AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



75 



No. 65 -J. F. MicliaeL 



The subject of this sketch was born 

 on Aug. 27, 1847, near the present site 

 of Tecumseh, Darke county, Ohio. 



At the age of two years he moved with 

 his parents to Randolph county, Ind., 



J. F. MICHAEL. 



which, at this time, was very thinly set- 

 tled. His mother died when he was 

 eight years old. His life from 8 to 14 

 years was that in common with other 

 boys of that age. 



When 14 years old, he engaged to 

 Mr. Perry Fields, a very estimable gen- 

 tleman, doing farm work in summer, 

 and attending school in the winter. He 

 worked the first season at $6.00, and 

 the second at $8.00, per month. Mr. 



Fields taught him many lessons in 

 morals as well as farming. At the close 

 of the second season he returned to 

 Darke county, 0., where his home has 

 been ever since. 



In order to break the monotony of 

 farm life, Mr. Michael joined the Fed- 

 eral Army at the age of 16 — "sweet 

 sixteen " — making the memorable " trip" 

 up the Shenandoah Valley, in 1864. 



The War closed, and no further ser- 

 vice being needed from him, be returned 

 home with a vivid impression upon his 

 mind that "there is no place like War." 

 He resumed farm work, this time farm- 

 ing "on shares." Mr. John Fogle, the 

 landlord, gave him one share, while he 

 (Fogle) took two. He spent the winter 

 at school, and in the spring of 1867, 

 with a mind made up to be a college 

 boy, he entered the once famous Liber 

 College, in Jay county, Ind., under fhe 

 instruction of Prof. Tucker. Securing 

 the necessary qualifications to teach, 12 

 years were devoted to that occupation. 



In 1881 Mr. Michael commenced the 

 mercantile business where he lives, and 

 in connection with the store business he 

 has made queen-rearing a special work, 

 devoting much time and money in this 

 line. Queen-rearing and keeping store 

 make life spicy, he thinks, as but a few 

 queens are looked after without some 

 one wants a pound of coffee or 25 cents 

 worth of sugar, and in a great hurry at 

 that ! 



His present number of colonies is 70. 

 He winters them on the summer stands, 

 using boxes and protectors. Forest 

 leaves constitute the packing. He uses 

 sealed covers, and winter losses are 

 small. 



Mr. M. never attended a meeting of 

 bee-keepers without feeling that he had 

 been made better by associating with a 

 class so kindly disposed. He seldom 

 writes for the bee-papers, preferring to 

 leave this work to others better qualified. 



Mr. Michael's family consists of his 

 wife and the following children : Leon- 

 ard (19 years), Vida (16), Vernie (11), 

 and Cyula (8). In religion he is a New 



