The Cairo bulletin., 1906-09-01
Extraordinary
Bumb|ebeeS


cut that patch of hay land down by
the creek as ! came along this morn
ing said John Todhunter as he slid
a basket of eggs across the counter
and called for can of baking powder,
three cakes of soap and pound Of
chewing tobacco,
The patch of hay land of the dea-
cons down by the creek was a never
failing source Of excitement at Rural
vile. In the last five years in cutting
that one piece of hay the deacon had
had seven runaways, torn three NOW
ing machines to pieces, killed two
horses, caused the death of one man
and crippled two others.
But dag my cats ii 1t amt Jest
hatchery such good hay that | can't
come to considerin lettin' it stand"
said the deacon every year, when the
clover in the bottom grew tall and
rank.
Bumblebees were what gave the
deacons patch of hay land its noto-
riety They We're no ordinary humble
bees, but of larger breed known
among the farmers as the big yellow
legged variety Tom Wicks, who
worked for the deacon, said he killed
three Of the bees one morning and got
enough honey off their hind legs to
last his family for week. But Tom
was such a liar that a great deal of
dependence could not be put in what
he said
There was a popularity anout those
bumbebees of the deacon s. Some
days they wouldt fight at all. The
moving machine could cus the hay
above their nest and the% wouldn't
stir and probably the next morning a
team couldn't drive over the Hill until
they would be after it in feather and
war paint.
The men who worked for the deacon
feared those bumblebees worse than
Apache Indians. When the cry of
was raised everyone
dropped his work and ran for shelter.
One year Rube Chisohm was NOW
ing for the deacon He had cut half
a day and the bees hadn't bothered,
He came out in the afternoon, hot
summer day. when hardly leaf
stirred or a blade of grass ratified, He
struck a band of the bees out for blood |
Before "Rube' hardly realized what !
ne had run into. one eye had swollen |
shut and the light of day was fast
dosing from the other. "Rube' was /
)aldheaded and, of course, he took off |
lis hat TO fight the bees. When they |
Jaw the shiny bald spot they wanted |
10 better target With shrieks and /
ellis and oaths, fighting as hs ran.
'Rube' made for a pond near the hay |
ield. He plunged head first into the |
water, but those bees were not to be |
oiled in any such manner as that.
They made angry dabs at the ripples |
md waited, getting angrier every min |
tie. They kept "Rube' going down
md up for breath until finally he !
tayed down too long Poor "Rube,
The autopsy revealed that he had been
tuns 1889 times 1913 OF which were
III Abt lOD VI MS Hedu
Fighting bumblebees is about as
unsatisfactory as an encounter with
uzz-saw and not half as uncertain as
o the final outcome the deacon used
0 say The man acquainted with bum
lebees offered no resistance but
tucked and ran when the first angry
UNI was heard. OF late years the only
lay the deacon could get anyone to
york in that hay field was by proyid-
lg heavy canvas sleeping bags for the
len to crawl into until the bees would
uiet down and return to their nests
'wo years ago the man Who was run
ing the moving machine had to lie in
sleeping bag on that hay field for
NO hours in the middle of hot after
Don.
The bees made sudden changes in
ne appearance of that bayfield, Where
i was industry. the hum of the NOV
Il machine, the click of the rake and !
re banter Of the men at the stack !
lending in the wayy heat lines of a
lmmer afternoon. in a few minutes
1uld become havoc and confusion. |
he horses madly scampered for the !
lelter of trees or sullcnly stamped |
nd paved at their tormentors. their |
river scrambled into the shelter of
Is canvas bag the boy on the rake !
sappeared in a badger hole and only
e heels nf the men at the stack were
sible as they burrowcd into the hav.
But the men had their fun with the
res. There was a Young man from
e city who boarded at the dcacon's /,
he summer. lie was very fond of
'ney and wished to take a stand Of .
.es back TO his suburban home After
- bees had been on a rampage one
ternoon and had quoted down he !,
opened 10 come ont into the hay !,
Id. Now was his chance t. get
and of bees. he was told by the hay
ikers. The mouth of a jug contain
g a lille water had a strange fas- !,
nation for bees on a summer after q
on. They w0uid forget everything / q
d rush in the open jug If it was =
iced near their den Visions Of I.
ney in his own backyard caused y
2 city man To- start with the water ~
, for the bees home The audacity h
the man astounded the bees and / a.
,y never stirred until ne set the ing / 8,
an and efurrsI asa, -I-h.,. .hs