BUREAU OF
BEE INDUSTRIES

E. Whitcomb, Friend, Nebr., Superintendent

The Busy Bee and the results of its industrious industry afforded the
opportunity for exhibits of bee products and appliances used, that were of
general interest to all visitors and of special interest to many.  The very
full report of Superintendent Whitcomb, follows:

Omaha, Nebraska, November 11th, 1898

Mr. E. E. Bruck,
Manager Department of Exhibits, Trans-Mississippi and   
International Exposition, Omaha, Nebraska,
June to November, 1898

My Dear Sir:

I beg leave to submit the following report of my doings in the Bureau of Bee
Industries.  On the 28th of August, 1897, I visited the annual meeting of the
United States Bee-Keepers Union, held at Buffalo, New York, with a view to
securing the next meeting of that organization to be held at Omaha, some time
during the Exposition.  I found much of a sentiment in favor of following the
reunion of the Grand Army of the Republic, on account of the usually low rates
that follow the meetings of that organization, and that by a peculiar wording
of the constitution, the location of the place of the next meeting was in the
hand of the executive committee, composed of the President, Vice president and
secretary, and that the convention was powerless to name the place of its next
meeting.  We, however, presented the claims of Omaha, in the best manner
possible and went to work creating what sentiment possible in favor of holding
the meeting at that point, and left the balance of the work to be completed by
correspondence, which was carried on until the 10th of August, 1898, when the
meeting was located at Omaha for September 13th, 14th and 15th.  This meeting
was very generally attended, and proved to have been well up to the average in
interest, with members present from Washington, D. C., Ohio, Illinois, Iowa,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Utah, winding up
the convention with a meeting at the Apiary Building, and at which time not
only the full delegation was present, but Major Clarkson, General Manager of
the Exposition, and H. B. Hardt, Superintendent of the Exhibits Department were
also present together with a corps of Newspaper reporters.

After addresses by Major Clarkson, Rev. Emerson T. Abbott of St. Joseph, Mo.
and Hon. G. W. Swink of Rocky Ford, Colorado those present were treated to a
splendid layout of Rocky Ford melons and in which Senator Swink did the honors
of the occasion.

During January of 1898, I visited the meeting of the Northwestern Bee Keepers
Association, held at the New Briggs House, Chicago, Ills. with a view of
working up an interest in the Trans-Mississippi Exposition, but found this
organization to be more of a local affair than was at first supposed.

Since my appointment and up to the time for installing exhibits, and extensive
correspondence was carried on with state commissioners, presidents of
bee-keepers' associations in the different states, until twelve hundred letters
were written.  On the 17th of May, 1898, we came to Omaha and opened up an
office in the Apiary Building, with a view of installing exhibits, in time for
the opening day, June 1st, 1898.  This we found slow work, from the fact that
some of the states had none of their crop of 1897, on hand with which to make
an exhibit, and those who had feared to put up theirs, lest, those coming later
might take advantage of their plans and pattern after them.  And while the work
of installing went on slowly, it was not fully completed until early September,
when the Nebraska State Commission with Mr. L. D. Stilson of York, Nebraska as
Superintendent, and Mr. G. M. Whitford of Arlington, Nebr. as assistant,
occupied 900 feet of space.  Douglas County with August C. Davidson of Omaha as
Superintendent and Mrs. F. G. Priess of South Omaha as his assistant occupying
400 feet.  The State of Minnesota, E. K. Jaques, Supt. 500 Feet;  the Utah
Commission with Mrs. S. T. Whitacre of Ogden, Utah, as superintendent,
occupying 240 feet of space;  Hon. G. W. Swink of Rocky Ford, Colorado,
occupying 50 feet; L. G. Clute of Greeley, Iowa, occupying 50 feet and E.
Kretchmer of Red Oak, Iowa, occupied 50 feet.  In supplies, E. Kretchmer, Red
Oak, Iowa, occupied 100 feet, the G. B. Lewis Co. of Watertown, Wis. jointly
with Emerson T. Abbot of St. Joseph, Mo. occupied 150 feet; the I. A. Root Co.
of Medina, Ohio, 200 feet and the Leahy Manufacturing Co. of Higginsville, Mo.
40 feet.  These exhibits, not so much in quantity as those shown at Chicago at
the Columbian Exposition, by far exceeded it in display and the number of
varieties shown and was the finest exhibit of its class ever opened to the
public anywhere and reflected great credit upon the individual exhibitors and
states above named.  On September 16, Hon. Eugene Secor of Forest City, Ia. was
chosen as an Expert Judge on this Bureau and at once began his work.  By
complete system of score cards, the judge not being allowed to know whose work
was before him, and noting down in the cards the points of excellence of each,
with a possible total of 100, resulting in award of 86 premium diplomas, and
medals to exhibitors, distributed by states as follows:  Colorado 3, Iowa 18,
Kansas 6, Minnesota 13, Missouri 3, Nebraska 34, Ohio 2, Utah 4, Wisconsin 3. 
The names of exhibitors taking premiums diplomas and medals will be found in
the general list in report of Awards Bureau.

The thanks of the beekeepers and supply dealers participating in this
Exposition are due and are extended to the management of the Trans-Mississippi
and to Mr. E. E. Bruce and his able assistant H. B. Hardt for the fine building
and other facilities furnished them and for making this exhibit and which they
feel has not been excelled in the history of exhibits in the world.  On the
date first above written I turned over the Apiary Building to the Supt. of
Buildings & Grounds leaving behind many fond recollections of courtesies shown
this department during nearly twelve months which we were connected with it and
five of which was in active exhibit work.  
Respectfully Submitted,
(Signed) E. Whitcomb.
Supt. Bureau of Bee Industry.