American Hee Journal 



brought specimens of the substance to the 

 trading post founded by John Jacob Astor at 

 the moutli of the Columbia. 



Prior to last April a company of wliicli Mr. 

 Walter was a member was engaged in selling 

 lots near where the discovery was made. At 

 that time Kit Carson, the famous scout, now 

 employed as an assayer by the Government, 

 visited the place and announced that the 

 supposed beeswax was none other than 

 ozokerite, a product of hydrocarbon oil, 

 found only in South America and in small 

 quantities in Xorthern Europe. 



At Nehalem the oil comes from a great 

 depth to the surface, and in passing through 

 the sand the cruder elements are worked 

 out. This is used mainly as a lubricant. It 

 is also used in the preparation of certain 

 drugs. The records used by the phono- 

 graphs are made from the unrefined product. 

 Machinery has been purchased by Mr. Wal- 

 ter's company, and the work of developing 

 the property is to be undertaken at once. 



Oiir Trip to the Northwest 



Last month we told of visiting the 

 new plant now being completed by the 

 G. B. Lewis Co., at Watertown, Wis. 

 From there we went on to Minneapolis, 

 and called on the Minnesota Bee-Sup- 

 ply Co., of which P. J. Doll is the chief 

 moving spirit. Their business was es- 

 tablished about 13 years ago by Chas. 

 Mondeng and Christ Miller, w'ho, after 

 1>2 years failed. Business was resumed 

 by Chas. Mondeng until in January, 

 1901, when P. J. Doll bought in as 

 one-half partner. They continued to 

 do business for another l>i years, when 

 Mr. Mondeng sold out to John Doll, 

 the father. From that time on the 

 business has been steadily increasing, 

 being doubled nearly every year in 

 sales. They have continuously added 

 machines and floor space, and even 

 this year their increase is larger than 

 ever. In 1903 they occupied a space in 

 a basement of 2500 square feet. They 

 now occupy three floors, amounting to 

 15,000 square feet of floor space. Their 

 warehouses at home and at Buffalo 

 have a floor space of 3000 square feet, 

 and the factory at Buffalo 6800 square 

 feet. This makes a total floor space, 

 not including their lumber sheds, of 

 24.800 square feet. 



At the Minneapolis factory are only 

 manufactured goods made of pine lum- 

 ber, such as hives, frames, etc. The 

 capacity here is about 200 hives per 

 day, besides, of course, manufacturing 

 several other articles. All shipping is 

 done from Minneapolis, as they find 

 they can serve their customers a great 

 deal better and quicker at Minneapolis 

 than in a smaller town. 



Their factory at Buffalo really ought 

 to be called a mill. This is where they 

 saw veneer logs for whatever purpose 

 intended. All sections, shipping-cases, 

 pattern slats — in fact, everything made 

 of basswood is sawed and manufac- 

 tured there, and sent in a finished state 

 to Minneapolis, ready to be re-shipped 

 or re-packed with other goods. On ac- 

 count of having their own veneer mill, 

 they have been able to produce a supe- 

 rior shipping-case. It was four years 

 ago they first put out a veneer shipping- 

 case, and since then it has grown in 

 favor nearly all over the country. 



They also manufacture berry boxes 

 and crates. These are sold only in the 

 flat, and mostly to large buyers, such 

 as will take car-load lots, because the 

 freight on this class of stock makes too 

 much difference in the price. They 

 have about 4 acres of ground at Buf- 



falo, with a railroad spur running 

 through the full length of it, enabling 

 them to load cars at the factory door, 

 or in the yard or warehouse, wherever 

 the stock may be that they wish to load. 



Last season they had a great many 

 more orders than they could fill. They 

 are making preparations now so they 

 can take care of their increasing busi- 

 ness. 



Two years ago they incorporated un- 

 der the law-s of Minnesota for a capital 

 of $50,000, of which only $30,000 has 

 been issued. Business at the present 

 time is not very rushing, but the pros- 

 pects are for a good year. 



The Dolls are an energetic firm, and 

 mean to get their share of the bee-sup- 

 ply trade. They certainly are hustlers 

 for business, and know how to do 

 things. 



Next we went to Augusta. Wis., 

 where the Gus Dittmer Co. make such 

 quantities of their well-known comb 

 foundation. "Gus" is a genius. He 



Little Horace Dittmer. 



invented his own process and made all 

 his equipment (except the usual roller 

 machines) without ever having seen any 

 one else make comb foundation. They 

 had the greatest season's business in 

 their history, having handled over 50,- 

 000 pounds of their foundation. 



Mr. Fred Dittmer, the oldest son of 

 Gus Dittmer, is rapidly getting hold of 

 the whole comb foundation business of 

 the firm, so that his father can stay at 

 home and play with Baby Horace, whom 

 his grandpa' and all the rest of the 

 family consider just about "the whole 

 thing." And he is a dear little fellow, 

 as will be seen by his picture herewith. 



