Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 December 1881 — Are Bees a Nuisance. [ARTICLE]

Are Bees a Nuisance.

Harrisburg Telegraph. An unusual case is being tried in the Cumberland county (Pa.) court this week, that of testing by a jury whether the keeping of a large number of bees in a town or borough is a public nuisance or not. The case is from West Fairview, a small town on the opposite side of the river from Harrisburg. Two citizens had about 130 skepe of bees, and, as the summer was scarce of material such as the bees feed upon, they came in large numbers into the houses, stores, grape arbnrs, and wherever there was anything for them to feed upon. In ooe instance they swarmed in a neighbor’s kitchen and were there for days, he not being able to hive them, the queen being killed. They were especially bad about canning and preserving time, compelling the housewife to do her preserving in the evening, and in one instance the wife had to clinb in and out of the win-

dow for days, not daring to open the doors, for the bees would go in by hundreds; persons were stung passing along the streets and highways; entire houses become infested with bees, so much so, that the en mates could not enter to rest at night without being stung by the bees; trays of fruit put ouc for drying were entirely consumed. Indeed a reign of terror was experinced for several months, until a committee of citizens agreed to abate the nuisance, and after several efforts appealed to the court The defense claimed that the raising

and keeping of bee* was an indaster, and a* rack could not oome under (£• head of a public nuiaanoe, and that nit could not be brought nor damages recovered for the keeping of honey bees. The attorneys oa both aides presented the opinions of several Judges and the law points in the case, after which the court decided the case should be tried, and the testimony was received. Bat one ease seemed to be on reoord in the State, and that was tried before Judge Pearson in Dauphin oounty years ago, in whieh the defendant was adjudged guilty, had to pay a&fine and abate the nuisance. k