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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



J. W. ROUISE. 



Perhaps among all the Missouri bee- 

 keepers none is so prominent as Mr. J. 

 W. Rouse, in the town of Mexico. 



In the June Proqressive Bee-Keeper 

 (which, by the way, is quite consistent 

 with the front part of its name) we find 

 a good portrait and biographical sketch 

 of Mr. Rouse, the latter of which we 

 have this week taken the liberty to copy 

 for the benefit of our readers. It was 

 written by Mr. W. S. Dornblaser, who 

 writes as one very intimately acquainted 

 with Mr. R. Here is the sketch referred 

 to: 



Mr. J. W. Rouse was born in Monroe 

 county, Mo., on Jan. 9, 1852, and is, 

 therefore, in his 42nd year. When 

 quite young he exhibited and developed 

 a mechanical genius, and in after life 

 took up a pursuit in which he could 

 make some use of what seemed to him 

 to be a natural talent. 



He was married to Miss Williamson, 

 in his native county, at the age of 20 

 years, and after his marriage he settled 

 down to conducting a general repair 

 shop on wood and iron work. As this 

 business increased, it naturally led him 

 into the manufacture of wagons, bug- 

 gies, etc., finishing them complete, as be 

 was an adept in all branches of mechani- 

 cal skill necessary for this work. 



While engaged in this business a nat- 

 ural fondness for honey led him into 

 keeping a few bees. Once started in 

 this industry, he very soon became an 

 enthusiast. His enthusiasm was of that 

 kind which " sticks," and in all the 

 years that he has devoted to this pro- 

 fession, it has never lagged, but has led 

 him on, on, on, step by step, until now 

 he stands among the foremost bee-keep- 

 ers in the State of Missouri. It led him 

 gradually to abandon his old business, 

 and more and more into the manufacture 

 of various apiarian supplies. It led him 



to observe closely the necessities of his 

 new pets, the best methods of supplying 

 these needs, and then the result. It led 

 him fully to abandon his old business, 

 and embark wholly in and devote his 

 whole time to the development of his 

 apiary, and the industry he loved so 

 well. 



Such enthusiasm as Mr. Rouse dis- 

 played is commendable, provided it is 

 not allowed to sway the individual of 

 whom it has possession, instead of simply 

 firing him with an energy to delve to the 

 bottom, and climb to the top on the 

 knowledge the delving revealed. In 

 him it was happily held in check by a 

 disposition to observe closely all things 

 that presented themselves, to argue 

 from cause to effect, and profit by the 

 results of the argument. Thus his en- 

 thusiasm became a benefit, instead of a 

 curse, as it often does, if, as above 

 stated, it is allowed to sway the individ- 

 ual of whom it has possession. But, in 

 Mr. Rouse, it was not satisfied with 

 bringing benefits to him solely. If any- 

 thing, Mr. R. is not selfish, and all the 

 knowledge gained, the facts gleaned, the 

 causes revealed, and effects pointed out, 

 must be given to the world. 



One of the things that early presented 

 themselves to his mind was the fact that 

 outside of those who actually kept bees, 

 practically little or absolutely nothing 

 was known of the profession. Not only 

 this, but that much of what the world 

 was supposed to know, was entirely 

 erroneous, absolutely unfounded, and 

 often actually ludicrous. 



Another condition also presented itself 

 to him. It was that many who were 

 actually engaged in keeping bees, were 

 bound by old methods, and knew noth- 

 ing of movable-frame hives, or any of 

 the advanced methods of handling them. 



It has been his aim to correct, as far 

 as in his power, the mistaken impres- 

 sions upon the minds of those who were 

 held by old, worn-out and impractical 

 methods. He believes, and in a great 

 measure, very truly, that many of the 

 drawbacks, and much of the opposition 

 to the industry, came from a lack of 

 knowledge, not among bee-keepers, but 

 among non-bee-keepers ; that literature 

 is wanted, not so much to educate and en- 

 lighten practical bee-keepers, but to in- 

 struct the mass of people who do not, 

 and possibly never expect to, keep bees, 

 as well as the novice, and the box-hive, 

 hollow-log and nail-keg man. This con- 

 viction was always prominently before 

 him, and in the several years in which 

 he was engaged to lecture on apiculture 

 in the farmers' institutes held by the 



