The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-28

7
culated that by thus saving all that
sweetness to the world. they would
not only be doing the public great
favor, but would also enrich them
selves to the extent of something like
100000 apiece. There was one man in
the party named Ouden. who was
looked upon by the rest as capable of
handling big affairs. and to him was
entrusted the work of managing the
enterprise. AS soon as the company
had been formed he was given his
credentials and went back to Del Rio.
from which place he was to make a
trip to the Bowl for the purpose of
getting a better understanding of the
work required. He made the trip all
right, but when he came back he re-
ported to his friends that 1t would be
impossible to do anything with the
honey and that IL they wanted to go
on any further they had best hire
new manager. SO the company idea
was abandoned and no application
was made the Texas legislature for ar
ticles of incorporation or for the pur~
chase of the valley In which the
bowl lies.
Then Ouden, who was more of q man.
ager than his friends imagined, slipped
out and bought the land. rugged up
big derrick and, with about forty Mexi-
cans and 100 pack mules, started for
the great honey cave. 1t was his plan
to wrap a Mexican up in several hum
dred yards Of mosquito netting, let him
down into the hole by means Of rope
ladders suspended from the derrick,
and let him fill the boxes with honey.
which would be drawn out by means OF
pulley. When they had taken out
about twenty or thirty tons, he intend
ed to send the Mexicans to town with
| it and then go into the business on
| much bigger scale, for he had plenty
| of money and could easily put up all
that would be required for a years
! operations He expected a good profit
| on this trial trip, though, which. der
| rick, Mexicans and mules stood him al
| about $1,000.
When they reached the Bowl" he
| learned to his sorrow that the legs of
| the derrick were away too short, but
| by letting them out to their fullest
| spread he made them reach across the
mouth Of the hole, tied the feet securely
to stakes driven deep into the ground
| and then ordered one OF the MeXicans
to wrap himself in the mosquieto net
ting and go down. All this time the
bees had paid no attention to the in
truders. but the Mexican was afraid
and refused to obey.
| DOWN AMONG THE BEES.
| In vain Ouden explained and wheed-
| led, the Mexicans didn't "sabe" and as
the bees began to swarm up a little
they got away from the Bowl" Fin
ally, when he saw that there was no
other way out of it, he resolved to
make the first descent himself. He
wrapped himself up in the netting and
ordered the MeXicans to attach the
rope ladder to the derrick head. The
one who tried it got stung in hundred
places before he got halfway out to
the place where he was to attach the
ladder and came back in a hurry
dropping the ladder into the hole as he
stepped off the derrick. Then, as there
was nothing else to go down on. Ouden
determined to have them let him down
with the pulley rope.
He got started down all right and
then the real trouble began, the bees
enraged at his movements in the en-
trance Of their home, flew at the Mexi-
cans who were holding the rope. so
that they dropped 1t and ran like deer;
1
much better time into the depths Of
the cavern. Luckily there was knot
in the rope and this stopped his fall.
There he hung. dangling among the
bees like a pupper on a string. while
his recreant employees gathered up at
a safe distance and decided to skin
out with the outfit and sell it. Only
one Of them kept out of this deal, and
he accompanied the others for three or
four miles on the way. Then he dropped
back and returned to the Bowl"
Meanwhile the bees had worked in
through Ouden's netting and wer.
warming him up in a way that made
him howl like a lost soul; hearing his
cries the superstitious Mexican decid-
ed that the devil had got hold of his
employer and that 1t would be of no
use to try getting him out. Then recol-
lecting that Ouden wore a gold watch
and several seals he decided that he
would wait till the devil got done,
when he would draw the body out and
get something for his trouble.
THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD.
Finally the unfortunate honey hunter
stopped yelling, and jose crawled out
on the derrick, got hold the knot ana
drew on the rope until he had slack
enough to fasten 1t to one of the stakes
at the foot Of the derrick. Then Ouden,
thinking that he was being rescued.
called oNt something. and the Mexican
terrified at the cry. ran off and hid in
the edge Of the valley. Thinking tina :
he might not be very far down from
the pulley the honey promoter began
climbing out on the rope. Finally, lust
when he felt that he could not draw
himself an inch further up, his hand
touched the pulley and then he drew
himself out. Being unable to find any
of his men he decided that they had
deserted him and he started off for
Del Rio on foot.
to the derrick, and, seeing the coil of
rope lying on the ground, he immedi-
ately jumped at the conclusion that his
Satanic majesty had flown out of the
Bowl with Ouden and that there
would be no use to wait for a chance
to get the watch and seals; so he start
ed for Del Rio, and, knowing the coun-
try, got In on the third day afterward.
He told the truth as he conceived il.
and a local merchant who knew him
to be trustworthy fellow decided thai
Ouden had probably fallen into the
honey cave, or else been murdered. In
either event he thought it his duty to
wire the lost mans friends in X. C.
He did so, giving the particulars of
the unfortunate affair as he conceived
them.
In about three days four sad-faced