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For the American Bee Journal. 



What I Know About Supply Dealing. 



JAMES HEDDON. 



Last month I promised to tell you 

 what I know about supply dealing. I 

 am so busy that I can hardly think of 

 half of it, and the whole would not 

 make a very large book. 



Some have asked me why I withdrew 

 from the field this season ; and here let 

 me say that poor health was the main 

 reason. One can much more easily carry 

 on a trade in any class of goods that are 

 more fixed or uniform. 



I wish' to speak of the practice of 

 warranting safe arrival of goods in our 

 line. I guess the practice grew out of 

 the newness of the class of goods to be 

 shipped. Bees more particularly. It is 

 amply demonstrated that a colony of 

 bees (properly put up) are more apt to 

 reach their destination safely than a box 

 of oranges. Does any one know a class 

 of commercial men who' warrant safe 

 arrival ? There is every reason why no 

 such warrant should ever be given. We 

 all know that fire, smash ups, or very 

 malicious handling may damage any 

 kind of freight. In such cases the 

 transportation company is responsible, 

 and they know enough to pay right up 

 without any trouble that will advertise 

 the matter. Now who do they owe ? 

 They owe the consignee, and not the 

 shipper. His receipt says he delivered 

 the goods in good shipping condition, 

 to all appearances, and the company are 

 in no way responsible to him nor he to 

 them or the consignee, and the only 

 party who can reasonably ask for dam- 

 age is the consignee, and the only party 

 who is in the least responsible' is the 

 one at fault. If it should so happen 

 that the shipper did not deliver the 

 goods in good shipping condition (as his 

 receipt says he did), then he should be 

 held partially or wholly responsible, as 

 the case may be, and to the company. 



In regard to "cash with the order," 

 that is the proper way to do our busi- 

 ness, where we are so unacquainted, 

 and not in the regular commercial field. 

 It saves book-keeping, and leaves no 

 opportunity for the confidence man. 

 On the other hand, the purchaser should 

 have some satisfactory evidence that 

 the dealer is good for the amount sent, 

 so that if any altercation ensues 

 wherein the purchaser is liable to be 

 wronged, he can squeeze his due out of 

 the dealer by law. 



A perusal of the different commercial 

 reporters will show you that a man is 

 " good," " fair," or " worthless," almost 

 in exact proportion to what can be 

 forced from him by law. This fact is 

 not exactly intended to eulogize our 

 present civilization, but I am not in- 

 clined to run around truth, whether it 

 is agreeable or not. It is pleasant to 

 feel that all our brothers (sons of Adam ) 

 are honest, but if you indulge this feel- 

 ing too much, you may have to put up 

 with the feelings of hunger. 



" It takes a rogue to catch a rogue " 

 is an old adage, but notwithstanding 

 that, I do not believe it is strictly neces- 

 sary for a man to be " either a fool or a 

 knave ;" in other words, it is highly pos- 

 sible to be honest without taking every 

 one else to be. 



There seems to be something peculiar, 

 enough about us as a class to cause 

 some to rub their eyes and inquire : 

 " Are bee-keepers more dishonest than 

 others, as a class ?" Well, I should not 

 wonder if they were, for very many have 

 been lured into the business by the 

 " gushers," who told them that great 

 returns for little outlay, labor and 

 knowledge, were there. Such " talk " 

 naturally catches the lazy dead-beat. 



In regard to prices of the different 

 articles kept by supply dealers, one can 

 tell nothing about who gives the most 

 for the money by reading descriptions 

 and prices in their circulars. A hive is 

 sold by one all complete for, say, $3. 

 By another do. for $1. Both claim to be 

 the best, and one is described as worthy 

 as the other. These descriptions use 

 adjectives that are all comparative, and 

 really convey no meaning at all. It is 

 quite likely that the $3 man gives the 

 most for the money, and realizes the 

 smallest profit. A pine candle box 

 can be had for 1 shilling; a cross be- 

 tween this and a bee hive is easily sold 

 at "60c in the fiat." I heard a party 

 say that he sent for some cheap hives in 

 the Mat, and large, black, pine knots 

 dropped out as he handled the pieces. 

 I have the pleasure of an acquaintance 

 with the man who shipped this worth- 

 less material, and I believe him honest, 

 too, but you see he used just such trash, 

 and if this let was not quite so bad as 

 some he kept at home, his circular 

 would pronounce it " the best." 



Last evening I took a circular from 

 the office chock full of Novice's cuts, 

 and offering for sale nearly everything 

 in our line, and yet the party makes but 

 one article mentioned. Verily this place 

 is not " Headquarters " for much of 

 anything, is it ? I have been a little sur- 

 prised at the way a gushing, pretentious 

 circular would catch customers. I did 



