The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1877-05-26
DAMS PHOTOGRAPH

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 out-of-th e-way
things as any ten average lads. He was
believed to have an intimate acquaint-
ance with every trout in the streams,
and every bird in the woods, and every
rabbit in the burrows. He had the
largest collection of birds eggs to be
found in the country; and it was report
ed, and ,solemnly believed by all the
small boys in the neighborhood, that he
had secret understanding with the king
fishers and orioles, by which they
agreed to surrender one egg of each litter
to him, in consideration of his promise
to let all others alone.
He was always taking up some new
idea to work out, and if he did not know
all about many things, he really seemed
to know little about everything. He
knew how to print, how to bleed horse,
how to run the telegraph instrument,
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 his 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
eyes and pricked up their ears at the
news that Dan had taken up photo
thot +hoxy rIoJ
for they had long ceased to be astonished
at anything that Dan did, but they were
interested in his enterprise, though re-
garding it simply IS another freak of GU
rious 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 OBJ
tanned a camera of good rise, and was ex-
perimenting with it up in his " den," in
one end of his mothers garrett.
1t would be hard to imagine a more
untidy, chaotic-lookingp place than Dams
" den.' 1t was full of bottles, old clothes,
Jars, bits of machinery, musical instru-
ments, carpenters tools, old maps torn
pictures, pots of paint and chemicals,
framents of old machines, stuffed birds,
etc; and it smelled 50 fearfulIy that no
one but Dan could ever stay in it long
enough to make an inventory of the con-
tents.
Dan was as odd-looking a character as
10 no ,I-oI, =, >,
travel. He was thin and lank in. the
body and legs. His head was large, and
he had light blue eyes, and long, whitish
hair, which he rarely combed, 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 a talker. He gem
orally kept silent and stared. Nobody
knew what an amount of thinking he
did meanwhile, and in fact, MANY who
laughed at his "greenness had to con
fess afterwards that he not only saw all
things that were going on, but knew
more about what he saw than the smart
est Of them.
Dan went on with his photographing
Tor several weeks. He learned to take
very good pictures, but he was far from
satisfied. He grew thoughtful and almost
melancholy. His fingers were always
stained black and brown with acids that
he could not wash off, and his clothing
always gave out the peculiar scent of
collodion."
Dams mother began really to be anx-
lous. The boy was growing up a loose
Observation-Disclosures, but without any par
ticular 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 sin
gle business and stick to it. She took
the boy in hand and expostulated with
him. Dan looked distressed.
:" I'm trying to do something, mother.
I'm Just getting hold of it now, | guess.
lonly want a little more time"
This was about as long a speech as
Dan was in the habit of making at one
time. His mother was pacified, and for
the present, let HIM alone.
Two or three more weeks slipped bv.
Dan made pictures of everybody he
could get before his camera. He photo
graphed the cat and her kittens. He
photographed his :" den" and all his mis-
eellaneous trumpery. He photographed
the boys in the street, and he photo
graphed buildings, fences and trees.
Still he did not succeed to his mind
lis 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 chs
tom.
He labored necessarily, now trvino
this plan, now trying that, but without
any perfect result.
In the course OF his experiments out of
his garrett window, Dan made street pic
lures of people both near and remote, in
alvers attitudes, and at nearly all hours
OF the day. Dan took them in single
fgtres and in groups; he took them look
ing up and looking down; making ges-
lures or sitting still; he took them as
they stoodin windows, and as they walk
cd below him, or rode past in carriages.
Many OF the photographs were clear and
GOOD but still rho Sub+Io fn;cL