The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-06
4 BIRCH-BARK PICTURE.
Was 1t Photographed by Lightning on the
Tender Bark of n Young Tree?

Sitting on the veranda at DR. A. T Sanden's
place. the Pines. on Lake Onown. I was i'm
pressed with the change which the past few
years have brought to this water sheet among
tho mountains" writes a New York man now
rusticatng in the Maine woods. Ten years
ago this lake. then known as Ship Pond. was
part of the primitive Wilderness with no sign
Of human occupancy, except the dam built by
lumhermen across its outlet, Now there are half
Il dozen cottages and permanent fishing camps
on It's shores. and sawmil at the outlet run
ly electricity. As | listened to tho piano
within doors, played by pretty girl visitor
from Kansas. tho whistle OF the railroad train
crossing the 13u-foot-high bridge which spans
tho outlet, a mile and half below the cottage.
mingled with the strains of Chopin The adj
vance Of civilization indicated in the railroad
lovers Of the wilderness, who may get their
mail ,lnil and take train east or west sew
cral times in the day Mt tn" Onawa station.
Hung around the wa lis OF the reception room
in the cottage were pictures and woodland
trophies ON the mant"l was picture about a
foot square plainly framed. and taking it up
and holding it in the prOper light my hostess
asked me what saw in it. 1t was A Ian dscape
Of woods and sky and waters, painted appar-
entity in the impressionist style. but with the
mellow tints OF ono Of the old masterpieces.
and exluisitely beautiful and natural. Its
rippiinG silver; with shoals and cddies. birch
woodland on the left with such, tall straight
e. ilHi'" - utlu ',II!n'' icn' tt'lS as pie
reach Of lake beyond the birches. with an in "
closing background Of dark. wooded noun
1t is a scene of Onawa and a rarely beauti-
fu one, pronounced. But am at loss to
name the painter and the point OF view from
which he made 1t.
Look more closely the lady said. and he'd
the picture nearer to me Then ! saw that
what had taken for canvas was birch bark
and the varied coIorings were natural Units in
its design was ndimnished II could he de-
scrihed best as a landscape photographed in
colOrs upon the bark.
1T was as you see it. the frame eyceptod
when It VAS was taken last week from the tree
party of young friends at the cottage, and they
the woods. The girls were busily at work
shaping the bark. into sunhonnets for them
upon the piece she was handling, and she gave
to me. or course we value It highly on
several accounts-itts part of our landscape
seem that it. could have come there by acct
dent. yet we have no theory to give for It. and
only one OF our visitors has attempted to &C.
count for it,
az And what did he say inquired
He said that it was natural photograph
mad upon the bark when IL was smooth and
tender-madee perhaps 10y slow process. OF the
sun. more likely inStantancously during an
electrical storm. We did not understand how
this could oc done, and he said he didn tundor-
stand II himself. only that such cases had been
known and that this might be one OF them. He
is a man who has travelled widely and has the
reputation Of knowing what he talks about.
SO there you have II and can decide for Your
sell or give i up as the rest Of us have done,
81 was incl med TO accept the theory that It
WAS nanrH rhotoSr9En 1S being LES diIl
picture was the result Of an accidental COM
bination Of colors. Taken in, any, way ono
chooses tie picture Is LEAF from
found its place in the cottage by the lake"