AMERICAN BEJE JOURNAL. 



11 



W. Z. HUTCHIXSOIV. 



Our friend and co-laborer in apiarian 

 journalism, W. Z. Hutchinson, was born 

 in Orleans county, N. Y., on Feb. 17, 

 1851. He was the eldest child, and 



W. Z. HUTCHINSON. 



when four years old, his parents moved 

 to Michigan, on a farm in Genesee coun- 

 ty, where he remained until a few years 

 ago, when he went to Flint, Mich., where 

 he now resides and publishes the Bee- 

 Keepers^ Review. 



An interesting reminiscent account 

 of himself Bro. Hutchinson gave to the 

 readers of the Review for December, 

 1892, from which we extract the fol- 

 lowing paragraphs : 



One great diflSculty in my youth was 

 the lack of opportunities to earn money. 

 The first money that I earned to amount 

 to anything was earned trapping. As 

 soon as I had money to use I began buy- 

 ing books. This was after I had reached 

 my teens. I always had a great desire 

 to know the reason of things, to delve 

 into mysteries, to know something about 

 common things that everybody did not 

 know, hence I had books on swimming, 

 on trapping, on phrenology, physiogomy, 

 mesmerism, physiology, etc. Of all the 

 old books that mother had, I think none 

 were studied with more interest than 

 two on natural philosophy. It was this 

 trait of mine that led me into learning 

 short-hand. 



At 17 I began teaching school. I 

 taught seven terms. I liked teaching 

 very well, but it was too trying on ray 

 "nerves." From the time I was 18 

 until I was 25, I did a great deal of can- 

 vassing. I worked mostly at selling 

 picture-frames. 



When 19 I was teaching school one 

 winter and "boarding round." I came 

 across " King's Bee-Keepers' Text 

 Book." Here was a new mystery — one 

 of those things that I delighted to revel 

 in. Upon inquiry I learned that the 

 owner had bees down cellar. We went 

 right down to see how they were winter- 

 ing. The next summer I passed three 

 days, while on a canvassing tour, at the 

 house of this friend. It was in swarm- 

 ing-time. The enthusiastic part of my 

 nature was roused to a pitch that I 

 think it never before had reached. I 

 began studying bee-keeping in real earn- 

 est. Every bee-keeper was questioned ; 

 every scrap of information that could be 

 found in papers was pasted into a scrap- 

 book. 



When I was about 20, as I was ped- 

 dling, I made a sale to a farmer living 

 16 miles from my home. After making 

 the sale, I begged to be allowed to stay 

 all night, although it was then only 3 

 or 4 in the afternoon. I had discovered 

 a row of brightly-painted hives in the 

 rear of the house, and I wanted to " talk 

 bees." I stayed. In a few months I 

 went there again to " talk bees " and I 

 stayed two days. I kept going to " talk 

 bees " until finally the age of 22 found 

 me " talking love " to Miss May Simp- 

 son, the farmer's only daughter. 



Two happy years of courtship ended 

 in a marriage that has proved all I ever 

 hoped or dreamed. During those two 

 years I several times walked those 16 

 miles to see " my girl." I walked to 

 save livery hire. 



The next year after we were married 



