The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-11-04
Dams Photograph.

Dams Photograph.
The queerest follow, without ex'
ccption, in all Wexford, was Daniel
Battles.
He was sixteen years of age, yet he
had the reputation of possessing as
much knowledge about odd and ont
of:the-ways things as any ten average
lads. He was believed to have an in
innate acquaintance with every trout
lin the woods, and every rabbit in tho
burrows. BE had the largest collec
ton of birds eggs to be found in the
county; and it was reported, and sol
emnly believed by all the small hoys
in the ncighborhood, that he had g Sc
cret understanding with the kiSgfsh,
crs and orioles, by which they agreed
to surrender one egg of each litter to
him, in consideration OF his promise
to let all the others alone.
He was always taking up some
new idea TO work out, and if he did
not know all about many things, be
really seemed to know little about
every thing. lie knew how TO print,
how to bleed q horse, how to run the
telegraph instrument, how to cult
yate siIkworms, how 10 make the
most outrageous noises with his
hands, how to graft pears, how to
write backwards, how to play check
ers with his eyes shut, and, in short,
he knew how to do nearly everything
that came in his way TO learn.
One day tho neighbors opened
their eyes and prickcd up their car:
at the news that Dan had taken up
photography; not that they were
astonished, for they had long ceased
to he astonished at anything that
Dan did, but they were interested in
his, enterprise, though regarding il
simply at another freak Of curious
genius. Il
: "Well, WE'LL" said they, struggling
their shoulders, "Dan is an odd stick.
It's about time he went into some,
thing useful. Photography, eh?"
The report was true. Dan had Oh:
tained camera Of good size, and
was experimenting with it up in his
"dcn," in one end Of his mothers gar.
ret.
1t would be hard to imagine more
untidy, chaotic-looking place than
Dams eden" 1t was full of bottles
old cloths, jars, bits Of machinery,
musical instruments, carpenters tools
old maps, torn pictures, pots of paint
and chemicals, fragments of old ma
chimes, stuffed birds, &C.; and j,
smelled SO fearfully that no one but
Dan could ever stay in it long enough
to make I'm inventory of the contents
!. Dan was as odd-looking character
as one would be likely TO see in 9
years travel. H. was thin and lank
lin tho body and legs. His head was
largo, and he had light blue eyes, and
long, whitIsh hair. which he rarely
com bed, and which struggled about
all over his head, as if tho rats hao
made nests in it the last time he slept
Ho was not much Of talkcr. Lie
generally kept silence and stared
Nobody knew what an amount o.
thinking he did meanwhile, and ir
fact, many who laughed at his green
nes, +" had TO confess afterwards that
he not only saw all things that wa:
going on, but knew more about what
he saw than the smartcst of them.
Dan went on with his photograph
ing for several weeks. He learned te
take very good pictures. but he was
far from being satisfied. He was
thoughtful and aImo ost melancholy. Ellis
fingers We're always stained black anc
brown with acids that he could moi
wash off, and his clothing always
gave out the peculiar scent Of "collo
dion" ..-..
Dams mother began really to be
anxious. Tho boy was growing up q
loose Jack-at-all-trades, but without
any particular turn for one profitable
calling. 1t was necessary that he
should begin to earn money pretty
soon, and she was anxious that he
should choose some single business
aid stick to it. She took the boy in
hand and eXpostulatcd with him.
Dan looked distressed.
"I'm trying 10 do something, moth
or. I'm just getting hold of it now,
| guess. l only want a little more
time"
This was about as long speech as
Dan was in the habit of making at
one time. His mother was pacifed,
and for the present, let him alone.
Two or three more weeks slipped
by. Dan made pictures Of every
body he could get before his camera.
He ph otographed the cat and her kit.
tens. He photographed his "den"
and all its miscellaneous trumpery.
He photographed the boys in the
street, and he photographed build
itIgs, fences and trees.
Still he did not succeed to his mind.
His pictures lacked the peculiar shad