Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-10-17
CAREYS BEE SWARM.
Settled on His race-Folks Thought
He Had SmaIlpOx.

Fountain Ferry f'ark was the scene of
a stunt not down on the programme.
A swarm of honeybees mistook Philip
Careys face for Il hive, and 1t would
have been converted into sieve mad not
his nerve and presence OF mind come to
his rescue.
Carey is a truck farmer. The other aft
ernoon he and his hired man took n half
holiday and went to the river fishing
Carey has fondness for honey bees, and
he glanced Mt the tree overhead and saw
a swarm of bees hved on the lowest
bough.
The hired man believed that II the
quecn could be caught the rest would be
easy. Carey agreed that it was a good
scheme, but how wac the capture of the
queen to be effected? The two holiday
fisherman earnestly discussed the plan of
battle.
"You get nail key finally said the
farmer to the hired man, and his tone
was that OF n man who had solved
difficult problem. So commanding was
the tone that the hired man obeyed with
alacrity. and few minutes later he re-
turned with a battered nail key.
"Now, I'll stand under the tree. You
hit it easily--not hard, mind you--and
few Of the bees will tumble off. Then
you hit again. and few more will fall.
Then when they see the nice, cozy quar-
tiers of their companions they'll oil come
and all wen have to do will be to carry
them home"
Carey took his position under the tree
Tho hired man secured his pole and rails
ed it for the gentle tap when one of the
guards Of the pcsky army stung him OF
the neck. The pole came down with a
resounding whack. There could be no
doubt about the bees being startled.
In an instant they were swarming about
/ the truck farmer. He stood perfectly
still. Maybe it was fright, or it may be,
what he claims, rare presence of mind.
| Then came his awful experience. As
/ the bees recovered from the shock they
naturally looked for new place to
swarm. One of them alighted on the
farmer, then another, and in a few sec
onds Carey thought that every bee in the
universe was hiving on his face. Only by
batting his eyes constantly could be keep
them from settling on the lids. One or
two started up his nostrils, but he began
to breathe through his nose and they evil
IDENTIFY found the hot air disagreeable.
His prcdicament was serious. lie knew
that if he moved he would be lost and
that a thousand "stingcrs" would find &
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 few inches, but he
Ielt as if he had 4 new lease of life when
oc found that the bees did not resent it
Tie was about two blocks from the end
of the Fountain Ferry Park car line, and
it took him an hour to traverse the dis
lance. There were many stops, for the
bees often became restless.
When he reached the track a car was
waiting to begin the journey toward the
city. There were several passengers OF
board. One Of them saw the farmer
threw up his hands and at the top Of hi:
voice yelled Smallpox"
The other passengers, the motormar
and the conductor saw the man advanc
ing and fell over one another to get to
safe distance.
Carey was in an awful fix. He coult
not move muscle on his face, but h,
longcd to laugh when he saw the conster
nation that he had caused, and yet h,
could not open his lips to tell Of his pre-
dicament. Possibly the happiest momen
of his life was when he saw the hiret
man coming with the old nail keg.
The assistant truck farmer had pos
sesscd more discretion than valor, ant
, when he struck the bough and heard tn
buzzing of the bees he ran away. But h.
| overcame his fear and, picking up tn
key, went to his employers assistance
The farmer had beckoned for him to hol'
the keg under his bowed head. Then h
shook himself, gently at first, and thel
more forcibly, and finally every bee wa
safely transferred to the kcg lie tie
! his vest over the open end and trudge
; homeward, the proud posscssor Of q hiy
of bees.-Somarville Courier.