Evening star., 1901-06-29
FARMER CAREY's BEE SWARM.
when the Insects Settled Folks
Thought He Had Smallpox.

From the Somerville Courier Journal.
Fountain Ferry Park was the scene of
stunt not down on the program. A
swarm of honey bees mistook Philip Ca
rey's face for a hive. and it would have
been converted into a sieve had not his
nerve and presence of mind come to his
rescue
Carey is a truck farmer Yesterday af-
ternoOn he and his hired man took a half
holiday and went to the river fishing
Carey has a fOndness for honey bees, and
he glanced at the trees overhead and saw
a swarm OF bees hived on the lowest
bOugh.
The hired man believed that II the queen
could be caught the rest would be easy
Carey agreed that 1t was a good scheme,
but how was the capture of the queen to
he effected? The two holiday fishermen
earnestly discussed the plan of battle.
You get a nail keg." finally said the
farmer to the hired man, and his tone was
that of man who had solved a difficult
problem So commanding was the tone
that the hired man obeyed with alacrity,
and a few minutes later he returned with
a battered nail keg.
Vow I'll stand under the tree You hit
It easy, not hard. mind you, and a few of
the bees will tumble off. Then you hit 1t
again and a few more will fall Then
when they see the nice cOzy quarters of
their companions they'll all come, and all
we'll have to do will be to carry them
home
Carey took his position under the tree.
The hired man secured his pole and raised
1t for the gentle tap when one Of the
guards Of the pesky army stung him on
the neck The pole came down with
resOunding whack. There could be no
doubt about the bees being startled. In an
instant they were swarmlng about the
truck farmer. He stood perfectly still.
May be it was fright or 1t may have been
what he claims. rare presence of mind.
Then came his awful experience. AS the
bees recovered from the shock they natu-
,-rTrv- .l-aI= =r.r rN1- nron Of
them alighted on the farmer, then another,
and in few seconds Carey thought that
every bee in the universe was hiving on his
face Only by batting his eyes constantly
could he keep them from settling on the
lids One or two started up his nostrils,
but he began to breathe through his nose
and they evidently found the hot air dis
agreeable
His predicament was serious. He knew
that if he moved all would be lost and
that a thousand ''stingers'' would find a
resting place in his face But it was i'm
possible for him to remain forever in his
present position and he cautiously stuck
out one foot Just a few inches. but he
felt as if he had new lease on life when
he found that the bees did not resent it.
lie about two blocks from the end of
Fountain Ferry Park line, and it took him
an hour 10 traverse the distance. There
were many stops, for the bees often be-
came restless.
When he reached the track a car was
waiting TO begin the journey toward the
city There were several passengers on
board. one of them saw the farmer. threw
UP his hands. and at the top of his voice
yelled: Smallpox"
The other passengers. the motorman,
ami the conductor saw the man advanc-
ing and there was a panic. They fell over
one another to get to safe distance.
Carey was in awful fix. He could
not move a muscle on his face, but he
longed to laugh when he saw the conster-
nation that he caused, and yet he could
not open his lips to tell of his predica-
rnent Possibly the happieSt moment of
his life was when ne saw the hired man
coming with the old nail keg-
The assistant truck farmer had possess
ed more discretion than valOr, and when
H. struck the bough and heard the buzz
zing of the bees he ran away But he over
came his fear. and picking up a keg. went
TO his employers assistance. The farmer
brckoned for him to hold the keg under
his bowed head. Then he shook himself,
gently at first, and then more forcibly,
and finally every bee safely trans
ferred to the keg- He tied his vest over
the open end and trudged homeward. the
proud possessor OF a hive OF bees.
Funny" he remarked TO the hired
man. When the first bee hit me /
thought of story l heard when 1 was
boy. / used 10 hear that if a snake or a
bee got after you. all you had to do was to
stand still. and they'd think you were
tree or something. and wouldn't hurt you"