THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



295 



A WeU " Timed" Mark of Respect. 



Mr. C. N. Abbott, who nine years 

 ago started the British Bee Jouinml, 

 was, in January, succeeded by the 

 Rev. Herbert R. Peel, as previously 

 stated in this paper. It is with pleas- 

 ure that we record the fact that the 

 bee-keepers of Great Britain have 

 presented hiui with a substantial 

 " souvenir," showing that they are not 

 unmindful of his labors In behalf of 

 progressive and scientific apiculture. 

 The British Bee Journal informs us 

 that " the testimonial took the form 

 of a handsome black marble dining 

 room clock, designed after the style 

 of the temple at the foot of the 

 Acropolis at Athens, with bronze has 

 relief figures representingpriests sacri- 

 ficing to Minerva. Affixed to it was 

 an inscription-plate stating that the 

 clock had been presented to Mr. Ab- 

 bott from a few well wishers and 

 friends, as a token of their apprecia- 

 tion of the services rendered to bee- 

 keeping by his establishment and edi- 

 torship, for upwards of nine years, of 

 the British Bee Journal. Also a 

 framed Illuminated Address on vel- 

 lum, with the names of the subscrib- 

 ers to the fund arranged in alphabeti- 

 cal order." 



The Rev. Herbert R. Peel, his suc- 

 cessor, in the editorial chair, made 

 the presentation with the following 

 remarks : 



"He had been informed that this 

 clock was called the 'Acropolis' clock, 

 and the Arcropolis was not very far 

 distant from Mount Hymettus. Mil- 

 ton is his 'Paradise Regained' says : 



'There flowery hill Hymettus, with the sound 

 Of bees' industrious mummur oft invites 

 To studious musing.' 



And he had been led to some 

 musings in connection with the classic 

 temple just referred to. Eighteen 

 centuries ago there stood under the 

 shadow of the Acropolis, a man striv- 

 ing to convert a city to the Christian 

 faith. This man had to contest 

 against a great mass of ignorance and 

 superstition ; and it had struck him 

 that Mr. Abbott stood out, to some 

 extent, as a similar example of a man 

 working liard and single-handed to 

 enlighten the ignorant and combat 

 superstition. Their zealous friend had 

 undertaken to teach the whole British 

 nation on the subject of bee-keeping 

 when he started the Journal. At the 

 commencement of this task he was 

 alone, as St. Paul had been. He had 

 a number of difficulties to contend 

 against, mostly those of apathy and 

 want of sympathy. Even after 6,000 

 copies of the Journal had been sown 

 broad-cast over the length and breadtli 

 of England, and .5,000 circulars dis- 

 tributed, only 200 subscribers came 

 forward to assist. This result was 



quite enough to make any one despair. 

 However, Mr. Abbott did not yield to 

 the adverse wave, but fought on un- 

 flinchingly, and, after a considerable 

 time, had the satisfaction of seeing 

 his endeavors rewarded by the forma- 

 tion of the British Bee-Keepers' As- 

 sociation, and the establishment of 

 metropolitan shows, which have been 

 held, with one exception (in 1877), in 

 London annually, for several years 

 past." 



"Mr. Abbott said that he felt some- 

 what embarrassed by the exceedingly 

 kind and flattering remarks of Mr. 

 Peel. All that gentleman had said of 

 his early experience in regard to the 

 cause they all felt so much interested 

 in, came back on his mind with double 

 force. There were difficulties, but 

 having put his hand to the work, he 

 determined to overcome them, feeling 

 sure that in a good cause, with truth 

 for his guide and honesty for his in- 

 tention, he was sure of at length win- 

 ning the support of the better class of 

 bee-keepers in the country. 



"In selecting a clock for him, they 

 could not have chosen anything more 

 suitable for a presentation. He looked 

 upon a clock as he looked upon an 

 honest man, because if it be a good 

 clock, it always shows a face that one 

 is pleased to look on, that is, a face 

 that alwavs tells the truth. This 

 beautiful "time piece would be his 

 future companion, and whenever he 

 looked on it, his memory would recall 

 the excellent friends that he had made 

 by a consistent course of conduct 

 which he had always maintained in 

 the British Bee Journal. 



