GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 1. 



journey by sunrise. I shall never forget the 

 inspiration that came over me as I sped on the 

 wings of the wind over the beautiful graveled 

 roads of Miami and Shelby Counties. The text 

 that father Langstroth gave me came up with 

 wonderful vividness and beauty — "the peace of 

 God, which pass^eth all understanding." Yes, 

 indeed, nothing can express it as does that pas- 

 sage of scripture. I thought at the time, of 

 only a few weeks ago, when I was feeling a 

 little touch of the blues. At that time I prayed 

 earnestly over the matter. This morning I felt 

 the answer to the prayer had come; and as I 

 was out in the country, and nobody near, it was 

 a wonderful privilege to thank t.od out loud 

 for the gift of that precious hour. And then 

 the words of a beautiful hymn from one of the 

 later editions of the Gospel Hymns burst in 

 upon my understanding with a flood of glory; 

 and I sang out loud alone by myself — no, not 

 alone, for God's holy angels were my compan- 

 ions. Let me give you just a few lines of that 

 hymn: 



To liim that overcomes the foe, 



White raiment shall be given; 

 Before the angels he shall know 



His name confessed in heaven. 

 Then onward from the hills of light. 



Our hearts with love iiHame; 

 We'll vanquish all the hosts of night 



In .Tesus' conquering name. 

 Faith is the victory! faith is the victory! 

 Oh glorious victory that overcome s the world ! 



At Berlin I found St. Michael's church— a 

 structure that cost over ?50,000. Attached to it 

 Is a tower 230 feet high. From this there is 

 said to be a magnificent view of the whole sur- 

 rounding country. As I rode up I saw a notice, 

 "Church not open to-day."' Notwithstanding 

 this, I made an unsuccessful eff'ort lo have the 

 rules suspended for just that time. 



As I approached St. Mary's I began to see 

 evidences that I was getting near the great oil 

 region; and I found I was also in the vicinity 

 of the great reservoir of Mercer Co. This is 

 the largest artificial reservoir of water on the 

 face of the earth; and as there is a fair road- 

 way clear around it, I turned out of my way to 

 travel a few miles along its shores. I found 

 the water quite low; but yet it was a wonder- 

 ful sight to see an artificial lake H) miles long 

 and 7 miles wide. Before reaching the reser- 

 voir I passed hundreds of oil-wells, most of 

 them being pumped by a set of levers and con- 

 necting-rods that were both curious and won- 

 derful to me. In order to avoid the danger of 

 setting the gas on fire, the furnace and boiler 

 were some little distance from any well. The 

 steam is carried along the ground in pipes, to 

 the engine. Then this one engine does the 

 pumping for a large number of wells, through 

 the connecting-rods I have mentioned. In fact, 

 I was told that one engine had worked as many 

 as 55 different wells, situated close together. 

 The gas and oil go away in appropriate -pipes, 

 so that nobody comes near the greater part of 

 the wells, perhaps for days at a time. Where 

 oil is so plentiful, one would suppose every 

 thing would be well lubricated; but in many 

 localities the creaking and groaning from these 

 walking-beams and oscillating-rods would, it 

 seems to me, keep the people awake nights in 

 the adjoining farmhouses. 



At one point a little south of the reservoir I 

 saw a small army of workmen laying an eight- 

 inch gas-pipe from Indiana to Ohio. The parts 

 were screwed together by means of a traction 

 engine. This wonderful machine took hold of 

 the different lengths of the great iron pipes, 

 and screwed them up gas-tight, with a speed 

 and precision that seemed almost like fairy- 

 tales of old. When I asked who owned all that 

 property, and who paid those great gangs of 



workmen, the answer was. " The Standard Oil! 

 Co." I was told, too, that they paid excellent- 

 wages for competent men. I followed them 

 along with my wheel, being careful to keep out 

 of the way, and I could not help admiring the 

 system, skill, and excellent training that were- 

 exhibited all along the work. While the pon- 

 derous machinery was doing its work, and men 

 were fairly jumping that there might not be 

 any unnecessary delay where so manv were- 

 awaiting the m,otions of the machinery, I heard 

 no profane words and no overbearing language 

 from the bosses of the different gan g s, chj 



As I came near the great reservoir, the num- 

 ber of derricks kept increasing; and then down 

 through the swamp of mud, oil, and water, 

 where one could scarcely find a footing, except 

 on the high banks of the reservoir, even there 

 oil-wells are planted so thickly that one is lost 

 in wonder and surprise. I was told afterward 

 that at one time this seemed to be the center of 

 the excitement in regard to oil and gas. There 

 is also a good deal of fishing going on here with 

 a peculiar kind of net or trap for fish. This in- 

 dustry goes on fully ten months in the year. 



While I was wending my way along on the 

 top of the reservoir, alone in the wilderness, 

 except for the creaking of the pumping ma- 

 chinery, I began to feel thirsty. The waters of 

 the reservoir, on account of their lowness, were, 

 of course, not fit to drink; and those in the 

 swamp, on the other side of the embankment^ 

 were still more forbidding on account of the oil 

 that seemed to cover the surface of the water 

 and every thing else. A little further along, 

 my inquiring gaze rested on something down 

 through the bushes in the swamp, that looked 

 like a beautiful fountain. I at first was inclined 

 to think my imagination had been playing me a 

 trick, and I thought of the mirages in the des- 

 ert. I stood my wheel against a log, and, like 

 Moses, decided to stop and inquire into the 

 strange thing. There was no myth about it. 

 Before my eyes was the most beautiful crystal 

 fountain that I ever saw anywhere. The beau- 

 tiful sparkling water came up through an 

 eight-inch pipe, perhaps three feet above th& 

 surface of the oily water in the swamp. Then 

 it poured over on all sides so as to form a beau- 

 tiful inverted bowl or globe, rivaling any thing- 

 ever made by glass- workers. It seemed as 

 if it could not be real, and I pushed my finger 

 through the sheet of water as it came down. 

 It was deliciously cool to my touch. Then I 

 leaned over and touched it with my lips. 

 Surely it could not be the water from the great 

 reservoir. It tasted so delicious I felt sure it 

 could not be hurtful. Just at this point mem- 

 ory seemed to be groping backward in the past. 

 What was it that this reminded me of? I could 

 not tell; but I kept on drinking the delicious 

 water. When I was finally satisfied I stopped 

 a little and began to be sensible of a sul- 

 phury taste in my month, and then memory 

 made a suggestion that made me speak out 

 loud: "Green Springs, as sure as you live!" 

 Just then I heard footsteps on the embankment 

 above. Remembering my wheel standing there 

 alone I climbed to the top, and a dialogue en- 

 sued : 



" Look here, stranger, can you tell me where 

 that beautiful water down there comes from? 

 Surely it has no connection with this great res- 

 ervoir, has it? " 



" Why, bless you, no. That water comes 

 from 2300 feet down in the bosom of the earth. 

 They drilled a hole for oil; but instead of oil 

 they got that spring of mineral water." 



"Mineral water!'" said I, remembering the 

 great quantity I had just imbibed. 



"Yes; don't you taste the sulphur? Come 

 to think of it, it was about a minute after you 



