The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-14
initiate the smile of Mrs. James Brown

initiate the smile of Mrs James Brown
Potter.
This is a city of taffy, and our bellies like
the article thick. There is no woman so
homely that she has not some good point
and photographers tell me that their sue.
cess lies in being able TO detect this. If a
woman has homely face she has very
likely pretty neck and handsome should
ers, and indeed some photographs are taken
here which show only the back. Some
| girls get themselves taken with fans in front
Of their faces, and saw picture of one of
the homlles5 of our dudes which consisted
Of bis legs and dainty feet, running only as
high as his knees.
A big Photographic establishment at
Washington is worth visiting Pictures by
! thousands, large and small, paper the walls
and little big men and big little men elbow
each other in the cases. Democrats lie on
Republicans and Republicans on Democrats.
The army steps on the tail of the navy, and
the medley Of MINISTRIES, actresses, Cabinet
ladies' noted generals, Presidents wives,
society bellies, backwoods Congressman. and
pretty authoresses are mixed together in the
most astonishing manner.
WHAT ONE CAMERA HAS SEEN
The leading photographer of Washington
looks like Tom Reed, and Stanley Matthews
once took him for the Maine statesman
and made a number OF confidential disclos-
ures to him. ! took a trip with him over
his gallery yesterday, and Just as an expe-
rience, sat in the chair where Mrs. Whitney,
Mrs. Cleveland, Matte Mitchell and other
Sweet girls" have posed for their photos,
1t was better than sampling the throne of a
king and as looked about me the room
became peopled with the spirits Of the great
men and women who had here put on their
prettiest smiles and bowed and smirked be-
fore this merciless camera. 1t has looked at
as many great men as the House of Repre-
sentatives, and for the past quarter of CEN
fury it has registered the smiles OF Presi-
dents and of Senators whose eloquence has
electrified the nation. Charles Sumner has
brushed his hair forit. Roscoe Conkling has
smoothed the sheer out of his visage as
he posed before it, and Hannibal Hamlin
has tried to crack a smile that its memory
of him might be pleasant. George Bancroft
has gazed into its CLASSY features many
times, and even the millionaire Corcoran
has put on a ten-thousand-dollar smile
before it. Constance Fenimore Woolson,
the authoress, rested her pen as she
looked at it, and Mark Twain has felt mis-
cradle before it. John Mccullough sat
there where sat yesterday and posed as
Othello. Robson and Crane smrked as the
Two Dromios, that its lens might engrave
them. High-collared dudes have sat there.
Berry Wall has put on his ninety-ninth
suit OF clothes for such an occasion. Phil
Sheridan danced before its eye in a brighter
suit than he ever wore in battle, and Adj
miral Porter's sword clanked as he walked
in to register his visage.
One OF these Washington photograph gal
leries has as many scenes as the machinery
of theatre. 1t is lighted by a skylight,
and by these scenes you can be instantly
transported from fresh American country
landscape to the massive palaces and wind
ing canals of Venice, as though it were but
a STEP and from warm summer garden of
blooming flowers and singing birds you
suddenly find yourself on a dreary road,
with an endless perspective of leahess and
hoary trees You can choose any scene
you may wish, and it is all the same to the
photographer whether you appear in one of
the mosaic rooms of the Orient or in a rich
ly furnished and comfortable American
drawing-room.
''There is good deal Of deception in this
business" said the photographer THAT is,
we don't practice the deception, but our
customers do. For instance, you see that
scene representing a fine old mansion in
the country. Wei, the other day the wife
of Western Congressman and her daughter
came here and were photographed. They
were represented as sitting on a rustic bench
in front of that mansion, and they enjoined
me particularly to mount the photographs
on plain cards, that is, cards without the
photographers name printed on them. |
did So and found out a short time after
wards that they had distributed the pic
lures lavishly among their newl y-made So
ceby friends, telling them that they had
been taken in front of their mansion in the
West by a strolling photographer the sum-
mer before.
HOW A SPANISH NOBLEMAN PALMED OFF A
CASTLE.
ooh, yes, when people ask me for plain
cards it is easy to see what they want.
But il makes no difference to me. About
year ago took the picture of o man who
claimed to be Spanish nobleman. He was
a handsome fellow, tall and dark, and he
spoke with a peculiarly pleasing accent.
He was very popular in Washington so
ciety, and there were many scheming
mammas with manageable daughters try
ing TO ennesh him in their nets. He lived
luxuIiously and was reported TO be I'M
mensely wealthy. He requested me to use
that scene representing a gorgeous
library, filled with bric-a-brac and works
by the old masters hanging from the
walls. He also asked for plain cards, and
though am usually little suspicious in
such cases, the recognized position
of the man and his plausible and digni6ed
manner treasured me, ana attributed MS
desire for plain cards to within. About
two weeks after the pictures were finished
and delivered to him. however, l learned
that he had been passing them off as having
been taken by Spanish photographer in
his ancestral castle in Spain. He was ar
rested soon after for forgery, just few
days before he was to be married to the
daughter of rich merchant then living in
Washington, and it was then found out
that he was an adventurer who was wanted
in several parts of the contry. Through
some influential friends, however, he es-
capped prosecution, left the country, and
have heard no more of him"
THE PRESIDENTS AS sITTERs.
Chow many Presidents have you taken"
81 have taken the pictures of all the Pres
idents of the past two decades. Hayes was
the most difficult subject of them all. He
was very fidgety and nervous, and it was
almost impossible to get him into a good
pose. Andy johnson, with his character
istic features and imposing appearance,
was good subject and posed well. Grant
and Garfield were good Subjects and so is
Cleveland. But, as graceful and easy
poser, think Arthur had the lead of them
all. He fell into any position as naturally
as does an actor, and it was more of a