Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-03-17
.Wen, Pnbe dod blast eff 1 don't learn
i L. r -, !, ,,.,,, dh,,n from CIar-

well, Pllbe dod blast eff / don't learn
it. Here come way down from Clar-
mont county with load O. leather, an
leather amt nothin now. They won
give more'n seventeen cents for right nice
skiyed upper, an then they want a teller
to lose three pounds on a side an rather
an do that Pm going to carry mine back
home. Hides is four and quarter and bark
four dollars cord, an you see feller
can't make nothin at tannin now
I'D quit the business, SIR
IN be dod burned eff 1 don't too, an
go to work an larn to draw them likeness
es. I'm pretty weakly anyhow, an tan
nin's most too hard fur me; besides Pm
some at carpenterin work, an kin make
them little frames at odd times when i
amt got nothin else to do, an they'll do
list as we'll up the country where they
don't see no SIGH things. But say, how
do you make them picters 2
I'VE put plate in that box, as you
saw, and desire the subject to look stead
lily at it, and it makes ITSELF
'Then you don't have no paintin nor
DRAWN with a lead pencil to do?'
None at all, sir
well, 1 reckon now amt that surpri-
sin? What wont they git to dom next
Why Teller ort to larn to do that right
Off
Perfectly simple SIR
you've jist got to look right inter that
little brass cannon, or whatever your q
mind to call her, and that makes the pic
ter?'
Exactly so, sir
well I'll be burned spose you give
me one O. your plates an let me do it an
you put me through. Can
With pleasure SIR
Can Teller make picter of himself?'
Certainly
well, I'll make Picter O. myself, an
I'll pay yer fur yer plate-be burned eff
don't, even eff 1 don't larn anything, fur
what say I'll do, I'll do
The plate was instantly forthcoming,
and the obliging operator assisted his anx-
ious student-now almost a graduate
to adjust the slide in the camera. This
done he rushed to the chair and seated
himself, with his eyes fixed on the tube.
Look sharp sir, if you want sharp
picture
Il will, by gonero. Letr wint-Haint
l looked most long enough 2
Very likely sir-you had better look
at the plate
The plate was carefully examined, but
no impression could be discovered.
"Twant long enough, l expect
Probably not, sir. You had better
sit again
About this time wag who had been
busy with his pencil at another end of the
room, approached the operator and asked
him if he had creased the plate. Being
answered in the negative, he added that
lie found it much easier to work plates that
had been creased; and proposed to grease
that one by way of proving his expert
ment. The gentleman in the chair cheer,
fully accorded his permission remarking
that While a Teller was a larnin he'd bet
ter larn right The plate was therefore
removed from the camera, and on being
replaced the new operator told our friend
he might wink his eyelids as much as he
pleased, but to sit still and he would in
sure him perfect likeness.
He had sat perhaps two minutes with
his bandana spread over his knees, his
teeth ground together, his hands clenched
and his eyballs almost hopping from theil
sockets in his furious efforts TO look sharp
for sharp PICTURE when thinking il
must be drawed by this time he ap'
preached the camera and withdrew the
slide. The crowd gathered around to see
the result, when 10 there appeared tc
view respectable drawing of a donkey.-
One glance at the picture and one at the
bystanders, and another at his portrait.
and all present burst into a loud laugh. in
the midst of which the gentleman from
Gen1.nlOm vanished