Our ne.xt stop was at Marshfield, 

 Wis., where we called on the Marshfield 

 Mfg. Co. They, too, had the most rush- 

 ing season in 1909 that they ever had, 

 according to Mr. George Donhard, who 

 has charge of the ofiice work, and who 

 very cordially entertained us during 

 the afternoon. We regretted not being 

 able to see either Mr. Hafer or Mr. 

 Kalsched, the members of the firm. 

 Mr. Hafer is now residing in Milwau- 

 kee, having retired from active busi- 

 ness about two years ago. So Mr. 

 Kalsched, who is a nephew of Mr. 



Hafer, manages the factory, and, with 

 the assistance of Mr. Donhard, handles 

 their large business. They have in- 

 stalled several new machines and will 

 be in a better position to take care of 

 their increasing trade next season. 

 They expected to start the factory with 

 the full crew Oct. 18, manufacturing 

 sections and hives to fill their ware- 

 house, so as to be ready for whatever 

 the demand is another season. 



Awards at the lUiuois State Fair 



The Illinois annual Fair was held 

 Oct. 1 to 9, 1909. The premiums award- 

 ed were as follows, Messrs. Becker and 

 Coppin having the only two exhibits 

 of comb honey : 



ist to Aaron Coppin and wife. Wenona, 111.. 

 2d to C. Becker. Pleasant Plains. III. 



Collection of white honey. I2 lbs.— ist to 

 Coppin. 2d to Becker. 



Collection of amber honey or dark honey 

 12 lbs.— ist to Becker. 2d to Coppin. 



Case of white clover comb honej' — 1st to 

 Coppin, 2d to Becker. 



Case of sweet clover comb honey — ist to 

 Becker. 2d to Coppin. 



Case of basswood comb honey— ist to Cop- 

 pin. 2d to Becker. 3d to Jas. A. Stone & Son, 

 Springfield, III. 



Case of amber comb honey— ist to Becker. 

 2d to Coppin. 



Display of samples of extracted honey— ist 

 to Becker. 2d to Stone, jd to Coppin. 



Display of extracted honey — ist to Geo. M. 

 Rumler. Mohawk. Ind.. 2d to Becker. 3d to 

 Stone. 



Honey extracting on the grounds— 1st to 

 Coppin. 2d to Stone, 3d to Becker. 



Frame of comb honey for extracting— ist 

 to Coppin. 2d to Becker, 3d to Stone. 



Candied honey— ist to Becker. 2d to Stone. 

 3d to Coppin. 



Display of beeswax— ist to Coppin. 2d to 

 Becker, 3d to Stone. 



Dark Italian bees— ist to Louis Werner. 

 Edwardsville. HI.; 2d to Becker; 3d to Cop- 

 pin. 



Golden Italian bees— ist to Louis 'Werner, 

 2d to Becker. 3d to Coppin. 



Carniolan bees— 1st to Coppin, 2d to Beck- 

 er, id to Werner. 



Honev-vinegar— M gallon and recipe for 

 making— 1st to Becker, 2d to Coppin, .3d to 

 .Stone. 



Designs in honey— ist to Coppin. 2d to 

 Werner, 3d to Becker. 



Designs in beeswax— ist to Stone. 2d to 

 Becker. 3d to Coppin. 



For manipulating a colony of bees m cage 

 —1st to Werner. 



The National Election of Ottlcers 



The following notice was mailed to 

 members of the National Bee-Keepers' 

 Association by General Manager 

 France, last month : 



Brother Bee-Keeper:— .August 12,1000. I 

 sent each member of the .Association, Infor- 

 mation Bulletin No. 12 and a nomination pos- 

 tal card. Only J20 cards were returned to 

 me to be counted Sept. 30. Several hundred 

 members wrote me they were not posted 

 and did not vote, or ask me whom to vote 

 for. I cannot advise in this case. Result of 

 nominations received, gave each of present 

 officers a large majority of votes cast, as 

 follows: 



President Geo. E. Hilton. Fremont. Mich.. 

 Vice-President George W. York. Chicago. 

 III.; Secretary E. .M. Hunt. Lansing. Mich.: 

 General Manager X. E. France, Platteville. 

 Wis.; Director C. A. Hatch. Richland Cen- 

 ter. Wis.; Director F. Wilcox. Mauston. 

 Wis.; and Director M. H. Mendleson. Ven- 

 tura, Calif. 



At the annual convention. Sept. 22 and 23. 

 1000, at Sioux City, Iowa, after the President's 

 Address, the following was unanimously 

 adopted: 



" Whereas. The present method of nomi- 

 nating officers for the annual election of the 

 National Bee-Keepers' Association seems 

 inadequate; be it 



" K'esohcii. That a committee of as many 

 members as there are States represented at 

 the National Convention be appointed to se- 

 lect and report the names of two candidates 



