The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-10-11
Ansel Sanderson's "Odd Fit. -

BY C. A. STEPHENS.

| AT last ne came where farms anu
ranches ceased, on the borders of the
great, dry, barren plains, the Llano Es-
| tacado. At the last ranch where he
worked he remained for year-per-
haps because there was then no farm
beyond for hundreds of miles-and here
he made the acquaintance Of singular
| old character called "Sweet-Killer
Say who taught Ansel the art Of
hunting wild bees, which are very nu-
merous in that part of Texas. Thence
forward, for eighteen years, this be-
came his sole occupation.
There is in this region a river known
as the Double Mountain River, which
for thirty miles flows through canon,
formed by cliffs 300 or 400 feet high
on both banks.
These cliffs abound in fissures,
chasms and caves, and If Ansels ac-
count can be trusted-and he seems to
have the money TO show for 1.-THE en-
tire canon was one vast apiary, where
wild bees have existed and gathered
sweets for centuries. They are in
such numbers as sometimes on certain
bright days to resemble clouds high up
the crags, and they FL the canon with
{; voluminous hum. The grassy, flow
cry plains for miles on each side of the
canon and thousands of Towering
shrubs afford pasture for the bees.
Ansel assures me that there were
H., Ie 30 nalnninc
whose enormous masses of comb and
honey were adhering in sheltered
chasms and beneath overhangs Of the
rock. A number of caverns, too. ex-
tending far back into the cliff, have
been utilized as great storehouses of
comb by the bees. Not one swarm
alone occupies such cave, but fifty,
perhaps, or hundred, swarms, each
having its own queen, but all using the
mouth of the cavern as a common en-
trance. In consequence, the stream of
bees issuing from and entering the
cave on warm day is like n rapid
roaring river of winged insect life.
1t was here that this quaint old
Texan pioneer and Ansel 'hunted
honey" most of which they extracted
from the comb and put up in jars to
send to San Francisco and Galveston.
The wax they also pressed in cakes
and sold. 1t was their custom to send
wagon load of honey and wax down
to the railroad station, thirty miles dis
tant, once a fortnight, and sometimes
in good weather once week.
Some of the colonies and their depos-
IS Of honey could be reached from the
ved of the canon, along the river bank,
by climbing up the crags. Others We're
accessible by means of long ladders.
But the most cOpious stores were at
greater heights, 200 and even 300 feet
above the river bed.
When seen from below the mass of
comb looked no larger than bacon
hams, but when reached was found to
amount to several barrels of honey.
There were also great sheltered holes
and hooks literally packed with old
comb and dripping with brown, discol-
ored sweets.
None of them were within thirty or
forty feet of the top of the cliffs, and
they were never in situations where a
man could climb down to them. Many
of the crags Overhung, indeed; and
single glance over was sufficient to turn
ones head dizzy.
But the veteran bee hunter had de-
vised a rope ladder, or rather heavy
rope with loops in which to rest the
feet as he climbed up and down. This
rope he attached to crOwbar driven
deep into the earth, or set firmly in
crevices of the lodges, and then with a
hamper on his back for the honeyeomb,
and provided with a sheath knife and
sort of short handled fishspear, old
"Sweet-Killer" had accustomed himself
to climb down these awful crags to
plunder the aerial stores of honey.
To protect themselves from the stings
of the enraged insects the men wore
gloves and nets over their hats. They
had also an ordinary bee smoker. by
means of which the bees could be rem
dered "docile" for time.
After the death of Say, Ansel con-
tinued his singular vocation, having as
partner son Of the old bee hunter
They disagreed in the matter of the
profits, however, and Ansel moved to
point on the north side of the canon,
where he lived for ten years.
So dangerous business would seem
to make trusty companion very de-
sirable, if not absolutely necessary, but
thenceforth Ansel worked alone here,
descending and ascending the crags
unaided. and with no one to call in case
of accident. 1t must have developed in
him wonderful degree of self reliance
Something of Lois instinct for saw
ing money appears also to have taken
possession Of him as he approached old
age. He labored steadily and carefully
and boarded his money.
At first he entertained no thought of
ever returning home, but as years
passed by he began planning to do so
when he should be fifty years old, and
had savings sufficient to live on.
1t was impossible that man could
work for ten years at so perilous an
occupation without adventures OF some