188 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



September, 



fair way toward recovery. The Maori 

 still remains unconscious, but there 

 seems to be a slight change for the bet- 

 ter setting in. 



Owen deserves credit for the pluck 

 he exhibited in sticking to his post at 

 the engine, for had he not done so it is 

 hard to say what would have become 

 of the party, as he alone, as previously 

 stated, knew how to manage the oil 

 engine. 



The inquiry at the hospital at nine 

 o'clock to-night elicited the fact that 

 both Cooper and Hughes (the Maori) 

 are now conscious and progressing fa- 

 vorably towards recovery, although 

 not yet considered out of danger. 



In connection with the above. Mr. 

 Isaac Hopkins, apiarist, of Auckland, 

 informs us that the only plant likely to 

 cause poisoning at the present time is 

 the waikariki, a plant which much re- 

 sembles watercress, and has a yellow 

 blossom. The plant is in l)lo()m this 

 month. Mr. Hopkins advises that care 

 should be exercised not to eat wild 

 honey at the present season of the 

 year, as the honey will almost invari- 

 ably be found to be poisonous. 



Hardscrabble Interviewed. 



To the Readers of the American Bee- 

 Keeper: — 



At the request of the editor I have 

 undertaken to commune with the spirit 

 of the late Deacon Hardscrabble and 

 to report to the editor the results there- 

 of. I have already had one "inter- 

 view" with the Deacon (the substance 

 of which follows) and expect to be 

 able to have others from time to time. 

 If the results are fragmentaiy, blam'e 

 not me, for spirits are "notional" and 

 the Deacon is very far from being an 

 exception to the rule. Not behig a 

 professional medium. I beg you will 

 forgive my passing incognito and per- , 

 mit me to sign myself 



July 5, 1904. Merlin. 



THE NATIONAL CONVENTION. 

 To American Bee-Keeper Readers: — 



The annual convention of the 

 National Bee-Keepers' Association will 

 be held September 27-30. in the audi- 

 torium of the Christian Endeavor 

 Hotel, within one hundred feet of the 

 south entrance of the St. Louis Faii\ 

 Vice-rres. C. P. Dadant has .iust re- 

 turned from the fair and has secured 

 the best possible for the members. 



Special rates: — Send at once 50c. 

 to General INIanager N E. France of 

 Platteville, Wis., to secure charter certi- 

 ficate to insure your special rates at 

 above hotel. $1 a day lodging, or $2 a 

 day. boai-(d and i lodging. OtheiTvlse 

 higher rates will be charged. Make it 

 a point to attend the fair the week be- 

 fore or after the convention, and thus 

 continue your board I'ates. Other 

 hotels near, but higher rates charged. 

 Market St. street cars west l)ound in 

 front of Union depot will bring you to 

 above hotel without transfer. Missouri 

 State Bee-Keepers' convention in same 

 ball Sept. 2B. 



N. E. France. 



The subject of foul brood legislation 

 is agitating the minds of beedom in 

 the British Isles. 



The Deacon's Message. 



"A-h-h-h-h-h! You mortals are 

 bloomin stupid! Here I've been a try- 

 in all these months to make Harry un- 

 derstand me and t'is but now that he 

 l;as become cognizant of my presence 

 and been bright enough to get someone 

 as knows, to talk with me. Well that 

 was bright anyhow — durn sight mor'n 

 ,some folks know. I uster tell hira 

 'twas powerful bad a doin of so much 

 work nights, but twas mightj^ fortunate 

 arter all. else I 'low I'd never a got his 

 attention. 



"I've just been all stirred up a want- 

 in to say things to the boys and I'm 

 right glad to get the chance. 



"No. you mustn't ask no questions as 

 to why I am still interested in mundane 

 things or what I be a doin here, for if 

 you do I'll get called off. It's agin 

 ther rules. 



"Say but there is one powerful ad- 

 vantage in a lookin' at things from 

 here, the perspectjv,e is most bee-auti- 

 ful. Its plumb funny to see the boys a 

 tumbling over theirselves to laud and 

 worship every new star — provided he 

 looks big enough. Now there's a chap in 

 York State 'lows as how taint possible 

 to overstock a locality, that he's got 

 hundreds of colonies in a spot. Then, 

 b'gosh, right in the same breath almost 

 he" says he feeds TONS o^ SUGAR. 

 Wal, there is ,some truth ii> sayin' yer 

 can't overstock a sugar refinery loca- 

 tion. D'ye spose he'd dare flavor that 

 syrup strong with onions? No, not by 

 the great Horn Spoon. 



"W^ho is he? Ask W. Z. of the Re- 

 view. He is responsible for pasting 

 him up in the bee-keepers firmament. 



