Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-08-02
CAREY's BEE SWARM.
Settled on His Face-FOIks Thought
HE Had Smallpox.


Fountain Ferry Park was the scene OF
'stunt" not down on the programme.
A swarm of honeybees mistOOk Philip
Careys face for 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. The other aft
arnoOn he and his hired man took a half |
holiday and went to the river fishing. |
Carey has a fondness for honeybees, and |
he glanced at the tree overhead and saw
a swarm Of bees hived on the lowest
bough.
The hired man believed that if the
queen could be caught the rest would be
easy. Carey agreed that it was a good
scheme, but how was the capture of the
queen to be effected? The two holiday
fisherman 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 a 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 re-
turned with a battered nail keg.
"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 a few more will fall.
! Then when they see the nice, coy quar-
| tiers of their companions they'll all come,
and all wen have to do will be to carry
them home"
Carey took his position under the tree.
The hired man secured his pole and rails
cd it for the gentle tap when one of the
guards of the pesky army stung him on
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 OIL
two started up his nOstrils, but he began
to breathe through his nose and they evi'
IDENTIFY found the hot air disagreeable.
His predicament was serious. He knnN'
! that if he moved he would be lost WI
; that a thousand "stingers" would iRd
I resting place in his face. But it wa. an
possible for him to remain forever in lis
present position, and he cautiously stuc
I out one foot, just a few inches, but h'
j felt as if he had new lease of life wheI
> he found that the bees did not resent it
s He was about two blocks from the enc
d of the Fountain Ferry Park car line, an'
t it took him an hour to traverse the dis
Il lance. There were many stops, for tn
= bees often became restless.
When he reached the track a car wa
waiting to begin the journey toward tn
city. There were several passengers o.
n board. One of them saw the farmer
e threw up his hands and at the top of hi
Is voice yelled Smallpox
10 The other passengers, the mOtOrma
> and the conductor saw the man advanC
- ing and fell over one another to get to
IL safe distance.
lie Carey was in an awful fix. He coul
le not move a muscle on his face, but b
re longed to laugh when he saw the constel
III nation that he had caused, and yet b
rs could not open his lips to tell of his pr,
p. dieament. Possibly the happiest momeI
. of his life was when he saw the hire
- man coming with the old nail keg.
II The assistant truck farmer had pO
sessed more discretion than valor, an
when he struck the bough and heard IL
buzzing of the bees he ran away. But |
Sc Overcame his fear and, picking up IL
lg keg, went to his employers assistanc
W The farmer had beckoned for him to no
be the keg under his bowed head. Then |
es shook himself, gently at first, and the
M more forcibly, and finally every bee WI
~, safely transferred to the keg. He ii,
= his vest over the open end and trudg,
- hOmeward, the proud possessor of a hi
IL of bees.-Somerville Courier.