The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-09-13
The Photograph Test.

An innocent little item in the Searsport cor
respondence Of the journal seems to have at
tracted good deal of attention from the
light and heavy wits of the press. 1t moved
the solemn funnyman of the Boston Advertiser
to write AS follows
Cnkind and depreciatory remarks have
greeted the paragraph announcing that Il dwell
er in Dakota had applied to a Maine tailor for
clothes. and had, by request. sent the tailor his
photograph. Maine and Dakota have been
joint sufferers in the visitation of wit. and it
has been an arduouS task to decide whether
the tailor or the tailored, if such a word NAV
be fitted TO the emergency, is in the more pain
full situation The criticism. however. has
been hasty and superficial. The cutting and
trimming man was wise. The measurements.
of course, had been enclosed in due time to the
dealer, but what are mere figures to man
who wishes to have his patron not only physi-
cally but mentally satisfied: Dimensions are
Indispensable, but higher plane of workman
upon fine test for satisfactorily supplying his
adherents. Doubtless the Dakota suitor left it
to the tailor whether the cloth should be of gay
or sober tlnts, plain, or plentifully diversified
with stripes, paids, and other adornings. The
face of the patron would be Il safe guide.
Does intellectual force show itself in the feat
ures? Then a cautious policy must be pur-
sueu. Inc cloth must correspond to the evil
dent warp and Woof of the mind. Is dulnesS.
lnslpldlty, or an emotional and festive character
Indicated by the photograph? Then the lOudeSt
coors. the most brilliant patterns, may be pre-
scrIbed So. too, about the style. If Il fine,
Roman air hovers about the countenance no
extreme fashion will do. A happy medium
must be kept i'll view. If the menhtl endow-
ment is light, then the tailor can do his worst :
till the victim is encased in garments which
cooperate with the doctor and prevent violent
exercise. The photograph baly supports the
shears.
The picture test can be made useful general
~. Agents for the sale of useful articles which
that vague being every family" desires, would
save much valuable time-of their potential
customers, if the study of the town faces were
made preliminary process. In a group of Il
hundred faces the acute yender would instantly
dismiss given number as hopeless cases. He
would say to himself my combined mosquito
bar and flute would have no attractions for
person with that stern expression. will omit
the owner of such visage in my rounds"
lhus, certain percentage in community. if
the picture plan be adopted, will never receive
calls from dealers in maps. ink, glasses, pencils
which shut up and pencils which are not shut
tiers, feather busters, lives of prominent pirates
ana thousand articles which would make life
worth living. This is the negative side. The
positive virtue of the scheme is obvious. The
newly rich, if ignorant, who wish to be fitted to
a library, picture gallery, or II family coat-of-
arms can send their photograph and the pur
Veyor Will hit their case accurately. The pre-
else grade Of old masters, the properly formed
lion couchant. and the suitable biographies and
novels will be lauded, after being kept dry and
this side up, in the home which has not grown
through generations, but suddenly appears,
coat-of-arms and all, in the finest and most ro-
bust condition. If the customers face could be
studied more leisurely, those who wish to sell
would make fewer mistakes. The Maine-Da-
kota plan is, therefore admirable. The photo
graph has done much for society, but as a COM
merclal agent its usefulness is but beginning.
Look here on this picture and on this" now
has meaning of which Shakespeare did not
dream.