878 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Nov. 15. 



THE NORTH AMERICAN BEE-KEEPERS CONVEN- 

 TION. 



St. Joseph (of about .50,000 population) is not 

 only a *" city set on a hill," but on a succession 

 of hills. It is a very clean, beautiful city; but 

 many of the hills are so steep that, even though 

 the streets are nicely paved, it is pretty hard 

 work to run a wheel up some of them. Presi- 

 dent Abbott, true to his promise, gave us a very 

 fine large hall. The attendence was not quite 

 what we expected, especially of Missouri bee- 

 keepers, but was altogether a very pleasant 

 and profitable gathering. How could it be 

 otherwise, with Dr. Miller, Hutchinson, York, 

 Holtermann, Frank Benton, Dadant, Christo- 

 pher Grimm, and others, including the repre- 

 sentative editors of six different bee-journals? 

 Pretty much all present reported either small 

 crops or entire failure, in consequence of the 

 severe drought that has been so widespread 

 and general. 



A good part of the first day was occupied in 

 remodeling the constitution, a work that has 

 long needed attention. A full report of the 

 proceedings will be found in the American Bee 

 Jouriutl, and .vill also be furnished in pam- 

 phlet form by its editor, so I will not take space 

 for it here. This session, like all its predeces- 

 sors, has convinced me still more strongly of the 

 great importance of keeping it up, and of mak- 

 ing a considerable effort to attend. Even 

 though the attendance be largely local, it is of 

 great moment that such an organization be 

 kept alive. At every session, matters of vast 

 importance to the bee-keeping world are 

 brought up and acted on, and work is done 

 that could be done only by such a body as this. 

 Old acquaintance was renewed, and new form- 

 ed; and by meeting face to face we not only 

 learned to understand each other better, but to 

 mutually grow in faith, hope, and charity. I 

 krioiv that, in some cases, unkind feelings were 

 swept away; and some who had been almost 

 enemies bade each other adieu with feelings 

 that had ripened, during those three days, into 

 something very near to an abiding friendship. 

 May the grace of God rest on and perfect the 

 work that was started in St. Joseph. President 

 Abbott proved a very efficient man. and his 

 brief bursts of oratory, delivered in his own 

 peculiar comic originality, will long be remem- 

 bered by all who were present. 



The mayor of the city, with the president of 

 the Chamber of Commerce (who gave us the 

 nice room free of charge), made speeches that 

 were responded to by Dr. Miller and Mr. Hol- 

 termann; and dur-ing the evening sessions we 

 were entertained l)y an address by T. B. Terry 

 (who is employed by the State to give lectures 

 at farmers' institutes), by various vocal and 

 instrumental pieces from local talent; and last, 

 but not least, the whole company were invited 

 across the way to attend, /Vee of charge, an ex- 

 hibition of trained animals, including the talk- 

 ing seal, followed by a concert. Some of the 

 boys indulged in a good deal of merriment be- 

 cause Dr. Miller, A. I. Root, and others were 

 present at a concert in atJieater. Well, boys, 

 both the doctor and I would have been much 

 better pleased had the beautiful woman who 

 sang " sweet Marie" been attired in woman's 

 dress, rather than in the fancy costume she 

 chose. And the man who danced and kicked 

 his heels so high, in womaiVs attire, we would 

 have rather seen in the garb of his own sex. 



We are glad, however, it was a man, and not 

 a woman who came before an audience to dance 

 a " highland fling." Had we known the whole 

 program beforehand, we should have excused 

 ourselves before the finishing part. To tell the 

 truth, however, we very much dislike to en- 

 courage, by our example, a fashion already too 

 common, of running out and in during any 

 kind of public exercises. Since that entertain- 

 ment I have b^en a number of days with Terry, 

 Abbott, and others, appointed by the State of 

 Missouri, to conduct farmers' institutes; and 

 the prevailing fashion of going out just be- 

 cause you don't like what is going on at the 

 time is certainly one that should not be en- 

 couraged. 



At the Bacon House, where most of the bee- 

 keepers stopped in order to get reduced races, 

 we "doubled up;" and Dr. Miller. Hutchinson, 

 York, and myself were all assigned to one room 

 containing two beds. We had been having 

 considerable sport, and kept it up, not only 

 after we were in bed, but until we should have 

 been asleep: and I laughed until the tears ran 

 down my cheeks, and until I really felt sore. 

 Now, it is a little singular; but, to tell the truth, 

 it is only at these conventions, once a year, 

 that I get to really feeling like a boy again. 

 Again and again we all declared we must go to 

 sleep; but Dr. Miller had learned to mimic the 

 talking seal to such perfection that, just as we 

 were losing consciousness, his "go out" would 

 set us going again until we made our respective 

 beds shake. 



At the close of the convention some one re- 

 marked that we had the promise of a song 

 from Dr. Miller, and we weren't going to dis- 

 band without it. At this the president, with 

 the utmost gravity, began, in the well-remem- 

 bered language of the seal-trainer of the night, 

 before. Said he: 



"Gentlemen and ladies, this wonderful seal 

 has not yet been trained to obey always right 

 off, but he usually does if we give him a little 

 time." 



This joke was received with a burst of ap- 

 plause; and when some one added, " Make him 

 say "go out,' " the audience just roared. Friend 

 Abbott hereupon said, "Dr. Miller, stand up 

 and say " go out.'" When the doctor did so, 

 mimicking the seal to perfection, the applause 

 and laughter brought down the house. Let me 

 explain that the talking seal speaks only the 

 above two words. Some of you may remember 

 the seals Mrs. Root and I saw climbing the 

 rocks near San Francisco, and that they bark- 

 ed and played like a lot of puppies. Well, 

 when they are at play they utter a peculiar 

 double bark that might easily be imagined 

 to be "go out." The manager explains to 

 his listeners that the seal has no tongue, and 

 can not speak as distinctly as we do; then he 

 says: 



"Now. Polly, sit up and tell the people what 

 they will all do when our entertainment is 

 over." 



Polly winks her soft human-like eyes, looks 

 very knowing, and, ivith the above preface 

 from her keeper, everybody hears her say very 

 distinctly. " Go out." Of course, there is a little 

 tricking about the talking part; but aside from 

 this, the intelligence of the animal is really 

 wonderful. The manager says she has been 

 taught entirely by kindness — no punishment 

 and no scolding. He told us he had studied 

 seals and other animals all his life, just as we 

 bee-keepers had studied the habits of bees. 

 Polly had just learned to play with a rubber 

 ball; and when we came in, her keeper said: 



"Come up here. Polly, and get acquainted 

 with these friends." 



