, and no one will be to blame but 

 yourselves. You dug the ditch, and the Good 

 Book says : "they that dig a pit fall therein." 

 Well ; you will not be the first that have learned 

 that fact when too late. 



We also read in the Good Book of a certain 

 Haman, that had a gallows prepared on which 

 to hang a so-called infringer by the name of 

 Mordecai, and loas himself hung thereon! Mr. 

 Otis, how do you like the picture? 



In justice to Mr. Moon, let me heie state that 

 I have written this article without first consult- 

 ing him, and he is not in the least responsible 

 for it." 



N. C. Mitchell. 



Personal. 



" We are sorry to be compelled, in the present 

 number, to depart fiom our usual course, in not 

 allowing anything to enter our columns that 

 could in any way be considered personal ; and 

 also that we have to attack so good a man as the 

 subject of this personiil, the Rev. L. L. Langs- 

 troth, patentee of the Langstroth bee hive. 



Mr. Langstroth, let us say that we do not 

 wish to injure you in the least, but we feel bound 

 to say to you, as a friend that you must hanldown 

 that black standard of extermination; that cry of 

 wholesale prosecution must stop ; the beekeepers 

 demand it ; they claim the right to make im- 

 provements, and if need be, invent bee hives, 

 and experiment in any way they may see proper. 



As the case now stands, we must perforce take 

 sides with either Mr. Langstroth or the peoi)le ; 

 one or the other must go to the wall. 



There is, in our opinion, but one way left open 

 for Mr. Langstroth, by which he can hope to 

 escape honorably, and that way is, take the Lang- 

 stroth hive as it now stands and is used through- 

 out the United States by hundreds and thousands 

 that are ready and willing to pay for them. No 

 one has ever demanded of them any pay for the 



