The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-02-11
That Horrid Camera.

A breach of promise case is now pend
! ing at Marysville which exhibits some
| peculiar features. 1t seems the defend
ant, young man named Augustus Scud-
berry, is a member of that rapidly
| increasing class of persons known
| as amateur instantaneous photograph
cranks. This individual had become so
enthused over the achievements of Euro
pean photographers in obtaining mega
tlves of birds flying, horses running
away, tigers Selling their prey, &C., that
he made himself holy nuisance prowl-
ing around afterpeople with his portable
camera, electric slides and things. One
day he would be found ambushed beside
the railroad track filling up the switch
tenders with beer, in the happy antici-
patton of catching a good impression of
first-class smashup the next, he was
trying to bride some dying mans family
to allow him to take a snap shot at the
patient just when the death rattle set in.
In fact, it is stated that once, when some
miners were having terrific quarrel in
bar-room, Scudberry suddenly appear
ed in the doorway with his instrument
over his head and exclaimed excitedly:
''Wait until put on dry plate before
you shoot, gentleman Get your pistols
ready and fire together when | say three
want to get in all the flashes"
Well, as we were going to say, this
same Scudberry was engaged to girl
named Pliffey, and somehow had got the
idea in his head that Amelia-her name
was Amelia, and she wore number four
shoe, which is mighty good for Marys
vile girl-was untrue to him; in fact,
that she was encouraging the attentions
of a dry-goods clerk named Boggs.
So Scudberry, having just received an
| automatic clockwork attachment to his
apparatus, carried his machine over to
his financee's house on pretense of taking
the pictures of the family. He took
Amelia's mother in the act of spanking
the baby; he took the baby in the act of
swallowing pin; took the cat in the act
OF catching a mouse; took dinner and
then took his leave. Scudberry explain
ed that he was to be out of town that
evening and asked that his camera be
allowed to stand in the corner of the
parlor until his return the next day.
That night Boggs, the alleged rival,
called on Amelia and it is natural to sup
pose that they were both unaware that
the Photographic apparatus in the cor
ner-the lens of which was adjusted SO
as to rake the sofa fore and aft, so to
speak-was automatically adjusted to
take an instantaneous negative at pre-
cisely 11.30 P. NJ, that being the hour
when the jealous Scudberry supposed
the festivities would be in progress, if
at all. At all events, the couple were
startled at about that period by pecul-
lar click from Scudberry's machine, and
which they understood better the next
morning when that gentleman indignant
ly broke his engagement and exhibited
a picture which he sarcastically labeled
"No. 46l, Greco- Roman Hugging
Match"
Miss Pliffey Immediately brought suit
for breach of promise, Boggs testifying
that he was only rehearsing contem-
plated tableau with the plaintiff. Mean
while Scudberry had filed the photo
graph as evidence, and the whole town
is waiting anxiously for the verdict As
soon as it is rendered the whole story
will be carefully dramatized for the Bald
win as one of the most thrilling episodes
of life in the Far West.-Son Francisco
Post.