12 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



January 



THE DEACON'S "PURPS" AXD OLD BRASH. 



Dear Brother Hill: For the land's 

 sokes, why not let Mr. Johnson toll a 

 big yarn if he Avants to — it may be 

 true, which is more than it is safe to 

 gamble on with the tales of somo of 

 the boys. I be powerful sorry for John- 

 son; think of the thonsands of colo- 

 nies that'll be put in his bailiwick next 

 season. 



Sutliin' sort of graspin" in that 

 Small chap of New Zealand, when lie 

 can't let pass a chance to talk. Must 

 be I'elated to some of we uns. Nice 

 mess he makes of figgei's; th(\v'll tw ist 

 some of the boys. I'ut it in gocKl I'. S. 

 values next time — but ])erhaps you 

 couldn't. The hnmilit.v of his Humble 

 bees reminds one of that of I'riah 

 Heaji. The.v mu.st be kin to Florida 

 dragon flies. Is that New Zealand 

 Flora he is to write abont. his wife or 

 some other fellow's? 



Whew!! How hot .McXeal is a gel- 

 tin' under the collar. If .Aon don't be- 

 lieve in deej) frames, sa.v it softl.v. 

 Hobb.v he calls it. Not mucli — its a 

 nightmare. "Bees build downwards 

 far more readil.v than si<lewise," which 

 means that give the little cusses a 

 chance and they will build a coml) one 

 cell wide and as long as Mac's theo- 

 ries. Ah well, he's .voung yet: he'll 

 learn bye and bye. He's made of the 

 right stuff" and will com* out all right. 



Nary a bit of the "stand jiat" about 

 I*at — always a ti-ottin' and 'tis back to 

 P'lorida this time. 



"Bee-Keepers of Gotham.'' . None of 

 it in mine, thank .vou. I perfer to be 

 not quite so near Heaven. S'posiu' a 

 feller should forget and dodge back- 

 \\-;ir(ls when a mad bee got after him. 

 He'd start for the nether regions sort 

 (if suddint. 



Jimmy's did it! One piece sections 

 not wuth a continental cuss — and yet 

 millions of them in use. But Jeems 

 is right— as usual. Doubt it? Wait 

 and see. 



'Twixt you and Murnett and Popple- 

 ton raw extracted honey is getting a 

 black eye. Doubtless you will get dis- 

 loved. but never mind a little tbing 

 like that, so long as you are right. 



I must cut my letter short, as I'm 

 a little bit busy, got to mail off" some 

 (pieens. kill a couple of chickens and 

 (Iress 'em. fix some gimcracks for 

 Mary, clean my gun, repair my wagon 

 and break a new dog. Guess I'll at- 

 tend to the (log fust; the other things 

 can wait till afternoon. This new pup 

 of mine will be nigh as good os old ' 

 Brash, and either on 'em has more 

 sense than some humans. Why don't 

 you i)rint that i)icture of my dogsV I 

 believe it would please some of the 

 Itovs and might bring out a lot of dog 



