Wichita eagle., 1889-06-20
4 PHOTOGRAPHIC TRAMP.

There is nothing criminal about being an
amateur photographer NociviEzed country
has law against amateur photography, al
though in France and in Germany and other
semi-barbarous countries they arrest man
II he photographs too near to their fortifica,
tions. Still the general tendency Of modern
cameras Is towards concealment There is a
camera made which person can put under
his vest and the lens take the place OF vest
button. Other cameras are done up like par
GELS or take the form OF a satchel or'sone
other unobuusive shape so that the general
passer by may not know that the man he
meets is an amateur photographer. The
trouble with the cameras that have named
is that they are generally too small TO take a
picture that is at all satisfactory. Some Of
them have no focusing glass and no arrange
ment for letting person know what sort of
o picture he is taking Now I use q camera
that takes a picture four by five inches
which l think is the smallest size that is of
any service TO man, although some get
along with what is known as the lantern size.
a size of plate that is large enough to take a
picture that will go into stereopticon-
The other day bought brand new valise
in which to conceal my photographing appa-
ratus, and instead of the long alpenstock tri-
pod which have carried heretofore, / bought
whas is known as 1.-The daisy tripod" which
folds up into a very small compass and can
be packed away in a valise that is about
eighteen inches long.
The whole outfit goes into a very ordinary
sized valise, and a person moves through
world like an ordinary traveller who has
few boiled shirts and clean collars and cuffs
with him
One very hot day 1 found myself In Gin
cinnati, with the forenoon to spare. l had
seen Cincinnati often enough, but had never
hada view of the suburbs. Cincinnati, as
everybody knows, Is down in q hole, and is
surrounded by hills If you speak 10 Gin
cinnatian reproachfully about the humiliat-
ing position his city occupies, he viii answer:
''Oh, yes, but you ought TO see the suburbs;
the suburbs In Cincinnati are the grandest in
the world"
Cincinnati suburbs are on the hill tops, as
they are called and extend for miles around
the city. There are two ways of getting up
on the hill tops One is an ordinary incline
railway, tho platforms OF some of which are
SO large that street car and a couple of
horses drive right on it and is waited TO the
skies; and when the car gets up there 1t goes
along Cor eight or ten miles out in the coun-
try. Another way of reaching the suburbs
is by the ordinary cable car, which winds up
TO the Hill tops by following streets that zig
gag their way up the elevation
l asked a number of Cincinnati men which
the principal suburb was, and ii seemed to be
generally agreed that Clifton was the best
for stranger to see. The particular cable
line | patronized took me across Clifton
avenue, and there 1 got off.
Clifton Is an aristocratic suburb that Is
conducted GS q sort of suburban club. No
person is allowed to get a lot there who is not
acceptable as a neighbor to the rest of the
residents, and when he does get a lot he must
build a house that VIII cost over a certain
amount and comply with a lot OF rules and
regulations all tending to make the place
very exclusive, and all that.
Clifton avenue is a wide street, kept in per-
feet condition, and is bordered on each side
by fine trees. 1t runs straight along for
bit, then drops down into valley, rises on
the other side unimpaired, winds along for
long distance and then seems TO come to an
abrupt conclusion at q fine house that bars
the way.
On each side are great park like lawns with
here and there apalaoe owned by some aristo-
cratic citizen who has made his money on
hogs or beer. So ungrateful are these aristo-
Gratis that now no beer wagon is allowed
along Clifton avenue and no hog-that is no
four legged one-is permitted to walk on that
street
l opened the valise at one point where there
was a fine view of a grand mansion away
back among noble trees, and as l sat my
camera there came from palace nearer the
road troopof merry, well dressed children
who raced down the lawn and cried:
Please, mister, won't you photograph usf"
YES
Are you going to take Mr.. Blanks houseT"
yes
And may we stand here and be in the pic
ture!"
Yes
'Oh. thank you"
At this moment the voice OF propriety and
aristocracy came from out of the vine shaded
veranda from some unseen guardian, and In
q tone of reproach was uttered the one word:
'ChildrenIn
The unfortunate little girls had forgotten
for the moment that they were rich, and they
had rashly taken up with a wandering pho
tographer. Here was . chance for great fun,
but it was denied them They had 10 sacri-
fee fun 70 the proprietieS, and with longing,
lingering and reyretful glance at the camera,
they slowly departed UP 80 the mansion, and
from the shaded porch took furuve glances
at the forbidden photographer.
II is better TO be born lucky than rich, es-
pecially when person Is young
Now, the thing that got me into trouble at
Clifton xas the distaSte ! have for twice
going over the same road. did not want TO
go back TO Cincinnati over tie cable line that
l had come out on thought would walk
through the place, and that would come to
some other line and go in that way, and thus
See more of the surrounding country.
The dag became hotter and hotter. The
valise became heavier and heavier. passed
an academy Public school would be too
plebeian a name for an institution that was
10 teach the children Of such wealthy people
as live IN Clifton; 50 they call the place an
academy. Then there was an arlStocrattc
church Finally l met some one, ana SAID %
him:
how far is it 70 a street car liner
'Oh, you're going the wrong way. The
cable cars are few miles In the other direc-
ton"
Yes I know. I came that way, and
want to go back another"
'sqhat's your best way back TO town
don't know how FAR II is 10 another line this
way-hve miles, guess"
I thoushsi Kas RooiSfor I've miles. so T