1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



73 



spelling will not in general be liked at first, for, if otherwise, there 

 would long ago have been a radical reform. In England the 

 cumbersome system of "pounds," ■■ shillings " and "pence," in" 

 stead of the simple decimal system as used in this country, con- 

 tinues to be used probably for no other reason than because people 

 are used to it, and no matter how much simpler and better "dol- 

 lars " and "cents" are, they wouldn't like the change. Our cor- 

 respondents who object to the present reform may recall the time 

 when labour, honour. Atlantick and Pacifick were common spell- 

 ings, and no doubt there were many who objected to dropping the 

 superfluous letters, but it is doubtful if they would want, or indeed 

 if any one would now ask, to return to the old form. 



It is possible that of the proposed reforms "there is the least 

 reason for this one," as one critic says, but there certainly is ciouil 

 reason for this. A sufticient reason for the change, even if there 

 were no other, is that it is shorter. One letter takes the place of 

 two. and in many cases of three. If that one letter does the work 

 as well as the two or three, why is not the change desirable ? But 

 the one letter does the work beiler—a. sufficient reason of itself. 

 When " ed " is written where "t" is spoken, why not write it 

 " t ?" To those who are used to it, it may look better to write 

 " shipped " than " shipt," but does it sound better ? If these two 

 reasons are not sufficient, it's hardly worth while to have reasons. 

 The new spelling is shorter, and its correct use will make us be- 

 come accustomed to the new way, while no amount of use will 

 make the longer and incorrect way better. " Contest " instead o£ 

 "confessed " may offend the eye, while we easily endure "blest," 

 and would object to seeing " Blessed be the tie that binds," the 

 only reason in the world for the difference being that we are 

 accustomed to •' blest " and not to " confest." 



The reformed spelling was not adopted because all our readers 

 would be sure to like it, nor indeed because any considerable 

 minority might like it, but because it might help them in time to 

 endure it, and in the end help to bring about a reform that might 

 save many a heartache in the little folks who will learn to spell in 

 the future. 



Of course, we do not insist that all our correspondents shall 

 fall into line, providing it's too much trouble, and we are willing 

 to take the trouble on ourselves; but they may be surprised to find 

 how seldom words occur that necessitate the change. 



It is. however, pleasant to know that the majority endorse the 

 change, and among them we have received the following note 

 from one of our most prominent correspondents, and one who has 

 had much to do with educational matters: 



" Editor York:— You have done a brave thing to face the 

 prejudices of people who will dislike any change for no other rea- 

 son than because it is a change. Perhaps it might not be a bad 

 plan to give a specimen of our language as it was written some 

 hundreds of years ago. and ask some of the old fogies if they would 

 like to return to it. But that's just where we would be now if no 

 change had been allowed. I'm rather hoping this change of put- 

 ting " t '' for " d," when it is pronounced " t." may be only the 

 beginning of reforms in spelling, and that future generations of 

 the little innocents in our public schools may not be obliged to 

 waste a full year of their school lives in learning what they ought 

 never to be obliged to learn." 



We may say further that we are trying to be careful to spell 

 according to the new way. but we find that often we fail to see 

 (until too late to correct) that a word has gone in with an " ed " 

 that should have been changed to "t." But please remember, 

 not every word that has "ed " as an affix is to end with " t." If in 

 doubt, refer to your Webster or other dictionary. One of the two 

 correspondents who have objected, gave us clear evidence of his 

 own thoughtlessness, or carelessness, by calling our attention to 

 what he supposed was a fact, namely, that "ed " in • walked " is 

 not pronounced as the sound of "t." But it was so easy to refer 

 him to Webster's dictionary, where it is clearly shown that 

 " walked " is pronounced as if spelt " wakt,'' the " a " having the 

 same sound as " a " in "all." It always pays to be sun you are 

 i-ijjlit before attempting to criticise another. We don't know every- 

 thing — of course not— but if there is one thing above all others 

 that we prided ourselves on, both as a student and as public school- 

 teacher, it was our ability to V''""""'"'*' '>°'l V"" words furrrcllij. 

 Were it not for the appearance of boastfulness. we would mention 

 a few of the prizes we have won in spelling contests. 