"There was not a single motion in 

 the clock, but what was measured, 

 from the second to the minute, from 

 the minute to the hour, and from the 

 hour to the day ; and there was not in 

 the British Bee Journal a single mark 

 that flowed from his fingers, from the 

 letter to the word, and the word to 

 the sentence, but what was also meas- 

 ured, and measured by himself in the 

 hope that it would be understood and 

 appreciated as being strictly true, and 

 written for the honest purpose of 

 benefitting his fellow creatures. 



"A clock, however, sometimes gets 

 wrong, owing to its machinery being 

 out of joint ; so also he feared there 

 must have occasionally been some 

 little things out of joint in his con- 

 duct of the British Bee Journal, of 

 which no one could be more sorry 

 than himself. He was proud to see so 

 many friends around, to welcome him 

 on the present occasion, because he 

 felt assured of their sympathy and 

 acquiesence in the honor which had 

 been done him that day. He could 

 but express his heartfelt gratitude for 

 their extreme kindness, which would 

 always live in his memory." 



In commenting on this, the Bee and 

 Poultri/ Magazine, of New York, says 

 that it " shows American bee-keepers 

 how greatly the Europeans excel us 

 in their courtesy and kindly wishes 

 to those in the same profession. We 

 hope the day is not far distant when 

 American bee-keepers may feel to- 



ward each other the same generous, 

 hearty good will." These are our 

 sentiments exactly. Nothing is so 

 disagreeable and disheartening, as the 

 jealousy and strife persistently in- 

 dulged in by a few bee-keepers and 

 conventions in this country, trying to 

 antagonistically array the East and 

 the West. Such should learn a lesson 

 from the above, and hereafter strive 

 only for harmony, unity and fraternity. 



Southern Exposition at Louisville. 



This Exposition, which commences 

 Aug. 1, promises to be of the greatest 

 importance to the South. Bee-keep- 

 ers should avail themselves of the 

 opportunity to have a grand Bee and 

 Honey Show there. Mr. Elias Thom- 

 asson, who lives at 101.5 H Avenue, 

 Louisville, Ky., writes us as follows, 

 on the subject : 



Louisville is a city of 150,000 in- 

 habitants, but it has no depot for bee- 

 keepers' supplies. We would wel- 

 come a good man here, to meet the 

 wants of Kentucky and the whole 

 South, to supply everything needed 

 for the trade. He will meet a hearty 

 welcome. 



Doubtless you have learned, by the 

 newspapers, of our proposed Exposi- 

 tion to commence the 1st of August 

 next, to last 100 days. The building, 

 covering 13 acres, is already far ad- 

 vanced, and will be ready to receive 

 goods, the 1.5th of .luly next, for exhi- 

 bition. Two New York City bands 

 get $3.5,000 for their services, and also 

 a $10,000 organ has been bought for 

 the occasion. 



No man has made application for an 

 exhibit of apiarian supplies. Who 

 will come V Send to me and 1 will 

 forward the blanks necessary to make 

 application, by return mail. There is 

 no charge for exhibiting honey ; any 

 quantity of it; but I think $25 will be 

 charged if manufactured articles are 

 offered for sale, but that is not yet 

 positive, as the superintendent could 

 not give me an answer on his own re- 

 sponsibility. 



Our people are expecting 1,000,000 

 of strangers to visit the Exposition, 

 and, I will add, 1,000 men, who keep 

 bees, in some sort of hives, will be 

 here. What a chancel Who will 

 take itV I am on crutches, but my 

 heart is very full. 



^ The Bee-Keepers' Exchange has 

 again changed hands. Messrs. Col- 

 grove & UUery are now the publish- 

 ers. 



And a change has been made In 

 the proprietorsliip of the Magazine. It 

 is now published by King & Aspin- 

 wall. 



The American Bee Jouknal gives 

 friendly greetings to the new pub- 

 lishers all around. 



