1899 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



653 



proceeded at once to collect samples of suspicious 

 honey for purposes of prosecution. Nine samples 

 were selected from the dozen or more procured, on 

 recommendation of Chemist E. N. Eaton, as being 

 clearly adulterated with glucose. 



Out of the nine, five were taken, and a complete 

 chemical analysis made for use in court. Upon the 

 advice of the State's attorney's office, the cases were 

 to be taken before a justice of the peace, and Justice 

 W. T. Hall was selected. Assistant State's Attorney 

 Fred L.. Fake was detailed to assist Mr. Moore in pre- 

 paring the evidence and conducting the trials, the 

 intention being to try one case at a time, and follow 

 up with the remaining four if successful in the first. 



Acting on the suggestions from the State's attor- 

 ney's office, criminal proceedings were begun July 1 

 against Nelson N. Blood, 4-18 W. Lake St., the com- 

 plaint being made by the editor of the American Bee 

 Journal, who, accompanied by Mr. Moore, had pur- 

 chased the alleged honey from Mr. Blood himself. 



July 3 Mr. Blood was arrested, and gave bonds in 

 $200 for his appearance July 10 for trial. 



July 10 the case of the People vs. Blood came up for 

 trial, and testimony was given by the writer, Mr. 

 Moore, and Chemist Eaton, for the people, and by Mr. 

 Blood in his own defense. The latter testified that he 

 did not know it was not honey ; that he had bought 

 it from Weber Bros, (wholesale grocers), who had 

 sold it to him for honey ; that he did not know any 

 thing about it. 



The case was continued for evidence and argument 

 several times. In the meantime Mr. Moore and the 

 writer called on Weber Bros., and subpoenaed Chas. 

 Weber, after questioning him closely. The subpoena 

 ordered him to produce in court the records, books, 

 papers, and bills relating to his last three sales of 

 honey to Mr. Blood previous to June 4, 1899, being the 

 next day after we purchased the jar of so-called honey 

 at Mr. Blood's store. On the further hearing, Mr. 

 Weber testified that he had tasted the stuff, and con- 

 sidered it good honey ; that he had purchased it from 

 Randall &. Co., a commission firm on South Water 

 Street. All of Mr. Weber's testimony indicated that 

 he was working in the interest of his customer (Mr. 

 Blood), so nothing of value was gained from him that 

 would aid us — except, possibly, that we learned who 

 did the adulterating. 



July 20 the arguments were completed, and Justice 

 Hall made his decision, discharging the prisoner. 

 This was indeed discouraging to the prosecution, as 

 we all (including the State's attorney) telt that under 

 the law we had clearly earned a favorable judgment, 

 and according to the facts as presented in the case. 

 How Justice Hall could render such a decision, in view 

 of the evidence aud the law, was, and is jet, a great 

 surprise to us. 



The turning-point possibly was this : The law says, 

 " No man shall be punished who shows to the court or 

 jury that he could not with reasonable diligence have 

 known that he was violating the law." Mr. Blood 

 did not testify that he even tasted the stuff he sold for 

 houey. He testifieo to nothing else that showed dili- 

 gence, small or great. He showed no diligence. The 

 law requires reasonable diligence. But Justice Hall 

 seemed not to take any notice of this feature of the 

 law, though he expressed himself, when invited to 

 taste the stuff bought from Blood for honey, that he 

 had no doubt it was bogus. 



Now, while it would appear that the United States 

 Bee keepers' Association met with a rather discourag- 

 ing defeat in its first attempt to enforce an anti-adul- 

 teration law, we are not sure but a good deal was 

 gained for the cause of pure honey in Chicago, after 

 all. Before Justice Hall rendered his final decision it 

 was noticed that the honey adulterators had wisely 

 taken the hint, and there appeared the additional 

 word " Imitation " on the labels ot their mixture of a 

 good deal of glucose with a little honey, thus correctly 

 renaming it " Imitation Honey." 



Be.-ides the above advantage gained, we think the 

 adulterators will not find such a great demand for 

 their compound hereafter, as the consuming public 

 were made aware of the prevalence of the bogus 

 article thiough the notices in the newspapers of the 

 attempt to enforce the anti-adulteration law of Illinois. 



It seems hard to understand, in view of all 

 the facts presented, how Justice Hall could 

 have discharged the defendant, for it appears 

 that there was no question at all about the 

 honey being adulterated, nor as to whether 

 Mr. Blood sold that honey or not ; and to any 



bee-keeper, at least, it would seem that the 

 defendant did not in any sense use any " rea- 

 sonable diligence." 



The case made quite a stir in the Chicago 

 papers — so much so that the adulterators of 

 honey have been badly scared, and well they 

 may be. If I am not very much mistaken, 

 the Association will recommend going right 

 ahead. In the next suit, in all probability, 

 conviction will be secured, and the culprit will 

 get a notoriety that will be any thing but 

 pleasant or profitable. 



The fact that the adulterators are beginning 

 to mark their packages " Imitation" appears 

 to be a most substantial victory, for the Asso- 

 ciation has accomplished through its officers 

 something of which it may be proud ; for no 

 consumer will knowingly buy such vile stuff, 

 labeled or marked " Imitation." 



The Association can not afford to stop at this 

 stage of the game, and it will not, I verily 

 believe. If one little prosecution like this, 

 resulting in apparent defeat, has accomplished 

 such good results as this I believe bee-keepers 

 will rise up in their might and fairly pour their 

 dollars into the Association treasury for the 

 express purpose of giving the adulterators a 

 few more rounds. 



That the wholesale firm which furnished 

 Mr. Blood with the stuff has already taken a 

 wholesome warning, is evidenced by a letter 

 which they wrote to their salesmen, and which 

 Editor York was able to secure. Here it is : 



^Chicago, July 10, 1899. 

 Pure Foods.— We believe the tendency of the buy- 

 ing public in the future will be in the direction of 

 strictly pure foods — ■ and in our opinion the result of 

 this will undoubtedly prove highly beneficial to the 

 health of the consuming public, aud unquestionably 

 more satisfactory to the jobber, retailer, and every- 

 body concerned in selling this quality of goods. Adul- 

 terated articles in the food line are still on the market, 

 but we believe it will be to the best inter- 

 ests of all concerned to advocate the purchase of pure 

 foods as speedily as possible. Unless you know it to 

 be a positive fact that the article you are selling is 

 absolutely pure, do not sell it as such. If you are in 

 doubt, make it known that way. Weber Bros. 



If this is not good anti-adulteration doctrine, 

 I do not know what is. The presumption is 

 that a number of other firms will come to the 

 same conclusion — especially so after one or 

 two more cases have begun, which there un- 

 doubtedly will be. 



Hurrah for the Association ! Give it your 

 support with your dollars. 



BESS, BIRDS, AND GRAPES. 



Nearly every year about this time the bee- 

 keepers are met with complaints from their 

 neighbors about how the bees are eating up 

 their grapes. It has been pretty well estab- 

 lished that bees never touch the sound fruit ; 

 and until within a year or so it was supposed 

 by all fruit-growers, and even by some bee- 

 keepers, that bees made a small round punc- 

 ture through the skin of some soft grapes like 

 the Niagara, and even pierced the more hardy 

 Concords. But two years ago we were suc- 

 cessful in finding the real culprit, and that 

 was in the form of a little bird, quick of flight, 

 scarcely if ever to be seen around the vines 

 when any human being was p: esent. This 



