Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-09
ALLEGES GLAZING ERROR,
Exceptions Taken to Statement in
Consul Nerriis Report.

Mr.. Frank Benton of this city in discuss
ing Consul Stlah Merrirs report under the
heading of Bee Raising in Palestine"
from which an extract was published in
The Star of April t. says the consuIs state
ncnt contains glaring error. Speaking
to a Star reporter today, Mr.. Benton said:
The eorsuI says the credit for develop
ing this industry by the Introduction of
improved modern appliances is due TO a
family named Baldcneperger which came
from SwitZs riand Beekeepcrs, both In
America and Europe. know well who first
introduced American methods in bee
raising into Pales tine, and therefore il is
not 50 much ii matter of regret to me that
the consul should have omitted any mention
Of my personal connection with this work
that he should inadvertently give the
TEole credit TO foreigners and to a foreign
country, instead OF to Americans and to
my native land, America, where it strictly
belongs.
The actual facts are that in 1880. in
company with Il Canadian beekcoper. MIR.
ID. A. Jones. | went 10 the Island of Cypress
where we established a queen-breeding
ap!ary ON The American system. Mr.. Jones
returned 10 Canada after a few weeks,
while / remained in the orient and cOntin-
ued, for several years. in the same work,
building up also large apiary on the
American plan at Beyruit, Syria. During
the fIr>t year tfsSGD | visited, at Jerusalem.
thc dItdTA OF the tluei BaldenSperger, VINO
was then steward at The English school on
MI. Zion. just outside the Jaffa gate, and
there built for him the first American
hives. and transferred some of his bees
from fEt. native terra Gotta cylinder hives,
giving him also such Instruction as | could
v hlle on a brief visit en- route to India
After my return from India to Syria one
OF Mr.. Baldenspergcr's son, who, in 1880
was serving in the French army, came to
ME i'll BeyrHit as pupil in bee culture de-
string to be instructed in American meth
DDS Later he returned to his home in
Palestine and further developed their apiary
IN which the start W s made in 1850 with
the American system. During several sue
Cessive years visits were exchanged and
instruction was frequently given by CORE
spondence. All of this work was from the
start and throughout. done gratis, the only
thought having been TO secure for our SUI
perior methods the foothold which they
merited. to benefit the industry, and the
individuals who were enterprising enough
TO accept the new methods. One by one
the other four BaldenSpcrger brothers as
SCciated themselves with the first and la
ter, when | visited their apiary of 400 colo
mics, all in American hives, one OF The
brothers. warmly grasping my hand. said
in his odd. foreign accent: 4 am ver-r-y
gland to see you, for-r it eez str-r-ahnge 10
have mahster and nevair 10 have met
him
The following item was written and pub
llshed by me in a leafet entitled Bees
nary -, 1856:
e" When i'll Palestine last spring I visited
the fiv" Baldensperger brothers. Since one
OF them first came 20 me as Il pupil in bee
keeping they have grown 20 be adopts in
the business such as better master than /
would not need TO be ashamed Of Their
5.h stocks of bees yielded them % unn
pounds of honey during the season of 1885,.
Some 12,t1 pounds of this were furnished
in April by the orange groves at Jaffa. and
the wild thyme on the hills about Bethle-
hem gave the remainder during July The
transportation Of the stocks is effected at
night on the backs of carncls. sixteen in "a
load. Attendants and camels rest during
the day while the bees fly. and when night
approaches they fold their tents like tin.
Arabs and silently steal away What a
sight TO see more than twenty of these
ships Of the desert with their living bur
dcns filing over the Judcan hills. Natives
and foreigners in the Holy Land have made
big eyes over the new business which has
GENE from over the occan-evcn from young
America. -"