The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-19
AND PHOTOGRAPHY.
Why the Young Professor Consid-
ers tho Kodak the Greatest
Modern Invention.
Steam, Electricity and Dynamite
Are Not to Be Compared
to It.
because They Had No Agency In Getting
Him u Wife, While instantaneous
Photography Did.

In a discussion between several lenrned
gentlemen concerning modern inventions
and the marvellous appliances of science,
James Beaufranc, a great, brown, boyish
fellow. with a merrier co%untcnsnce than Ia
generally considered to be becoming to a
professor of MATHEMATICS, was asked to tell
in his turn what he thought was the most
useful discovery of the human mind.
what! you dare to pretend that the
greatest wonders Of modern times are
steam. explosives, electricity, and / know
not what! As il IL were a pleasure to travel
so fast that you cannot enjoy the scenery
on either hand; to speak through the tels-
phone to q person whose face you cannot
see. or to have your tooth pulled out. even
without pain, by, a wad of mysterious
chemical. come from God knows where! In
truth. you gentlemen. though you are re-
puted TO be very wise. appear to me very
foolish"
The parodoxes of tho young professor
caused a general smile. but James Beau
franc continued, imperturbably:
my own idea is that inventions are valu-
able only in direct ratio to the happiness
which they procure. That 10 why l find
your railroads odius, your cannon mon
strous, your dynamite absurd. And for
other reasons l find but n laudable mod
ern discovery, one which IL universally
beneficial, q science which il also An art"
And what 10 itY"
photography"
There was a great shout of laughter. De-
cidsdly Beaufrano had not his equal for
pleasantly.
However. with astonishing GOODNESS the
young professor continued:
Eyes. photoR, aphy. which docs no harm
to anyone, but, on the contrary, much
good; which makes to live again at our
firesides. immortal as their memory, the
cherished features Of relatives long de-
parted; which consoles in the absence Of
the dearly beloved; and to which, besides,
I owe my marriage" aEga
There was a great silence at this point,
and intense curiosity wasdspicted upon tho
II bought" he continued. "as BOOB as
they appeared, one Of those instantaneous
1t is nc larger Than an alarm
clock and perfectly light and portable.
You can hide it under your overooat, under
arm, within FOUR waistcoat, almost
huyWneEe. VneA you WILL you tOucn q
button, and, presto! everything before you
is found imprinted upon the film for all
eternity.
How meny times nave I opposed to the
denial of scholars. complaining of the in
justice of punishment. q photograph taken
at the moment their arms we're raised to
hurl the paper missile at my head! But |
must come to the story of my marriage.
II was u professor in Amberville college
and l lived in a little apartment on the
ground floor Opposite my house was the
large ornamented sign of Mr.. Pradoux, the
notary, to-day my father in-law. Close
beside his desk the window of bis library
opened opposite mine, and across the very
narrow street l could see, as we'll as in my
own room. all that passed in the house of
my %neighbor.- Indeed, from the first day l
could see but one thing. his daughter VAL
entine. She came and went all day long.
for she attended to the housekeeping. Mr..
Pradoux being a widower. She animated
with her CHEEKY smile and her fresh eayety
that paper strewn interior in q way that
was truly adorable.
Pardon this panegyIic upon nv wife
but she was then in the marvellous bril-
lianoy OF 1S years. Her first appearance
was to me a blow from which my heart
never recovered-a blow that only those
psychologists deny who have never exyer-
fenced 1t.
ALAS! from the first day this insur-
mountable love seemed to me what it must
have seemed to any reasonable being, fool
ish, senseleHs, useless and, doomed to per-
petual disappointment.
MIR. Pradoux was rich, very rich. and l
had, to Offset his money bags. thin
diplomas and appointments vet thinner.
There l was. shut up alone with my love.
silent a. IN a sanctuary, satisfied only to
look with innocent and distant alteration
upon the beautiful Miss Valentine,
zone day the audacious idea came to me
of i~nstantaneously photoHraphing her, and
at least preserving her image. ] carried my
little machine to the ~window-sill and care
lessly, in the most casual manner | photo
Rraphed my pretty neighbor at the precise
moment when she was embracing her
father. At another time | caught her while
she watered her flowers at the wludow.
"In short. within a month l possessed an
original gallery, Il true museum of my
dearly beloved. With her were pictures of
aGreat many people who had spoken with
her in her fathers library at the moment of
my operation, and verv often l turned over
my precious collection, happy TO possess it,
but filled at tho same time with a terrible
sadness.
'One day I did not see Miss Valentine. l
learned that she was i'll. In the week which
followed another portentous rumor reached
me. Mr.. Pradoux was. or was going to be,
ruined by a banker of doubtful reputation.
who had risked n lost n fortune in a bad
speculation. 1t was even said that criminal
proceedings we're about to be instituted
against Mr.. Pradoux. The trial would
take place at the civil tribunal. hastened
to be of the audience. Mr.. Pradoux ap-
peared to be very much cast down, but his
countenance to my mind expressed limo
cence and honesty,
"Soon l heard all of the testimony on
both sides. The business could be summed
in q few words. The banker had de-
n large quantity Of valuable papers
MIR. Pradoux. and he pretended that
the latter would not return them to him.
MIR. Pfadoux affirmed on the contrary
he had given them from his own hand
the hand of the banker, who had called
for them in his library. But Nj. Monauero
the visit, and there wee no wit
nesses. Miss Valentine WAS i'll, and even
had she been we'll her testimony, being
would hRyo been illegal.
The trial was about to close, probably
to the condemnation of MIR. Prsdoux. when
his adversary turned to tho public with n
that head, for had | not seen it oftenp
But where? | felt that it waa n question
of capital Importance. Suddenly hight shot
my mind. That figure was regis
tered upon one of my humorous i%nstanta-
neoTs photographs of my neighbours
Therefore MIR. Monquero must have
in this notaty's library.
"Yes. this visit that he denied he had
made. and the tribunal ought to know it.
II leaped to the advocates desk and
briefly told him my story.
''In n few minutes l had reached my