The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-06
LEvELED AT MRS. CLEVELAND.

Adventurous Amateurs Who Try to Photos
graph the White House Mistress.
Washington Special
Amateur photography has taken strong hold
upon the young people of both sexes OF this city,
and the small portable outfit. consisting Of
boxed camera and folding tripod. can be seen os
almost every open square. The public buildings
and equestrian statues are in great favor among
amateurs seeking subjects, the Capitol and
White House ranking first in point of attractive
ness. Heretofore the majority of these young
people in search OF views have been content to
photograph the executive maEsion from the op-
posite side of Pennsylvania avenue. A few days
ago, however, an adventurous young knight Of
the camera carried his machine into the groundf
and set it up on the lawn before the porte CO.
chere- He had just trained it upon the front Of
the mansion and stood with head enveiopsd in
his focus-cioth, when an attache OF the White
House made his appearance and, seizing the en-
tire outfit ordered the trespasser off tne preuni-
ses. Expostulation availed the ambitious pho.
tographer nothing.
The instrument was conficated as contraband
property and sent to Colonel Wilson, superin-
tendent of public buildings and grounds. Tha
officer explained, "You will have to see him.
To Colonel Wilson the photographer went The
Colonel is clever, good -natured gentleman, and
promptly restored the properly. but read the
young man long lecture the enormity of
the offense of photographing public buildings iu
general and the White House in particular.
steps to prevent it there would be double
file of amateur photographers encircling the
White House from morning until night, every
one of them ready to take snap shot at Mrs.
Cleveland should she venture to show her head.
We really can't allow it. you know" The anna
teur manipulator of the dry plate thanked the
Colonel effusvely for the restoration of his out
fit ana will hardly risk it within the inclosure
again. An attache of the White House said to
the World correspondents in reference to this
matter:
s.You can have no idea of how busy vert
that used to infest the house and grounds.
They wouid come by the dozen at about the
hour Mrs Cleveland usually went driving and
stand uron the steps with detective cameras to
catch her she passed. Some of the cameras
looked like little hand bags, and others were
small boxes carried under the coat However
disguised we soon got to know them, and hus-
tied their owners out in short order.
"A young man appeared one day with . small
detective camera, the existence of which we
would never have guessed but for accident.
I noticed his rather peculiar actions and won-
dered what he was after. AS lady caller. who
slightly resem bled Mrs. Cleveland, left tbs
sionally giving q vigorous tug at string that
dangled from under his vest Suddenly snne=
thing gave way. and a shining nickle-plated disk.
anout eight inches in diameter, fell to the tiles
with a crash. 1t was detective camera worn
under the vest the lens protruding through q
bon passing around the neck. It contained
circular dry plate, which shattered in
dozen pieces, and was operated by the cord that
hung from his vest. Apoloeizing confueedly to
the laoy, who had been frightened half out OF
her wits by the crash OF what she evidently
gathered up the fragments and fed down the
driveway.