Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-10-08
stonp,.r the BLACK diamond.

The amateur photographer was telling
his adventures during his vacation spent
in the east.
II was In a little town in Pennsylvania
visiting an old aunt of NINE" he said.
'"The town is so small that freight and
passenger trains give 1t the go-by, except
once a day an accommodation stops
there.
II ound a cousin there who was just be-
ginning to be a Photographic crank. He
had a small camera, but didn't know how
to develop his films. He sent them TO
philadelphia. He hailed my arrival with
delight: When i rugged up a dark room
In the barn he was much interested, ana
as soon as II was finished he asked me to
develop IA cartridge of twelve exposures
for him. This | did. and when they were
done every blessed one of the twelve was
exactly like the other. l asked him why
he had made twelve photographs of the
same thing. The picture was a group of
twelve young country boys and girls, evil
IDENTIFY a picnic party.
twelve Of them and each wanted n picture
Of the group, so | had TO take them
IL laughed so hard nearly rolled out OF
the haymow. Well, after / was settled
and got out my fine big camera my coun-
tryM ou was I'm spasms OF JOY all the
timv. Al 3 o'clock every afternoon the
Black Diamond express tram hutlea IT.
self through the town on its way TO New
York. My cousin wanted 10 get q picture
of this. lie had tried il with his little pic
ture box and all he ever got was a streak
across the film. | consented, and at 8
o'clock that afternoon we got my camera
on u shed roof near the depot, focused II
and made ready.
THE crossing Waterman regarded. us
curiously and finally came over to ask us
what we were doing. ! told him, and he
asked If he might get in II. l told him he
might, so he posed himself near "A tele-
| graph pole and brought his red flag up 10
his shoulder.
1--WE could hear the train approaching
from afar. I made ready and II Numbered
around a curve Just beyond the depot. My
hand was on the bulb and was just COINS
TO press II. Something was evidently
wrong with the train. The brakes shrieked
on the wheels as the engineer gave her
the air as railroad men call IL, and the
great Black Diamond express came to a
sudden stop. Thu tlagman was immoNable
and kept his eye on the camera, as had
directed him. The engineer climbed out
of the cab with a white face. The con-
duCtor and train hands came running up.
The car windows were full of the heads
of frightened passengers,
1.-THE engineer looked from the tlagman
to the camera on the shed roof. He
thought the flagman had stopped the fast
train that we might photograph IT. | have
seldom seen an angrier man. The nagmar
was ~paralyZed with fear when he realized
that the Black Diamond had stopped AND
that he was the cause Of IL. When he had
posed he had lifted his red flag in a way
that meant Stop The only thing that
saved him was "A letter | wrote to the gen.
eral manager explaining the situation and
assuming the blame. which | could easily
do. as ! didn't know him nor he me.
II had presence of mind enough to press
the bulb when the excitement was at its
height and got a picture of the only time
the Black Diamond ever stopped at the
town. 1t almost broke me making prints
of IL for the Villagers