Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-11-26
MOUNTAIN LEAKS HONEY.
Bees Pouring in and Out in Solid
Streams Two Feet Thick.

is one of the many breaks through this
wild chain Of mountains leading from
Penns Valley into Stone Valley.
The Seven Muntain range is perhaps
the widest system in the state of
pennsylvania. More than one ex-
lost his way in these mountains. and
spent weary days wandering around
before he found his way to civilization
again, and some even failed to return
and it is the general belief that their
bones lie bleak and bare in some dark
ravin of the Tussey Range.
yearn fastd.5 Ito. dasvuwf. Bn aollitiii
Years ago current report said that
in one OF the least explored of the
many Businesses of these mountains
there was a bee hive in the rocks which
contained en- )ugh honey to make
man rich. The story was in effect as
follows: Some eight or ten miles
north of the gap in one of the deepest
ravines inclosing the widest spot in
the entire chain of mountains. Pre-
cipitious cliffs to the height of several
hundred feet rise on either side, the
whole almost completely covered with
a dense growth of small shrubbery and
Trailing vines, while away down at the
! bottom, SO dep that the sun hardly pen
| etrates, own 3 TO the narrowness of the
| gorge. tricl les a small stream or rivu-
/ let.
| On the north side of the gorge, about
halfway up the rock side of the cliff,
is assure in the rocks presenting ar
| opening perhaps twenty feet long and
varying in width from two to five feet
Through this there is no accurate cave
in the rock side, it has been estimated
at anywhere from thirty to fifty feet,
perhaps even more, and possibly with
the dimensions of large chamber.
In this rift in the rocks a swarm of
bees years ago made their home, and
there they have continued to abide,
multiply, and store up honey until
three years ago, when the last report
of them, as given by lost hunter,
stated that there was one perfect col
umn or string of bees fully foot thick
continually going to and coming from
the stone hive.
Parties who claim to have seen it
aver that on warm day the sweet
fluid, melted by the hot rays of the
sun in the brief time it's rays penetra-
ted the opening, would trickle down
the side of the cliffs and fall in pools
at the bottom.
Several parties attempted to dislodge
the bees and get at the hive of honey,
but owing to the difficulty in getting
at the opening they were never sue
cessful as the bees always drove them
away.
A few days ago stranger, who
claimed to hail from the eactern part
Of the state, and who his been trudging
these mountains in quest of the out
look for game on the several game
preserves located here, stopped a few
minutes at the Gap, and while here
told of seeing the beehives in the rocks
The man was so excited over the dis
covery that he could hardly tell a COM
plete story, but the facts related by
him are so closely allied to the current
report of years that there is no doubt
but that he found the wonderful honey
deposit
The man averred that the bees going
and coming looked like an immense
tar rope at least two feet in diameter,
and SO constantly did they keep at
heir work that in the hour or more he
heir work that in the hour or more he
watched them there was not one break
in the flying string of bees.
To dislodge the bees and secure the
honey would, however, be an almost
impossible task, at the very least an
herculean one. From the bottom of
the ravine to where the rift in the
rock occurs is fully seyenty-fve feet,
and from the top down to the rift is
almost an equal distance. The rocky
side is very nearly straight up and
down, and the small brush and wild
vines with which the side is almost
entirely covered are not embedded Sc
curely enough in tn rocks to admit of
on climbing up or down them as a
support.
There is only one way by which the
cavern could be reached, and then it
would be at the hisk of destroying the
rich store therein, and that is to blow
IuS uOuuLdIu sue up WlUH uy Mantle.
But even this mode of attack would not
rid the place of all the bees and when
once their home was destroyed all in
terlopers would want to seek some Sc
cure retreat. The stranger averred
cogosakiymptwt hta? htosl, ,,,,,
that he would find a way to get the
bees out and get at the store of honey.
He declared his intention of return
ing to make the attempt, at least, and
what the result will be remains to be
seen.
Five, four, or even two tons of the
honey is large pile of sweet stuff, and
the smaller amount, if it cuold be put
on the market in anything like a good
on the market in anything like good
condition, at the present price of Is
cents per pound would realize just 5000
for the successful bee hunter, very
clever sum to pull from a rift in the
mountain side.-Philadelph Times.
Charles Seymour, for many years
| the able editor of the La Crosse Re
| publican and who for the past sixteen
| years has been United States consul
! at Canton. China, will soon return to