Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-05-25
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

enough understood, In ltS princlpal features,
from its general use for making portraits In
this branch of the Arts it has already covered
the whole field. 1t was only a few years ago
that an attempt was made to accomplish, by
Photography, the more important objects of its
true originator, Mr.. Niepce, of Chalons. His
aim was to produce, by the action of light upon
chemically prepared surface, an engraved
plate of a picture or drawing, from which thou
sands of copies could be struck off by the use of
a common printing press. Mr.. Niepce, unfOr-
tunately, died before accomplishing this desi-
rable result Others have taken up the subject
since; and the results recently obtained, on
this side of the Atlantic and in Europe, warrant
the belief that it will not be long before Mr..
Niepce's highest expectations will be realized.
1t is source CT pride to US to know that in our
own city the most valuable and decisive ad-
vances have been made since Daguerre death.
Mr. Schimmelfenig, scientific engineer of this
city, after experimenting for the last two or
three years with the view of applying tho art
OF Photography to Engineering and Engraving,
is believed to have finally overcome SO many of
the difficulties as to be able to make o direct
copy, on a ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS reduction, of
any map, picture or subject of nature, upon
metallic plate or wood block. This, we know,
will be appreciated by those interested.
In order that the general reader may under
stand the subject, we will explain some of the
difficulties of which We speak. Careful obser-
vers will have noticed that, with common pho
tographs, tho picture becomes less distinct
towards the margin of the sheet or plate, ard
that lines which are straight in original
gradually curve from the centre to the margin
in the reduction obtained by the camera.
On account Of the unequal chemical action
of the different colored rays of light it is diff
cult to distinguish shades for instance, the
yellow ray acts upon the sensitive surface of
the plate nearly as slow as the black shadows,
although the impression of the ray upon the
eye is of light shade. Contrary to this is
the case with the dark purple rays. The APP
plication Of certain chemicals to tho sensitive
layer has ameliorated this obstacle to soIne ex-
tent. But far the best result Mr.. Schimmel-
fenig has obtained by changing the color of the
rays projected from tho picture before they are
allowed TO act upon the sensitive plate. In
engraving, the picture or drawing is required
to be produced reversed. This has been done
before by several, but not without sacrificing
more time and money than was necessary.
The two methods most generally used to effect
a reversal are-by printing in the camera or
by the use Of Il looking glass to produce a cor
responding negative, to be printed from after
wards by direct sunlight. The first mode s
too troublesome and uncertain in its result to
be of use. The last will only prove sufficient
when correctness is not absolutely required
Another obstacle lay in finding suitable
etching ground to receive and retain the picture;
but now, and we judge from specimens shown
us, the cngraver has most beautiful picture
in all its details, placed upon the plate ready
to be estimated
In wood engravings it is the same thing; the
picture is in the wood itself, with 10 possibility
of being rubbed out by fair means.
We have dwelt, perhaps, too long upon the
subject, but it is one of such universal inter-
est that we feel warranted in SO doing, know
ing that every advance which lessons the cost
of engraving (which, Of course cheapens all
illustrated works. increases the knowledge of
the people, and goes far towards establishing
that equality of power and persons On which
our Institutions are based
TEE WATER DEBT QUESTION.-We invite
discussion through the Stars columns on this
subject Of SO great importance to Washington
city. We have in hand communication on
the other side of it, which it was our intention
to publish to-day Its considerable length,
however, Obliges US to lay it over until to-
morrow.
ICOMMUNiCA1ED
Mr. Editor: Allow me few words. IL YOU
please, on the very important question so well
brought to the notice of our citizens by .sVo.er.u
in yonr paper OF Saturday last. The manner in
which that question is put to the voters by the
city ordinance, does not seem fair and direct
They are to vote - For the Water or :" Against
the Water The question should be % For
debt, or against debit For one am in favo
OF having the wa:er, but shall be Obliged 10 vote
against the water" because / am opposed to
debt. mode OF obtaining the water and ONLY
temporarily instead Of permanently increasing
our burdens, would be to get from Congress
such an alteration of the City Charter As vii!
enable the councils 70 impose an additional tax
OF twenty five cents on the hundred dollars. This
Will produce from sixty to seventy thousand dol
lars year, and in about four years if used grad
uailv as collected, would lay all the pipe aud
fix all the hydrants we want in the public streets
The tax can then DE RENTED, and the eY ptnse
OF Keeping the MIGRANTS IN repair can be paid
from the moneys received from those who NAV
chose to have the water brought upon their prem
Uses; and il any remains, il could be applied
either to the school fund, or To the gradual re-
d-mption OF our enormous city debt
We have already "a funded debt of over seven
huhdred thousand dollars, and unfunded one
Of at least hundred thousand On this un-
funded debt we have been paying yea'Iy for
twenty i've years, without benefit to any body
bat to capitalists, by anording them a convenient
Investment OF their money, more than forty
thousand dollars, amounting in the aggregate to
upwards of million OF dollars. 1t is now pro-
posed to add quarter Of million to this funded
debt, thus mourning yeafly payment Of fifteen
thousand dollars Interest for an indefinite period
As this cannot he met without increased taxation
allow me TO suggest to those highly respectable
and well-meaning citizens who have brought
this subject to the consideration Of the voters
whether il would not be wise to add at o.ce
little more TO the taxes and not incur the debt
With Kingdoms, states, counties cities towns
Villages and Individuals the custom OF borrow
Ing foF every emergency has become so much the
rule that no other mode Is ever thought OF Let
us Of this metropolis turn over new Ieaf-estat,
lish new cuStom-and pay as we 20