224 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[April, 



out after judgment was rendered against me. I 

 told him that even supposing sucli a possibility, 

 I had a remedy fur every bee-keeper in the Uni- 

 ted States, and could not without dishonor en- 

 tertain the thought for a mcmient, prior to the 

 rendering of such judgment, but that I had no 

 fears of such a result with the evidence lately 

 brought to light. He expatiated on the ability 

 and integrity of my counsel, Hon. A. F. Perry, 

 and said 1 could influence him, and with his in- 

 tiuence and mine, an extension of Langstroth's 

 patent could be got through Congress. If it 

 was not for the influence which I could bring 

 against it, if he had money enough he could 

 procure such extension alone. Wlien he found 

 I would not consent, he tried another expedient, 

 comparnig my success to that of Jim Fisk. I 

 told him I knew Mr. Wagner had influenced a 

 few to entertain such views of me, but they were 

 few ; that I could not take the course he pro- 

 posed, and could not remain to hear such com- 

 ]iarisons ; so I bid him good evening and i-e- 

 turned to my hotel. Homek A. Kikg. 



Sta'e of Pennnyham'a, \ 

 Laiorcnoe County, j 



Personally appeared before me, a Notary Pub- 

 lic, duly commissioned. Homer A. King, above 

 named, and being duly affirmed according to 

 law, says the facts set forth in the above state- 

 ment§ are correct and true. 



Geo. W. Miller, 



Notary jfiibUc. 

 G. W. Miller, ) 

 No'tirial i^cal. j 

 JSTeio Castle, Pa., Feb 3, 1872. 



During the above interview, Mr. Otis stated 

 that he had spoken to Mr. Langstroth over a 

 year ago about getting his patent extended, but 

 Mr. L. wanted the entire interest in it, hence 

 nothing had been done. I infer from this, that 

 ]\Ir. L. lias been again compelled to come to ]Mr. 

 Otis' terms, and the latter is to have the lion's 

 share in the second extension. Having failed 

 to crush me, and then failing to secure my aid, 

 they now propose to have an extension at all 

 events. Mr. Otis says he erred, by the advice 

 of Mr. L., in waiting for results against me be- 

 fore pushing others. He saj's the moth blocks 

 are a good invention, and if he fails to prove my 

 hive an infringement, it does not break tlie L. L. 

 patent. 1 infer that he intends to secure an ex- 

 tension, and then push others to the wall. I do 

 not propose to desert the beekeepers of America, 

 nor let Otis shake off" my j:rasp on the throat of 

 this black mailing business. I will stand by 

 any beekeeper whom ilr. Otis may attack (ex- 

 cept his own stool-pigeons,) and I ask the bee- 

 ktepers of America to art, not in furnishing me 

 money, but to bring all their influence to bear 

 on Congress to prevent the extension. 



Mr. Otis, 1 believe, is on his way to Washing- 

 ton for this purpose. (Mr. L. is already there.) 

 Let the beekeepers of every community get np 

 petitions at once. Have every beekeeper and 

 others interested to sign them and send them 

 without delay to Hon. A. F. Perry, Wasliington, 

 D. C. Men who own rights in the L. L. patent 



are as much interested in the matter as those 

 who do not. H. A. King. 



SUGGESTIONS. 



In your remonstrance give the following rea- 

 sons, in substance ; of course, adding as many 

 more as you please. But express all as briefly 

 as possible. 



1. Langstroth's_ patent has been re-issued and 

 extended, and lias been a source of income to 

 him for a period of twenty-one years. 



3. Thousands have already purchased a right 

 twice, compelled to do so hj first extension ; and 

 many more have quite recently purchased ; both 

 of these classes would now be compelled to re- 

 purchase, in the event of a second extension. 

 This extension would be granted only for tlie 

 benefit of tlie patentee, and as there are other 

 hives in the market superior to his, this benefit 

 would be obtained almo.st entirely at the ex- 

 pense of present right-owners, who have in- 

 vested, and having their bees established in 

 these hives, would have no alternative but to 

 re-purchase, or suffer great loss by precipitately 

 abandoning the hive.* 



3. The claims of said patent are now con- 

 tested in the U. S. Court. There is abundant evi- 

 dence that these claims are invalid, and the 

 patent should never have been granted. 



4. Langstroth preposterously claims all that 

 is valuai)le in a hive, and tliat all practical 

 movable frames used in other hives are infringe- 

 ments on his. The attempts, successful and 

 otherwise, to extort money from the beekeepers 

 of America, who u.se other hives, have been 

 numerous and persistent. These attempts and 

 the violent threats of owners of territory in this 

 j)atent, have done more to retard the progre.ss 

 of bee-culture among us, than all other causes 

 combined. 



These are merely hints; express them and 

 all others you may add, briefly, obtain all the 

 signers you can, and forward to your represen- 

 tative or senator without delay. This mutit be done 

 at once, or it will be too late. 



We shall make very short work of all this 

 stuff. Nearly a year ago we personally informed 

 Mr. King, that we would entertain no proposi- 

 tion for a compromise before the issue of the 

 suit, — and that Mr. Otis was of the same opinion. 

 We have never wavered in our determination. 

 Mr. Otis neither has nor pretends to have any 

 authointy to use our name in connection witli 

 any compromise — nor do I believe tliat he has 

 ever proposed one — nor does Mr. King's affidavit 

 say that he has. 



It seems that "a million laid at his feet," can- 

 not 710W temjit a man so enlightened by foreign 

 travel, to think of comi:)roinising with evil doers ! 



* Mr. Kina: seems to leave upon cverythinpc that he 

 writes " tlie tr.ul of the sei-peiit." Does he not know 

 that all hives legally in use before the extensions are 

 free from any further demands 1 Will those having 

 them in use, seek to pay another patent fee for more 

 of the same Ivind — v^lien there are ''■superior hrt'es" iu 

 the market ? Will Congress extend a patent which 

 the courts have pronounced illegal ? But enough of 

 i this trash. 



