Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-14
READING THE SOL0NS
As the Camera Sees Them
Under Their Exteriors.
Some Of the Horrible Bills Their
Pockets Often Contain.
Inc Lens Draws Moral Lessons From Thus
Inspecting the Men.

era. but they seldom have "A conversation
Win one. YET this was what occurred to
d" augusta man. yesterday afternoon.
III Indla there is a religion the leaders of
which nave to devote their lives to study
ing II. They are given all sorts of UNI
canny things to do. that would seem i'm
possible, yet they are DONE To become an
afch adept of their religion is what few
attain. 1t is then that they can separate
their souls from their bodies and send
them away at will calling them back
equally well. Thus they have intercourse
win the departed, and are considered
among the supernatural beings. Well.
there is an arch adept position in store
Tor every true lover of photography who
VIII devote his life. it is unnecessary 10
say his earnings if he touches it at all
The Augusta man has become an arch
adept and can talk with the camera Here
are some of the things the lens of the
camera said to him. the other day about
the legislators of the State of Maine. and
about the business in general.
IF | have to have another man like
that last one look into my face shall!
surely break. Its an old joke and a stale
one too that is always sprung by the
people who come in here to stare me out
of countenance. They are always saying
i'll simperins idiotic way that they are
afraid they will break the machine as
they call me. At the same time they
think there is nothing like them in this
world for looks There isn't either. and
the world ought te be glad that there is
only one of each of their kind. But to re-
turn to the question. That last man is &.
legislator. | know he is How do know
it? Well. if you had been stared at in 4
stony unnatural way for the last ten
years you could tell IA legislator in Il
minute. 1t is a good thing my double IS
out of Sight behind the shutter He is
more sensitive than l am and SO he only
looks at the person for Il short time while
have to endure all the pain of watch
ing the artist pose the man and then
draw that back of this apparatus back
and forth so that my rays will be prop
ery focused. That inner lens would be
twisted out of shape or get Il bulge on
that would spoil it.
Il was told when | was sent out from
the factory in New York ! was to have
an easy time. but you can see what
have come to. I am in worsaseondition
than though l had been sent to the
Sing Sing photograph gallery. where they
use the machine only for photographing
criminals. There the lens expects moth
ing better, while do. ! have Il day when
an angel of the earth sits before me and
then | am supremacy happy and do my
best to cover up what little Irregularities
in her face ! can. for she is not vain and
is pure ut heart Then the very next
thing know l am looking at "A criminal.
the Lord only knows why he is out of
Jail. and worst of all--yes. the very worst
of all fates that nice lens could be put
to, ] have to look at the legislators.
Their imperfections, and they have scores
of them. have to pass through my surface
purer than the snow. That is enough to
contaminate me for life. Yes. it was
terrible fate that my New York manu-
facturers consigned me to. There | have
gone and given a secret away. Don't for
goodness sake tell Mr.. Doe that L told
you that | was made in New York. 1t
would ruin his reputation and then he is
not 10 blame for it. He selected me be-
cause l was marked and was supposed
to have been made in Germany. But l
claim ! am just as good for all that. for
why can't an American make as good Il
lens as a Dutchman?
II can't stand this many months longer.
doubt if ! can mold together. THAI stale
Oh, it is such awful hard work to keep
my face straight when man like that
last one is looking at me. / feel just like
Ut, 40. f.aA Ia, h,,t
should move my face a hairs breadth it
would spoil the negative and do not
want To queer Mr. Doe. for he is not to
blame for the mems being bad and IS
merely trying to get living. 1ie cares
for me WELL so | must do my duty. But
all the same | must tell you soL1e of the
sights I have seen since have been here.
THAT man--the horrible one T. mean
has Il terrible scheme in his heart. l
could see it. While the focusing is being
made | have to look strictly ahead and
into the mans face. the same | dc
when the shutter lets my partner look at
him too through me. but there is Il lot of
time | have to inspect the mans heart
and all his pockets If you should look
at one of the negatives properly devel-
oped. you could see all that l do fo' II is
stamped upon my mind and that negative
bears all that | see. But all the plEotog-
rapherS are so very slow that they have
not discovered Il manner of developing.
They have but just learned how to pho
tograph in colors and my secret will not
he known for years. You have something
like ii in the machine you call the y
ray, but that only gives outlines. Wait
until you discover my secret and the bad
people will not dare to have their photo
graphs taken. Then the blackness of
their hearts and all their secrets will lay
exposed. They will make fight against
any such an art in photography being
introduced but it has got to come in time
What do you suppose that man had
in his pocket. 1t was the draft of bill
permitting murder. I saw it with my
own eyes. IT read. An act to provide for
the killing of bacteria that infest the
strawberry" and asked that it be re-
ferred to the committee on judiciary.
There of course, he means small boys
who in all their innocence steal a few
Strawberries. / suppose that word
that stands for boys is some high
falutin foreign word. 1t does not
cover up the bIackness of the law.
however | doubt if that Speaker
StatSo,, x.,;ll eya, allow himself to read