1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



65 



have taken away, knows that nothing in the 

 world would make me run away, or disobey 

 orders. He knows I never flinched on a 

 load, no matter how heavy or how unreason- 

 able it may have been ; but why didn't 

 they tell this new man how Jmrd I had 

 worked for a good reputation V And then to 

 have me cut up that ridiculous figure before 

 all those passengers in the car — those intel- 

 ligent and well-dressed men and women ! 

 Women are always kind to horses, so far as 

 I know ; and I am sure that, if that driver 

 had been a woman I should not have been 

 called a fool before somebody inquired into 

 the matter and explained tchi/ I did not 

 understand my business. Many "people think 

 that horses can not have things explained to 

 them ; bi;t as the world is improving and 

 progressing in so many ways, I wonder if it 

 is not possible they shall some time know 

 us better than they do now, and. maybe, 

 when they know us better they will love us 

 more. Oh ! why did he not wait a little be- 

 fore he — called— me — a.— fool V 



An hour or two after the above facts were 

 passing through my mind, the mayor of the 

 city of East Saginaw gave us a little talk at 

 our bee-keepers' convention ; and as it was 

 not quite noon when he closed his talk, he 

 suggested that, if any of the bee-men would 

 care to see some of the machinery that 

 moves the great city, he would, Avith" great 

 pleasure, wait on them. Of course, we glad- 

 ly accepted his kind invitation. The first 

 sight that was shown us was the fire depart- 

 ment ; and he said that, as it might be new 

 to some of us, he had arranged so that, in a 

 few minutes' time, a signal of fire would be 

 sounded. This signal would be given from 

 a part of the city over five miles away, and 

 we would have the pleasure of seeing how 

 the boys, the horses, and all the machinery 

 worked. The boys were supposed to be up 

 stairs in bed. They slept with suitable 

 clothing for jumping up at a second's notice. 

 Electricity plays an important part in the 

 work, for it sounds the alarm, turns up the 

 gas, opens the stable -doors, and lets the 

 horses rush to their places, even before a 

 man or boy is on the spot. The horses are 

 confined in stalls, without any halters ; and 

 at the alarm of fire and the opening of the 

 doors they evidently Xry to be on hand before 

 the boys are. Well, every thing went off as 

 we were informed it would go off. With 

 the crash of the alarm and the sudden blaze 

 of gas, the doors flew open and the horses 

 came with a plunge right under where their 

 harnesses hung. One horse attracted my 

 attention particularly. Before putting his 

 bits in his mouth, as he was taught to do. he 

 took time to give his companion a friendly 

 nip in the neck, as much as to say, ''Now 

 we are going to have some fun." He was 

 quick enough, however, to have the bits in 

 his mouth as soon as the boys came tum- 

 bling down a brass rod quite near the horses' 

 heads. They slide down this brass rod in 

 preference to coming down stairs, because 

 they can come quicker. One slid right down 

 over the other, so it looked like a live stream 

 of nice, healthy, handsome-looking boys. 

 The mayor told us to look at our watches, 

 9,nd see how many minutes it took them to 



get under way. Why, dear friends, my 

 Waterbury watch did not say any minutes at 

 all. The engine was off like a shot, before 

 the minute-hand of the watch showed scarce- 

 ly any time at all. 



After the horses came back, I petitioned 

 to take a better look at them ; and for the 

 sake of letting us see just how they behave 

 themselves, the mayor invited the bee-keep- 

 ers to stand at the back of the stalls. These 

 stalls, remember, were open at both ends. 

 The fire-alarm doors closed the space at 

 their heads. The other was permanently 

 open ; therefore when they came back after 

 being unharnessed, it was their custom to 

 go right througli the stall, then turn around 

 in the passage back of the stalls, then go 

 back with their faces toward the aforesaid 

 doors. They started in as naturally as if it 

 were an every-day occurrence (which is 

 really the truth, for they go through the 

 above jirogramme everyday at noon), until 

 the playful one before mentioned happened 

 to look up and see a lot of strange men back 

 of his stall, in the passageway. He stood 

 with his ears pricked up, looking at us for a 

 moment, and then, evidently being bashful, 

 or a little afraid of so many strangers, he 

 concluded to see if he could not turn about 

 inside of his stall. The stall was too narrow, 

 however, and I began to think he might get 

 stuck, or perhaps injure himself. His mas- 

 ter, however, getting his eye on him at just 

 this crisis, called out, " Why, Sam. 1 am 

 ashamed of you. These men won't hurt 

 you. Come in here and see them." 



The master was one of the nice young 

 boys I have before spoken of. The horse 

 looked at the boy a minute, then looked at 

 the crowd as some bashful boy or girl might 

 have done ; and finally, in obedience to the 

 word of command, came up to us. He 

 sniffed a little ; but being assured by his 

 keeper that we were good men, he evidently 

 took it for granted, and let us pat him and 

 talk to him. But he could not restrain the 

 vein of fun that seemed to be a part of his 

 horse nature. For as he turned, he gave a 

 playful nip toward the region of the ribs of 

 one of our bee-men who was in the f oregroun d . 

 At this so many questions were asked, the 

 keeper called to him, " Come out here. Sam. 

 They want to see you perform some of your 

 tricks.'' 



Obedient to the word of command, Sam 

 walked out and followed his keeper. After 

 several tricks, the boy removed his cap and 

 said, "Now, Sam, let the gentlemen see you 

 kiss me." Sam gave us another look, as 

 much as to say he didn't really like to show 

 his affection before so much company ; but 

 finally he put up his lips, opened them a lit- 

 tle, and gave the boy a caress on his cheek, 

 as it were ; and as if to indicate to us that it 

 was not all a form without any heart in it, 

 he also gave his master a loving lick across 

 the forehead with his soft tongue. The boy 

 was a nice clean boy. He looked brisht and 

 intelligent; and as the horse gave him this 

 caress, I felt a greater admiration for my 

 fellow-men, in one line at least, than I ever 

 felt before. This horse and this boy under-- 

 stood each other perfectly. They could a.h 

 most talk with each other. 