But it is quite unnecessary to take further space on this sub- 

 ject. We have agreed, with many others, to adopt this reform in 

 our spelling, and of course expect to adhere to our agreement. We 

 feel certain that it is a progressive step, and that all our readers 

 will see it in the light we do. after they become accustomed to 

 reading words spelt according to this new and sensible reform 

 method. 



Ti?e Weekly Budget* 



Mn. N. E. France, of Grant Co., Wis., reported Jan 26 a 

 temperature of 25- below zero, and the day before 30 below. 

 He called it " cold weather !" Shouldn't wonder a bit if it 

 was. 



Mr. T. F. Bingham, of bee-smoker notoriety, residing in 

 Clare Co., Mich., wrote us Jan. 25 : "It is 10^ below zero 

 this morn — coldest of the season. Nice sleighing. Bees are 

 all right, so far." 



Mr. N. H. Smith, of Ontario, Canada, wrote Jan. 23 : 

 " I had something happen last fall that I n_ever saw since I 

 have kept bees. It was this: On Nov. 27 my bees were 

 working all day carrying in pollen. Bees are wintering finely." 



Mr. E. L. Carkington, formerly of Pettus, Bee Co., Te.'j., 

 has removed to DeFuniak Springs. Fla.. hoping to benefit his 

 Invalid wife's health, and where he will engage in rearing 

 Italian bees and queens. See his advertisement on another 

 page. 



Mr. M. H. Mendleson, of "Ventura Co., Calif., wrote us 

 Jan. 18: "We are having fine rains, and prospects for 

 more." This is encouraging to California bee-keepers, tor a 

 honey crop there depends altogether upon a sufBclent amount 

 of rainfall. 



Mr. G. M. Doolittle, of New York, wrote us Jan. 26 : 



" Our winter has been very mild till of late. The last 

 week has been very cold and rough — little snow, and that 

 piled in heaps. Bees seem to be wintering well, both indoors 

 and outside." 



Mr. F. F. Zillmer, of Wisconsin, wrote Jan. 25 : 



"Friend York: — I am highly pleased with the good 

 "Old Reliable," and the straight road it has taken in expos- 

 ing frauds. I will be ready to join the New Union as soon as 

 the amalgamation is settled, to help check those blood- 

 suckers." 



SuPT. Xi. D. Howe, of the Vermont College Farm, when 

 paying his subscription Jan. 25, said : 



"I think a great deal of the American Bee Journal; it 

 has been a great help to rae for the last three years in my 

 work at the College Farm, where I have been Farm 

 Superintendent here for the last five years, and have had 

 charge of the bees. I have done a large amount of experi- 

 mental work, and yet have made them profitable." 



Mr. Thos. 6. Newman, in a receut letter from San Fran- 

 cisco, Calif., says: 



" I am just getting settled again. I have a nice, sunny 

 location — an essential in California. But I have the worst 

 ' cold ' I ever had." 



It will be rembered that Mr. Newman had just been mov- 

 ing from San Diego to San Francisco. His number and street 

 are, 2096 Market street. We once heard that a California 

 " cold" is the worst of "worst colds" known. It must be 

 pretty rough if It is ahead of a genuine Chicago " cold." 



Mr. a. S. Terrill— one of the members of the now de- 

 funct firm of Terrill Bros., who were chief backers of the 

 fraudulent firm of " Wheadon & Co."— is now in the real 

 estate business in Chicago, and calls himself "the home- 

 seekers' friend." Awhile ago he pretended to be " the honey- 

 shippers' friend,'' by proxy — -through Wheadon & Co. He is 

 now trying to get people to let him invest their surplus money 

 in real estate, mortgages, etc. In a letter soliciting patron- 

 age, he says: "lam a large property holder myself, and 

 therefore believe that my judgment might be of some value to 

 you in placing your money." No doubt he's " a large prop- 

 erty holder," but what mevns did he use in order to be able 

 now to say it? If the truth were kuown, we might find that 

 many honest, unsuspecting farmers contributed the greater 

 share of it. We are informed that he " made" .•? 100,000 on 

 South Water street, and we haven't the slightest doubt of it. 

 But if we can prevent it, no more of our readers will help to 

 enrich such "friends." 



l^" See " Bee-Keeper's Guide" offer on page -to. 



