San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-02-15
THE SUN NOT INFALLiBLE.
Some Curious and Unexplained Antics OF
the Camera.

Though not yet arrived at the dig
nifty Of being an amateur photograph
err. have provided myself with an
elaborate outfit, and have practiced a
good deal in order to have the means
Of securing better pictures of inter-
esting places and people, when trav-
cling in out-Of-the-way portions of the
globe, than ! could get with pencil
only. Three times during the course
of my practice in exposing and deyel-
oping dry plates | have made mega
tives that startled me, for, If not super
natural, they at least bordered very
closely upon the miraculous. Twice
within the last month | have endeav-
ored to photograph handsome collie
dog, the household pet of a friend
whom j was visiting.
In order to bring the dog more con-
spicuously in the field of vision placed
him upon a rustic seat on the lawn
and. when restful moment on his
part arrived. exposed the plate. On de-
velopment ! had, indeed, complete
picture of the bench and the land
scape, but no sign whatever of the
dog, not even a haziness as if he might
have moved during the exposure. The
plate used was No. 80 Cramer, size
5x8, with Wales lens of most excel
lent quality. There we're several peo-
pie present at the time observing the
operation or engaging the attention of
the dog to keep him quiet. All could,
with the clearest conscience, make
legal affidavit that they saw the dog
on the bench all the time, and yet
there is not the slightest trace of him
to be found on the plate. Every por-
ton of the bench is distinctly visible,
Notwithstanding that the dogs body
interviewed between it and the camera.
While taking the plate-holder into the
house to develop the picture acct
dentally moved the slide a little so
that the very sensitive plate is much
logged, but / did not think it had
been opened far enough to let the dog
to escape entirely. Again, few days
later, l had absolutely the same ex-
perience in photographing the very
same dog upon the same bench. The
bench was completely delineated, but
the dog gave no evidence of having
been present.
During last winter, while at York
Factory, on Hudson Bay, my hosts of
the Hudson Bay Company were very
much Interested in my camera, and
submitted themselves readily to the
scrutiny of my portrait lens. One
Sunday, just before my departure for
Fort Churchill, | attempted to photo
graph the pretty little daughter of
the master of the factory. The child's
mother, strict Scotch Presbyterian.
did not hesitate TO express her disap-
proval of doing such work on the Sab
bath. The father, however, prevailed
upon the mother TO give her consent,
as | was going away the next day, and
they were very anxious to avail them
selves of a privilege so unusual in that
part of the world to secure a portrait
of the little family idol. The child
was posed, standing upon the seat Of
an old-fashioned high-back chair,
stuffed and quilted and with black but
tons to hide the stitches that dented
the harcloth covering. When all was
ready and the child stood motionless,
leaning against the padded back of
the chair, | made the exposure and
waited until night came to develop the
plate, perfectly confident that had
secured good portrait at last. When
the image came upon the plate, under
the action of the pyrogallic developer,
there was a perfect picture of the chair,
every button, and, apparently, every
hair of the covering being distinctly
drawn, but no more sign of the child
than if she had been made of thin air.
l was greatly mystified, but the father
was awe-stricken as well as disap-
pointed by the result, and whispered
in an impressive but husky voice:
The good wife said no good would
come of photographing on Sunday,
and she was right. am glad it is
only the picture that is lost. w H.
Glider SR NeU York World.