River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-06-14
DAVIS PHOTOGRAPH.


I'm all Wexford. was Daniel Battles
He was sixteen wears of age, vet he had
thc reputation Of possessing a. much
knowledge about odd and out-of- the way
things a. any ten average lads He was
believed 10 have an intimate acquaintance
with every trout IN the streams. and every
bird in the woods, and every rabbit in the
burrows lie had the largest collection
Of birds eggs to De found in the country
ami it was reported and solemnly be-
iicved by al the small boys in the neigh
borhOod, that hc had "a secret understand
ing with the king fishers and orioles. by
which they agreed to surrender one egg
Ut each litter To- him, in consideration of
his promise To let all others alone.
lie was always taking up some new
ideJ % work out, and if he did not know
al about many things, he really seemed
to know a little about everything. He
knew how To print, how to bleed a
horse how To run the telegraph instru-
mcut. how TO cultivate silk worms, how to
make the most outrageous noises with his
hands, how to graft pears, how to write
backwards. how to play checkers with
lis eyes shut and in short, he knew how
to DO nearly everything that came in his
way to learn.
One day the neighbors opened their
ewes and pricked up their ears at the news
that Dan had taken up photography; not
that they were astOnished at anything
that Dan did. but they were interested in
his enterprise. though regarding it simply
IS another freak of curious genius.
Well. we'll, said they, Struggling their
shoulders. Dan Is an old stick It's
about time he went into something useful.
Photography. eh:"
The report was true. Dan had obtained
: camera of good size, and was expert
mcnting with II up in his ''den, in one
rnd Of his mothers garnet.
Ii would be hard to imagine more un-
trdy. chaO,ic-loOking place than Dams
dem 1t was full of bottles. old clothes,
musical instruments. carpenters tools, old
maps. torn pictures, pots of paint and
chemicals. fragments of old machines,
stuffed birds. etc and il smelled so fear
fully that me- one but Dan could ever stay
in il long enough To make an inventory
of the contents
Dan was as odd-lOOking character as
one would be likely to see in years
travel. He was thin and lank in the
body and legs His head was large, and
~ had light blue eyes. and long whitish
hair. which he rarely coined, and which
Struggled about all over his head, as if
the rats had made nests in it the last
time he slept.
He was not much of talkcr He gen
orally kept silent and stared. Nobody
knew what IN amount of thinking he did
meanwhile, and in fact. many who
4 : Il. 1 -,
afterwards that lie not only saw all
things that were going ON, but knew
more about what hc saw than the smart
,.~t of them.
Dan went ON with his photographing
Tor several weeks. He learned to take
very good pictures. but he was far from
-atisfed. lie grew thoughtful and almost
melancholy. His fingers were always
stained black and brown with acids that
ne could not wash off, and his clothing
always gave out the peculiar scent OF
" COllOdiOn."
Dams mother began really to be anx-
iuus The boy was growing up a loose
Jack-of-all- trades. but without any par
ticular turn for one profitable calling
Ii was necessary that lac should begin tC
earn money pretty soon, and she was
anXiou, that ne should choose some sin.
.le business and stick 10 it. She took
The boy in hand and cNpoStulatcd with
him. Dan looked distressed.
I'm irving tn du something. mother
I'm lust getting hold of 1t now. | guess
onIy want a little more time"
This was about as long a speech a:
Dan was in the habit of making at one
time His mother was paciticd, and fol
fhc present. let him alone.
Two or three more weeks slipped by
ban made pictures of everybody he could
get before his camera. lie photographed
the cat and her kittens. lie photo
.sraphed his " den" and all his miscclla
1cous trumpcry. Tie photographed tn,
boys in the street and lie photographed
buildings, fences and trees.
Still he did not succeed 20 his mind
Ills pictures lacked the peculiar shading
Of tone" that he wanted. His dream
was To achieve this. which he believed
would not only make them very beauti
ful, but give him large profitable Gus
tom.
He tailored necessarily. now trying thi
plan, now trying that, but without an!
perfect result.
In the course Of his experiments out o
his garnet window. Dan made street pic
lures of people both near and remote, il
diverse attitudes, and nj nearly all hour
Of the dav Dan took them in single nc
urcs and in groups; nc took them in look
ing up and looking down making ges
lures or sitting still; he took them a
;hcv ~tuud in windows. and a they Wake
below him. Or rode past in carriages
Many Of the photographs were clear ant
good. hut still the subtle finish was want
ing Dan could not realize his dream.
Finally his mother begged him to sto
his amusement oas She called IN, and =
to a store, or some business where i
might support himself.
Dan shook his head
Can't mother"
But. Dan, can't afford TO give niue
more money for the acids YOU want
All said Dan. lie shook his Lea
once more. and looked very detected.
lie was ri his wits end. lie believe
ne was on the very verge Of an impOrtar
s,iscovcrv. lie only wanted a little MOI
,imc and ldfIc more money. WheI
should the money come from.
This was q trying question. He coul
not imagine that any one would ever len
him enough cash TO carry out his project
and he did not seem TO think of any wa
Is earn sufficient sum. lie went up I
his den and sat down in the midst {
his bottles and rubbish. feeling uneon
monty blue. There was his camera upO
it, three long legs, with its black mufii'
drawn carefully over il, and with Its bra
nose pointed out into the cold air.
The boys thoughts pointed the san
way lie must 20 out into the cold an
tind something II do. or some day
mi .rhs bara - efav ouf IN the cold III